I realize that I'm now just being annoying

[conuly]

But there's a contest in the comments here for inventing fake (but realistic!) grammar "rules". Sadly, some of the fakes have already been promulgated. For one thing, I'm sure I've seen the one about people/persons seriously said in an older text somewhere. I remember because I was struck by the logic, but still totally unconvinced that this was crucial to the continuance of intelligent discourse.

Comments

[redbird]

I am trying to recall whether that was in Strunk and White.

[mc776]

...I don't think I can bear to think about such things long enough to take part in this contest and remain human. D:

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Haha, fake grammar rules, how quaint! People make that shit up all the time; nice to see they now have a contest for it.

What is most crucial to the continuance of intelligent discourse is a standard of etiquette, and by all such traditional standards it is Not Done to correct the grammar of anyone but one's own children or pupils. People who bring up grammar rules in the midst of a conversation about other things aren't trying to further intelligent discourse, they're trying to derail it