But that doesn’t make sense

just reducedI’m a tad OCD with words. Sure, I make typos, but when I hear something that’s just … wrong … I want to message a correction, such as ….

10: A radio station can’t be “all new” when they’ve had their call letters for several years and their current format for nearly one year.
9: When a realtor leaves the “just reduced” sign up — for months. The “just” passed over a couple of weeks.
8: When someone calls something “funny as hell.” Hell, I’m sure, is many things. Funny isn’t one of them.
7: Could care less. It’s couldn’t — as in could.not.
6: Also, the “who cares?!?!” (the writer always seems to think you need all those question marks and exclamation points). Someone — or several someones — always cares. Always.
5: Calling a 2-year-old a baby. By medical standards, you are no longer a baby when you can walk, talk and eat pizza.
4: “Can’t sleep” posted to social media. Of course you can’t, you’re playing online! Numerous sleep experts have been quoted as saying people need to step away from the screen when they can’t get any ZZZs.
3: I have “over” 100 Facebook friends. No, you have more than. Over (and under) is for proximity, which leads me to …
2: She works “under” 40 hours a week. It’s “fewer than” not “under.”
1: I won’t go to a chain because it’s not “local.” The people who work there live in the community and spend their money here and the businesses pay state and local taxes. So, yeah, they’re local.

14 thoughts on “But that doesn’t make sense

  1. Betty

    “new baby” – ok, have you seen an old one? all/most of the cards congratulate you on your new baby – agree with you on so many of those

    Reply
  2. Scott

    Kristi- you missed my two favorites:

    1) Free Gift. Of course, it’s free! If it wasn’t free, how could it be a gift?

    2) Added Bonus. By definition, if something is a bonus, it’s not part of the basic stuff – so it’s added. No need for both words.

    Reply
  3. Vic Christopher

    Kristi,

    Congratulations on all of the exciting changes in your life. I will greatly miss reading your work on the TU.

    In regards to the chain vs. local discussion that you are likely referring to;

    https://www.facebook.com/vic.christopher/posts/10202216646831192

    my issue is not in the technical definition of “local”, but rather a consumer awareness concern. The movement towards a carbon-copy society where everybody in the whole country does the same stuff is terrifying to me.

    The elated response from the public every time an incoming chain like Sonic is announced seems like a more regular recurrence in the Capital Region as of late, yet we have many longstanding, affordable, quality dining destinations.

    The only thing unique about an area are its small businesses. They belong to the community, and must be preserved.

    Reply
    1. Kristi Post author

      Kristi responds:

      Vic Christopher, thank you for the well-wishes.

      That conversation we had on Facebook was not the first time this issue has come up. In fact, it’s a debate I’ve had for much of my adult life 🙂

      Reply
  4. jaci

    Not sure where anyone else’s cutoff is…. but I think you should stop using months to measure a kid’s age after 18 months. After that, it’s ridiculous. “My 20 month old son….” no. Your almost two your old. I also lost count of how many weeks old L was after 12. Is that bad?

    Reply
  5. Dominick Purnomo

    Restaurants whose chief executives, founders or head chefs live far, far away from their physical locations are anything but local Kristi. Their ideas come from corporate headquarters, their profits go to a headquarters. Their food comes from a commissary. Their recipes come from a corporate chef who has no relationship with the community which the restaurant is located.

    The food on their menus does not come from local farms. Their beers do not come from local breweries. Their spirits do not come from local distilleries. Their soul does not lie within the community. Their ideas in hospitality do not come from the people who live within. The entire concept behind “chain” restaurants is that every chink in the chain is identical, whether in Delmar, Dubuque or Delaware. The restaurants are “units”, their guests are “covers”.

    When a local distillery opens such as Albany Distilling Company opens, truly “local” establishments embrace their efforts and bring in the fruits of their labor to share with their guests. When Nine Pin cider works in downtown Albany opened for operation, there were a handful of operations which chose to sell their products immediately. There are no chain restaurants serving either of these products. If they were to offer them, they would need approval from an out of state corporate beverage buyer.

    When Sheldon Farms suffers catastrophic losses after Hurricane Irene, it was the local restaurant community that came to their aid to support the little product that they had left. When the regional foodbank of Northeastern New York has a fundraiser to support the hungry people of this area, the independent restaurants of the region are there to support their efforts, not a single chain has ever offered. When the farmers & growers of Schoharie County were devastated after hurricane Irene, it was the independent chefs who rallied to raise money for them. When the arts budgets were slashed in the city of Albany from the Mayoral budget, the independent restaurants in the area gathered to raise $100,000+ a year to help sustain their existence.

    While I understand that chain restaurants often appeal to the masses with the same promises of unlimited salad and breadsticks, shrimp buffets & baby back ribs in every top 100 market in the country, the heart & soul of an independent restaurant lies within the community that it stands and serves.

    Reply
  6. Roz

    When I was a teen, there was an Italian-American restaurant owner who would offer patrons a “free glassa wine onna house!”

    Reply
  7. Miss Erin

    That bothers me about that particular radio station as well.

    Thank you for the grammar lessons with numbers 2 and 3 – I did not know those.

    I have to disagree with the “new baby” – a “new” baby to me is a newborn to 3 months. Then they’re just a baby. Until they’re 2, then they’re a toddler. =0)

    Reply
  8. Leslie

    Kristi,
    I read in the paper yesterday that the AP Stylebook says “over” is now acceptable as a substitute for “more than.” I’m astounded .. and saddened. Won’t let it “totally destroy” (one of my pet peeves) me though.

    Reply

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