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Pedants' corner

loose/lose !!!

23 replies

miffybun73 · 20/06/2013 22:02

Anyone else amazed by the number of people who seem to confuse lose and loose.

e.g. I need to loose some weight, I only have 1 stone to loose etc.

It drives me mad, enough to make me loose my mind

OP posts:

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tribpot · 20/06/2013 22:08

Yes - it is very annoying, although I do (somewhat) understand the problem given lose is pronounced looz. I can't immediately think of any other words using 'ose' (other than derivatives of lose) which are pronounced 'ooz' - close, for example. I'm sure the pedants will be able to think of hundreds :)

MissMarplesBloomers · 21/06/2013 07:54

Is it on the increase do you think?

I notice it more and more these days or is MN just indulging and encouraging my natural pendantry?

Alphabollocks · 01/08/2013 12:25

Ha!
I was about to post a thread but see one already exists. Loose is an adjective, not a verb, I believe it is 'to loosen'. Drives me mad!

apostropheuse · 01/08/2013 21:35

YANBU.

Some people also seem to confuse advise and advice.

apostropheuse · 01/08/2013 21:36

Oh this isn't AIBU!

Apologies!

(not apologise)

CatWithKittens · 02/08/2013 09:59

Loose is not always an adjective - it can be a verb. I remember being taught to remember the distinction with "If you loose your goose, you will lose it." Whilst, I think not a correct statement of a goose's behaviour, it did help make the point.

PS When I spell behaviour, as above, this site underlines it as though it was a spelling mistake! Shame on you MN.

clam · 02/08/2013 10:03

I was whingeing about this one just the other day.
But I am also seriously wondering if there is anyone left on this planet who knows how to use practice/practise correctly - apart from in Pedants' Corner, of course.

HorryIsUpduffed · 02/08/2013 10:10

To loose is to set loose. To loosen is to make more loose.

If people ask me how to remember, I say "loose makes loosed, lose makes lost". Linking lose to lost makes it more obvious that it only needs one O.

That said, most pendants don't need a rule: we just remember.

That "pendants" was deliberate.

pregnant woman standing on scales

Weight gain in pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy is one of life's certainties, but studies show that many women don't know how much weight they should be putting on – and could be putting themselves and their baby at risk

MissMilliment · 02/08/2013 10:14

I think the confusion of loose and lose is on the increase, as is the use of 'should of', 'could of' etc - to the point where I fear these will soon become accepted norms. At which point I shall sit in the corner and quietly weep.

orangeandemons · 02/08/2013 10:19

I could weep too, could of and should of, I hate them. My ds is at uni, he sent me a text with "could of" in. I sent it back with loads of angry faces.

Affect and effect are really bugging me. I see it on here all the time.

SconeRhymesWithGone · 02/08/2013 17:07

Practise/practice is British English; it's practice for verb and noun in American English.

Cooroo · 07/08/2013 23:06

I like those s/c verb/noun pairings. License/licence, advise/advice, even devise/device I think.

elQuintoConyo · 07/08/2013 23:25

A second cousin (thrice temoved!) insists on stating she's 'really tiered' on faceachebook. I asked her if she was a wedding cake.
My friend insists on saying 'what I done was...' makes me want to kick a bunny!

I'm such a pedant and have to bite my tongue frequently. It seems being thick is the new black.

elQuintoConyo · 07/08/2013 23:26

temoved ? = removed

SchrodingersFanny · 22/08/2013 09:59

I was just coming to start a thread on this. I'm doing slimming world and there is a lot of 'loose' on the Facebook group. Drives me mad!

yellowballoons · 22/08/2013 10:04

I actually think the wrong spelling is decreasing, on MN at least, since even a year ago.

yellowballoons · 22/08/2013 10:04

rein/reign on the other hand...

EarthMither · 22/08/2013 10:05

YY to being driven mad by "loose" used wrongly for "lose". I've only noticed this happening in the last couple of years, so fuck knows where it's come from. I blame Facebook for propagating illiteracy in general.

EarthMither · 22/08/2013 10:07

Yellowballoons, you could be right about poor spelling decreasing in general, but "loose/lose" is definitely on the rise. Along with the misuse of "advise" for "advice" - aaaaaarrrggh

SconeRhymesWithGone · 22/08/2013 12:41

I just realized that in US English it's practice for noun and verb, but the "s" word license for noun and verb. Interesting. We do, however, still maintain the distinction between advise and advice and devise and device.

Longdistance · 22/08/2013 12:43

Beech and beach. Seen loads on fb.

What is wrong with people?

ArgyMargy · 23/08/2013 21:42

Ha ha yellow! Toddler reigns!! Arf.

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WMittens · 24/08/2013 23:10

We do, however, still maintain the distinction between advise and advice and devise and device.

The pronunciations of those words differ, unlike practise/practice and license/licence which are homophonous.

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