Does the writer at yahoo.com think that a rub and a barbecue sauce are one and the same?
Um, no. They’re two different things and when they’re the subject of a sentence, they take a plural verb (like are). Of course, describing a rub as “thick, chunky” is a little weird. I suspect the writer has no idea what a rub is; it’s a mixture of ground herbs and spices. Maybe next time the writer will read the actual article before writing about. Just a thought.
This couldn’t be further from the correct word on Yahoo! Celebrity:
The writer should know that farther refers to physical distances and further for nonphysical measurement. According to the American Heritage Dictionary:
Many writers since the Middle English period have used farther and further interchangeably. A relatively recent rule, however, states that farther should be reserved for physical distance and further for nonphysical, metaphorical advancement. The Usage Panel has favored this rule for some time. In our 1987 survey, 74 percent of the Usage Panel preferred farther in the sentence If you are planning to drive any farther than Ukiah, you’d better carry chains, while 64 percent preferred further in the sentence We won’t be able to answer these questions until we are further along in our research. While the use of both adverbs was acceptable in these examples in our 2009 survey, only 62 percent accepted the use of further in the drive sentence quoted above, and only 58 percent accepted farther in the research example. Approval of usage following the rule was nearly unanimous.
I’m more than a little confused by this advice from Yahoo! Style:
So, I’m supposed to wear “solid shades” (is that like sunglasses with extra-dark lenses?), but mix prints, but stick with solid colors. Right? Is it possible that the writer has no idea what he’s talking about? And neither does the reader.
Quack! Quack! Peep! Peep! Cock-a-doodle-do! Gobble! Gobble!
That’s fowl language. Is that the language the “less friendly fans” were using, as reported on Yahoo! Style?
Or was it foul language?
Terribly Write 