Uh-oh, is this me?
When asking someone about their biggest annoyances in life, you might expect responses like “hunger,” “being poor,” or “getting shot.” If you ask a white person, the most common response will likely be “people who use ‘their’ when they mean ‘there.’ Maybe comma splices, I’m not sure but it’s definitely one of the two.
- “#99 Grammar,” Stuff White People Like
I can’t read without writing at least something in my books’ margins. This is why I don’t utilize libraries, and also why I don’t borrow people’s books. I am moving toward a model of not lending out my books, either, as I seem to be really asking for it whenever I casually write down the names of people who happen to remind me of an author’s character or specific plot twists. It’d be like lending out my journal…
The above is a scan of one of the two books I’m reading at the moment, Rock On, and yeah, you should totally read it, even though on page 84 his editor didn’t catch that they left the “hop” out of “hip hop.”
Definitely know what you mean about lending out a book and then realizing you might have written their name in somewhere because that (awful) character reminded you of that person. Embarrassing, to say the least. Good policy. I myself NEVER use the library for the same reason.
Finally! Someone else who makes notes! I like to think we’re just more thoughtful than the non-vandals.