My absolute biggest pet peeve in the English language…
Often, I wish I could edit people’s everyday speech. For the most part, I can let grammatical errors slide, but in some cases I lose my mind.
Not me, but same reaction...
No error irritates me more than the improper uses of the words borrow and lend. For whatever reason, I’ve noticed that many don’t know when to use these words properly. Every time I hear it used improperly, it’s as though somebody is scratching their nails on a chalkboard, or stabbing me in the head. Slight exaggeration, but still, I think you get how much it bugs me.
Improper use:
I borrowed him my books. (Argh!)
You may lend my books. (Double argh!)
Proper use:
I lent him my books. (Yay!)
You may borrow my books. (Double yay!)
I have yet to figure out why these words are so complicated. There are a billion websites dedicated to explaining when you should use either word, yet people still screw these up on a near-constant basis.
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