she’s a grammar Nazi (or in her case a grammar Confederate) , which changes his attitude from indifference to revulsion.
Actually, grammar nazis traditionally are opposed to the use of sentence adverbs. The traditional example is “hopefully,” which has a well-demonstrated ability to excite irrational opposition. “Frankly,” in this usage, is another example of a sentence adverb and is often cited in explanations of their legitimacy.
Scarlet is a better-grounded grammarian, but her professorial discussion is not what Rhett wants to hear. Of course, if this is really the scene where he is telling her off, then her grammatical digression is infuriating and emotionally remote.
My thought was pretty much the same as billybob’s, except I don’t understand what she’s grammar Nazi-ing about. She says that the sentence adverb “frankly” is fine, so why is she crossing it out?
It is unacceptable in written work, particularly academic discourse, formal letters and legal writing; but, frankly, it’s OK in laid-back, y’know, less formal spoken chit-chat, yeah?
Not “fine”: “acceptable”; In French teacher parlance, that would mean barely correct. She then offers improvement (on a paperboard, ugh).
Grammar Nazis are annoying whether they’re telling you you’re doing it wrong or they’re telling you you’re doing it right.
@Usual John: Generally, most of the noise about “hopefully” is that it should mean “full of hope”, but is usually used in the sense of “it is to be hoped that”. Alas, English lacks the word “hopably” and modern usage upsets prescriptivists.
I heartily object to the term ‘grammar Nazi’. It’s worse than any grammatical error that is made.
Thanks Usual John #2 for an excellent explanation of the purported underlying issues. And I agree with Winter #3 that it seems she is being inconsistent, accepting the form but also crossing it out. Maybe there’s some sequencing that isn’t conveyed quite right or that we’re just not picking up on right — say, if this is he second thought, retracting her disapproval.
Even if something is grammatically correct, that doesn’t mean it can’t be better.
It’s not crossed out because it’s wrong, it’s crossed out because in the rewritten version of the statement (not shown), it isn’t needed. You see, young’uns, there was this time when you changed the text you were composing not by backspacing over it or highlighting it and selecting delete, but by crossing it out and scribbling something else in the margin.
Stet Butler.
@ DemetriosX – I once had trouble getting used to the fact that the German word “höffentlich” is a perfectly correct and usable translation for the word “hopefully” (as it is actually used, and not as the ultra-grammarians would have it employed).
P.S. @ Andréa – Years of residency here have taught me to be extremely careful about making such comparisons. The term does indeed go way beyond rationality, but if we are going to discard it, then we need some other (less offensive) term to describe those pedantic nitpickers who think that upholding some minor typographical precept is equivalent to the defense of western civilization against the barbarian invaders.
@narmitaj, Well put.
Olivier: Whether it’s “fine” or “acceptable,” it still doesn’t scan right for me. Either means that the sentence has passed some minimum bar. Either way the sentence could be improved, sure, but before switching from a positive statement (even minimally positive) to a correction, I’d expect some lead-in of “But. . .” or “However. . .” to indicate that the second sentence is in tension with the first sentence. e.g. “Your analysis is acceptable. Rewrite section 3 to emphasize the duck problem.” is a weird thing to say, even if “But rewrite section 3 to emphasize the duck problem.” would sound normal.
But the wording in the comic makes even less sense to me than the first version of the duck problem, because “that” means she’s referring to some previously understood object – either what he said, or a correction she’s proposed. So it’s more like “Your analysis is acceptable. Let’s look at that to see how much better section 3 is.”
Isn’t the word ‘conversationally’ supposed to be in italics? Maybe that’s what the author meant for transition.
Oops, I misremembered the comic. But you get my meaning?
Chak: Oh, yes, that works much better! And it makes sense of the otherwise baffling italics on the “in.” (Although the “that” in the second sentence still seems problematic)
Re “grammar nazi”, there’s this from my quotes file:
I’m not a Grammar Nazi. I’m a Grammar Christian. I like to
condemn people for being wrong even though I don’t understand
the rules myself. ;)
The whole novel/movie leading up to this line has Rhett trying to win the affection of Scarlett. The line indicated he was fed up and done. In the movie, he just left. The joke here is that she continues to critique him, oblivious to his underlying emotions his investment in her leading up to that point…..Rhett not only leaves, he runs away screaming.
Yay, dvandom! Working crossword puzzles pays off.
And Kilby, the term you are looking for is pedant, although is doesn’t have quite the same, shall we say, sneer factor. And, let’s face it, it’s the type of word only a pedant would use. Frankly (ahem), my only problem with Grammar Nazi is that is over used and lazy – thank you, Jerry Seinfeld.
While the discussion is quite interesting, I hate to be the one who points out that the comic just isn’t funny.
“. . . and don’t call me Frank.”
Not to be political . . . this is a Sanders quote from today: “Frankly I don’t think the term the president used was strong enough.”
“I’m a Grammar Christian.”
Arthur, that’s excellent!!! I’m stealing that. Don’t worry though. If anyone asks, I’ll attribute it to you.
“this is a Sanders quote from today”
Oh. Sarah Sanders, not Bernie
Stan @ 24: “If anyone asks, I’ll attribute it to you.”
It’s not mine. When I said it was from my quotes file, I meant
it was from the file of interesting quotes I’ve accumulated over
the years from various sources. Would it have helped if I said
it was from my commonplace book?
Since I am both husband and father to English teachers, I sympathize with Mr. Gable.
And all this time I thought Frankly was her name.
“Would it have helped if I said it was from my commonplace book?”
Sorry Art, I didn’t think it made that much difference. I heard it from you, so I’d have attributed it to you. In any case, I loved it. Nice one.
WW: I see what you mean. “That” seems to refer to the previous sentence (“A sentence adverb is acceptable in conversation”), but I think it refers to what Rhett said. You’re right, the wording is awkward. Scarlett is the victim of the natural law, which states that whenever you point out a typo, you make one yourself.
dvandom, Kilby, Arthur, zbicyclist, Mark(iB) – Thanks for the smiles. A good discussion by all.
“Re “grammar nazi”, there’s this from my quotes file:
I’m not a Grammar Nazi. I’m a Grammar Christian. I like to
condemn people for being wrong even though I don’t understand
the rules myself. 😉”
I’ve never been a fan of “Grammar Nazi”, but the above alternative is no better.
It just trades one condescending sneer for another.
Arthur, can you give the source of the quotation? Pretty please?
Chak, I can’t. When I add something to my quotes file, I
attribute it if I can at the time. There’s no name attached to
this one.
“the above alternative is no better”
Well, perhaps it’s a little better. One sneer is aptly based on a group that was bent on forced compliance or death, and global domination at all costs. The other one is based on Nazis.
Stan, you’re a naughty boy. I loved it, but it was naughty.
Comics I Don't Understand 
she’s a grammar Nazi (or in her case a grammar Confederate) , which changes his attitude from indifference to revulsion.
Actually, grammar nazis traditionally are opposed to the use of sentence adverbs. The traditional example is “hopefully,” which has a well-demonstrated ability to excite irrational opposition. “Frankly,” in this usage, is another example of a sentence adverb and is often cited in explanations of their legitimacy.
Scarlet is a better-grounded grammarian, but her professorial discussion is not what Rhett wants to hear. Of course, if this is really the scene where he is telling her off, then her grammatical digression is infuriating and emotionally remote.
My thought was pretty much the same as billybob’s, except I don’t understand what she’s grammar Nazi-ing about. She says that the sentence adverb “frankly” is fine, so why is she crossing it out?
It is unacceptable in written work, particularly academic discourse, formal letters and legal writing; but, frankly, it’s OK in laid-back, y’know, less formal spoken chit-chat, yeah?
Not “fine”: “acceptable”; In French teacher parlance, that would mean barely correct. She then offers improvement (on a paperboard, ugh).
Grammar Nazis are annoying whether they’re telling you you’re doing it wrong or they’re telling you you’re doing it right.
@Usual John: Generally, most of the noise about “hopefully” is that it should mean “full of hope”, but is usually used in the sense of “it is to be hoped that”. Alas, English lacks the word “hopably” and modern usage upsets prescriptivists.
I heartily object to the term ‘grammar Nazi’. It’s worse than any grammatical error that is made.
Thanks Usual John #2 for an excellent explanation of the purported underlying issues. And I agree with Winter #3 that it seems she is being inconsistent, accepting the form but also crossing it out. Maybe there’s some sequencing that isn’t conveyed quite right or that we’re just not picking up on right — say, if this is he second thought, retracting her disapproval.
Even if something is grammatically correct, that doesn’t mean it can’t be better.
It’s not crossed out because it’s wrong, it’s crossed out because in the rewritten version of the statement (not shown), it isn’t needed. You see, young’uns, there was this time when you changed the text you were composing not by backspacing over it or highlighting it and selecting delete, but by crossing it out and scribbling something else in the margin.
Stet Butler.
@ DemetriosX – I once had trouble getting used to the fact that the German word “höffentlich” is a perfectly correct and usable translation for the word “hopefully” (as it is actually used, and not as the ultra-grammarians would have it employed).
P.S. @ Andréa – Years of residency here have taught me to be extremely careful about making such comparisons. The term does indeed go way beyond rationality, but if we are going to discard it, then we need some other (less offensive) term to describe those pedantic nitpickers who think that upholding some minor typographical precept is equivalent to the defense of western civilization against the barbarian invaders.
@narmitaj, Well put.
Olivier: Whether it’s “fine” or “acceptable,” it still doesn’t scan right for me. Either means that the sentence has passed some minimum bar. Either way the sentence could be improved, sure, but before switching from a positive statement (even minimally positive) to a correction, I’d expect some lead-in of “But. . .” or “However. . .” to indicate that the second sentence is in tension with the first sentence. e.g. “Your analysis is acceptable. Rewrite section 3 to emphasize the duck problem.” is a weird thing to say, even if “But rewrite section 3 to emphasize the duck problem.” would sound normal.
But the wording in the comic makes even less sense to me than the first version of the duck problem, because “that” means she’s referring to some previously understood object – either what he said, or a correction she’s proposed. So it’s more like “Your analysis is acceptable. Let’s look at that to see how much better section 3 is.”
Isn’t the word ‘conversationally’ supposed to be in italics? Maybe that’s what the author meant for transition.
Oops, I misremembered the comic. But you get my meaning?
Chak: Oh, yes, that works much better! And it makes sense of the otherwise baffling italics on the “in.” (Although the “that” in the second sentence still seems problematic)
Re “grammar nazi”, there’s this from my quotes file:
I’m not a Grammar Nazi. I’m a Grammar Christian. I like to
condemn people for being wrong even though I don’t understand
the rules myself. ;)
The whole novel/movie leading up to this line has Rhett trying to win the affection of Scarlett. The line indicated he was fed up and done. In the movie, he just left. The joke here is that she continues to critique him, oblivious to his underlying emotions his investment in her leading up to that point…..Rhett not only leaves, he runs away screaming.
Yay, dvandom! Working crossword puzzles pays off.
And Kilby, the term you are looking for is pedant, although is doesn’t have quite the same, shall we say, sneer factor. And, let’s face it, it’s the type of word only a pedant would use. Frankly (ahem), my only problem with Grammar Nazi is that is over used and lazy – thank you, Jerry Seinfeld.
While the discussion is quite interesting, I hate to be the one who points out that the comic just isn’t funny.
“. . . and don’t call me Frank.”
Not to be political . . . this is a Sanders quote from today: “Frankly I don’t think the term the president used was strong enough.”
“I’m a Grammar Christian.”
Arthur, that’s excellent!!! I’m stealing that. Don’t worry though. If anyone asks, I’ll attribute it to you.
“this is a Sanders quote from today”
Oh. Sarah Sanders, not Bernie
Stan @ 24: “If anyone asks, I’ll attribute it to you.”
It’s not mine. When I said it was from my quotes file, I meant
it was from the file of interesting quotes I’ve accumulated over
the years from various sources. Would it have helped if I said
it was from my commonplace book?
Since I am both husband and father to English teachers, I sympathize with Mr. Gable.
And all this time I thought Frankly was her name.
“Would it have helped if I said it was from my commonplace book?”
Sorry Art, I didn’t think it made that much difference. I heard it from you, so I’d have attributed it to you. In any case, I loved it. Nice one.
WW: I see what you mean. “That” seems to refer to the previous sentence (“A sentence adverb is acceptable in conversation”), but I think it refers to what Rhett said. You’re right, the wording is awkward. Scarlett is the victim of the natural law, which states that whenever you point out a typo, you make one yourself.
dvandom, Kilby, Arthur, zbicyclist, Mark(iB) – Thanks for the smiles. A good discussion by all.
“Re “grammar nazi”, there’s this from my quotes file:
I’m not a Grammar Nazi. I’m a Grammar Christian. I like to
condemn people for being wrong even though I don’t understand
the rules myself. 😉”
I’ve never been a fan of “Grammar Nazi”, but the above alternative is no better.
It just trades one condescending sneer for another.
Arthur, can you give the source of the quotation? Pretty please?
Chak, I can’t. When I add something to my quotes file, I
attribute it if I can at the time. There’s no name attached to
this one.
“the above alternative is no better”
Well, perhaps it’s a little better. One sneer is aptly based on a group that was bent on forced compliance or death, and global domination at all costs. The other one is based on Nazis.
Stan, you’re a naughty boy. I loved it, but it was naughty.