[itched mode]

I am a pedant. I take words and grammar seriously and these words have bugged me to no end ever since I encountered them.

I'd asked, "Shouldn't it be 'bla bla'?" and been told that I'd been wrong. They believed they had it right.

I let it rest. It was not my area of responsibility either. A vile thought crept in as I was deemed lacking the credentials in the subject —though I wonder how they have come to such conclusion— that maybe I should let them be a laughing stock.

But a friend, who is well-versed in the subject, raised an eyebrow and pointedly asked, "you do know that these words are wrong, don't you?"

I cringed. "Of course I know," I told him. And I suddenly had an urge to issue a disclaimer that those were not my doing. "I've only done this and this."

"You could've told them!"

"I did tell them but they wouldn't listen," I said.

He laughed, like I would at funny broken-English signs, and suddenly I felt bad. Even though it's not my responsibility, this is a collaboration. Disclaiming parts of it to save my own skin is inappropriate.

So today, I tried again with quotes of my good friend's words, hoping they would lend weight to mine.

And.... I was dismissed. Again.

Maybe there's truth to Dumbledore's words. "People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right." Though I think I've had it. Let them believe what they want to believe, and be ridiculed. I will have the last laugh anyway...

Yes. I am mean.

[/itched mode]