fredericks | My brain, why?

My brain, why?

[Poll #1765505]

I ask because I've come across "free reign" twice in works of authors whose writing I generally admire (fanfic, not pro fic, so there's that). I read a metric shit ton of Saddle Club books when I was younger and "free rein" just makes more *sense,* in that it's implied that the party involved has liberty to do whatever. Whereas "free reign" just seems redundant... unless you're a monarchial history buff and you want to make some subtle commentary about dowagers and puppet heads of state and the like.

Yes. I am weird. I know this.

ETA - K, I realize how silly this is, particularly when speaking of fanfic, where it's not uncommon to see "prostrate" used incorrectly. Don't people use betas?

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"Free rein" is the correct expression, but I think the other is so very omnipresent, that it might even be accepted as as second usage, now? I don't have any of my grammar guides handy at the moment...

I figured as much, but it just doesn't make sense to me. It's idiomatic, but "free rein" simply seems more logical.

But, you know, English. Language is ever-evolving and all that jazz.

I voted for "free rein" because as you said, that seems to be the most logical. But "free reign" doesn't give me the horrible knee jerk reaction that an incorrectly used "prostrate" does, and now I'm starting to wonder if I've written it incorrectly myself. Hmm.

In related news, someone was complaining about the incorrect use of "blown pupils" the other day and it's been grating on me ever since.

In related news, someone was complaining about the incorrect use of "blown pupils" the other day and it's been grating on me ever since.
What was the quibble? Besides the improbability outside of low light (thus making it harder to see) and/or the idiomatic nature of the phrase?

The quibble was that blown pupils are more a Bat signal for a medical emergency than sexy times. Now whenever I read the phrase, all I think about is seizures and/or head trauma. Thanks, random person with a random peeve! Now it's mine, too. :(

*grin* I mean, extreme drug use can bring about dilated pupils, but not the anime-style picture ficcers are going for. My issue with it only came up after you mentioned the other person's peeve (and, funny enough, after I read your initial comment I came across the phrase "pupils blown" during a sexytiem scene), in that you're probably not going to notice dilated pupils unless the person is completely out of it. AKA medical emergency. So now that random person with a random peeve has ruined 1/4 of the fic out there for me as well.

So now that random person with a random peeve has ruined 1/4 of the fic out there for me as well.

For real. There are plenty of blown pupils in X-Men and H50 fandoma, let me tell you what.

My new peeve lately has been the way writers use eyes. People's eyes darken with lust, they change color with their thoughts, they telegraph feelings and decisions from across a crowded room. Now, maybe I know all the wrong people (or just have a working knowledge of lighting and reflection), but you can't read that much in a person's eyes. They're usually a fixed color and unless you're a total staring creeper, you'd never notice such things even if you're trying. Aksldfdjksfds, writers. Honestly.

My new peeve lately has been the way writers use eyes. People's eyes darken with lust, they change color with their thoughts, they telegraph feelings and decisions from across a crowded room. Now, maybe I know all the wrong people (or just have a working knowledge of lighting and reflection), but you can't read that much in a person's eyes. They're usually a fixed color and unless you're a total staring creeper, you'd never notice such things even if you're trying. Aksldfdjksfds, writers. Honestly

Yup. This. Eyes darkening with lust is way over used. Eyes changing color with thoughts, though? I had that idea waay back in the first bit of fanfic I wrote in the Dragonlance sandbox. When I was TWELVE. Really, adult people actually write that?

I know, writing is difficult. But there's a lot of over-emoting and over-description going on nowadays.

I picked "free rein" because, well, that's the primary used one, but "free reign" actually works as well, and now i'm wondering how often I've maybe not noticed which one has been used.

Prostrate for prostate makes my medically trained brain cry sad tears of woe, mainly because it's something I deal with a lot at work (also, "spayded" and "neutereded" for "spayed" and "neutered" respectively, and the sometimes... ~~aggravating~~ ~~infuriating~~ ~~truly baffling~~ charmingly inept pronounciations of everything from drug names (both brand and generic. I thought the pharm companies designed the brand names so that they were easy for people to say?) to diseases to Things They've Googled And Are Now Obsessed With)

I picked "free rein" because, well, that's the primary used one, but "free reign" actually works as well, and now i'm wondering how often I've maybe not noticed which one has been used.
Everything I've come across online has said that rein/reign are used interchangeably at this point. It's just one of those situations where reign makes me think of something different than what the writer intends.

Something else that irks me? The misuse of "then" and "than." Happens all the time and it just jars me. I'm not a grammarian by any means, but sometimes I grab onto things mentally and can't let go.

Speaking of medical quirks with fic, any excessive handwaving of major traumatic injuries tens to take me out of stories. If you're going to do amnesia fic, either make it medically accurate or play it as cliche.

thought the pharm companies designed the brand names so that they were easy for people to say?) to diseases to Things They've Googled And Are Now Obsessed With)
I'm with you on that one.

ahaha! I commented before I read your other comments! Also, free rein as in giving a horse its head and letting it run. I don't get the reign usage at all. reign means rule. That's just bad English and makes me all sad face. Kind of like totally typing in random words all random. :P

*grin* I knew we'd be on the same page.

I don't get the reign usage at all. reign means rule
I feel the same way. It makes me sad that "reign" is getting more use than "rein."

I found another one that annoys me. The constant misuse and/or misunderstanding of the word fetish. If you want to read werewolf/twincest/Harry Potter fanfic, it is not your fetish unless you can not perform sexually without the aforementioned fanfic in the room with you. It's just what you like to read, not a fetish. I do not think it means what you think it means fangirls.

I always wonder how much is willful ignorance and how much is naivety. I've made a lot of blunders in regards to gender, sexual, and alignment sensitivity from just not knowing over the years. And in fandom it's easy to offend by just not knowing and not knowing to ask.

I have, honest to god, had to tell someone--one more than one occasion!--that no, them having a nosebleed does not mean that they've caught myxomatosis from that wild rabbit they brought in to us the other day unless they, themselves are also a rabbit. *facepalms forever*

LOL. The Radiohead song ruined it for you.

Darn you, Thom Yorke! *tiny fistshake*

I'm with you on then and than. That and to/too... There are others that bug the heck outta me. If I'm tired or distracted enough, sometimes I'll make the very errors that drive me nuts... But generally I catch them when I proofread... or my beta does.

lol! I get sick of seeing then instead of than. I'm pretty sure it's "greater than" not "greater then" but I could be wrong.

Lol. *grin* I think that sounds correct.

Arghl. I just clicked the wrong one, hit send, and immediately went, "What the Eff, UT. Stupid." Clearly it is too late at night for me to be answering English questions.

It's all right, you get a pass. :)

I'm just surprised on one has picked the Esperanto option. Thought that was rather clever, myself.

Maybe everyone's busy studying for the Klignon tests.

Argh! I accidentally voted wrong! Put me down for "free rein."

*grin* So noted. "Free reign" received a lot more votes than I thought it would, even factoring in the voting errors. Hmm.

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My brain, why?

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