Self-proclaimed grammar nerds are a bit odd. They seem to enjoy being persnickety about the way people use language. Good for them. It’s nice that they can enjoy themselves. Some of their favorite issues are the misuse of “there,” “their,” and “they’re” or “your” and “you’re.” Personally I’m not even sure that they qualify as grammatical errors. They seem more like spelling errors to me, but the grammar nerds get an awful lot of glee in pointing them out.
Christmas time must be great for the grammar nerds. Two words join the lexicon each December that are perfect for those who enjoy fussiness, “yore” and “yule.” This time of year, people can mix up not just “your” and “you’re,” but also “yore.” And “you’ll” and “yule” are close enough to cause some confusion.
It’s not just the fun of pointing out mistakes. Christmas also lets the grammar nerds have more constructive fun by making sentences like, “You’re the one, in days of yore, who made your pie.” Or, “You’ll feel a special warmth from the yule log.” Holiday fun at its finest.
So I encourage everyone to use these words as much as possible during the season. You’ll be giving someone a gift every time, whether your use of them is correct or not. And that’s what the season is all about.
