Say What?

As much as I rail against people for not using the English language correctly*, I must admit there are some sayings that just don't make any damn sense. Here are a couple:

"Have your cake and eat it too"
I know what the meaning of this phrase is, I think; it's talking about not being satisfied and always wanting more than you deserve. But if you look at what it literally says, it's completely ridiculous. I know the Vegetable Assassin will back me up on this one. I mean, what is the point of having sweet delicious cake, if not to cram it down one's gullet? What possible circumstances could exist in which the having of the cake was enough?! What are you going to do, just keep it under a glass dome, taking it out occasionally to stare lovingly at the swirly peaks of frosting until the cake is old enough for baby spiders to come bursting out? Maybe that's good enough for Miss Haversham, but not this girl, no sir! I see a cake, I eat it.

"The exception that proves the rule"
This just makes my brain hurt like Mr Gumby. I'm not even sure I can understand what someone who uses this phrase is trying to say. I mean, surely if an example exists that goes against the conventional wisdom, doesn't that mean the conventional wisdom is wrong? For example, say you meet an Australian who hates beer and loathes cricket. Okay, perhaps it's unexpected, but how in the hell do you turn around and take that as proof that Aussies usually do love beer and cricket, rather than that perhaps you might have been taken in by a popular stereotype, and it's proof of the fact that the stereotype isn't true?!

Extra Credit Question: Dear Readers, what oddities of the English language (or another language, but please explain!) do you find perplexing?


*I think using the wrong your/you're should be punishable by torture, and I have been known to shout at the television during misuse of the word literally...

How many Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Pestilence, War, Famine, Death, Using Literally When You Mean Figuratively.

Who are your bonus Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Grammar Nazi: Me vs. I

I was going to be all cute and name this "Me, Myself & I", but I'm not opening the "myself" can o' worms.

Do I say "me" or "I"?

1.
Firstly, in either case always put the other people/person before yourself. This is good manners and it's also good grammar.
For example: Do not say "Me/I and Person X", say "Person X and me/I."

2.
The easiest rule is, if you take the other person/people out of the sentence it should still make sense.

For example:
"[Person X and] I went to the movies." You would never say "Me went to the movies", so you know you should not use "me"in that sentence.

"They gave candy to [Person X and] me." You would never say "They gave candy to I", so you know you should not use "I"in that sentence.

3.
It is technically correct to say "It is I", but "It is me" or "It's me" are so widely accepted nowadays as to be considered correct in all but the most formal situations.

And I'm all for the evolution of language unless it obfuscates* meaning, which I could go on and on about but this post is probably already long & boring enough.


*That was for you, mjenks. I know you love them five dollar words.