The Grammar Stickler in Me (His vs. He's)

Have you heard of the word "Stickler"? I first encountered it in Lynne Truss' book entitled "Eats, Shoots and Leaves". A book about the correct usage of punctuation marks.

A "Stickler" is someone who insists on something unyieldingly. And according to the book, there are a few people on the planet that are sticklers when it comes to grammatical errors. Those people who experience an itch to correct every error they see. They feel uneasy when they see these errors and they couldn't rest until they are corrected. Why am I discussing this? Well, I'm afraid I am one of these sticklers.

A Tribute to Housewives Everywhere

“She kisses my booboos

She braids my hair

We love you mothers everywhere.”

~Agnes (Despicable Me)

Having been a housewife for just half a year, I begin to realize how inappropriate the term Plain Housewife is. Whoever coined the term “Plain Housewife” must either be blindly ignorant or a male chauvinistic pig. Plain, you say? Well, here are some definitions of the word from TheFreeDictionary:

plain  (plān)

adj. plain·er, plain·est

1. Free from obstructions; open; clear: in plain view.

Well, this certainly does not describe a regular house without a maid. Who picks up everybody’s mess? Hubby’s belt, shoes, shirt, boxers (and what-not) left on the floor, on the couch, on the bed. The kids' toys littered in the hallway and the stairs. Answer: The housewife.

This is far from clear and one certainly cannot find things they are looking for in plain view amidst this mess. Who do you ask when looking for your favorite shirt, or your keys, your pair of old sneakers? Answer: Mommy

2. Obvious to the mind; evident: make one's intention plain.

Obvious to the mind? Well, why don’t we ask mommies if they know exactly what their babies want all the time? Or know where and how to start cleaning up the mess after everybody is gone from the house every morning?