This will be more fun then half a cookie*

December 16 Reverb Broads

What are your biggest pet peeves?

Em at  http://warmedtheworld.blogspot.com/

I get annoyed by things.  A lot.  However, there are two things that annoy me beyond reason.

I can't really condone their/there/they're, your/you're, were/we're etc. misuse, but since I am guilty of it**, I suppose I'm obligated to give out the occasional pardon.  In fact, while basic grammar failures annoy me, they are understandable, if only from the "English is boring, is it time for recess," mentality of most students.

What I cannot understand is how people confuse "then" and "than."  Yes, they are 75% the same word.  And yes, depending on regional dialects, they likely to even sound similar. But they are entirely different words. Yet in written and spoken English, I frequently encounter them used incorrectly.

Let's allow The Oatmeal to explain, shall we?

Now that you know how to use "then" and "than", I think it's time to move on to my biggest pet peeve: 

The Half Cookie (insert ominous music here)

Based on a rather limited sample, this seems to be a Minnesota phenomenon.  As part of being "nice," no Minnesotan wants to take the last cookie or slice of pizza or sheet of paper or really any comestible or supply.  The "nice" person simply takes half a cookie.  Look, if you want the cookie, take the whole damn cookie.  If you want to share the cookie with someone who is in the immediate proximity, please do so.  But, for the love of all that is good and true, please do not leave half a cookie to "share" with the person who walks into the room half an hour later.  

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*the use of "then" is intentionally wrong

**in my defense usually in casual, unedited text