Welcome!
Well, as to what you need, it depends on how deeply you want to delve into these issues. There are several good grammar sites on the net (discussed in a message in the Clubhouse). They will do for most issues which arise here. But if you want to be regarded as an authority, you will probably need something more. A basic library would include Strunk and White's The Elements of Style (which every literate person should have anyhow), then Fowler's (either the original or the new 3rd edition or, ideally, both). After that there are a whole lot of possible sources, and part of the fun of the thread is seeing who quotes what sources and how they differ.
Of course, it also matters that you have the "right" dictionary. <g> Any Oxford dictionary is good, the bigger the better. The OED is king of the hill, but out of reach for most of us. The American Heritage Dictionary is fun because it has a usage panel which votes on various usage issues. I still have the first edition, but there is now a third out. So far nobody on this thread has dared try to cite Webster's Third International Dictionary, but if they do I am lying in wait to destroy them.
Basically, it's a matter of whether you have fun digging into and citing a wide variety of sources, or are willing mostly to toss in zingers without feeling a need to cite sources. Any way you choose to participate is fine; keep in mind that we're a bit like playing dogs--our snarls may sound ferocious and our teeth may look threatening, but we're really having fun, and it it does momentarily get out of hand there are plenty of good people to pull us promptly back into line.
Glad to have you here! |
