Grammar Moses: I've got a lot to talk about

Does "got" get your goat?

It sure rankles Bob Hoffman of St. Charles.

"To me, the addition of the unnecessary 'got' when expressing an imperative is very annoying," he wrote me recently. "It is now common to hear 'I've got to,' 'you've got to,' or 'we've got to' instead of 'I have to,' 'you should,' or 'we must.' I confess that I am often guilty of this atrocity due to carelessness. Is 'have got' ever correct or has its constant use made it acceptable?"

In my quest to be less pedantic (as I've often told you, a measure of rigidity is the glue that holds the newspaper together ... no, not literally!) I've more or less given up the good fight on this one.

I still tell anyone on staff who will listen to me that "got" normally is a waste of precious space, notably in headlines. So it's my informal law around here to avoid the usage.

But its use is so widespread that it is hard to find the strength to protest it anymore,especially outside work.

There is one important point in got's favor, though, especially when spoken.

"Got" can lend emphasis.

"You have GOT to try this lobster bacon mac and cheese!"

"I've GOT to get going or I'll miss my train."

Get the lead out

Last Sunday's Democratic quarrel, er debate, in Flint, Michigan, was rich with imagery - some intended, some not.

Playing to the crowd, Hillary Clinton noted that the state of Michigan has a rainy-day fund for emergencies, such as the lead-in-the-drinking-water crisis in the Flint River.

"It's raining lead in Flint!" she shouted.

I'll leave it up to chemists and meteorologists to determine whether the evaporation from the river contains enough of the heavy metal to suspend in clouds and then rain down on the beleaguered people of Flint.

Regardless of the scientific conclusion, it has no bearing on the validity of what Clinton said. She merely expressed a metaphor to describe the peril under which these people live.

Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, loses style points for his characterization of the situation.

"What I heard and what I saw literally shattered me," Sanders said.

Given that Bernie was standing upright and gesticulating with both hands when he uttered this sentence, it's clear he did not literally go to pieces.

I don't doubt his sincerity, but in pointing out that his metaphor should be taken literally he cheapened it.

He must have missed my Feb. 20 column on the misuse of "literally."

Unanswered question

Gary Hayden of Lombard is a rare breed who loves sports and good grammar.

He wrote to one of the Chicago TV stations whose sports anchor "reported that the Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead, but the Rangers scored three unanswered goals before the Blackhawks scored two more goals to win the game 4-3. The use of the term 'unanswered goals' was completely incorrect. What should have been said is that the Rangers scored three consecutive goals and then the Blackhawks scored two unanswered goals to win the game."

Well said, Gary.

Gary also took the Daily Herald to task for describing Michael Jordan as a "former Bulls legend."

Michael Jordan is a former Bulls player. But he forevermore will be a Bulls legend.

"His legend status was not revoked when he ceased playing professional basketball," Gary said.

Write carefully!

• Jim Baumann is assistant vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald. Write him at jbaumann@dailyherald.com. Put Grammar Moses in the subject line. You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim.