triflesandparsnips:

So it’s a lot of running circles around the National Mall like a moron, standing in the hedge, and taking people with little octopus badges on their jackets and holding them by the throat until they pass out. Barnes clings to the tiny bits of joy he purchases from Starbucks. Rogers is still stomping around Wilson’s condo like somebody spit in his coffee.

Wait. Does he even drink coffee? Barnes has only ever seen Rogers in Starbucks that one time. Barnes remembers (oh yeah, pal, 4 whole weeks of personal memories, available for recall at any moment) the headache and sluggishness when coffee was needed. Assessment: Rogers needs coffee to combat his grumpiness.

Wilson makes coffee every day. Why do you not drink it Steve. What is your problem.

So aside from this being a great quote from a great Captain America fanfic, this here thingy demonstrates the importance of descriptive over prescriptive grammar. Seriously, “Why do you not drink it Steve” would not be nearly as funny if there was a comma in there. Copyeditors should keep this shit in mind.

(and yes, thank you, I realize that technically that example is a matter of punctuation rather than grammar, but people fuck that distinction up enough that I say it counts. bite me.)