Should have, should've, should of

It's easy to see how the mistake could be made. I mean if we take time to think about it, it's obvious that the correct way to say you should have done something or you might have done something is just that: using the word "have". For example, if I'm talking about how I should have taken sugar on our recent Easter camping trip to Girraween National Park, I'm not saying I should do it (because it's clearly too late), I'm not saying I have done it (because that would be a lie), I'm saying I "should have" done it. But I probably wouldn't say "should have", I would shorten it to "should've" which sounds like "should of". I'm not even sure if "should of" makes sense, never mind what it means.

People that know me also know that whilst I'm not particularly good at grammar, I love reading and writing and I am a bit of a stickler for correct spelling and correct usage of the English language. I'm one of those people that bought the Eats, Shoots & Leaves book [see footnote *] and read it thinking "oh yeah, that really peeves me too". (Apostrophes in plurals particularly get my goat, e.g. Fish and chip's. Grrr.) In recent years, probably since moving to Australia, I've noticed more people saying "should of". At first I figured it was probably due to a difference in accent or pronounciation but then I started to notice it a lot. I've even started correcting Toby and I hate that in myself. I sound like an angry school teacher but it just seems that I'm hearing it more and more and if I can in any way influence the masses to stop making this annoying mistake I will do so.

Then, a couple of years ago, I read a book which actually had "should of" there in writing. There was no way that could be mistaken for accent or pronounciation. I think the book was "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay, an otherwise excellent book. Every time I noticed it was in dialogue so I thought that maybe Courtenay was presenting it as slang, something the South African characters might say in error. I decided to let it slide. Now I'm reading another book, a classic, some may say: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey and again, littered throughout the book are references to how one or another of the characters "should of" done something. I can't bear it. This is supposed to be literature. We give these books to our kids to read at school and does anyone ever think to point out to them that it is grammatically incorrect to say "should of" instead of "should have"? Again, in the book's defense, it is written from the viewpoint of a native American who is a patient in the mental asylum so perhaps it is an error that the character makes as opposed to the author. One can only hope. How are people supposed to learn correct grammar if our literature is riddled with bad examples of it?

I am right though, aren't I? This error seems so prevalent that I'm beginning to question myself. Does anyone else get annoyed by this kind of thing or am I turning into one of those grumpy old women on the TV show?

* Footnote: Please note, I "bought" this book. To say I "brought" it has an entirely different meaning and this is another really irritating mistake I have noticed a few people make lately. (Perhaps I should become an English teacher).