Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow.
It has become so common for people to say they’re going to try and do something, I’m not sure anyone who reads this is even going to know what I’m talking about.
But it’s weird. If I’m going to try and make it to work despite a debilitating case of hangnails, what am I saying? The and in the sentence suggests a parallel structure of the two verbs so that the person is carrying out two separate actions: trying it to work, and making it to work. Make sense? Of course not. Am I trying to make it to work? Yes indeed. Professional English pedants can help me out here, but when used correctly, try here becomes a sort of qualifier, a bli neder statement for the Hebrew speakers out there. I’ll try, but I may not succeed.
Try is not a helping verb. (These are: am is are was were be being been has have had do does did may might must can could shall should will would.) But it still reminds me of the other verbs that are followed by infinitives. “I have to trim my hangnails before I can go to work today.” I wouldn’t say, “I have and trim my hangnails.” Have to, try to, like to, to—TO—TO!
So let’s everyone try and to remember.
Shimshonit 
Strunk and White discuss this issue in The Elements of Style, in which they say (and I am not making this up), “But ‘try to’ is precise, and when you are writing formal prose, try and write ‘try to.'” (p. 62)
Giggle snort! I own Strunk and White, but didn’t consult them on this issue. I love their dry wit and disdain for some of the more egregious errors people make. Thanks for sharing.
Do or do not. There is no try.
Heather: You said it, girlfriend!
Thank you! I was beginning to think that I was the only person in the world who thinks this is both annoying and incorrect. I am no English expert, but this seems like an incorrect usage of try. I did a search on this after reading an AP headline “Denver says it will try and trade Cutler”. Why not, “Denver says it will try to trade Cutler”?
I get the sense that it’s a euphonic & kinesthetic adaptation: “try and” is perceived as easier to say and hear than the stutterish “try to”–especially if the next word begins with a hard consonant. Articulating “try to trade” requires a fairly nimble tongue; whereas “tryantrade” can be drawled in the typical American Elisionist style.
adam: You may have hit the nail on the head. I’m sure the “American Elisionist style” applies to this and many other situations. Thanks for weighing in.