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BS: Language Pet Peeves part II
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Mrrzy Date: 24 Sep 24 - 07:34 PM Ok, headline about My son almost died in childbirth. Checked... Her son was almost stillborn. Nobody almost dhed in childbirth, at least not in this story. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 21 Sep 24 - 04:27 PM Here's an old one, just for the fun of it: "I KNEW I was going die!!" No, you didn't: you were CERTAIN you were going to die; you were SURE you were going to die; you BELIEVED you were going to die ... ! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Lighter Date: 16 Sep 24 - 10:04 AM "Conspiracy" for "conspiracy theory" is now pretty common. Of course, the "theory" in question is a simple falsehood, not a "conspiracy" theory. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 14 Sep 24 - 08:45 PM TV journalist: "Trump repeated a conspiracy that immigrants are eating pets". Sigh ... where to begin ... ? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Mrrzy Date: 14 Sep 24 - 06:52 PM Fancy restaurant... bone-in filet? Um...? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Backwoodsman Date: 12 Sep 24 - 02:30 PM Not everyone is cross, Thommo- I’m perfectly happy and relaxed! ;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Thompson Date: 12 Sep 24 - 12:38 PM Everyone's suddenly cross here. What's on? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Backwoodsman Date: 12 Sep 24 - 11:10 AM As a former regular here was wont to say - absolutely correctly, I may add - “Language evolves”. Most of us manage to adapt to that evolution but, apparently, there are still a few who remain, leaden-footed, firmly entrenched in the past. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Doug Chadwick Date: 12 Sep 24 - 09:38 AM I love you too, Sandman. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 12 Sep 24 - 09:35 AM > maths/math Grrr: When will left-Pondians cotton on that there's more than one sort of mathematic :-) ? But to add to your list, Doug: People with upset stomachs take bicarb. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 12 Sep 24 - 05:53 AM F. O. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Doug Chadwick Date: 12 Sep 24 - 05:36 AM ... is this a reflection of an instant society, ... It was ever thus. How many people wait for an omnibus or push their babies in perambulators? People keep fit at the gym; They get sick if they catch flu; If their pet gets sick, they will take to the vet but they might have to phone for an appointment first; A Sales Rep should be good at maths/math; If I want to sell something, I could put a small ad in the local paper; I could visit the seaside and walk along the prom. That will do for now but I am sure people could come up with plenty of other examples. DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 12 Sep 24 - 02:59 AM Carbs instead of carbohydrates, is this a reflection of an instant society, where people are too lazy to utter long words |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Thompson Date: 30 Aug 24 - 11:31 AM Increasingly common is the horror "Between 5 to 10 kilometres". "5 to 10 kilometres" is fine. "Between 5 and 10 kilometres" is fine. but the crossbreeding of the two is wommitworthy. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Bill D Date: 29 Aug 24 - 09:50 AM I shudder every time I read on a menu.."Roast Beef with 'au jus'" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 28 Aug 24 - 11:51 AM I can't remember whether this has been covered: The word "app" drives Herself to blasphemy, especially when intoned on the recorded space-fillers on automated helplines (which themselves are a blight, but that's a separate rant). I know it's supposed to be short for "application", which is short for "user-facing software"; but I share her annoyance that everybody is assumed to have an Internet-connected phone, which neither of us have, and are willing to spill Argh, with brass knobs on. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Thompson Date: 27 Aug 24 - 02:22 AM Farther seems to be disappearing, on this side of the Atlantic anyway - further has won and has colonised farther's meaning. Not a biggie… |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 20 Aug 24 - 01:44 PM Do I look like an elf?? A gnome, maybe - but I ain't no elf! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Doug Chadwick Date: 20 Aug 24 - 11:07 AM Meself, should you really be Iself? ;-) DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 20 Aug 24 - 10:52 AM When you're Shakespeare, you can do what you want ... ! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Lighter Date: 20 Aug 24 - 10:16 AM Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (1600): "All debts are cleerd betweene you and I." And dig that crazy spelling. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Doug Chadwick Date: 20 Aug 24 - 04:51 AM The ubiquity of incorrect "…and I" Just as bad is the incorrect "Me and ...". e.g. - "Me and my wife stayed at home". It should be "My wife and I ...", as in "I stayed at home". DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Thompson Date: 20 Aug 24 - 04:28 AM The ubiquity of incorrect "…and I" usage - eg "He gave my mother and I a lift" - should be "my mother and me", as in "He gave me a lift". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Rain Dog Date: 19 Aug 24 - 03:54 AM I agree that it is an odd usage and I am glad to see that not many are using it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 19 Aug 24 - 03:03 AM Linguistically confusing since gagging means something else amongst essex women |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 18 Aug 24 - 08:30 PM So "gagging" in this sense is synonymous with "choking", then ... in which case it strikes me as an odd usage, in that, to my mind, when a professional athlete "chokes", it is an anomaly; otherwise, the athlete in question wouldn't be professional - so, for example, a basketball-player might "choke" when he's taking the foul shot that will win or lose the game, and miss the basket. The idea of a whole field of professional athletes "choking away" is almost comedic - but maybe that's what happened ... ? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Rain Dog Date: 17 Aug 24 - 08:49 AM From Merriam-Webster Choke to lose one's composure and fail to perform effectively in a critical situation had a chance to win the game but he choked. Ben Curtis nearly choked but held on, unlike the chasing competitors. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 17 Aug 24 - 07:32 AM So ... what exactly does "gagging away" and "gagged" mean, in that context? A quick google search hasn't helped - maybe I gagged it away? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Rain Dog Date: 17 Aug 24 - 04:10 AM Re. 'Gagging away' It seems to be an American expression. I did find a use of it from 2002. My favourite example is from the Wall Street Journal 13th August 2003 "Ben Curtis, who won last month's British Open not quite gagging away as the field gagged even more, and Thomas Bjorn, who in some parts has ..." The article is titled Returning to the Scene Of the Choke Hill Crime It is behind a paywall.Google search provided the snippet above. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 17 Aug 24 - 03:15 AM yes, i have never heard it used like that. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 16 Aug 24 - 08:20 PM But the expression, as it appeared in The Guardian, seems to have a different meaning than you're familiar with, so it's the same words expressing something different. From The Guardian: " ... they’ve had a knack for gagging away Olympic opportunities. The last time they captured a medal was in 2012, but that was later stripped for a doping violation" - so not meaning, "to be very eager to do something". Unless it is supposed to mean that the team in question gets so eager that they make mistakes or break rules (doping, for instance) ... I don't know - maybe that IS what it means ... ? Anybody? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 16 Aug 24 - 04:51 PM I have heard the expression, used by Essex people and cockneys. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: meself Date: 16 Aug 24 - 01:30 PM Backwoodsman: "It’s not a term I’ve heard in use in the UK. Here, we would be much more likely to say .... " It entered this discussion as having appeared in The Guardian. No one so far seems familiar with it on either side of the water. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 16 Aug 24 - 12:39 PM Hm: "gagging" in this sense may be a shortened form of lollygagging: dawdling, or fooling around (the latter with naughty implications). There's also lallygagging, which is slightly different. HTH. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 16 Aug 24 - 12:19 PM Gagging, I have heard the term used in Essex in rather a crude way,sommetimes with sex connotations to be very eager to do something to be very eager to do something: I was gagging for a pint of cold lager |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Rain Dog Date: 16 Aug 24 - 06:54 AM Re. Gagging. I guess it is just a variation on the theme of choking, to choke, choker, which are quite often used in relation to sporting events. I am not sure that it will catch on. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: The Sandman Date: 16 Aug 24 - 02:38 AM The use of the word" like" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Backwoodsman Date: 16 Aug 24 - 02:00 AM It’s not a term I’ve heard in use in the UK. Here, we would be much more likely to say ‘pissing away’ or, ever since our Blond Buffoon of a PM popularised the expression, ‘spaffing away’. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: leeneia Date: 16 Aug 24 - 01:12 AM I don't think "gagging away" will ever catch on if all it means is wasting an opportunity. The gag reflex has too big a hold on our minds. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Thompson Date: 14 Aug 24 - 04:54 AM Excellent, Filk. Meanwhile, there's a baffling misunderstanding of the use of 'immigration'. Immigration is when you migrate into a country, emigration is when you migrate out of it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 11 Aug 24 - 08:09 AM Humans are not naturally good at computing risks. There seems to be a sliding scale involved: * Will not happen * Cannot eliminate the possibility that this will happen * Might happen * Could happen * May happen * Is likely to happen * Cannot eliminate the possibility that this will *not* happen * Will happen That's why people tend to be scared of flying, but will happily take the greater risk of driving to the airport. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Thompson Date: 11 Aug 24 - 06:43 AM A perfect example of the misuse of the word "may" when "might" is correct: Washington Post headline says Heat killed a sanitation worker. Pending safety rules may have saved him. Oh? The man died, but then he was saved? Nope. When you read the story he died. He wasn't saved. The headline should read "Heat killed a sanitation worker. Pending safety rules might have saved him" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Doug Chadwick Date: 10 Aug 24 - 04:49 PM It's not common enough for me to have heard it before. I can think of more common alternatives. DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Rain Dog Date: 10 Aug 24 - 12:07 PM I had not come across the term 'gagging away' before. I read it today in The Guardian, writing about the USA mens 4 x 100m relay team. "Even without Noah Lyles, who was out of the lineup due to Covid, the US entered the race as favorites. But over the past 20 years, they’ve had a knack for gagging away Olympic opportunities. The last time they captured a medal was in 2012, but that was later stripped for a doping violation." A quick google revealed a few uses of the term, the earliest back in 2003. It does not appear that common. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: leeneia Date: 08 Aug 24 - 12:21 AM I got interested in Chinese porcelain, and I was reading about cobalt, (actually cobalt compounds) which is what provides the blue paint in blue and white porcelain. Much cobalt on the market today is mined in unregulated mines in Africa, where conditions are dreadful and thousands of children are put to work. The language problem is that this cobalt is described as "artisanal." Talk about a weasel word! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: mayomick Date: 04 Aug 24 - 06:07 AM "it's all starting to kick off" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Doug Chadwick Date: 25 May 24 - 04:02 AM ..... I will not use "stomach" to mean belly, which (IIRC) Fowler condemned as genteelism. The alternative is "abdomen". DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 25 May 24 - 02:46 AM I used to think "solar plexus" was a euphemism for the victim's, er, naughty bits. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Joe_F Date: 24 May 24 - 10:23 PM It is far too late to protest, but I will not use "stomach" to mean belly, which (IIRC) Fowler condemned as genteelism. When I was in high school, I had a teacher who, when he was in high school, had a teacher who said "The stomach is an internal organ. You can no more lie on your stomach than you can lie on your liver". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves part II From: Joe_F Date: 24 May 24 - 10:14 PM I somewhere, somehow acquired the notion that "fuzz" for the police arose as a sarcastic diminutive for "whiskers" and alluded to "Mr Whiskers," slang for Uncle Sam. Unlikelier things have turned out to be true. |
