The term itself doesn't bother me so much but it does irk me when you sing an older or trad song and some folk expect it to be the same as a well known recorded version - and show their displeasure when it isn't. I just don't get. Like when you do Loch Lomond without the "On the bonnie bonnie banks" Runrig bit at the end. Plus it isn't always just the listeners.

I'd started singing Scarborough Fair at our informal pub session with a friend doing the guitar part. Another club member came right up next to us - whilst I was singing - and kept gesturing and asking "do you want me to do the Canticle bit?" When I got to a break in the song and could actually reply I said "if you don't mind I'd rather you didn't" to which he spent the rest of the performance looking at people in the audience, shrugging his shoulders, and saying "they don't want me to join in".

Speaking to him afterwards I explained that he'd have been better asking me after the song if we'd like him to do the Canticle bit next time - but I also tried to explain that we were doing our version of the song and didn't really want to co a copy of Simon & Garfunkle's version. I'm not sure he really understood that reasoning!!