BS: Language Pet Peeves

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Nov 20 - 05:33 AM

Possibly mentioned above, but the inclusion of an aggressive "right" at the end of a sentence is beyond fuckdom!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 06 Nov 20 - 06:22 AM

And why use five exclamation marks when one is perfectly sufficient?????

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Nov 20 - 10:02 AM

As Woody Guthrie would say to the question "Why, oh why, oh why, oh why,...why, oh why, oh why?"


"Because, because, because, because...goodbye, goodbye goodbye."

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Jos
Date: 06 Nov 20 - 01:37 PM

I keep hearing people saying 'as many ...' without continuing with 'as ...'.
I heard an example just know in a local television report about an installation consisting of giant soldier figures to represent those who had died fighting in wars.
Its creator was interviewed, and said he wanted as many people to donate to the poppy appeal. Did he mean as many people as there were giant figures in the display? Or as many as died in the two world wars? He probably meant 'as many as possible', but why not say so?

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Nov 20 - 04:49 PM

. . .said he wanted as many people to donate to the poppy appeal.
Not having seen the report I can't tell what was intended. But context is everything. If it was preceded by a comment about last year's supporters then the partial sentence makes sense.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Joe_F
Date: 07 Nov 20 - 06:38 PM

Another long-lost cause: "Both of them were talking with each other." "Both" properly implies "Not just one, but...". Since it is impossible for one to talk with each other, the emphasis of "both" is absurd.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: BobL
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 03:17 AM

Silly question: "Are they both the same?"
Silly answer: "No, only one of them is."

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 04:36 AM

"A crisis situation". A crisis is a crisis. You don't need to add "situation" to elucidate.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 04:57 AM

Unless it's in a text message, "Thx."

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 05:53 AM

Surely you mean "Tx", you prolix bollix?

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:10 AM

Yep, and all the other variants. I think it's to do with that letter x at the end, which isn't even a part of the full word. It fills me with angxt. I'll get over it...

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:15 AM

Ah cool your jexts.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:18 AM

How's about "razed to the ground" (terrible) or even "raised to the ground" (very terrible indeed)?

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:20 AM

And even though I'm a damned atheist, I will never write "Xmas."

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:22 AM

Or the outrageous "Xtian"...

Any more xs exes?

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:39 AM

I am a practising Christian, and I've no problems with "Xmas". "X" (chi) was an early symbol used by Christians to identify themselves.
Xmas has a long history of use.
"Xtian" however is a neologism which I strongly dislike.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 07:04 AM

That may be so, Nigel, but it's a good bet that most people who use "Xmas" use it as a convenient shorthand, or just a lazy one, and are unaware of that Greek origin. As an atheist I have no dog in the fight as to whether it's offensive or not to believers, but a quick google revealed that there are plenty of Christians who find it offensive (try Quora for example). As it takes about 0.568 seconds longer to write the word in full, and as I have many Christian friends, I'll carry on choosing to avoid the short form.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 09:33 AM

I use X for Xian but $ for $mas.

Raised to the ground reminds me of Reign in, which should be rein in.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 09:57 AM

Hmm. Or is that a mute point? Or simply beyond the pail?

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 10:17 AM

Why isn't the opposite of tuition, intuition? Or is it?
Without established knowledge all we can do is make fuzzy guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 12:16 PM

Ladies! Please! Tow the line!

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 01:16 PM

I must say, this misuse of words is a very interesting phenomena...

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 01:48 PM

Ladies! Please! Tow the line!

Ladies often please, whether they're towing a line or knot.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 04:18 PM

Ah, and we come to a linguistic example I love:
Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 20 - 06:02 PM

Tits like coconuts.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Nov 20 - 11:39 AM

Gift = that which has been given, and is thus a noun.

Ask is a verb. If you have a big favor to ask, it is the favor which is big.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Jos
Date: 09 Nov 20 - 12:17 PM

"in my [or his, her, their, etc.] DNA"
when used about something that is obviously not in DNA, such as saying of a film director: "Cinema was in his DNA".

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Reinhard
Date: 09 Nov 20 - 02:58 PM

The OED defines gift as a verb too besides the noun and gives as examples:
P.G. Wodehose: She was gifted with a sort of second sight.
Daily Telegraph: You can be ... gifted up to £90,000 before you become liable to tax.
J.C. Lees: The Regent Murray gifted all the Church Property to Lord Sempill.

A friend from Edinburgh, who is a singer/songwriter and speaks very precise, uses gift as a verb regularly; so I'm quite accustomed to it.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: meself
Date: 09 Nov 20 - 04:59 PM

But those all make the point: "gifted with second sight" is gifted as a verb, yes, but gifted in the sense of having a natural gift, rather than of receiving a birthday present; the other two are gifted as a verb in legal contexts.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Nov 20 - 06:05 PM

I'm afraid that to criticise people who allegedly misuse "gift" is something that is not within my gift.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 11 Nov 20 - 05:29 AM

Have to say I'm fond of a little light verbing now and then.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Nov 20 - 01:43 PM

Never met a noun I couldn't verb.

PC mealymouthiness is another peeve.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: ripov
Date: 13 Nov 20 - 02:39 PM

"x times cheaper than"-when what is meant is "1/xth of the cost"

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: JennieG
Date: 13 Nov 20 - 08:39 PM

One that makes me shout at the TV - something is said to be "easy as." Or "cheap as".

Easy as what? Cheap as what?

A woman in my quilting group uses it, I suspect it may have come from her grandchildren. It is still irritating.

Irritating as........

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Nov 20 - 09:09 PM

Yeah, I saw that in a headline recently and bristled for both of us.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: JennieG
Date: 13 Nov 20 - 09:50 PM

Thank you, Mrzzy! Like minds and all that......

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Nov 20 - 06:45 AM

Easy as pie. Cheap as chips. Nothing wrong there!

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Mrrzy
Date: 15 Nov 20 - 09:44 AM

Abandoned Boat Was Found With A Missing Girl For 8 Years
Boy did that not make sense

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: G-Force
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 07:13 AM

This is one which always makes me cringe: someone asks a question like 'Have you got ...' and the reply comes back 'Yes, I do' (or 'No, I don't'). You hear it all the time. Aaaarrrggghhh!!

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Senoufou
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 07:16 AM

Yesterday we received our paper TV Licence, and the schedule for Direct Debit payments.The wording in the opening paragraph made me fume. It said, "If you have already set up a Direct Debit arrangement then you're done." Eh? What? DONE???? Grrrrrr!!

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Jos
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 07:22 AM

When people are introducing two points, instead of listing them as first and second or 'A ... and B...' they often present them as:
A ... and secondly ...'.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 09:06 AM

This is one which always makes me cringe: someone asks a question like 'Have you got ...' and the reply comes back 'Yes, I do' (or 'No, I don't'). You hear it all the time. Aaaarrrggghhh!!

It is the initial questioner who is at fault for using 'got' in that manner. (unless it means 'have you been to collect . . .?')
The question could just as easily "Have you . . .?" Such as "Have you chips?". To which the answer would be either: "Yes. I have (chips)", or, if the question was taken as meaning "Do you have ...?" then an answer of "I do" would also be correct.

In my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 09:13 AM

"If you have already set up a Direct Debit arrangement then you're done."

Well I have some sympathy with organisations that are trying to be a bit less formal by ditching officialese. They do go a bit over the top at times. I've just had some protracted email correspondence (concerning a rather large financial matter - no criminality involved! - which took months to resolve) with a solicitors' firm hundreds of miles away. The person who finally managed to sort it out for me signed off her final email "With kind regards, Imogen." I'm OK with that. In my (separate) dealings with my late mum's affairs, I'm on first-name terms with my solicitor (who I've only ever met once, briefly, twelve years ago). Among several doctors and other medics who have worked on my ailments over the years there's been Adam, Dave, Charlie, Rob and Gretel. There's nothing to say that due deference can't still be afforded simply because we use first names or less formal language in m'humble...

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 09:16 AM

I can't imagine my asking anyone "Have you chips?" I'd be far more likely to say "Give us a bloody chip, you tight arse!"

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Jos
Date: 18 Nov 20 - 09:36 AM

I'd be more likely to say "Have you any chips?"
(Assuming I'm not in a chip shop. They would have chips, wouldn't they?)

Something that makes me uncomfortable is people who write, for example, "See the below list" or "See the below link". When I first came across this in emails I reported them as spam, as they contained what to me was suspect English.
I don't know why it seems wrong though, as "See the above link" sounds fine, and of course "See the link below" is as good as "See the link above".

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Thompson
Date: 20 Nov 20 - 04:31 AM

Oh God. "Absent" meaning "without". Without is a perfectly good word. "Absent a policy to do yadayada…" No!

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Nov 20 - 12:13 PM

Another peeve of mine: 'shout out', as in "Let's give a shout out to John Jones for his generous donation to Children's Hospital."

I think a kind donation deserves gracious words of thanks, not a shout, as if we were all at a football game.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 12:52 AM

From cooking shows: This dish [nobody ever heard of] is a new tradition. You can't know that, ya know.

This is an authentic recipe. An authentic what recipe? All recipes are authentic *recipes* eh.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: BobL
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 03:44 AM

Authentic - there are as many authentic recipes for ragù alla bolognese as there are housewives in Bologna.
Mine, derived from that of the late great and not entirely unlamented Fanny Cradock, isn't one of them.

Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 04:59 AM

My first Bol recipe came from Katharine Whitehorn's "Cooking in a Bedsitter." Anyone else remember that? :-)