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BS: Language Pet Peeves
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 25 Jul 23 - 04:20 AM The US is comprised of 50 states. That's the problem, Nigel. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 25 Jul 23 - 11:04 AM > That's the problem, Nigel. Do you mean in linguistic or political terms :-) ? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 25 Jul 23 - 12:21 PM Re machines saying "please": That to me is better than them ordering me about --- I refuse to be a cog in someone else's machine. If a computer is saying "please", I take it as some programmer somewhere being polite to me at one remove. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 25 Jul 23 - 05:55 PM Well Hal was always very polite. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 25 Jul 23 - 06:02 PM I'm getting irrationally very annoyed with all these reports on human-induced climate change referring to carbon dioxide being "pumped out" into the atmosphere. It is never "pumped out." Completely wrong words. When I was an 'A' level chief examiner in the early 90s we decided that any comment about pollutants being "pumped out" disqualified that marking point. Likewise, any reference to "fumes." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 26 Jul 23 - 11:55 AM I tried to add this €0.02 of mine before, but the 'Cat had a nap, so apologies for firing off my mouth from the hip .... "Pumping out" might originally have referred directly to removing polluted bilge water from an oil tanker; this would imply making the pollution in question Somebody Else's problem. Take that basic idea, apply it to the tailpipe of a rust bucket or a people carrier, and there y'go: instant cliché. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: leeneia Date: 03 Aug 23 - 08:22 PM Here's another term that irritates me: "broken," when it's used to make sweeping discouraging claims. Somebody has a YouTube about one psychologist at Harvard who supposedly faked some data, and the heading is "Academia is broken." I asked if the YouTuber actually knew everything about the hundreds of universities and thousands of teachers and students that constitute "academia," but I didn't get a response. Then we find The South is Broken, and How to Fix the Broken Supreme Court. Somebody started a thread saying the Mudcat is broken, yet here we are, chatting, and the DT is still working. Plus the Singaround has been going for about two years. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Mrrzy Date: 03 Aug 23 - 10:40 PM Bully for the Singaround! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 05 Aug 23 - 10:51 AM Leeneeia: it may sometimes be a case of "in spelchek veritas" or "typus autocompletus", when the little offender adds an extra letter to (eg) "Britain is broke". But *agree* about the overuse of "it doesn't work" (which gets boiled down to "it's broken" by lazy headline writers), when what the offender means is "I can't get it to work" or "it doesn't work the way I want it to", or even "I know it works as it's supposed to, but it's getting in my way". There's also the matter of severity, which is often context-dependent. Brokenness can mean anything from a small chip on the edge of a plate or the lip of a wine glass to a pile of shards on the floor. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Aug 23 - 12:53 PM "When I was clearing up last night after you went to bed, a wine glass got broken." "Really? Do you mean that you broke a wine glass last night?" "Well, er... yeah..." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: leeneia Date: 05 Aug 23 - 02:07 PM Not necessarily, Steve. A third person who needs protection might have broken the wine glass. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Aug 23 - 04:18 PM Well, leeneia, we are the only two living here and, worse, 'twas I who broke the glass... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Aug 23 - 06:22 PM Pronunciations. Now before I rabbit on, I know that yanks might have different takes on these words, so this is a peeve aimed at Brits only. It's "olmund" (almond). If you say "ahmund" you're being a pretentious prick. It's "garridge" (garage), never "gurrarge" with that stupid soft g at the end. You go to the beautiful city of Bath for the weekend (Mrs Steve worked there for several years before she and I met, and my son went to the university there, and not to Bath Spa before you say anything). It's Bath, not "Barth." There will be others. But if you do happen to be a yank, do not say "tomayto" in my presence. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Aug 23 - 06:47 PM And yanks, if I said "Moss-cow," Eye-raq" or "Eye-ran" in this country, I'd be laughed out of the building. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Doug Chadwick Date: 05 Aug 23 - 07:26 PM ..... you're being a pretentious prick You seem to have some very odd ideas of what is 'pretentious', Steve. I am beginning to think that the term could most readily be attached to your good self. I cannot agree with you on the pronunciation of 'almond'. Hearing it pronounced as "olmund" one of my pet peeves. DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Aug 23 - 07:52 PM Good God, Doug, and here's me thinking you were a northerner - and you say "ahmund"...? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Doug Chadwick Date: 05 Aug 23 - 08:24 PM For me, the "alm" sound in 'almond' is the same as in 'balm', 'calm', 'palm' and 'psalm'. DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Aug 23 - 08:43 PM So you say "ahmighty" too, huh? "Ahma mater?" "Ahmost"?? You'll be telling me next that you say "ahbeit!" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 05 Aug 23 - 11:21 PM True story .... Child goes to school in Nottingham, and picks up the local accent from his classmates. Mother: Can you stop him speaking like that? Teacher: But he's a Nottinghamshire lad. Mother: He doesn't need to advertise the fact! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Doug Chadwick Date: 06 Aug 23 - 02:27 PM Do you pronounce the "l" in folk music, Steve? To me, that woolden't sound rigghut. Sorry, I mean it wouldn't sound right. DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Doug Chadwick Date: 06 Aug 23 - 04:07 PM DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 06 Aug 23 - 04:39 PM But what IS folk music, Doug? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: BobL Date: 07 Aug 23 - 06:02 AM Folk cookery: 'armonizing a cake |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Aug 23 - 11:06 AM I've been watching the women's football World Cup recently. Great stuff. Bring back Kenneth Wolstenholme and Motty, say I. These current strident teams of commentators are doing me brain in: "What a goal!" "What a save!" "What a miss!" "What a player!" I know that Ken and Motty used to do it too, but this lot, knocking sparks off each other, never shut up! I prefer the Brazilian-style commentary, "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Nigel Parsons Date: 09 Aug 23 - 02:55 PM Steve, There are buttons on the tv, or on the remote, to mute all sound from that all-pervasive machine. It also makes the adverts more entertaining. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 09 Aug 23 - 04:35 PM Yebbut I need atmosphere, Nigel! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Mrrzy Date: 14 Aug 23 - 08:43 PM The oustER should be the person who did the oustING. The oustING should be the event wherein someone got ousted. Not the oustER. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Doug Chadwick Date: 15 Aug 23 - 04:13 AM The oustER should be the person who did the oustING. The oustING should be the event wherein someone got ousted. Not the oustER. I agree with that, Mrrzy, but I don't think that I have ever heard it misused in that way. Can you give an example? DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: meself Date: 15 Aug 23 - 10:05 AM "After his ouster from the presidency, the criminal psychopath swore revenge on humanity." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Lighter Date: 15 Aug 23 - 10:30 AM Oxford shows examples of "ouster" ('dismissal or expulsion') from 1531. It is, in fact, the original meaning. "Ouster" ('one who ousts') is recorded only since 1869. And "ousting" as a noun doesn't appear till the 1850s. Which is now quite a while ago, actually. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Doug Chadwick Date: 15 Aug 23 - 11:08 AM I looked it up and it was suggested that it was mainly North American but another site identified the earlier, pre-USA usage and reckoned that anyone who was well-read enough would have encountered it. That put me in my place! DC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Mrrzy Date: 18 Aug 23 - 08:07 PM The ouster of the president of Niger... ...was the military leader [makes sense] ...occurred on [does not] But the latter is the way it's used, not the former. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 18 Aug 23 - 08:10 PM But why would anyone use that stupid word? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 18 Aug 23 - 08:49 PM > But why would anyone use that stupid word? Perhaps to minimise the word count? sounds like the sort of word a desperate sub-ed on a tight word-count budget might resort to. I remember having to compress already-tight pieces when practicing for my Eng Lang O-level. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 18 Aug 23 - 08:53 PM "practicing" Oi, you told me you were English! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Donuel Date: 18 Aug 23 - 08:55 PM English is a neutral-ized language. English is constructed by a combination of Germanic Anglo-Saxon languages and French. Whenever a German word like the sun, which is feminine and the French version is masculine, or vice versa with the word moon, the ENGLISH VERSION is neutral. In Chinese, there are no masculine-feminine distinctions. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 18 Aug 23 - 09:02 PM And what would you know about English? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Nigel Parsons Date: 19 Aug 23 - 03:50 PM "practicing" Oi, you told me you were English! Okay, I admit to sometimes having to check before using words of this format. I always refer back to two differently pronounced words, 'advice' & advise'. 'Advice' is a noun, 'I offer advice' 'Advise' is a verb, 'I advise' All the other 'ce' / 'se' words appear to follow the same rules. A useful method of discriminating. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Donuel Date: 19 Aug 23 - 05:25 PM When you put U into color and humor we don't care. I'm listening to folk songs sung in the style of pure tone Gregorian chant. An old English style gives American songs a pleasant twist. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 19 Aug 23 - 06:06 PM I have a copy somewhere of Dave Mallinson's melodeon tutor for absolute beginners. All through the book he urges us to "practice, and when you've finished practicing, practice some more..." sort of thing. It was typed out in the days before you could easily fix things, and at the beginning of the book he added a footnote apologising for typing "practice" so many times when he'd meant "practise." :-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: meself Date: 23 Aug 23 - 03:46 PM " ... surrounded on two sides" - been hearing variations on that from journalists lately. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 23 Aug 23 - 04:23 PM Rising to a crescendo... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Mrrzy Date: 28 Aug 23 - 08:36 AM A headline read something like DC fails to house 98% of homeless... Um, aren't 100% of homeless people homeless? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 28 Aug 23 - 09:39 AM The much-hated Suella Braverman, our home secretary, used the word "operationalise" three times in a radio interview this morning. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: meself Date: 28 Aug 23 - 02:23 PM Another one I've been hearing lately from TV/radio journalists: the confused use of "blamed on" for "blamed for", as in this, just heard: "Technical issues are blamed on the delay of the flight". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Mrrzy Date: 04 Sep 23 - 06:25 PM I figured out why I don't like "I appreciate you" when expecting Thank you. You appreciate * what* I did, but you thank *me* ... It is ungrammatical and robs me of my due of gratitude, while lowering me to the level of the inanimate hand I gave you. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: meself Date: 06 Sep 23 - 07:12 PM "Inflation has become the boogeyman - um - boogeyperson - ...." A TV journalist yesterday. It's important that we recognize that women can have the quality of "boogey" just like men ...! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 06 Sep 23 - 07:33 PM Some rugby bloke on the wireless this morning rattled on about the perils of "lacksadaisical" preparations for games. I've heard that so many times. Dammit, man, it's "lackadaisical"! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: MaJoC the Filk Date: 06 Sep 23 - 10:17 PM .... why *do* so many people lack daisies? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves From: Steve Shaw Date: 07 Sep 23 - 03:57 AM Dunno, but the other day I picked a buttercup. I thought, "I wonder who left this buttock lying around?" |
