BS: Sloppy use of language

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 03:13 PM

But you'll never hear the British say 'cant mil croeso' (except in songs transalated from the Irish).

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: HuwG
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 05:25 PM

An old wartime book my father possessed discussing enemy (i.e. German, Italian and Japanese) aircraft, mentioned an Italian aircraft, the Cant 1007. The airframe was nothing particularly special, but its engines never attained the designed power and the aircraft was very underpowered.

The writer suggested that "it would not be facetious to insert an apostrophe between the 'n' and the 't'."

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: saulgoldie
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 08:01 PM

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

'Why?' asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

'Well, I'm a panda,' he says, at the door. 'Look it up.'

The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. 'Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots, and leaves.'

Buh-dum-bunh!


Commas and apostrophes: use knowledgeably or not at all!

Oh, and SAVE THE SEMICOLON; it is very handy when well-used.

Saul

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 23 Jul 11 - 08:12 PM

Our media now says something is "headed up" by someone instead of just "headed." Why?

The word "up" is one of the most widely--and confusingly--used words in English. For instance:

Start up vs.
End up or vs.
Finish up

Speed up vs.
Slow up (which is the same as "slow down")

Hurry up vs.
Wait up or vs.
slow up

Make up vs.
Break up

Write up is often the same as "write down".
Load up is really just "load".

Wash up is just "wash"

And so on and on and on.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 12:50 AM

"Wash up" in UK = US "Do the dishes"; if we wash ourselves, we just 'wash' tout court. A 1950s UK Davy Crockett children's parody, for those old enough to recall that particular nine-days obsession, went "The Yellow Rose of Texas and the Man From Laramie - Went round to Davy Crockett to have a cup of tea. - The tea was so delicious they had another cup - And poor old Davy Crockett had to do the washing-up" [to tune, obviously, of Yellow Rose]. Unconvincing, the nephew, then about 5, that I learnt it from pointed out, because a second cup is generally poured in the same cup as the first so no additional washing-up would have been necessary!

Note, in connection of 'up, that 'it is up to you' [= 'it is your responsibility to do it'] has of late become confused with the more recent, I think of US origin, 'it is down to you' [= 'you are the person who caused it to happen'] ~~ a fine shade of distinction which it is a pity to lose, I think.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 01:54 AM

A misleading cliché which has always annoyed me, as it raises a false mental image, is the frequent piece of journalese stating that an offender "faces a flogging". The victim doesn't face a flogging, does he? Rather, he turns his back to it!

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 04:25 AM

I'll take your word for it - before my time.

LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 04:51 AM

LoL right back to you, Dave. But you'll still find it in reports of people accused of booze-running in Saudi, for instance...

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 02:51 PM

From 'faces punishment', common and accepted, to 'faces a flogging' is a short step, and few would argue the phrase or bother to think that the flogee (hmmm, new word?) has to turn his back to receive the lash.

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: EBarnacle
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 02:58 PM

Upcoming event...

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 03:15 PM

Another phrase beloved of journalists, and one I think simply lazy, is "set to" as in "the weather is set to get warmer", "inflation is set to increase" - and possibly "the offender is set to receive a flogging".

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 03:47 PM

Reminds me of the old sailor's hope about the weather- "Set fair."

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 07:01 PM

The word "up" is one of the most widely--and confusingly--used words in English. For instance:

Start up vs.
End up or vs.
Finish up

Speed up vs.
Slow up (which is the same as "slow down")

Hurry up vs.
Wait up or vs.
slow up

Make up vs.
Break up

Write up is often the same as "write down".
Load up is really just "load".

Wash up is just "wash"

Ah, yes. And much in vogue these days, especially with that breed of PE teachers who did PE at college because they weren't really clever enough to do much else, is the call to pupils "OK, listen up, guys!" Never mind that the "up" is irritatingly superfluous and illiterate - the "guys" nearly always comprise boys and girls. Ugh!

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Jul 11 - 07:03 PM

My passionate ire led to inappropriate italicisation there, dammit.

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 06:09 PM

In many international sports these days I hear the term 'Team GB', when surely any team that includes N. Ireland athletes should be 'Team UK', as in 'the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Smedley
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 06:34 PM

As a Spanish friend of mine, exasperated by the oddities of English, once lamented: "How can anyone be expected to learn a language where you have to chop down a tree before you can chop it up?".

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 08:56 PM

Heard when I was visiting at a friend's ranch some years ago.
"Belly up to the table, boys, eat up before we saddle up."

The Oxford English Dictionary has more than ten pages devoted to 'up', including quotes Mr. Shaw would consider illiterate and superfluous.
Often 'up' is added to add emphasis, and I for one, can't get het up over it.

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Michael
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 03:45 PM

I've just seen a notice on a door; "Closed this week as floor is being relayed". Didn't say where to.

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Sloppy use of language
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 04:16 PM

If your house burns down, the contents will burn up.