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What're your English bugbears?

Started by Siz, December 20, 2011, 02:18:07 PM

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hismikeness

Besides those already listed, there are a few that drive me nuts.

Loose and lose. This comes up a lot on the football boards that I read.
People who say "basically" too much. It either is or it isn't. Not basically.
"Whole 'nother". Of course they mean whole other, because it can't be shortened from whole another. That just makes no sense.

I try to be grammatically correct and use proper grammar and syntax, even in informal text messages.
No churches have free wifi because they don't want to compete with an invisible force that works.

When the alien invasion does indeed happen, if everyone would just go out into the streets & inexpertly play the flute, they'll just go. -@UncleDynamite

Asmodean

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Recusant

I tend to just snicker to myself rather than being disgusted or outraged. Very, very few people are faultless in their spelling, usage, diction, punctuation and grammar. As for the erstwhile title of the thread, that can be seen as paying homage to the subtle meme which predicts that any writing which calls attention to faults or errors in grammar, punctuation or spelling shall never itself be impeccable.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Sandra Craft

Unique used to describe things that aren't unique.  Confusing where and were (which I do, a lot).  Writing Jones's instead of Jones'.  Yes, I know the first one is currently considered correct but it looks like a snake's hiss being spelled out.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Ecurb Noselrub

Quote from: Scissorlegs on December 20, 2011, 02:18:07 PM

I've already outed one - MATHS, not MATH (I'll fight you Americans to the death for this one).

No need to fight, but some phrases have just developed differently on the other side of the pond, and this is one of them.  We speak American English, and that's how we say it here, so it's not an issue of right/wrong.

One of the ones that gets me is the improper use of "then" when "than" is appropriate (grammar still matters, even over here). "Five is greater than four" is correct. 

Also, people over-compensate on the use of "I", as in "John and I," so they use "I" when "me" is appropriate, such as when it is the object rather than the subject.  "John and I went to the movies" is fine, but when they are the object instead of the subject, "They gave John and me money" is correct.  Break it down into individual sentences: "They gave John money" + "They gave me money" = "They gave John and me money."

Siz

Quote from: Recusant on December 20, 2011, 09:36:52 PM
As for the erstwhile title of the thread, that can be seen as paying homage to the subtle meme which predicts that any writing which calls attention to faults or errors in grammar, punctuation or spelling shall never itself be impeccable.
^ :D


Ha, ha. You cleverly spotted the deliberate tease! :P

When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed - Anton LaVey

The universe is a cold, uncaring void. The key to happiness isn't a search for meaning, it's to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense, and eventually you'll be dead!

squidfetish

Redundant apostrophes.

Tomato's £1.50 per kilo

Will employee's please report to the staffroom at 10am

Please return the dumbell's to the rack's.

I've witnessed these travesties over the last 2 days.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!....  >:( ::)
reptilian overlord

DeterminedJuliet

"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

The Magic Pudding

This isn't a bugbear.

"As is my want" makes sense, a pretentious/stylish way to say it's what you wanted.

"As is my my wont" makes sense too, an extra pretentious/stylish way to say because that's how I do it.
Noun: wont - An established custom.

Buddy

Quote from: Asmodean on December 20, 2011, 02:46:05 PM
Quote from: Scissorlegs on December 20, 2011, 02:18:07 PM
- Their, there, they're.
Also, theyr, thar and other variations.


Heh, I tend to use thar sometimes. Usually only in the intro forum and around friends when we're goofing off.

I have issues with commas. I always feel like I put too many in my writing, but if I leave them out it seems like I'm missing something. I also have issues with to and too. Never quite got the rule for using them.

It absolutely irritates me to no end when people use text chat. I have a friend who always texts me in chat speak and it takes forever to figure it out. It's a text, not a spy code >:(
Strange but not a stranger<br /><br />I love my car more than I love most people.

Asmodean

Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 26, 2011, 12:08:06 AM
I also have issues with to and too. Never quite got the rule for using them.
Swede, right? To is å or til. Too is også. That's Norwegian, but close enough :P
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

The Magic Pudding

To has one "o" which seems a reasonable thing to do.
Too has "oo," which could be considered too much.

lomfs24

I saw this a few years ago and thought it was pretty good. I wish I knew where it came from so I could give them credit.

Five year phase-in plan for "EuroEnglish"


The European Commission have just announced an agreement whereby
English will be the official language of the EU, rather than German, which
was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's
government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and
has accepted a five year phase in plan that would be known as "EuroEnglish".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will
make the sivil servants jump for joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour
of the "k". This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have 1 less
letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the
troublesome "ph" will be replaced with the "f". This will make words like
"fotograf" 20% shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be
expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always
ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of
the silent "e"s in the language is disgraseful, and they should go away.

By the 4th year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th"
with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords
kontaining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer
kombinations of leters. After zis fifz year, ve vil hav a realy sensibl
riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it
ezi to understand each ozer

ZE DREAM VIL FINALI KUM TRU!

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: lomfs24 on December 26, 2011, 05:45:02 AM
I saw this a few years ago and thought it was pretty good. I wish I knew where it came from so I could give them credit.

Five year phase-in plan for "EuroEnglish"


The European Commission have just announced an agreement whereby
English will be the official language of the EU, rather than German, which
was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's
government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and
has accepted a five year phase in plan that would be known as "EuroEnglish".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will
make the sivil servants jump for joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour
of the "k". This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have 1 less
letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the
troublesome "ph" will be replaced with the "f". This will make words like
"fotograf" 20% shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be
expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always
ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of
the silent "e"s in the language is disgraseful, and they should go away.

By the 4th year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th"
with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords
kontaining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer
kombinations of leters. After zis fifz year, ve vil hav a realy sensibl
riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it
ezi to understand each ozer

ZE DREAM VIL FINALI KUM TRU!

LOL :D

Still better than txt though.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Cerulean

I have one that I do constantly and after 10 years of trying to stop, it isn't going to happen.

"A whole nother"... UGH. A whole nother thing, a whole nother story, etc... It's awful.