What are your pet peeves re English usage?

I don't agree.

I think these two pairs of examples are slightly different in meaning, or could be interpreted differently.

(I think.)

I mean, I think that these two ...

So I could be wrong about that. What say the analysts?

when writing dictionaries, we used 'that' for clarity even though we had length restrictions on definitions. I prefer it to be there.

think the cabernet sauvignon might have influenced my previous post

...well there's the first time for everything

:wink:

Good response, Boss.

I actually don't believe in the concept of "breeding." However, i find it a useful bellweather for knowing whether or not one is dealing with a person given to elitist attitudes. If you tell someone they are ill-bred and it makes them angry, they've got a problem--and an amusing one at that.

I have to laugh when people say "she comes from a very old family".

clary!

young middle aged or old family

what the **** you doing here?

you'se suppose be in injaa gal

or is that next week?

She could write from India, innit, wassamarrerwivya?

Dear friends,

What is «bellweather»? I have found many examples. But I do not understand it.


Kind regards,

Goldmund

Look under bell wether or bellwether

A sheep

Castrated male sheep. Common useage (do I put an "e" in there or is that redundant?) in Australia is simply "wether". "Wether" is Australian slang for "poor bastard".



(Just kidding )

Dear McTag,

Thank you. I have now found it.

Kind regards,

Goldmund

Ah yes, Oz-tralia--where men are men, and the sheep are nervous . . .

Baaaaad joke . . .

Bah.









Worse joke.

Britons fill forms in, but Americans fill them out.

This is more an observation than a peeve, indicating the essential quaintness of Americans.

However my sister-in-law, who resides in Canada, uses a phrase that really jars with me: "lucked out".

"You really lucked out with that"

What is that all about?

"Lucked out" came into the North American vernacular in the hippy days of the 1960s-70s. (And I do mean 'hippy,' not 'happy.' ) It was just another way of saying "got lucky." What the provenance is, I have no clue. ("I have no clue" also became popular at about the same time.) "Lucked out" became so common an expression that these days it's not even considered slang any more, although one hears it a lot less than was the case back in those halcyon days.

As to filling in and filling out -- British politicos "stand" for office, while Americans "run" for office. I never figured that one out either. And, as with your example, McT, that's not really a peeve.

I've known 'Mericans to both fill-in and fill-out forms. I like the fact that Canajun politicians stand for office in a riding (and likely don't know one end of a horse from another), unless they are caught in a police sting, in which case, charges are laid against them.

limpet mines?

Charges are brought, and laid, in this country too.

Carry on.

We do carry on, don't we?

It's just plain ignert speech which peeves me, who ain't got no time fer ignernt people is me . . .

anyone shake-it-all-about?