What are your pet peeves re English usage?

Clary wrote:

I agree; even thank you is redundant

It is?

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McTag wrote:

"If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? "

-"Now do you believe in me, you prat? Welcome aboard."

That's a good one... mine was "Ahhh, you're back. We missed you." :wink:

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Why does one broadcaster have to thank another broadcaster for saying his/her bit? Is it on behalf of us, the grateful listeners? Is it on his/her own behalf for giving him/her a breather and a gulp of coffee?

And hallo there, Piffkins, haven't seen you about lately!

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Clary wrote:

Why does one broadcaster have to thank another broadcaster for saying his/her bit? Is it on behalf of us, the grateful listeners? Is it on his/her own behalf for giving him/her a breather and a gulp of coffee?

Well, I suppose the presenter or host could say, "Okay we've heard you now. Now bog off."

Mind you, Paxo uses that technique already.

It's odd, and this happens more often than not, when the interviewer says "Amos Smurd, thank you" and Amos replies "Thank you", never "You're welcome" or a similar phrase.

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I am always waiting for the thank-you war.

Host: "Well, thank you very much indeed, Nigel. "
Nigel: "No, no, thank you"
Host: "Heh, heh, no, thank you."
Nigel: "I insist, absolutely thank you"
Host: "It's been our pleasure. Thank you!"
Nigel: "And my gracious thanks to you."
Host: "Right. and now, good night all."
Nigel: What? No, thank you??!!"
Host: "I said 'thank you very much indeed."
Nigel: "You did?"
Host: "Yes. Thank. you. very. much.."

Nigel: "No, no. Thank you."
Host: "You're welcome."
Nigel: "Thank you."

Joe(a shot rings out)Nation

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I think we should all say it the way Elvis did, kind of slurry and fast, "Thank you, thankyouvery much." Laughing

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I wonder if the ubiquitious thanks is a signal in the news biz? I've heard of these before on other news shows... special key phrases for on-camera changes. The thank-you may be a sign-off so that the camera moves to a different newscaster.

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Now there's an intelligent and insightful suggestion, you must be right Piffka, otherwise it's faintly absurd.
Do you mind the two newscasters standing up and talking to each other, which seems to be the method of choice for giving the news on some channels? I don't mind but I know some who do.

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Clary wrote:

Do you mind the two newscasters standing up and talking to each other, which seems to be the method of choice for giving the news on some channels?

I don't think I've seen this; is it the latest thing? I'll watch for it but I avoid most tv news unless I'm checking the weather.

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This weekend, America switches to daylight saving time. Apart from my peeves with this institution itself, this brought to my attention a language peeve I have: Many Americans, maybe as many as half of them, call it daylight savings time -- as if the idea was to hoard time on an account or something. Where on Earth did people get the idea of appending this superfluous and annoying "s" at the end of "saving"?

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I suppose, it's thought to be easier to say than correctly daylight-shifting time :wink:

(Actually, it must be in singular, because "saving" is used as participle, modifying the word "time".)

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Maybe we go from saving to savings because we bank all that extra light and we get ourselves mixed up with a savings bank?
Or maybe because the saving is multipled for every day that we're forced into the change so it feels like it ought to be a plural?
I don't like DST myself -- my internal clock is mixed up for a week (twice a year, grrrrrrr) -- so I call it something rude, Daylight Stinkin' Time.

I recently read that the supposed $30 million savings is from an out-of-date report and offset by an expected $1 billion in additional early morning energy costs.

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Two mor things that bug me:

1. When one newsperson will ask another newsperson for an opinion or the story instead of going to a real SOURCE; and

2. When they quote what someone said, then show the exact quote in a clip. Redundant!!

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

(Actually, it must be in singular, because "saving" is used as participle, modifying the word "time".)

At the danger of splitting hairs over this, are you sure it doesn't modify "daylight"?

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HATE clock shifting, quite unnecessary, you can't make more light in the day just by changing the bloody clocks!

I would hate hearing savings in this context too. Mind you I always wonder why Americans say New YearS.

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Clary wrote:

I would hate hearing savings in this context too. Mind you I always wonder why Americans say New YearS.

Must be a cultural sensitivity thing. You know, there's Gregorian New Year, Julian New Year, Chinese New Year, .... Better be sensitive to all those other new years and whish their adherents a good one, too. Grammar be damned.

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Clary wrote:

HATE clock shifting, quite unnecessary, you can't make more light in the day just by changing the bloody clocks!

I would hate hearing savings in this context too. Mind you I always wonder why Americans say New YearS.

Glad you agree with me, Clary. I find it extremely annoying. It feels as though the government is flagrantly flexing its muscles and imposing its will on me. I don't like it~

However, if I say New Year's, it is definitely in the possessive form and I'm focused on New Year's Eve. "What are you going to do for New Year's?" We're slurring over the implied "Eve" or "Day."

Are December 31st and January 1st called New Year Eve and New Year Day in the UK? THAT sounds strange to me. Wink

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No we just say what are you doing at New Year?

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Hmmmm. At New Year, eh? Very Happy

Well, there you go... I'd say "on" or "for" but never "at."

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We say Happy New Year, no 's'. But it is New Year's Eve.

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What are your pet peeves re English usage?

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