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What are your pet peeves re English usage?

 
 
Clary
 
  1  
Reply Thu 26 Apr, 2007 12:13 pm
Setanta wrote:
OK . . . i object to those expressions.


(Just trying to help, Boss.)


Way to go, Set!
0 Replies
 
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Thu 26 Apr, 2007 05:15 pm
Do not encourage him. :wink:

I'm waiting for you two to realise how wrong you have been.
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Clary
 
  1  
Reply Thu 26 Apr, 2007 05:16 pm
It's all a matter of a pinion, as one parrot said to another.
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Merry Andrew
 
  1  
Reply Thu 26 Apr, 2007 07:48 pm
If it makes you feel any better, McT, I'm on your side in this debate. And, as we are both quite fit, I'm sure we'll survive.
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Clary
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Apr, 2007 06:16 am
To move swiftly on... I take the opportunity of quoting myself on another English thread:
syntinen wrote:
Certain English railway companies have recently started to say over their automated PA systems "This train will shortly be arriving into [name of station]." I wonder if these electronic announcements were devised and recorded in Korea or Taiwan or somewhere? It is horrendously bad English.


Yes, it's as annoying as the 'station-stop' which I suppose is meant to be clearer and less ambiguous than either station - when it might not stop, or stop - which might be outside a station. Also they say 'This service ...' - why not this train? Even my Korean student lodger doesn't do that!!
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Apr, 2007 06:47 am
yes it's horrid I hate it yuck
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Steve 41oo
 
  1  
Reply Fri 27 Apr, 2007 02:37 pm
Clary wrote:
To move swiftly on... I take the opportunity of quoting myself on another English thread:
syntinen wrote:
Certain English railway companies have recently started to say over their automated PA systems "This train will shortly be arriving into [name of station]." I wonder if these electronic announcements were devised and recorded in Korea or Taiwan or somewhere? It is horrendously bad English.


Yes, it's as annoying as the 'station-stop' which I suppose is meant to be clearer and less ambiguous than either station - when it might not stop, or stop - which might be outside a station. Also they say 'This service ...' - why not this train? Even my Korean student lodger doesn't do that!!
like the avatar Clary, are you in a hurry? Excellent points re use of English and Korean btw.
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Clary
 
  1  
Reply Sat 28 Apr, 2007 04:09 pm
Thanks Steve, I think I might be running late for, say, a station stop or a late service. Actually I find few avatars small enough to satisfy the A2K hamsters.
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Tomkitten
 
  1  
Reply Sat 28 Apr, 2007 05:20 pm
What are your pet peeves re English usage?
Has anyone mentioned the misuse of "momentarily" as in "We will be with you momentarily"?

And there's always the "different from" vs "different than" question. I bet that one stems from a relatively new misguided impression that English English is more correct than American English; I say "relatively new" because I grew up using "different from" analogous to "differing from", and learned my grammar from very strict teachers. This was back just prior to the Stone Age, but you wouldn't say "differing than", now, would you?
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kitchenpete
 
  1  
Reply Mon 30 Apr, 2007 10:26 am
Re: What are your pet peeves re English usage?
Tomkitten wrote:
Has anyone mentioned the misuse of "momentarily" as in "We will be with you momentarily"?

And there's always the "different from" vs "different than" question. I bet that one stems from a relatively new misguided impression that English English is more correct than American English; I say "relatively new" because I grew up using "different from" analogous to "differing from", and learned my grammar from very strict teachers. This was back just prior to the Stone Age, but you wouldn't say "differing than", now, would you?


Hello Tom - I believe these were tackled somwhere back in pages 1-100, when this was a relatively fresh thread. I think both of the uses you prefer are British and those living in your current country of residence (I don't know whether you are yourself an American citizen) seem to have the view that "momentarily" means "in a moment" not "for a moment" and use "than" rather than "from", the latter in each case being the formal (if misued) British English version.

KP
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The Pen is
 
  1  
Reply Thu 10 May, 2007 03:51 pm
Momentarily, like presently, has changed in meaning over the centuries. My grandfather used to use 'Directly' about immediate time but I don't hear it any more.
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 01:40 am
The Pen is wrote:
Momentarily, like presently, has changed in meaning over the centuries. My grandfather used to use 'Directly' about immediate time but I don't hear it any more.


It is really baffling how words change in meaning.

Look for example at the history of "nice"

Jeez.
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Clary
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 01:42 am
And silly.
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 01:43 am
I've said this before, but I'm in the mood to say it again:

Have you noticed how "quite" has two opposite meanings?

e.g. 1. Completely, as in "Have you quite finished?"

2. Partially, as in "I quite like that"
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Clary
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 01:47 am
Yes.
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 02:06 am
Clary wrote:
Yes.


Smile Who stole your scone this morning, dear C?
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Clary
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 02:18 am
'S early and I hadn't had my coffee. Besides you said it so well.
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Tomkitten
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 08:28 am
What are your pet peeves re English usage?
Speaking of meanings, if you're "absolutely certain" about something, maybe you'd better not say that you're "quite sure"... Have you ever noticed that "sure" carries with it just the teeniest-weeniest element of doubt?
0 Replies
 
Joe Nation
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 08:37 am
1. Completely, as in "Have you quite finished?"

2. Partially, as in "I quite like that"

I don't think the second example is partial, I think the quite adds emphasis to the liking.

I like that.
I quite like those.
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 May, 2007 10:05 am
Joe Nation wrote:
1. Completely, as in "Have you quite finished?"

2. Partially, as in "I quite like that"

I don't think the second example is partial, I think the quite adds emphasis to the liking.

I like that.
I quite like those.


Joe? You're wrong.

You're just not used to the duplicity and the equivocation of the Brits, compared with whom the Yanks are mere babes-in arms.

:wink:
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