What are your pet peeves re English usage?

I'm a long-time WorldWideWords subscriber myself. Get Quinion's newsletter in my mailbox every blessed Saturday and read it word-for word. At first, I used to print them out and save them in a folder. Then I forgot why I was doing such a nonsensical thing when they're all archived online anyway and stopped doing it.

Here's a peeve: ambiguous prepositional phrases. There is a Boston law firsm which helps underwrite some of the programs on our local National Public Radio station (WGBH-FM). As public radio runs no on-air adverts, such underwriters are allowed only a brief slogan along with the occasional acknowledgement of their contribution to the programming. This law firm persists on announcing that they are dedicated to "protecting individuals and families in the courtroom." It always stops me short when I hear that. I wonder what sort of danger people are in when they're in a courtroom and what sort of security measures must be taken to protect them from ... who? ...the judge? The jury?

Wile, .... oops, While Mr Quinion can't do much damage when it comes to word or phrase origins, you really want to be careful following his advice on weightier matters.

Here,

http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/which.htm

on restrictive versus nonrestrictive clauses,

WHICH VERSUS THAT
When to use each in subordinate clauses.

he messes it up with the best of them. A complete study in confusion.

Hey I googled for that. I've never seen it before, so I'm not an advocate.
Relieved to see he agrees with me on that, though.
:wink:

I'm hearing two things on the radio a lot now which are beginning to get on my wick.

1. "I'm across that" meaning I've got the information I need, I understand the topic, I'm clued-up.

2. "Out there". As in, there's a lot of that out there, there's plenty of information out there, there's a lot of talent out there.

"Out there" is fine, quite a useful phrase, but when you keep hearing it over and over and over again.......

I'm currently riled about the anonomous and vindictive "they". They're out there. They're everywhere.

I wish "they" would go away.

The other day, upon the stair
I met a man who wasn't there . . .

He wasn't there again today
I wish that man would go away.









Not much call for chain mail hauberks nowadays. More's the pity.

Hey you've reminded me of the Father William poem. Must look it up.

"You are old, father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head--
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

"In my youth," father William replied to his son,
"I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again."

"You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,
And you have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--
Pray what is the reason for that?"

"In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
"I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment - one shilling a box--
Allow me to sell you a couple?"

"You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
Pray, how did you manage to do it?"

"In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law,
And argued each case with my wife;
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life."

"You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
What made you so awfully clever?"

"I have answered three questions, and that is enough,"
Said his father. "Don't give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I'll kick you downstairs!"

Here's a peeve. In the Old Days people said 'As far as most American speakers are concerned, the R is pronounced'.
Nowadays, people (on the radio at least) say 'As far as most American speakers, the R is pronounced'.

Huh!

I've never heard that.

And hope I never shall.

Good day.

:wink:

Perhaps they think Americans just no longer care.

JTT would say (hastily ducking own head below parapet) that if the meaning is clearly and unambiguously conveyed, the language had done its job.

Since when were you an apologist for JTT?

Hey don't blame the messenger for the message.

they could care less

That's right, Steve and you even got the intonation right. Splendid!

When people don't modify their verbs correctly, ie:

I drove bad.


ack.

I suppose, this quote clarifies a lot:

Thanks JTT. What did you think I meant?