What are your pet peeves re English usage?

I suggest that is because the verb is orientate.

Orient is China.

Orient is not China. It is more than China. It starts about Watford.

Who is he?

Welcome to the forum.

Inconsistency of number annoys me,
e.g. " there 's 3 dogs playing."

I dispute and reject that.
"Orientate" is only semi-literate awkwardness.

Orient:
"noun
1.the Orient,
a.the countries of Asia, esp. East Asia.
b. (formerly) the countries to the E of the Mediterranean.

2.Jewelry.
a.an orient pearl.
b.the iridescence of a pearl.
3.the east; the eastern region of the heavens or the world.


"verb (used with object)
4.to adjust with relation to, or bring into due relation to surroundings, circumstances, facts, etc.
5.to familiarize (a person) with new surroundings or circumstances, or the like: lectures designed to orient the new students.
6.to place in any definite position with reference to the points of the compass or other locations: to orient a building north and south.
7.to direct or position toward a particular object: Orient it toward that house.
8.to determine the position of in relation to the points of the compass; get the bearings of.
9.to place so as to face the east, esp. to build (a church) with the chief altar to the east and the chief entrance to the west.
10.Surveying. to set (the horizontal circle of a surveying instrument) so that readings give correct azimuths.
11.Mathematics. to assign to (a surface) a constant, outward direction at each point.
"verb (used without object)
12.to turn toward the east or in any specified direction.
"adjective
13.(of a gem or pearl) exceptionally fine and lustrous; oriental.
14.Archaic. rising or appearing, esp. as fr

That was clever, Spendius.
I had to look up Watford; I see that it is in England.





David

what are your pet peeves re English usage?
Ogionik.

Omagod. I uncollapsed one of his contributions. It's not fair. He gets drunk, and I ended up with the headache.

The man on the Clapham omnibus.

Or Wigan, or Bristol, you name it. And their womenfolk, God bless 'em.

I looked this up, and discovered that OmSig is right, and I was wrong.

Yes, I was surprised, too.

Orientate is apparently a back-formation from "orientation", and is simply a synonym for the verb "orient".

I can't contain this any longer, but I have a pet peeve, it just tears my mind up when I hear someone say something like "Where's the bathroom AT? to which I always want to answer "Between the A&T.

There I g0t it off my6 chest.

I am new. My pet peeve is anyone who says: "You know" constantly when speaking. It is as if they are not able to follow their line of thought without taking a breather. I feel like telling these people-No, I don't know.

Welcome, marsz. I know what you mean. You know?

Nobody understands me, know what I mean?

occidental?

That species of grammatical error is one of my pet peeves;
e.g., at an annual meeting, I am used to attending a lecture
of a psychologist who is locked into the habit of saying:
"preventative" tho I have repeatedly reminded him that
there is no such verb as to preventate.

The correct form is: preventive.

That psychologist also inserts unnecessary extra syllables into other words.

That makes him look undereducated.

I 'd feel worse about it, if this flaw appeared in a surgeon
whose professional services I considered employing:
it 'd make me think that this is a man who does not pay attention
and make me wonder how many other errors are harbored within his analyses.





David

I have to tell you, OSD, that "preventative" sounds better to me, and I would say is the preferred form over here.

I don't like to hear "preventive". It may be a US/Brit usage thing. But don't forget whose language it is.

(emoticon here- wink)

Sounds better to me, too. I checked an American dictionary, though, and it comes up preventive.

What function
is served by adding the extra syllable ?

To prevent
is to be preventive.





David

double wink !

My American dictionary has preventive as the main entry with the variation preventative in use since 1630 as either a noun or an adjective.

To my ear, it {preventative] sounds better and makes more sense when used as a noun: ' The doctor recommended several preventatives.'
while preventive sounds better and makes more sense as an adjective:
'The doctor recommended several preventive measures.'

My British dictionary has them both as equally valid.

Informative, restorative, preventative.....just sounds better to me.