63
   

What are your pet peeves re English usage?

Forums: English, Grammar, Abusage, Pet Peeves, English Usage
Email this Topic • Print this Page
 
 
Noddy24
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 02:20 pm
Larding with other languages is acceptable if you have a l-o-n-g cigarette holder and considerable personal charm.

Of course, jeering at pretentious prose is a 12-month sport.
0 Replies
 
lexi199
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 03:30 pm
my pet peev is grammar.
0 Replies
 
lexi199
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 03:32 pm
my pet peev is grammar.
0 Replies
 
Asphodel
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 04:23 pm
Pet Peev
One of my pet peeves involves consistently spelling "does" as "dose".

I am, of course, referring to one person in particular who just does not know how it is spelled. Every single instance she has used this word, it was always spelled "dose", so I suspect it is not a typo.

Shocked

I do not know how she graduated from high school, if she cannot even spell "does" correctly.
0 Replies
 
Idaho
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 04:57 pm
For Free. Drives me insane, particularly since it's used in nearly every commercial on the radio and television. Things may be free, or free of charge, but NOT for free!
0 Replies
 
Merry Andrew
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 08:52 pm
Idaho, even worse ia "free gift." You hear it all the time. "Call now and receive a free gift." I'm not aware that there are any other kinds of gifts.
0 Replies
 
Noddy24
 
  1  
Reply Mon 10 Jan, 2005 09:58 pm
Merry Andrew--

What about gifts with strings attached? As I remember the Trojan Horse didn't have a pay-up-front price tag.
0 Replies
 
Merry Andrew
 
  1  
Reply Tue 11 Jan, 2005 08:42 pm
Noddy -- even the Trojan horse was "free" in the sense that no actual payment was demanded. If we assume that some gifts are not actually "free" in an absolute sense, then all those advertisers are obviously bleepin' liars. We all know that those "free gifts" are actually just come-ons to induce one to buy something.

No, a "gift" is, by definition, "free."
0 Replies
 
Noddy24
 
  1  
Reply Wed 12 Jan, 2005 09:15 am
Merry Andrew--

Okay. No free gifts. No free lunch.
0 Replies
 
Idaho
 
  1  
Reply Wed 12 Jan, 2005 04:23 pm
How about, like, using the word "like" in all sorts of, like, obnoxious ways to, like, render yourself, like, completely incomprehensible, like, you know?
0 Replies
 
Merry Andrew
 
  1  
Reply Wed 12 Jan, 2005 08:30 pm
Knowhatchasayin', Idaho.
0 Replies
 
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 01:11 am
I agree.

Also, "Know what I mean?

It's the same in conversation as

...if you catch my drift/ meaning
...Do you follow me?
...Do you understand?

Which is fair enough, but sometimes is very overused.
0 Replies
 
smorgs
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 01:13 am
To be honest with you...
0 Replies
 
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 01:19 am
smorgs wrote:
To be honest with you...


Yeah, like, this means "When I speak I'm not usually honest with you, but this time I'll make an exception"
0 Replies
 
smorgs
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 01:22 am
McTag, I'm working in Didsbury Jobcentre for the next two weeks. My old building (Baskerville House) is closing! Start of the cull of Civil Servents...It'll probably be in the MEN tonight. Crying or Very sad
0 Replies
 
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 01:29 am
Hounded out of Baskerville House, well I never.

Commiserations Sarah. Still, Didsbury has its compensations, especially in springtime, should you still be there then. Best wishes...
0 Replies
 
smorgs
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 01:37 am
To be honest with you McTag...there's a brilliant deli round the corner, Pizza Express and a cash machine...what more could a girl want?

Oh and no-ones threatened to 'kick my f***in' head in' yet...I quite miss it! Very Happy
0 Replies
 
Merry Andrew
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 04:25 am
Another of my pet peeves (I'm grouchy this morning) is the prevalent use of redundancies. Free gift has already been mentioned. Two others:

personal opinion -- well, of course it's your personal opinion; whose else's would it be?

false pretenses -- what other kinds of pretenses are there?
0 Replies
 
Clary
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 06:37 am
Good, I like those tautologies. Free gift is like those menu extravaganzas saying 'generously topped with whipped bullshit' - what's generous about it when you know you are paying through the nose anyway?
I'm busy being grouchy about CONtribute and inTEGral, where I much prefer conTRIBute and INtegral.
0 Replies
 
McTag
 
  1  
Reply Thu 13 Jan, 2005 07:06 am
Yeah, I hear you, sister. I try to avoid eating anything which is described in a restaurant as being "drizzled with" anything.
And what about JUS?
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

deal - Question by WBYeats
Expert help needed: pronoun form following main verb before a gerund - Question by adavis444
Let pupils abandon spelling rules, says academic - Discussion by Robert Gentel
Please, I need help. - Question by imsak
Do you understand what "Transition overground" means? - Question by Alexander7
Is this sentence grammatically correct? - Question by Sydney-Strock
"come from" - Question by mcook
Is this paragraph incomprehensible? Would you suggest an edit? - Question by tamara123454
Does this sentence make any sense in English? - Question by estherara
Could someone review my assignment? - Question by kair0s
concentrated - Question by WBYeats
 
  1. Forums
  2. » What are your pet peeves re English usage?
  3. » Page 25
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.06 seconds on 09/29/2024 at 10:23:18
▲ ▼