What are your pet peeves re English usage?

@Linkat,

Of course I knew what you meant. But it has been done since centuries.

(It became a topic in English, French, German and Latin classes when I was at school about 50 years ago - only because my English teacher told me not to talk the talk if I couldn't walk the walk. And I wondered about that.)

1 Reply

@ailsagirl,

Writing 'i' instead of 'I'. I can stand this when it's a social media / text usage, but when companies or publications do this it drives me crazy!

Also just a general lack or disinterest in at least attempting proper spelling. Again, even more so with professional publications. Like, have you ever heard of proofreading?

0 Replies

@Grand Duke,

I'm American but attended college in Ireland, so my English is a mix of American and Irish/British. The first one seems correct to me? The second one drives me crazy because of the lack of oxford comma. In a list I feel it should be "The red, white, and blue".

0 Replies

@Linkat,

Quote:

I like to be efficient so I detest when one uses extra words or phases that are not necessary.

I hate prolixity.

1 Reply

@nacredambition,

I gag over liver and onions, bleeeck

0 Replies

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

The significance of "in and of itself" (phony baloney grammatical objections ignored) is that it is classic Anglo-Saxon. The earliest English speakers were very fond of such repetition, or redundancy, if you prefer. "It is fitting and proper" is a classic example of this. More than fifteen hundred years aster the language stumbled to its feet, that trait remains.

Interesting insight... and it rings true. Thanks.

0 Replies

@Walter Hinteler,

Good point, Walter, but it's gone a bit mad recently, and the trait seems to be accelerating. A man writing in The Spectator last week made the same point as me, about medalling, with reference to reporting of the Olympic Games, but he has also noticed podium and gold used as verbs.
That is the sort of thing up with which I will not put.

1 Reply

@McTag,

McTag wrote:

gold used as verb

Just out of interest, I've looked that up: it's used in German at least since the 14th century, Old High German origin, but not known in other Germanic languages (Grimm noted that in his dictionary)

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

We've got gild. Which means literally, to cover something in gold (or to colour it gold), and is also used metaphorically.
As far as you and Mr Grimm are concerned, I think you may be barking up the wrong tree. But I can't speak for High German of course. English is quite enough for me to try to cope with.

1 Reply

@McTag,

We've also got geld, but you don't want to go there.

0 Replies

Defiantly is definately one.

1 Reply

@ekename,

Lasnite on Family Freud a woman said she was the "desiccated driver" n i thought, mmm, she maybe coconuts but at lea- she's dry.

1 Reply

@ekename,

fare, fair, fear,

0 Replies

English spelling and the English use of the Roman alphabet is a sick joke.

2 Replies

@gungasnake,

English is actually a pidgin, or trade lingo, evidenced by the multiple inputs from the various stakeholders.

0 Replies

Puns, mixed metaphors and cliches are like a red rag to a bull in a china shop.

1 Reply

@nacredambition,

Oh, I just love to mix metaphors!

1 Reply

@roger,

here, hair, hear, hare

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Don't have enough hair to count, but thanks for the conjugation.

1 Reply

@roger,

Don't feel too bad. Many of us seniors are losing our hair at an alarming rate. So much for ego. Embarrassed

0 Replies

What are your pet peeves re English usage?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know