What are your pet peeves re English usage?

I am always peeved by those who would attempt to impose an arbitrary uniformity in our speech . . . it is the great variety of expression which makes speech so entertaining . . .

I'm just going to blame Miss Clary . . .

booman2 wrote:

Pifka,
.....In African-American culture, we men know that Our best tool of survival is our, "mother wit."

Thanks, Booman. That's nice. I'll try to remember it. I'm sure you have loads of this, too. Is it the same as common sense... or different?

And, McT -- Mother tongue, of course.

Well, we did laugh. there was a kind of grim humour in it. Many years later, another German gent gave my son the present of a small clasp-knife, saying "A present from across the Channel". I don't know whether he realised that I knew what he meant, but that phrase has echoes of the same time. We smiled.

(whoops, I missed a page before writing that. Sorry. But I'm sure you can follow)

Ah oui, c'est ma faute. On peut l'appeler 'un instant du Seigneur' , n'est-ce pas? Et je suis d'accord, Valpower, au sujet de l'anarchie.

McTag wrote:

Well, we did laugh. there was a kind of grim humour in it. Many years later, another German gent gave my son the present of a small clasp-knife, saying "A present from across the Channel". I don't know whether he realised that I knew what he meant, but that phrase has echoes of the same time. We smiled.

(whoops, I missed a page before writing that. Sorry. But I'm sure you can follow)

I can follow you, McTag. Grim humor is right. We're like pawns before our governments anyway.

Does your son still have the knife?

i just thought i'd have a little fun with you, Miss Clary . . .