What are your pet peeves re English usage?

We have an expression, haven't heard it for years, about someone with sore feet "nursing their pet corns".

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Back in the day when I was wont to imbibe too much for my own good, I used to refer to taking my pet hangover out for a walk on the mornings after.

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Where's JTT? He can gripe better than most. Are all the peevers on holiday?
I want a quorum for my motion to ban the putting of money where mouths are. Smile

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I have always understood that locution to refer to someone who is talking big being invited to make a substantial wager to back up their big talk. As such, i have almost always found its use to be inapt, and avoid using it myself. I don't get peeved by it, though, i simply view with contempt those who use it--usually.

Does that help, Jock?

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Yes. As barroom big-talk, it's fine.

Please help me keep it off the BBC, though.

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Let's start a letter-writing campaign to the BBC.

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McTag wrote:

Do you agree that the horrible phrase "Put your money where your mouth is" is the most offensive-sounding phrase, in polite usage, in the language today?

Dear McTag,

I am surprised. It is not intended to be offensive? But the alliteration is pleasing.

I have also heard on the BBC the expression «all mouth and no trousers». It is also impolite, I think.

What is «JTT»?

Kind regards, Smile

Goldmund

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What indeed? He (or it may not be a "he") I hope will surface before long. A teacher and debater, a language scientist, a poster of some note, last heard from in the Far East.

"All mouth and trousers" (note the difference) is not impolite, but is a bit robust as a description of a person; a braggart without much substance.

As for the other, the alliteration is not in the least pleasing to me. The whole phrase is most inelegant, IMHO.

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Goldmund, your English is good, and your interest in the language is a credit to you; yet you do not sound to me quite like a native speaker- please forgive me if I'm wrong about that.

Might one enquire where you are?

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Now, I don't mind 'put your money where your mouth is'. It is a silly but striking visual image, and has quite a strong effect - how else can you say succinctly 'are you prepared to bet on that?' - Oh yes, I see, you can say 'are you prepared to bet on that?'

Whereas All mouth and (no) trousers (I've heard both with and without the NO, bizarrely) appears meaningless and I don't think I know what it's trying to convey - that someone is all hot air?

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Clary, I had assessed you as a woman of taste, refinement and unerring good judgement....and now this!

God, how can anything ever be the same again? :wink:

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Well.... what can I say? I had thought you an even-handed and tolerant gentleman with an eye for the catchy, alliterative phrase.. how disappointed can one be?

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"All mouth and no trousers" is largely a Britishism, I think. Don't hear it much in the States. But in Texas they have a very similar saying: "All hat but no cattle." Basically it means the person brags a lot but has nothing to back it up.

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I prefer that one, Andrew, and shall take pains to introduce it to the British audience forthwith.

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Looks like I've frightened Goldmund away, giving him the third degree like that. :wink:

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Dear McTag,

On the contrary. It is kind of you to ask. I am in London.

It is a matter of regret, that I do not sound like a native speaker: but you are quite correct.

It is possible to acquire spelling and grammar. It is not possible to acquire the ear for the idiom.

I have now read many of these pages. There are interesting people here.

Warm regards, Smile

Goldmund

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You, yourself, are one of the quite interesting people, Goldmund.

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Minor correction, but one wouldn't want to sound like a tourist: It's---

"He's all hat and no cattle."

Another phrase (hey, there's a pet peeve for you, what with all the phs sounding like effs?? Do we really need two eff symbols??) --another frase that also denotes 'less powerful than appears' is "empty suit" as in "The CEO surrounds himself with yes-men and empty suits, making people cower is a special pleasure for him."

Joe(Excuse me, I didn't know this suit was occupied.)Nation

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Don't get me started on English spelling, Joe. The 'ph' thing is a nuisance, yes, but what about the letter 'c'? It has absolutely no purpose for even existing. It represents no distinctive sound in the language. In some languages it has 'ts' sound but there isn't a single word in English where 'c' couldn't be replaced by either 'k' or 's'. Let's start a campaign to eliminate C from the English alphabet!

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Dear Merry Andrew,

I would be sorry to see the elimination of C. The sound in «cough» is less explosive than the sound in «Kong». It is useful to me.

But it is perhaps difficult for a native speaker to hear.

Kind regards, Smile

Goldmund

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What are your pet peeves re English usage?

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