Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 Inquisitor Ehrenstein wrote:
While we're on this subject, please

learn the difference between lie and lay.

I think most people here know that difference.
OT: Most of those were misspellings which was... odd.

@galacticdefender

Good for you....

Watt are ewe saying, that wee have know idea how our language works! I think thy british people no there words very well thank ewe.

My most hated sayings are:

I'm going to write them - just adding "to" in their would make this entirely bearable, I have no idea why it annoys me but it does.

and my most hated one:

Bilateral discussion - if there are two entities having discussions it is a given that the discussions are two way, there is no need to add in a word to make yourself sound more intelligent. This one gets me having a unilateral talk with the tv , I haven't heard it spoken in person yet, but it's quite possible a headbutt could result

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
I love how you Brits somehow cram an are in "saw". lol

"Idear" has always had a special little place in my heart.

 daedalus wrote:

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
I love how you Brits somehow cram an are in "saw". lol

"Idear" has always had a special little place in my heart.

there are those within the US that ad an extra "R" sound into words as well...

case in point, my dad who is from oklahoma, routinely says "Warshington" and many words similar to that.

Oh man, my parents from Peoria, IL demand there is a "r" in Washington.

Oddly, my dad only does it around my grandparents. It's like lapsing into a primary tongue. It's bizarre. My mother claims the word is "warsh", but on the other hand, she also called it "pop" for the longest time, and we all eventually proved her wrong.

I get annoyed when software (Microsoft is particularly bad) give you options for 'English' and 'British English'.

I'm the one speaking English - 'American English' is the sub-dialect...

The other one that really gets to me me these days (and sadly just as common in the UK) is the mis-use of the word 'of'. People substitute 'must of' instead of writing 'must've' or 'must have' - it's betraying a fundamental lack of understanding the English language.

"The exception that proves the rule"

There's a lot of idiots out there that just use that to ignore that whatever rule they just claimed existed has one or more exceptions to it. They make a claim, you point out one or more instances of things not following that rule, and they reply with 'that's the exception that proves the rule'. They basically use it to deny the entire effect of contra-evidence.

The saying actually refers to a principle in which a specific granted exception allows a person to deduce that a general principle can be deduced. The classic example is that, seeing a statement that special leave is granted for troops to be out of barracks until 10pm, one could deduce that outside of that specific exception troops are required to be in barracks before then. But that principal is a lot less useful for idiots, and so it hardly ever gets used.

 Hordini wrote:

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
I heard a guy on NPR today say "pleethora".

I hear "be more Pacific" a lot too.

I consider myself blessed that I haven't ever heard anyone say "be more Pacific."

I had a teacher in primary school who used 'pacific'... bugged the crap out of me, because even in grade 6 I knew better.


My current bugbear is 'versed'... as in 'I versed him at 40K'.


I also really dislike people abusing elipses. Which is problematic, really...

3 references to "Pacific" now, an I must ask. What does this mean, exactly?

Is this some way of speaking or what? I've never heard this expression.

Using 'pacific' instead of 'specific'...

Usually only used by those in the 4 and under demographic.

That made my prostrate hurt.

 insaniak wrote:

I had a teacher in primary school who used 'pacific'... bugged the crap out of me, because even in grade 6 I knew better.


My current bugbear is 'versed'... as in 'I versed him at 40K'.


I also really dislike people abusing elipses. Which is problematic, really...

We make the younger ones who use "versed" stand up and do improv poetry. Then we throw peanuts at them.

 insaniak wrote:
Using 'pacific' instead of 'specific'...

JFC. That's not misusing an expression, that's just being dumb as a post.

conversating. Conversate.



I do want to maker gooder a word.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I hear a lot of people say For all intensive purposes

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
I love how you Brits somehow cram an are in "saw". lol

I love how some Brits with posh accents sound like Elmer Fudd.

 Khornholio wrote:

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
I love how you Brits somehow cram an are in "saw". lol

I love how some Brits with posh accents sound like Elmer Fudd.

Really?
That'd be something to hear.

"Hewwo. I'm Jonathan Woss," - for one.

Oh gods, where to start.

TV reality show ("My kitchen rules") showed some epic mangling of the King's English.

"I'm feeling really inspirated right now. Don't you feel inspirated?"
And "I'm not just a fluffy cupcake. I have a lot of substances in me".

I really don't think she even realises what she was saying.

Since we seem to be digressing I will add any form on management speak.

I work with a usually sound Ops Director but get him in our senior management team meetings and we no longer talk or to people we "Engage". If they didn't get it the first time we need to "reengage".

Gah! Does me 'ead in it does.

 Hedgehog wrote:
I get annoyed when software (Microsoft is particularly bad) give you options for 'English' and 'British English'.

I'm the one speaking English - 'American English' is the sub-dialect..

Thankyou Hedgehog for saving me from having to make this point. There is a clue to the origin of the English language in its name.

The word "logic".

Logic and "reason" are not the same thing.

 Khornholio wrote:
"Hewwo. I'm Jonathan Woss," - for one.

Jonathon Ross isn't posh, he's just got a speech impediment!

 notprop wrote:
Since we seem to be digressing I will add any form on management speak.

I work with a usually sound Ops Director but get him in our senior management team meetings and we no longer talk or to people we "Engage". If they didn't get it the first time we need to "reengage".

Gah! Does me 'ead in it does.

For that kind of nonsense, "reaching out" chaps my ass instead of just "email someone".

The differences between 'their', 'there', and 'they're'. Their=ownership by a group of people: "that is their cat"
There=place: "put the plant over there"
They're=they are: "they're going swimming"

Native English speakers: you learn this by 4th grade, and I gave you a free, easy lesson. Utilize it. If English is not your native language, you're forgiven, as our language is truly an abortion among the languages of the world.

I have not seen these expressions written incorrectly because few people use them in text form.

Most of the butchery can be caused by my friend "auto-correct".

As some have posted, some similar word meanings can drive us crazy. My favorite is "affected" and "effected" I still have to look them up on occasion to be sure I am using them correctly.

 Ouze wrote:

For that kind of nonsense, "reaching out" chaps my ass instead of just "email someone".

Nah, that's an essential service being provided to you.

It is a single phrase that lets you know if you can disregard anything the person says further until they provide you with hard evidence to back anything they say up with.

 Orlanth wrote:

 Hedgehog wrote:
I get annoyed when software (Microsoft is particularly bad) give you options for 'English' and 'British English'.

I'm the one speaking English - 'American English' is the sub-dialect..

Thankyou Hedgehog for saving me from having to make this point. There is a clue to the origin of the English language in its name.

'Murrica... that's why!