Words or phrases that annoy you (even if you can't explain why) . . .

[Miss Terri]

As a native British English speaker, I’m completely unphased by that. He’s probably just about to start talking about soddering the meer on the boo-ey, but it’s a bit tricky because it’s made out of aloominum.

Ha. It must be torture. But wait, what's "meer"? I can't think which word that is we are mispronouncing.

(Also, even as a US English speaker, I have never really understood "boo-ey." I mean, we don't say "boo-yent" for buoyant. We say boy-ent. So why not "boy" for buoy?)

Can't say I've EVER heard flay-nge before though. 😂

 

[redcarian]

Ha. It must be torture. But wait, what's "meer"? I can't think which word that is we are mispronouncing.

“Mirror”. You might think you’re saying the middle syllable, but you’re really not, most of the time.

 

[adrianlondon]

Fraud!

 

[Gregg2]

“Mirror”. You might think you’re saying the middle syllable, but you’re really not, most of the time.

No, I really am, all the time. There are many other words that I'll say most people drop a syllable from. I cringe.

 

[Chuckeee]

No, I really am, all the time. There are many other words that I'll say most people drop a syllable from. I cringe.

Then there is “nuclear” where many people add a middle syllable - nuk-U-ler.

 

[Mousse]

I agree that English is a mess.

Blame the French.🤨 If it wasn't for Napoleon, we'd still be speaking English.😉

After reading this book, you'd blame the French too.🤭

 

[bousozoku]

“Mirror”. You might think you’re saying the middle syllable, but you’re really not, most of the time.

I just say "kagami" so I hope that's okay with you. 😁

 

[bousozoku]

Then there is “nuclear” where many people add a middle syllable - nuk-U-ler.

Pres. George W Bush was discussing such technology in that way and everyone was "What did he say?"

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Blame the French.🤨 If it wasn't for Napoleon, we'd still be speaking English.😉

After reading this book, you'd blame the French too.🤭

It's not just the French. The Germans (Angles, Saxons and Jutes), Vikings and Romans all must share some blame. And don't forget the English Academics of the 17th and 18th centuries who tried to impose Latin grammar on what was the then mess of English. Who the h#ll knows what a gerund is anyway??? Or an Oxford comma?? And why isn't there a Cambridge semi-colon. And why is a punctuation mark named after my innards?

 

[Mousse]

It's not just the French.

My comment was meant very much tongue in cheek.

Everyone seems to dump on the French. They wrote a poem. They wrote songs. The George Canning's principle of blaming the French: if the French didn't cause your problem, imagine a scenario where they did.

 

[chown33]

... Who the h#ll knows what a gerund is anyway??? ...

I am a gerund. Or I would be if I were chowning33. I also used the subjunctive mood.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Then there is “nuclear” where many people add a middle syllable - nuk-U-ler.

I believe that was started by President Eisenhower. Generals were discussing the bomb with him, and he started mis-pronouncing nuclear. Someone tried to correct him and was told "It's his bomb, he can call it whatever he wants".

 

[rehkram]

I am a gerund. Or I would be if I were chowning33. I also used the subjunctive mood.

When adding '-ing' to a verb or noun, to make a verb tense, we used to call that the continuous tense. Which has a past-, perfect- and future continuous. And can also be expressed in the conditionals.

Conditional tenses can get really crazy in English. I had a few German students who totally nailed it, despite no equivalence in their mother tongue. I'm speaking as a former TESL Teacher, Inlingua School, Düsseldorf, 1979 - 1983. Happy days!

 

[bousozoku]

I am a gerund. Or I would be if I were chowning33. I also used the subjunctive mood.

Are you sure you're not a gerundive?

 

[polyphenol]

I am a gerund. Or I would be if I were chowning33. I also used the subjunctive mood.

Though some would drop the "if" as in: Or I would be were I chowning33.

And I have no idea whatsoever if things like this divide across countries, universities, towns, anything!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This week, a publication that I (usually) respect (notwithstanding the fact that they clearly need to employ a greater number of sub-editors) had an article that referred to an individual as "an impeccable enemy" of another individual.

Implacable, you moron, I thought to myself in mute, teeth-grinding rage, the word required in this sentence is "implacable", not, - good grief - "impeccable".

Actually, I almost cracked my teeth, so ferociously did I grind them in pure frustration upon reading that travesty.

 

[adrianlondon]

Maybe the person's other enemies just didn't do such a good job of it.

 

[chown33]

Are you sure you're not a gerundive?

Well, I do like tinkering with things, which means I'm a modifier, and I often feel compelled to do so, so it fits.

If we gerundives had a magazine, would its title be "Gerundiver"?

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

This week, a publication that I (usually) respect (notwithstanding the fact that they clearly need to employ a greater number of sub-editors) had an article that referred to an individual as "an impeccable enemy" of another individual.

Implacable, you moron, I thought to myself in mute, teeth-grinding rage, the word required in this sentence is "implacable", not, - good grief - "impeccable".

Actually, I almost cracked my teeth, so ferociously did I grind them in pure frustration upon reading that travesty.

Perhaps the enemy in question, while evil, was a truly well-dressed and perfectly behaved enemy, while also being implacable...

 

[Clix Pix]

I've noticed lately that I keep seeing the word "mines" misused online when the writer actually is referring to personal possession or ownership. The correct usage is "mine," meaning "this bag is mine." "Those trees are mine."

Is saying or writing "mines" some new trendy teen slang that I've missed out on? I'm not around too many preteens, teenagers or young adults, nor do I hang out at sites like Tik-Tok, which I suspect is where this kind of atrocity is more than likely to be generated and fostered.

Doesn't anyone teach or learn proper English any more? The first time I saw this I thought it was a typo; then I saw it a couple more times and thought, "OK, misunderstanding on the part of someone for whom English is a second or third language." Most people agree that English is a very complex and subtly nuanced language which is undoubtedly difficult to learn, never mind master. Even native English speakers/writers run into issues with it every now and then.

However, after a while when seeing "mines" instead of "mine" being used in different places I realized that the inherent issues in learning English probably were not what was prompting someone to inappropriately use and pluralize the word "mines" when they really meant "mine."

Just to be absolutely clear and, yes, rather fussy about correct English usage: The word "mines" is plural and refers to something which actually is plural, such as coal mines and such. It is most commonly used when referring to the extraction of minerals from the ground or to something buried in the ground such as landmines.

The word "mine" is possessive and singular.

 

[rehkram]

Perhaps the enemy in question, while evil, was a truly well-dressed and perfectly behaved enemy, while also being implacable...

James Bond, impeccably implacable, ...

... sounds like the first line of a lost tin pan alley jazz standard. Maybe I'll write it.

 

[rehkram]

Just to be absolutely clear and, yes, rather fussy about correct English usage: The word "mines" is plural and refers to something which actually is plural, such as coal mines and such. It is most commonly used when referring to the extraction of minerals from the ground or to something buried in the ground such as landmines.

Mine's a Jameson's would also be OK when offered, for example, a beverage.

 

[Clix Pix]

Mine's a Jameson's would also be OK when offered, for example, a beverage.

OK, yes, I agree with that. It's the unspoken: "Thank you, I'll take a Jameson's". Or, "my choice/drink is a Jameson's." Again in each situation, possessive.

 

[Miss Terri]

I can't really say this annoys me, but it did make me think of this thread

I was looking up a specific table bracket. The same company makes a hinge that you can buy to go with it, instead of just using any random hinge. They point out that it's the "Same indespicable quality and design as [our] bracket."

Guess I'll take a pair then...

 

[rehkram]

OK, yes, I agree with that. It's the unspoken: "Thank you, I'll take a Jameson's". Or, "my choice/drink is a Jameson's." Again in each situation, possessive.

Right, through use of a contraction, 'mine is'.