not likelyWell this is like just about what I was like talking about.
So I was like, why not like give your reply - like - a like
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Words or phrases that annoy you (even if you can't explain why) . . .
- Thread starter usagora
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Glad to hear that. It's very annoying. The same person also insists on inserting the word "on" before any other preposition. That is, I've never heard "on on" but "on off" comes out of this person's mouth all the time. I've heard others insert "on" before other prepositions, but not before every single one!
Mistakes in the written word are infuriating, of course, (well, to my mind, they are), and, for the most part, that is what this thread is all about.
However, I have noticed that many individuals - above all, native speakers of English (and this, I suspect, is because for people for whom English is a second, third, or fourth, language, they have been taught to express themselves in writing and orally, in a grammatically correct manner) - appear unable to speak in complete sentences, or appear to be unable to express themselves clearly - at all - when speaking.
Once upon a distant time, this would not have prevented them from being able to express themselves clearly in writing, but this is no longer the case, alas, as some individuals are content to try to write as they speak, to the increasing incomprehension of anyone who attempts to decipher or understand what they are attempting to communicate.
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‘off of.’
‘continue on.’
she took the pencil off of me.
let us continue on.
she took the pencil off me.
let us continue
‘continue on.’
she took the pencil off of me.
let us continue on.
she took the pencil off me.
let us continue
for those who,like, missed it the first time …
totally whatever
totally whatever
It's certainly not just English but it happens quite a bit more in English. What's worse is when you see someone from another country who believes that's the way English is supposed to be written or spoken. Misspellings seem to be too common and using the incorrect word is just as bad.
However, I've noticed with technology writers being completely unfamiliar with intransitive mode English.
Thank goodness for Japanese not changing so much.
She took my pencil, damn it, and I want it back!
Exactly.
Being knowledgeable, or expert in, or mastering, your subject (or profession), does not mean that you have the gift of explication, and does not mean that you are able to explain what it is all about (verbally, or in writing), in a manner that your interlocutor will be able to understand.
I have a British acquaintance who tolerates my American spelling of words, ie. color, center, gray, defense instead of colour, centre, grey and defence. He often quips that I should come visit him in the UK as it is a good opportunity to "practice my English."🧐 I have to grudgingly admit he's right, since the language is called English, not 'Murican.🤭
I have a few hints, here or there.
At my current job as a cashier, I tend to use Spanish and English regularly, while needing Japanese and Korean less frequently, along with the occasional French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Punjabi.
I'm somewhat amused and somewhat annoyed that people can be so rude when they think that you don't understand them. It's so interesting to see their reaction when I thank them in their own language.
I used to be an academic, and I was often quite struck by the number of my colleagues, - some of whom were intellectually gifted, quite incredibly brilliant, exceptionally knowledgeable, indeed, were recognised specialists in their respective fields - but, who couldn't teach, or impart knowledge, or explain things in a manner that an audience (or interlocutor) would find comprehensible, to save their lives.
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There are those who can, and those who teach.
We used to have a saying "Those who can't, manage.", as they were passed up the management chain to move them away from making problems.
Exactly:
"She took the pencil from me"
"Let us continue..."
or, instead of "continue on", use simply "continue", or "do, (please) continue",
or,
"Carry on.."
Now, one can use the verb "take" and the preposition "off" together in a sentence together, but it means something completely different.
For example, one uses "take off" in the context of aviation, which refers to the act of becoming airborne, a process that is usually preceded by accelerated velocity: "The plane took off", and, related to that one can say (informally) that "she took off" (meaning that she moved, at speed, away from something).
The verb "take off" (used together) is also used to describe mimicry - imitating someone - or an act, and is relatively informal: "She was very good at taking off Margaret Thatcher".
However, possibly the best known use of "take off" describes the action of removing clothing, or garments: "She took off her coat", meaning, "she removed her coat".
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What particularly annoys me is (usually young) computer support people who feel that because they know something about computers it puts them on a plane above those who are merely 'users'.
I always felt humble supporting people who were doing a job that I could never have been able to do, with skills that I would never master, while trying to get their recalcitrant and often badly designed computer system back up and running.
I could never put down a little old lady of 83 who managed the front office of a school, a job that would terrify me, having to handle her principal, stressed out teachers, insane and rabid parents, and distressed children who had just lost their favourite pencil, all while making sure there was still a cup of tea and a biscuit for her onsite tech.
i happened to be wearing the pencil at the time
Well, do a little research online about when and why British English and American English diverged. You’ll be surprised, and have some ammunition to use the next time the subject comes up between you and your British friend.
Well there is the whole W.C. story:
An English lady, while vacationing in Switzerland, fell in love with a small town and the surrounding countryside. She asked the pastor of a local church if he knew of any houses with rooms to rent that were close to town, but out in the country. The pastor kindly drove her out to see a house with a room to rent. She loved the house and decided to rent the room. Then, the lady returned to her home in England to make her final preparations to move to Switzerland.
When she arrived back home, the thought occurred to her that she had not seen a “W.C.” in the room or even down the hall. (A W.C. is short for “water closet” and is what the English call a toilet.) So she immediately emailed the pastor to ask him where the “W.C.” is located.
The Swiss pastor had never heard of a “W.C.,” and so he Googled the abbreviation and found an article titled “Wayside Chapels.” Thinking that the English lady was asking about a country church to attend near her new home, the pastor responded as follows:
Ms. Smith,
I look forward to your move. Regarding your question about the location of the W.C., the closest W.C. is situated only two miles from the room you have rented, in the center of a beautiful grove of pine trees. The W.C. has amaximum occupancy of 229 people, but not that many people usually go on weekdays. I suggest you plan to go on Thursday evenings when there is a sing-along. The acoustics are remarkable and the happy sounds of so many people echo throughout the W.C.
Sunday mornings are extremely crowded. The locals tend to arrive early and many bring their lunches to make a day of it. Those who arrive just in time can usually be squeezed into the W.C. before things start, but not always. Best to go early if you can!
It may interest you to know that my own daughter was married in the W.C. and it was there that she met her husband. I remember how everyone crowded in to sit close to the bride and groom. There were two people to a seat ordinarily occupied by one, but our friends and family were happy to share. I will admit that my wife and I felt particularly relieved when it was over. We were truly wiped out.
Because of my responsibilities in town, I can’t go as often as I used to. In fact, I haven’t been in well over a year. I can tell you I really miss regularly going to the W.C. Let’s plan on going together for your first visit. I can reserve us seats where you will be seen by all.
Sincerely,
Pastor Kurt Meier
The father of a chap I knew at university had served as an Ambassador, and, earlier in his diplomatic career, he had spent some time in the US.
A legacy of his stint in the States was his acquisition of American spelling, which, he argued was "more logical" (than British spelling).
Anyway, upon his return to our shores, partly, (actually, I suspect, mainly), to gleefully annoy, irk, (indeed, infuriate) some of his colleagues, he insisted, when writing, on deliberately using US spelling.
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I like words. I don't find any words to be 'pretentious' if properly used. My reaction, if I hear a word I don't know, is to develop an eye twitch until I can consult a thesaurus and dictionary and then use the word in order to understand and remember it.
And I accept that language evolves however I also lament the loss of meaning in a lot of those changes. For instance, 'begs the question'. NO IT ****ING DOESN'T! It RAISES the question! And you must PERISH for your FALLACIOUS misappropriation of this terminology!
Semantics, signs, significations, symbols, icons, etc. are of interest to me especially when viewed through the lens of the 'double empathy' problem.
And I accept that language evolves however I also lament the loss of meaning in a lot of those changes. For instance, 'begs the question'. NO IT ****ING DOESN'T! It RAISES the question! And you must PERISH for your FALLACIOUS misappropriation of this terminology!
Semantics, signs, significations, symbols, icons, etc. are of interest to me especially when viewed through the lens of the 'double empathy' problem.
begs the question used for raises the question is something I always knew was wrong, but I didn't really ever understand what beg the question is supposed to mean (a type of circular argument where the premise contains an assumption that the conclusion is true).
I looked it up and apparently begging the question is the only usage of the word "beg" to mean "assume" and the phrase itself is a result of bad translation of "petitio principii", which really means "assumption from the beginning". Assuming the conclusion might be a better way of referring to the fallacy.
I looked it up and apparently begging the question is the only usage of the word "beg" to mean "assume" and the phrase itself is a result of bad translation of "petitio principii", which really means "assumption from the beginning". Assuming the conclusion might be a better way of referring to the fallacy.