This is well away from topic but I've noticed two new pandemics which seem to have swept the world. I refer of course to people suffering from the dreadful symptom of starting their sentences with a conjunction. "So......" "So" is a word used correctly to join to together the previous and following sentences. It's in effect saying " and in consequence of what I've just stated....." This outbreak would have been bad enough in itself to cause us pedants increased blood pressure but it's been accompanied by a further world disaster. I refer of course to the extinction of the verb ' give' which has been driven from its natural habitat by the invading species ' gift.' Even reputable agencies such as our own BBC now refer to things being ' gifted' rather than ' given.' Is there no hope for us? Al
I took the Road Less Travelled.
Now where the ****** am I?
There is one I feel is even worse and seems to be becoming accepted. I speak, of course, of exact same. I hear even many who should know better use it. It is a redundancy and all redundancies drive me nuts. There are many other common examples but that one bothers me the most.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
How about the non words: orientated and learnings. Both have become quite popular with managers at my place of employment. I am not sure how that got started.
On redundancy, in the UK that means that you are out of a job, another reason not to like it!
05 speedmaster - 1100cc, 11:1 racing pistons, Carillo rods, thunderbike cams, ported and polished head, 2mm over intake and exhaust valves, Barnett kevlar clutch, scepter pipes, oversize manifolds, 45mm HSR's, TTP stage 4 firestarter
Absolutely, Alan. I too have tired of hearing people prefacing their reply to a question posed to them with the word "So". It rankles me as much as it apparently does you. I especially hear this said all the time while listening to NPR (National Public Radio) here in The States, and which might be compared to your BBC over there on those grouping of islands off the European continent, AND where you guys STILL for some inexplicable reason spell certain words within our shared language with that oh so needless superfluous letter 'u'!
(...however, you DO know why this "So" thing has caught on, don't you?...It's because whatever words come after it will sound non-committal, and thus in hopes of lessening any possible negative blowback directed to the person who's made the comment, because it then sounds much less like they've attempted to make a definitive statement)
Last edited by Dwight; 10/07/20204:32 PM.
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
Yes, Dwight, I think you're right in your analysis. It dissociates the author from the assertion they make. It offers a spurious sense of objectivity. But I'm becoming concerned about ' gifting'. Does that mean that a ' gifted'musician is one who's been given away?
Alan ps..decades ago I was a working musician. I once saw a write up in Scottish local paper describing my performance using the ( presumably) flattering phrase...." The rare talent of Al Griffin" Did that mean I was a good player, or merely that most of my performances were without talent? Al
I took the Road Less Travelled.
Now where the ****** am I?
Non-words bug me too, I cringe when people use irregardless, while it is sort of a word it is at best listed as nonstandard and a combination of regardless and irrespective and is incorrect usage. I have many language irks. My grand mother graduated at the top of her class as an English major, my sister teaches school and my mother also taught at a private school.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
Yes, Dwight, I think you're right in your analysis. It dissociates the author from the assertion they make. It offers a spurious sense of objectivity. But I'm becoming concerned about ' gifting'. Does that mean that a ' gifted'musician is one who's been given away?
Alan ps..decades ago I was a working musician. I once saw a write up in Scottish local paper describing my performance using the ( presumably) flattering phrase...." The rare talent of Al Griffin" Did that mean I was a good player, or merely that most of my performances were without talent? Al
LOL
I'd guess the former.
(...BUT never hearing you play, I of course couldn't make this a definitive statement, so.....)
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
GOT. the word got instead of purchase, received, inflicted with,acquired, as a verb etc.etc. It is just lazy. I realize the language is always changing such as dropping the LY from verbs and removing the perfectly formed U from certain words however the use of that word has got to GO.
There is one I feel is even worse and seems to be becoming accepted. I speak, of course, of exact same. I hear even many who should know better use it. It is a redundancy and all redundancies drive me nuts. There are many other common examples but that one bothers me the most.
I am guilty of this one and you recently corrected me. I am perfectly OK with being corrected in my English, even grateful since it is not my first language, in fact my third. What has been bothering me though, is the following:
I had said something like "they used the exact same procedure" (just as an example) and you corrected me. I have seen "almost the same", "nearly the same"etc., so the question that arises is if I had used "they used exactly THE same procedue", would it have then been correct? It differentiates from both "almost the same" and "nearly the same".
Now, here's one I often see which you too are guilty of:
In a very recent thread you said "unless that point of view can EFFECT me and yours does not EFFECT me one way or the other since you are not part of the leadership here" (the CAPS are mine) Surely you need to use "affect" which is a verb instead of "effect" which is a noun?
Bedouin.
Blessed are those eyes that have seen more roads than any man! (Homer).
My spelling has never been the best. I actually restructure my sentences at times to avoid a word I can't spell. Exactly the same is correct, the "ly" makes it a modifier even though still not really need since if it is the same it is the same.
How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
My spelling has never been the best. I actually restructure my sentences at times to avoid a word I can't spell. Exactly the same is correct, the "ly" makes it a modifier even though still not really need since if it is the same it is the same.
How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups.
""How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups''
Yes, I see those extremely often too. These are the traps I, as a foreigner, often have to navigate through. Some are not immediately obvious, thankfully most are.
Bedouin.
Blessed are those eyes that have seen more roads than any man! (Homer).
My spelling has never been the best. I actually restructure my sentences at times to avoid a word I can't spell. Exactly the same is correct, the "ly" makes it a modifier even though still not really need since if it is the same it is the same.
How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups.
""How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups''
Yes, I see those extremely often too. These are the traps I, as a foreigner, often have to navigate through. Some are not immediately obvious, thankfully most are.
It's all Greek to me.
Last edited by satxron; 10/12/20201:52 AM.
I try to aggravate one person a day. Today may be your day.
My spelling has never been the best. I actually restructure my sentences at times to avoid a word I can't spell. Exactly the same is correct, the "ly" makes it a modifier even though still not really need since if it is the same it is the same.
How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups.
""How about the use of your when they really mean you're or are vs. our and quite a few similar mix ups''
Yes, I see those extremely often too. These are the traps I, as a foreigner, often have to navigate through. Some are not immediately obvious, thankfully most are.
It's all Greek to me.
Funny, I was thinking of that very expression, as related to this conversation, when I was going to bed last night.
As a person who does not speak English as a first language and then putting it into type to boot I can think of a million tough ones like words that have more than one meaning and different spellings but sound the same. Too, to, and two for example. 3 different spellings, 3 different meanings but when spoken there is no difference.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains. Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
As a person who does not speak English as a first language and then putting it into type to boot I can think of a million tough ones like words that have more than one meaning and different spellings but sound the same. Too, to, and two for example. 3 different spellings, 3 different meanings but when spoken there is no difference.
Luckily for me, those problems I eliminated in my youth. Also, I grew up (and still live) in a suburb of Athens populated by thousands of US military personnel serving at an air force base a couple of miles from me (Hellenikon Air Force base, for those who may know). So, up until the mid-90's when the base ceased operations, I had gotten to know many of these people and received a huge amount of practice. Although a physicist by education (not occupation), my job in the early eighties required I also did two 2-year courses in London (International law and diplomacy and Contract law). So, that helped a lot too.
You are right about the "writing" part, I did have to get the hang of that in the beginning. I am still though, a sponge for information as you will have observed ;-) The more I learn, the more I discover how little I know (just me plagiarizing Socrates lol!).
Bedouin.
Blessed are those eyes that have seen more roads than any man! (Homer).
I just found a video taken by Fasteddy when he visited me back in 2013. At 1:50, if one looks to the left, one can see a white and red tower. This was the entrance to the US air force base I mentioned in my post above.. The base is deserted now.
I hope you enjoy the ride. That's the Parthenon one can see in the distance behind Eddy, at the end.
Last edited by Bedouin; 10/13/202010:08 AM.
Bedouin.
Blessed are those eyes that have seen more roads than any man! (Homer).
I get angry with "Like". ." He was like" "and I said like" "and she started like", although thankfully it seems to have died off a bit now
Yes, as do I. "Like"....'to be fond of, similar to....' Imagine interjecting these literal meaning into sentences. Eg. " It was, to be fond of, amazing. I was, similar to overwhelmed by it." And whilst we're being pedantic here( or at least I am being pedantic) let's have no more of this dreadful word " awesome." " Awesome" 'Full of the dread of the contemplation of the Wonder of God.' And as for " dreadful".......
I took the Road Less Travelled.
Now where the ****** am I?
Now, that I live in North Carolina (The South), Y'all sound Crazy!!!
Funny I grew up in the South, moved to KC, Missouri in ninth grade. The school put me in speech class, evidently a teacher in my home room couldn't understand me.. Then one day we got a new speech teacher. When it was my turn to read into the tape recorder she looked at me asked me where I was from. She said I had no business in speech class. I still say "Y'all", "W'all" and "Yonder".
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
H. L. Mencken