'The word pedants' top 10 | It's specific, not Pacific...' blog discussion.

Donkeytrousers_2

There's a TV company trailer on their channel which states that the programme in question will be in "haitch dee". No wonder people get it wrong when the TV is doing this.

ViolaLass

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

In some cultures people spend a lot of time touching each other as they speak; this is in part to keep their attention, while stopping them from interrupting; but also to indicate "It is your turn now" in conversation.

Anglo Saxons are not accustomed to touching each other, so we need verbal punctuation.

Particularly annoying is the the phrase ".....do you know what I mean?"; usually shortened to "genow" or "jewNO" or "jNO".

I have listened to Italian conversion, where the term "capische" seems to perform the same function, but without the "grating" effect on the conversation.

Speaking as an Anglo-Italian, I would find that just as annoying. It just goes to show!

Patr100

Infomat wrote: »

Another pet hate of mine is the use of "myself" and "yourself" instead of "me" and "you". Examples are "I have an appointment with yourself" and "Please ring John or myself if you have any questions". It isn't THAT difficult unless a person is in the habit of saying "Please phone myself".

"like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down."

dreaming

How do people feel about this item heard tonight on the radio? It was a news story about a person who had been killed in a fire on a train and the newsreader stated that the person had been "fatally hurt".
It sounds quite wrong to me but I'm not sure whether I am being too picky.

Patr100

dreaming wrote: »

How do people feel about this item heard tonight on the radio? It was a news story about a person who had been killed in a fire on a train and the newsreader stated that the person had been "fatally hurt".
It sounds quite wrong to me but I'm not sure whether I am being too picky.

I suppose it might mean that they were injured but died later as a result of those injuries but I read the other day that death was the main cause of fatalities in accidents.....

and that statistically a bed is the most dangerous place to be


because so many people die in their sleep.

gfplux

"At this moment"
"At this time"

How crazy is it to say "At this moment in time"

heuristic_abyss

I found this list and it made me smile...


Why the english language is difficult to learn:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) I did not object to the object.
9) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
10) They were too close to the door to close it.
11) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
12) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
13) I shed my clothes in the shed

Barter

14) I was entranced by the entrance.

ViolaLass

heuristic_abyss wrote: »

13) I shed my clothes in the shed

Isn't 'shed' pronounced the same way both times in this one?

heuristic_abyss

ViolaLass wrote: »

Isn't 'shed' pronounced the same way both times in this one?

Yes, but the point is they have completely different meanings. It's the same with present (here, now, current) and present (gift).