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

Wills_mistress

Martin, I think that language changes though
Sometimes we just have to accept it that way

people do say "like" a lot but that comes from America I don't see it as wrong

Barter

I answered a telephone call today; it was obviously a sales pitch: "Can I speak with N?"

It was difficult not to say "You may speak to him" - but I did resist the temptation.

Patr100

Have you ever been stopped in the street by someone who said " Can I ask you a question?"

To which you should reply " You already did!"

Brown_suga

I am continually correcting my daughter, a couple of her classics include:

saying two times instead of twice, I think this shows a limited vocabulary and 'why did you do that for' I always have to correct her to say 'why did you do that' or 'what did you do that for' why and for should not go together in that instance.

Its like banging my head against a brick wall!

Saturnalia

Patr100 wrote: »

Have you ever been stopped in the street by someone who said " Can I ask you a question?"

To which you should reply " You already did!"

Even better reply: "You certainly can, in fact you just did. Whether or not you MAY is another matter entirely!" :rotfl:

juno

Frogletina wrote: »

This reminds me of a poster that I saw in a local cafe.

Only food purchased here can be eaten

Oh dear!

Nothing works better than *product*

I'll use nothing then!

stevemcol

I love this thread.

My personal irritants:

Half a percent.
Haitch.
Sentences starting with "so". (That's happening more over the last couple of years).
Weird Ali G yoof accent that's developed.
Misplaced apostrophe's.
500% effort. (I can just about cope with 101% to emphasise super human effort.)
Mute point.
Leveraged. (That really topples me).
You know what I mean?
D'ya get me?
Going forward.
Questioning intonation.
That was a strange affect.

I could go on!

Flyboy152

Wills_mistress wrote: »

Martin, I think that language changes though
Sometimes we just have to accept it that way

people do say "like" a lot but that comes from America I don't see it as wrong

But it has no meaning, it is utterly spurfluous. There is nothing in the English language that would allow for "like" to be used in this way; evolution or not.

Barter

Flyboy152 wrote: »

...spurfluous...

From whence does that come? (Being pedantic)

Flyboy152

Barter wrote: »

From whence does that come?

LOL From my very sticky keyboard .