Common usage of words that drive me nuts.......

Hadn't noticed, but will now be on the look out for it Raniji.

I blame Bob Dylan...

Lay what down? Wine? A carpet?
That's what I ask my kids/ grandkids if they say that. They tell me to stop being a teacher.

Completely concur about lie and lay. DiL is very sharp if my GC misuse words. They have chickens so they know that hens lay eggs and may then lie down for a rest.

What confuses people is that the past tense of lie is lay. So I lay down to rest (past) and I lie down now (present).

Raniji I totally agree. Another one is 'I was sat.'

There is also 'The amount of....' instead of 'The number of...'

I try not to be annoyed because I know language is living and changing all the time but it somehow jars every time I hear these expressions especially on the BBC!

When my DC used to ask, e.g. "Can I turn the TV on?", I used to reply "I don't know. Can you? You must have tried before." This was usually followed by a groan, eyes raised to Heaven, and "Oh all right. May I turn the TV on?"

Laid, layed, led, I'm pretty certain I get them consistently wrong.....

I get mad at "pee" instead of "pence".
The news is full of 5 pee plastic bags and I keep growling, "PENNY or PENCE. We don't have a coin called a pee".
When the euro arrived I desperately wanted it called the urine, to go with the British pee.

apricot

To Raniji et al_ Schooling, politics and a smattering of history_

Why can't Brits teach children how to spell and punctuate? A teacher of our elder son said, after I'd pointed out his spelling and punctuations errors, in work she'd given him a B+ "As long as he has the gist" was her reply. We warned our boys, "You can't pause or record teachers", so listen and absorb.

If either of our sons were absent, (due to an illness), I'd write a note, asking for info on the missed work, in order he'd catch up over the weekend. I mentioned it at all the parents evenings. Incidentally, we never went on holiday during term time. We never received any catch up info - ever. Is it any different today?

Back to the rules; who threw away punctuation and spelling rules? Is because there is insufficient time in class? Our local school children aged between 13-16 exit at 2.50pm. Why so early?

I believe Michael Gove had the right ideas; mainly to persuade teachers to adopt methods and behaviour codes in use in private schools.
And yes, I've a foot in both camps.

Any ex teachers reading this? Why are teachers swamped? Could it be similar to when a barrister wants to impede another, he/she bombards an opponent with paperwork. Ringing any warning bells? Cameron's successful, calculated strategies are working well. We're told teachers are "leaving in droves." Cameron and Co don't want an educated proletariat. Hence Gove's exit.

As an example of their behaviour when a cabinet member was called an "oik." (Apologies, I've no idea how to spell that word.) The unfortunate cabinet member only went to a London public school. Food for thought yet?

If Cameron really wanted all our schools to succeed, he'd introduce then enforce, a Brit equivalent of Japanese school hours and discipline.

Discuss

In 50 years I taught hundreds of children to read, that made it easy to follow up with spelling and punctuation in due course. First I encouraged an interest in and love of books.

I was browsing in a travel shop last week when the very nice girl assistant asked me if I was looking for something 'pacific' how did she get to be nineteen (approx.) and not learn the word specific?

Young people often say its in the "draw" when they mean drawer.
Another one that irks me "I got told" instead of I was told.

My pet hate is "I'm liking...". What's wrong with " I like"?

"Can I get" instead of "may I have" makes me want to scream...
poor people being "pressurised" into doing things
less and fewer....

the list is endless.

I know, I know I'm an old pedant, but if we have the words, why not use them properly?

The latest habit of starting a reply to a question on TV or radio with "So....."

Start listening out for if, it's everywhere.

What is driving me mad is the title of this thread which should, since usage is a singular noun, say "drives me nuts".
I make no apology for pedantry.

Ah, but it's the words that drive the OP nuts...

But it is usage that is the subject of the sentence.

We'll have to disagree on this one!

On usage being the subject of the sentence?
Would you say, the consumption of sugary drinks are a problem? The maintenance of houses are expensive?

Could be either. The usage drives me nuts or the words drive me nuts. Or both.

Usage that drives me nuts, or words that drive me nuts. Take your pick, either works.