English language - where is it going to? AIBU

Jules59

I can’t stand being called ‘a star’ ...
“Thanks for doing that, you’re a star” ... ugh!

Oh no!
I do that a lot!

What annoys me at the moment is when people talk about 'growing a business'. It grates on me and strikes me as grammatically incorrect but not sure why, maybe something to do with intransient verbs or maybe I have too much time on my hands. Perhaps one of the grammar pedants on here might help.

What I really really hate is people calling the PM by his first name - nothing else on this thread comes close.

It makes me unreasonably angry when a shop assistant asks 'Are you all right?' when I'm waiting to pay for something by a cash desk!

I feel like saying 'No, I'm not all right' with a detailed explanation of needing a wee, bad hair day etc! grrrr!

Knspol
According to the Cambridge dictionary. Growing = increasing in size and quantity.

Made me laugh Alison333 I know just how you feel.

There' s swearing and then there's the use of certain words, wont go into detail. which makes me want to say to the user 'wash your mouth out'.

In a county where children often take "turnses eaches", add "k"s to words ending in "ing" and talking about "heighths", quite frankly I find it hard to get overly exasperated by much of today's populist language. I am more affronted by reading text speak or the lack of capital letters in the written word.

My bugbear is that our local newspaper reports are constantly referring to the police as ' cops '! I think it trivialises the situation that they are describing.

Sorry [ confused] sent to wrong thread

So, that is what seems to be very much in use right now. Beginning a reply, with the word 'so'. Why is this so commonplace suddenly. Does the person just need time to think out their answer?

I am a fan of Agatha Christie. I love the post Victorian, pre 1950s language they are written in. The 1950s was when the Americanusms started entering the English language. Saying that we now live in a multicultural country and it is lovely hearing the new words that are used....well accept for the Anericanusms of course...hahaha

‘So’ seems to be used where we would have said ‘Well’.

I do not like being sweared at but I am very happy to swear at something or in a stressful situation. If I stub my toe if does help to say F...F... F... Rather than Owww! May well be psychological but still helps.

Granma 70's, yes that is exactly it. What is wrong with 'well' I wonder.

I am also confused wth the words May and Will. When do you use them? Someone I know who asks me to do something will say, 'May you pick up some milk for me?' I would have said 'Will you pick up some milk for me'. If someone says 'May' to me it implies that I might, but I also might not. Which is right please?

Polnan, I was always taught that it is not correct to say, 'John and me' but that it should be ' John and I'.
Does any one know please?

What does AIBU and DGS mean please. I don't understand the abbreviations

mistymitts

Polnan, I was always taught that it is not correct to say, 'John and me' but that it should be ' John and I'.
Does any one know please?

It depends on the context of the sentence, and whether John and You are the subject or the object of the sentence. I find the best way to decide is to imagine if John wasn't there, and it was only you.

Would I say "Me is going shopping"? No, I'd say "I am going shopping". So the correct form there is "John and I".

Would I say "She spoke to I"? No, I'd say "She spoke to me." So the right form is "John and me".

Happy to be corrected if someone else knows better And John, or Johanna, always comes before me in the sentence!

mistymitts it depends on the use. Whether they are subject or object of the sentence. So “Give the gifts to John and me” they are the object of the sentence but “John and I went for a walk” they are the subjects. Easier to see if you get rid of John altogether. You would not say “Me went for a walk “ or “Give the gifts to I”?

We must have had the same grammar lesson Alegrias ?

Great minds Purpledaffodil

mistymitts

Polnan, I was always taught that it is not correct to say, 'John and me' but that it should be ' John and I'.
Does any one know please?

The best example I can give you mistymitts, is the plea regularly made by Gregg Wallace on Masterchef for the contestants "to show John and I". You would not ask people to show "I"; you would ask the to show "me": hence Gregg should be asking the contestants "to show John and me". Having said that however, the majority of the English speaking population seem to have been so confused by their teachers so that they all seem to follow Gregg's practice...

I agree with Chewbaca. It took me a while, but I've come to accept that language is constantly evolving and I have to try and keep up, especially as I love words.
However, I do find 'gifted' instead of gave/given really irritating, and find it difficult to get my head round all the language of youth ( e.g.sick meaning good!).
And it's not a new word, but its usage these days makes me CROSS! Every other person seems to describe any experience, from receiving an award, to helping someone else as "*humbling*"! IT'S NOT.

A agree with all the ones mentioned above particularly the use of Super, and "train station" instead of "railway station".
One of mine that no one else has mentioned is , second of all instead of secondly.