English language - where is it going to? AIBU

Charleygirl5

I hate to hear every third word in a sentence being "like" and I have noticed some young children are picking this up- possibly from their parents.

So do I. This particular example of the language ‘evolving’ does nothing to help clarity. In my view many of the examples of so-called progress are simply ignorance masquerading as progress.

Some words/expressions irritate me but they`re not really incorrect (e.g. "going forward" instead of "in future", which I`ve always said. Another is "step foot", a modern version of "set foot".) Language either evolves or dies, and I just have to accept certain things.
However some modern usages are incorrect and I hate them. Starting a sentence with "so..." is irritating and unnecessary. Why say "so my name is Jane" instead of "my name is Jane"? Also why must people say "myself" when they mean "me"?
And don`t get me started on the substitution of "gender" for "sex". They are definitely not interchangeable!

The Irish often put ‘so’ at the end of a sentence, for no apparent reason. I rather like it.

I hate the way they use the word "like" all the time. "You know like, he said to me like, did I want to go for a drink like". Really annoys me!

I suppose AIBU is a new use for our language.

Few years ago nobody will have known what it meant

As for profanity, I rather like a well placed one

I know a great many folk with far greater intellect than I ,who aren't immune from using a good old-fashioned swear word

TWINLOLLY
I love your post & couldn't agree more ??

Where has the word hope disappeared to. I keep hearing, I'm looking to buying, afternoon looking to going too. Drives me mad!

“Global pandemic “. When will people understand that “pandemic” means worldwide? Why not got the whole ho* and say “world global pandemic”?

Hog...

Ixion - yes, I agree re “My bad”
If you really want to annoy somebody, I recommend Mea Culpa!
And then wait for the “Wot?”

If the F word is OK, why is it used as a verb, noun, adjective, adverb, when there are so many other words in the dictionary? I have stopped watching Gogglebox as it irritates me so much. "Different from" is more logical than "different to" as it indicates moving away. I'm still a pedant!

Sickth instead of sixth. It’s more difficult to say and nobody says sick when they mean six.
I too hate the ‘so’ and ‘can I get’ along with ‘for free’, ‘amount of people’ and many others. I am aware that these are more grammar than the actual words but still make me mad.
Many years ago my friend asked my son if he could lend his pen, quick as a flash my son, then aged about eight, replied “to whom do you wish to lend it”. The room went quiet wondering what he would say (he has an MA in English), he gaffawed loudly and said “quite right, may I borrow your pen”.

I abhor the proliferation of signs headed "POLITE NOTICE". Maybe, some 20 years ago when they started appearing on parking spaces, some people mis-read (as intended) the first word as "POLICE" - but surely no-one is taken in by this any more. So why do they keep appearing in every possible location and context? Where are all the "NEUTRAL", the "IMPOLITE" - even the "BLOODY RUDE" notices? What's wrong with the plain and simple "NOTICE"?
And don't get me going on "summiting" and "medalling"...

...and people who say "Febuary" instead of "FebRuary"!

Kinda, sorta, actually, obviously all annoy me.
Kinda like, you know equally do my head in!
Um was always a good one to use in front of my English teacher?
And do we really have a problem with the eff word coming out of a 4 year olds mouth?
Think not!

A very simple one I find mildly interesting - park up. It used to be " I parked in the car park" but now one "parks up"...when did that start? I've seen it a lot in books I've read recently too

Less instead of fewer; Americanisms like rookie; secetary instead of secretary. I could go on and on and on!

Starting every sentence with "So......"
Maddening.

And "filling out" a form. What is wrong with "filling in" ?

And lastly, this one makes me laugh:

Road traffic signs saying "Advanced Warning". How is it 'advanced'? Does it have a degree?

“I think the studies show that swearing has absolutely no correlation with intelligence from what I remember.”

A recent study found that people who swear are brighter than people who don’t. It is perhaps because they do not put boundaries on their knowledge and understanding and perhaps that they have an interest in language ( of all sorts).

Whenever I contribute to threads like this I always feel I am on slightly sticky ground as I am perfectly certain that, over the years I have written posts which would have caused someone to wince!!

Like most on here I am the generation which was taught English grammar but I am still learning!

We all have our pet hates though and I have enjoyed reading what annoys others.

Why do so many people start answers to questions with “So...” ? ( Noticed it on Pointless when contestants are asked about their jobs. Also, could of being used instead of could have... sets my teeth on edge and that’s not due to a lack of education. I pointed out a could OF on a deputy head’s classroom display heading ( not through bad manners as we were being inspected the next day so needed to correct stuff). She hadn’t a clue that it was wrong and we had to get several opinions on it to convince her. Even then she thought I was being over picky. ?

It's such an old chestnut that I feel I should barely whisper my absolute hatred of 'haitch'.
And while I'm here I struggle not to laugh when I here people say 'mischeeveous'
Probably just me...

Nanny27, it’s not just you.