Incorrect use of Language

Yes I know all that MaisieD. And I do say an hotel. Similarly I say spoonsful and not spoonfuls , as the plural is in the spoons. May sound silly as someone said but correct I think.

JamesandJon33

Yes I know all that MaisieD. And I do say an hotel. Similarly I say spoonsful and not spoonfuls , as the plural is in the spoons. May sound silly as someone said but correct I think.

I'm not sure you are right there.
I thought that this compound noun should be spoonfuls, not spoonsful.
Though obviously if you separate it into its two component parts you can have spoons full (or bags full if you are into nursery rhymes ☺ )

Is the plural in the spoons? When I'm baking & I need 3 spoonfuls of golden syrup, I only use one spoon but I fill it 3 times.

No you need 3 spoons full of syrup.
. The measurement is the number of spoons., whether you use one spoon three times or three separate spoons.
Ba ba black sheep
Have you any wool
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full
Not three bagfuls. ..note

I also always say spoonSful, though a hotel…
My pet hate is “can I GET …” in a shop/restaurant. I feel like saying, “of course, go ahead…”

What I don't understand is why so many people copy these mistakes in our language. Is it simply a case of thinking it's the 'in thing', or are they showing their own low standards?

Just to labour a point… if you only needed half a spoon full
, would you say
3 spoons half full… or… 3 spoon half fulls?

Suki70

The increasing use both in writing and spoken of ‘use ‘ instead of ‘used’ eg, “We use to go there often”.

I believe this has always been acceptable when talking or writing about something in the present tense. I myself would say, I usually go there, or I am in the habit of boing there, rather than I use to go there the latter not being a form usually used in Scotland.

We used to go there means that we did so formerly, but no longer do so.

I find "have a nice day" instead of good-bye annoying. I nearly bit the head of the cashier at a supermarket check-out when she used it to me, ten minutes after my sister had been diagnosed with cancer. The shop-girl could not know that, so I bit my tongue hard, Said to total strangers it can be very hurtful indeed.

Oreo

JamesandJon33

How about an hotel ? What are your views on that?

Oh this question 🤔
Well, an hotel is correct but sounds silly.

It only sounds silly if you pronounce the "h". Many people do pronounce it but we have a long history of not doing so.

Our words have often been borrowed from other languages so we pronounce some "aitches" but not others. Even that can be different in different parts of the country. I can't see why any of this is a problem unless you have nothing better to do with your life, These are desperate times all over the world; what's difference is a dropped or added "h" going to make?

We all remember things we, personally were taught. "Can" and "may" scream in my brain if someone, for example, asks, if they "can" take a spare chair from our table when we are out. I can hear the old reprimand of "we all know that you can PN, but the question is whether you may". Would I say anything to the person needing a chair - never, nor would I say anything on GN unless I needed to clarify something in a debate. The rest is conversation. I may have been brought up knowing some then current rules but who am I to impose those now dead or dying rules on anyone else. Life really is too short.

But, but how many times do people get upset by my "old fashioned" writing. It seems the will attack others on GN, for their way of doing things but will always expect to be excused for their own. This one rule for us and another for them view is something that makes me think I would not like these people. But does it matter? Not at all. Some people are pleasant, other are not and, as I have already said, life really us too short.

Well I’ve just seen a list of words the Trump administration is discouraging from use. It includes climate change and female. 1984 is with us

‘It was SO fun’.

SUCH fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems that spoonfuls and spoonsful are equally correct.

Some sources say that 'spoonfulls' is the most used, and that 'spoonsful' is American.

Sorry, I don't know why that image isn't showing, or if it will eventually appear - it showed in the preview!

JamesandJon33

Anyone going to answer my question?

I would say ‘an ‘otel’ now, whereas I would have said ‘a hotel’ before because that’s what I heard growing up.
I think ‘an ‘otel’ sounds pretentious and would feel uncomfortable saying it but would follow the crowd.

Cariad Again, not only do you communicate with imagination and skill using the written word, I can well imagine you are intelligent enough to alter your diction to suit occasions.

I too cannot hear women whose diction is sibilant, high pitched, and whispery.

In the end the onus is on the transmitter not the receiver to make the message clear.

JamesandJon33

How about an hotel ? What are your views on that?

Its correct usage. ✔️

I say it & write it. Not pretentious.

I think we’re all on a hiding to nothing sadly. My pet hate used to be when a shop assistant asks me how I’d like to pay or whether I’d like a bag, TODAY.
I’ve stopped being annoyed because it’s pointless and it’s everywhere.
People nowadays just sound so uneducated but I focus on how I speak and make sure I read lots of books (I struggle to write that because we were always taught to use “many” at school) that feed my love of language.

Wanna and Gonna instead of Want To and Going To. I find wanna and gonna to be seriously common and vile!

And one that REALLY gets me is as I'm female and in England, I'm in a restaurant, shop, whatever, and the server calls me a ''guy''. As in ''OK guys, what can I get you?''

I tell them ''guy'' isn't my name or gender, and we're in England, not America!

Also ''hi'' instead of ''hello'', another one that bugs me when servers say to me ''hi, guy''!

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I say it & write it. Not pretentious.

It just is what it is. I also use less a fewer properly because I was taught to, but I don't expect everyone else to do so. People are interesting because of their differences.

I've always believed everyone on here writes as clearly as they can. People do not and can̈not always write as easily as they speak but cricising the style and loading it with perceived character flaws has to be none GN, surely.

It's helpful to recommend changes to how to express oneself in written English, but unhelpful to criticise the person .

It's patronising to claim of anyone that they cannot improve their performance.

Oh you have made me laugh, Caleo

Caleo

Cariad Again, not only do you communicate with imagination and skill using the written word, I can well imagine you are intelligent enough to alter your diction to suit occasions.

I too cannot hear women whose diction is sibilant, high pitched, and whispery.

In the end the onus is on the transmitter not the receiver to make the message clear.

Aw! Thanks....

Thinks - is that why I've had a noticeable number of people saying "You should write a book" to me....?

Hmmm....thinks...wonder how long it would take for AI to nick it if I ever did so?

They should of done better at school!

Caleo

Cariad Again, not only do you communicate with imagination and skill using the written word, I can well imagine you are intelligent enough to alter your diction to suit occasions.

I too cannot hear women whose diction is sibilant, high pitched, and whispery.

In the end the onus is on the transmitter not the receiver to make the message clear.

I just have a strong feeling they won't mind if you don't hear what the say. You are quite possibly not their target audience