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What words annoy you when used wrong or people don't know the meaning of?

(233 Posts)
CrazyUSA Tue 07-Jul-26 17:35:06

For example your instead of you're.

kircubbin2000 Tue 07-Jul-26 22:08:14

Laying instead of lying. The dog was laying on the rug. How many eggs?

welbeck Tue 07-Jul-26 22:08:17

You fell into that elephant trap OP...
People who live in glass houses etc

welbeck Tue 07-Jul-26 22:10:57

kittylester

Earlier a man on the tv said someone had been 'capitulated into the headlines' - I still haven't recovered.

I've heard and even read discussions where people call for a return of capital punishment in schools

Sago Tue 07-Jul-26 22:13:32

Another one for was instead of were.
Lend instead of borrow.
Learn instead of taught.

welbeck Tue 07-Jul-26 22:16:23

Devorgilla

Fewer v less. Even newsreaders get it wrong.

Surely that's the scriptwriters not the newsreaders.
But most of this is becoming arcane knowledge nowadays.
At least for everyday usage.

Grammaretto Tue 07-Jul-26 22:18:51

Shouldn't this be on the Pedants thread! 😉
I have to excuse some mistakes because predictive text is often guilty.

The wrong words and grammar are used so often that it's easy to think it's ok.
Hence: he was stood there and she was sat .
Could I swear these are both wrong?

welbeck Tue 07-Jul-26 22:21:32

Agree with Greyduster. This sort of thing is OK as a kind of game among we old fogeys but definitely Bad Form to ever correct anyone unbidden.

Mazgg Tue 07-Jul-26 22:52:20

One that has always grated on me is seen instead of saw. As in 'I seen her' It pains me to type it. Another is the current use of myself instead of I, e.g. John and myself instead of John and I.

honeyrose Tue 07-Jul-26 23:23:15

Should of instead of should have. Keemunity instead of community. Arks instead of ask.

Greenfinch Tue 07-Jul-26 23:35:05

Lightening when referring to lightning.

Bukkie Tue 07-Jul-26 23:58:45

Footballers mixing up tenses in a sentence.

Whiff Wed 08-Jul-26 07:25:41

At this moment in time instead of now.

Astitchintime Wed 08-Jul-26 07:29:10

OF used in place of HAVE……..argh!!!!!!

Sago Wed 08-Jul-26 07:31:49

I had a cleaner whose daughter lived above a delicatessen.

She pronounced it “delincontestant”.

The children would always try and get her to say it😬.

JMcB Wed 08-Jul-26 07:32:59

Two times, instead of twice!

Witzend Wed 08-Jul-26 08:34:02

Discrete, when they mean ‘discreet’.

‘Donut’ always irritates me. It’s ‘doughnut’!

Not to mention Brits saying ‘math’, and ‘ass’ when they mean ‘arse’.

Himdowntheroad Wed 08-Jul-26 08:41:25

grannyjan2

Surely .. "which" words annoy when used "wrongly" .. OK .. I'm a pedant ..

How do you pacify a pedant?

Their, there, they're.

ROMILO Wed 08-Jul-26 08:48:42

I am annoyed by the way number and amount have become interchangeable. Who weighs the amount of people attending a concert ,event or just on the high street.

Basgetti Wed 08-Jul-26 08:51:49

Decimated

BoggledMind Wed 08-Jul-26 09:04:38

Astitchintime

OF used in place of HAVE……..argh!!!!!!

This is the one that bugs me the most, and is becoming more prevalent, unfortunately.

petra Wed 08-Jul-26 09:10:55

Grammaretto

Shouldn't this be on the Pedants thread! 😉
I have to excuse some mistakes because predictive text is often guilty.

The wrong words and grammar are used so often that it's easy to think it's ok.
Hence: he was stood there and she was sat .
Could I swear these are both wrong?

The illustration you give is a given if you were born and bred in Yorkshire or Ireland.

keepcalmandcavachon Wed 08-Jul-26 09:12:58

Himdowntheroad

grannyjan2

Surely .. "which" words annoy when used "wrongly" .. OK .. I'm a pedant ..

How do you pacify a pedant?

Their, there, they're.

gringringrin

Greyduster Wed 08-Jul-26 09:15:00

If that had, indeed, been said in Yorkshire, it would have been “He were stood there”, “she were sat”.

petra Wed 08-Jul-26 09:16:42

Cossy

Nannee49

Font instead of typeface...drives me absolutely nuts.

Isn’t that correct though, or I am being very dim?

Not the same thing. Typeface is the description of the Font.
The Font is the actual piece of lead.

Witzend Wed 08-Jul-26 09:18:10

The ‘wrong/wrongly’ mentions have reminded me of a moment many years ago.
After tests at school, dd2 (then IIRC 10) said, ‘English was OK, Mum, but I did really craply at maths.’ 😂😂