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

People on TV saying that”The proof will be in the pudding” That is wrong- “ The proof will be in the eating of the pudding “!

orly

When American numbskulls like Trump say "aluminum" instead of "aluminium"

I think lot of historians wouldn’t agree with you.
Humphrey Davey the man who discovered the metal was the first person to use the word.
In fact he had 3 words for it.
The Merrium Dictionary states that both words are acceptable.

The wording of the title annoys me more than the misuse of some words quoted here. 'Wrong' should be replaced by the adverb'wrongly' and it is clumsy to end a sentence with a preposition.

It is 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating.'

suelld, you reminded me of another of my pet hates - indeed, what happened to 'fitted'? Also 'knitted'. 'Her knit hat fit her' sounds ridiculous instead of 'her knitted hat fitted her'.

I thought that. Wrongly not wrong

Too many to mention!

Presenters on television saying drawring instead of drawing. This appears to be on the increase/

Myself

“Less people” rather than fewer people.

Bluebelle, the OP did ask, and as you've aid, it's "wrongly used".
My partner goes potty if a newsreader (or other presenter) says "comprised of".

Bit of rain. Should be drop. Spot or shower lol 😆

singingnutty

Well, Greciangirl I took my eye off this thread a few hours ago and just saw your comments about northern accents. I don't know what your accent is, but perhaps someone might not like the way you talk. However, seeing as they don't know what your accent is it's good that they can't make comments!

I agree. I am from Yorkshire and I speak the King’s English, but I cherish the small eccentricities of the Northern -and any other - dialect. What a dull world it would be if we all spoke the in the same way.

I can’t bear people like Amol Rajah saying Ay instead of Uh for the indefinite article. ‘I had ay sandwich and ay coffee’
And another one, the recent spread of Shtudent, shtudy etc.

Most of the above!
Currently, it’s the use of “been” instead of “being” in both speech and writing.
Oh, and the missing “that” in many sentences (e.g. the house Jack built).

Poppyjo

Bit of rain. Should be drop. Spot or shower lol 😆

Why can't it be a bit of rain? I'm all for good grammar but a bit means a little bit, a little amount and can apply to just about anything.

Bit of rain - this is a direct link to the Vikings who influenced language where they landed. Hence “a bit soup” or “a bit rain”is/was used, especially in the North East.
Greciangirl - perhaps you are the lazy one as you “cringe” at the way Northerners speak. Please don’t show your ignorance about half of England - language is communication and in this world we need that, not superior and condescending comments. Incidentally which neck of the woods do you hail from ?

Nanny27

Poppyjo

Bit of rain. Should be drop. Spot or shower lol 😆

Why can't it be a bit of rain? I'm all for good grammar but a bit means a little bit, a little amount and can apply to just about anything.

I was brought up never to say bit if I was talking about anything liquid

My Mum would go mad when cooking presenters would add a bit of milk instead of a drop!

All of them .

My friend finds sad things “heart rendering”. I’m starting to think she’s correct?

keepcalmandcavachon

GoldenAge

What really irks me is when 'professionals' fail on simple grammar rules and the real bugbear is when a therapist of whatever kind writes things like "I practice in a holistic way" instead of "I practise in a holistic way". At school I was taught that in words like practice - practise, advice - advise, licence - license - the noun of the pair was written with a c and the verb of the pair was written with an s - and the easy way to learn this was to think that c+ n, and s + v and that c came before s in the alphabet, and n came before v.

My English grammar mistress who of course must now be long-since dead would be delighted to know that I'm passing her rules on all those years later!

I know so very little about grammatical rules and it honestly is a sadness to me. I was out of school at 15 and although reading is one of the biggest joys to me, I find studying very hard.
I've no proper idea or concept of how to research, catagorise or evaluate info and would love to have learnt how to do this along with grammar, spelling ect.
I feel very lacking when I read these threads.

If reading is one of your biggest joys keepcalm, you have probably picked up the correct ways naturally along the way. It’s people who don’t read who usually make the howlers.

Anyway I wouldn’t worry or take this thread seriously ( considering the OP’s clumsy title…), many famous authors couldn’t spell and would have their works of genius corrected by editors before they were fit to face the world.

Greyduster

While my own use of the English language has been deemed to be pretty near faultless (dives behind the sofa, having donned a tin hat) I don’t feel it’s my place to criticise the way anyone else makes use of the language. That we communicate is the important thing, surely?

Greyduster you speak my language. Living with three with Down Syndrome my standards have dropped to understand what they say is a positive!
I’m behind the sofa with you!

Thankyou Hollysteers, I do believe Shakespere never penned his name the same way twice

Agree greyduster I am a Yorkshire lass too and there is a world of difference between dialect and misusage ( is that a word?)
Given your name greciangirl I thought you would understand that.
Nowt so queer as folk.

Fighting an already lost battle, I know, but ‘schedule’ pronounced ‘skedule’. 🤬

Witzend

Fighting an already lost battle, I know, but ‘schedule’ pronounced ‘skedule’. 🤬

I do usually say shedule for schedule, but I do say skeme for scheme and pronounce school the usual way.