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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.

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.

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 22:16:23

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.

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 22:10:57

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

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

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

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 22:06:58

CrazyUSA

For example your instead of you're.

Using the word
Wrong
instead of
Wrongly
In the OP

Luckygirl3 Tue 07-Jul-26 22:06:05

Or even using the word wrong when it should be wrongly ..... smile

HowVeryDareYou2 Tue 07-Jul-26 21:48:44

grannyjan2

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

You're correct.

HowVeryDareYou2 Tue 07-Jul-26 21:47:14

BlueBelle

To my ears the title should be what words annoy you when said wrongly not what words annoy you when said wrong
Now maybe that s being pedantic 🤣

I thought the same. You're completely right.

Greyduster Tue 07-Jul-26 20:22:04

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?

Devorgilla Tue 07-Jul-26 19:57:05

Fewer v less. Even newsreaders get it wrong.

LauraNorderr Tue 07-Jul-26 19:26:02

Placed on the chair. Speed lets me down every time. Lack of care really, letting myself down.

grannyjan2 Tue 07-Jul-26 19:24:53

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

LauraNorderr Tue 07-Jul-26 19:24:37

Daughter-in-laws instead of daughters-in-law.
Nucular instead of nuclear.
Skelington instead of skeleton.
You was instead of you were.
He was sat instead of he was sitting, unless of course he was physically lifted and place on the chair.
Bring back grammar schools or, at the very least, teachers capable of teaching good grammar or correcting poor grammar.
Just a nod to the current tennis interest. I wish McEnroe would stop calling Djokovic Joke a vich. Not funny. Smacks of the green eyed monster.

Cossy Tue 07-Jul-26 19:16:14

Nannee49

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

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

Calendargirl Tue 07-Jul-26 19:15:21

Draws instead of drawers.

Aldom Tue 07-Jul-26 19:14:40

I think, BlueBelle what Grandma French meant is that the apostrophe was missing from 'that's' in your original post. Probably by accident rather than design. smile

Cossy Tue 07-Jul-26 19:13:55

BlueBelle

Yes Grandmafrench I said I was being pedantic why did you say ‘No’ when you seem to agree with me!!!

Haha check out your “that”

Cossy Tue 07-Jul-26 19:12:27

BlueBelle

To my ears the title should be what words annoy you when said wrongly not what words annoy you when said wrong
Now maybe that s being pedantic 🤣

It is but I have to agree, thank you, I wasn’t brave enough!

Wheniwasyourage Tue 07-Jul-26 19:10:23

Loose instead of lose gets my goat.

Epicentre - it means the point on the surface of the earth directly above an earthquake and is not a clever way of saying the middle of something. It's obviously trendy just now as some people think it makes them sound more intelligent!

Nannee49 Tue 07-Jul-26 19:07:31

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

BlueBelle Tue 07-Jul-26 18:59:51

Yes Grandmafrench I said I was being pedantic why did you say ‘No’ when you seem to agree with me!!!

srn63 Tue 07-Jul-26 18:38:21

Jewlery instead of jewellery. Makes me want to scream.