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

Oh yes, floor and ground really annoy me too when they are used the wrong way round! (Or should I say when they are used wrongly? )

Another one I have seen a few times recently - I wondered round the garden. No you wandered round the garden.

Similarly steps and stairs and also roof and ceiling.

And while I'm here, it's the fount of all knowledge, not font!

Haven't scrolled through 9 pages to see if this has been mentioned, but it's 'floor' and 'ground' that annoy me.

I always thought that it's floor when you are indoors and ground is outside.

So why do people now say " He fell on the floor" or " She is lying on the floor" when they are very obviously outside, lying on grass or a hard surface. It happens a lot in these ambulance programmes from people who should know better.

It sets my teeth on edge and I shout at the tv "It's GROUND, not floor!"

Unique is a difficult one. The problem lies in the difference between traditional and modern linguistics. In the former almost unique is unacceptable but in modern linguistics it would appear to be used.
With quite I think it depends on how quite is being used. If it means completely then I would say it is acceptable. Absolutely unique I would say is acceptable too.

madeleine45

Today I heard two versions which particularly annoy me

1st person " Oh thats quite unique isnt it?" and a little later , heard "Its nearly unique"

Unique means a single thing or experience, so cannot be quite or nearly! As an ex teacher, I hear many phrases or things that may not be correct and can "live and let live" and say nothing if it is not appropriate to do so, but that for some reason sets my teeth on edge!

I am absolutely not with you here. It's clear that something can't be very unique, but it's also clear that something can be almost unique.

What words annoy you when used 'wrongly'

One I’ve seen twice just lately,

E.g. ‘…to refuse doing (something)…’

To me it should be ‘to refuse to do whatever it is.

Oldnproud

HowVeryDareYou2

On a different thread on GN, someone said she woke up in a pile of sweat

I woke up in a pile of sweat many a time when I was menopausal - the sweat-drenched pile of bedclothes that was on, around or under me at that point.

Sorry to be so graphic.

I had that. I’d call it a flooding or a drenching of….

I had similar in hospital a few years ago, side effect of pneumonia. Bottom sheet and pyjama top soaked - good old dh was bringing 2 clean tops every day!

The docs called them ‘drenching’ sweats.

The words 'ignorant' and 'common' are frequently misused in the context of class distinction.

I was thinking, we often have a ‘spot’ of rain. Mind you, sometimes it is accurate in our droughts!

The excessive use of the word unbelievable for things obviously in the range of belief.
The use of everybody instead of some people or even lots of people.

The word authentic wrongly used really irritates me.
Authentic means being genuine, real, and true, rather than a copy or an imitation.

Today I heard two versions which particularly annoy me

1st person " Oh thats quite unique isnt it?" and a little later , heard "Its nearly unique"

Unique means a single thing or experience, so cannot be quite or nearly! As an ex teacher, I hear many phrases or things that may not be correct and can "live and let live" and say nothing if it is not appropriate to do so, but that for some reason sets my teeth on edge!

I am living proof that your theory is not always correct Witzend.

IMO if you read a lot, you absorb grammar and correct usages naturally.

Since I’ve just seen it elsewhere, re drinks for children, people saying ‘juice’ when they mean squash!

Romola

Bluebell I'm a pedant and quite like it when an adverb is used to qualify a verb rather than an adjective.
Errors of syntax annoy me more, starting with "between you and I". Ouch!

Which makes me think - I now even feel awkward saying the correct "it is I" (the verb 'to be' governs a subject complement rather than an object, which is why the book "Who's who" is not called "Who's whom")).

"From whence," and "the hoi polloi"

Cabbie21

Being really pedantic, the OP not only used ‘what’ and ‘wrong’ incorrectly, but also ended with a preposition.

In speech, I tolerate anything, reluctantly, but I expect written text to be correct. Sadly, I am often disappointed.

My list is too long to write, but poor grammar annoys me more than misuse of vocabulary.
The worst offence has to be ‘ would of’ ‘ should of’ etc.
I am a retired language teacher.

Not wanting to 'outpedant' you, but isn't the word 'of' at the end of the sentence acting as a particle of the phrasal verb "to know of", rather than as a preposition?

JMcB

Two times, instead of twice!

And you made me think - 'times' instead of 'multiply' (I know this isn't what you were doing), as in "times 2 by 3".

Also "one pence"

But do you use "three times" or "thrice"?

I like a "pile of sweat".

HowVeryDareYou2

Bunch or Ton

"I was with a bunch of people" - No, bunches are flowers or bananas.
" It was a ton of work" - just no.

Some groups of people definitely qualify for the bunch image.
As for ton
Carrying bags of work home to mark, together with a laptop, definitely felt like carrying a ton. (Informal word for a very large amount according to Google)

HowVeryDareYou2

On a different thread on GN, someone said she woke up in a pile of sweat

I woke up in a pile of sweat many a time when I was menopausal - the sweat-drenched pile of bedclothes that was on, around or under me at that point.

Sorry to be so graphic.