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Pedants' corner

"must have" "at all" and "yeh - no"

(90 Posts)
JessM Sat 03-Mar-12 16:24:34

Feeling like grumpy gran today. Poor sleep can do that. So here I am in pedant's corner.
So instead of being grumpy with DH, who has been working hard all week... (and tempted though i might be after he took until 11 am to get up, then went off oh his bike for 2 hours then cleaned it for 1...)
Fed up with women being told x, y or z is a "must have" . Can't copy writers come up with some other phrase and give us a break?
Slightly irritated with the words "at all" being added onto the ends of so many sentences "Can I get you anything else at all" . Very common round here.
And have you noticed the number of times people say "yes-no" when answering a question? Where did that come from? Who started it because it is everywhere? No one seems to say yes anymore. they say yeahno instead.

specki4eyes Fri 27-Apr-12 13:48:28

I agree JessM I hear those expressions all the time! Yeahno its a way of life innit, a must have. Have you other guys not heard them at all? Where have you been innit? Right I'm off to clean my property which when I first saw it, ticked all the boxes. See you later!

gracesmum Fri 27-Apr-12 13:02:09

Local village school PTFA advertising a family Bingo night - "All children must be a complied by an adult" (????) Completely spoiled Gracie's bedtime walkie as I stomped home in disgust.

Annika Fri 27-Apr-12 12:29:25

As my mum would have said "Good manners cost nothing" . wink

Not in a good mood today, no sleep + too much ironing = aaggghhhh
I will go and have a word with myself and come back in a better mood

goldengirl Fri 27-Apr-12 12:20:25

'Speak to you later' has caused confusion in my family. An American colleague telephoned and ended the call with 'Speak to you later'. I couldn't think for the life of me why he would want to speak to me again that day confused]. Then my DS rang his Grandma once upon a time and ended the call with 'Speak to you later' and the poor woman thought he was coming round that day and got the tea things all ready sad.

jeni Fri 27-Apr-12 11:51:22

Heaven only knows? Leave it all behind you and go forward! Whatever other direction does one go in? Circles?
I'm getting myself confused!

Lilygran Fri 27-Apr-12 11:22:19

Why have people started saying "See you later" instead of "Goodbye" ? it doesn't make any sense at all if you don't know each other and are very unlikely ever to meet again! And "going forward" - what does that mean?

Mamie Fri 27-Apr-12 09:26:43

Have to say I remember Yeah - yeah and Yeah - no (with rising inflection) in North Wales forty years ago. I think it was one of the first things that DS said from his pushchair. He now teaches advanced English in Spain and is also completely fluent in spoken and written Spanish so it can't have done much harm!

jack Fri 27-Apr-12 09:13:04

If I see one more ad shouting SPRING INTO SUMMER! I shall scream. This exhortation has been used for over 40 years and probably longer (DH was in advertising, so he should know). Surely copywriters can come up with something more original to link spring to summer. Or should they leave it to cleverer gransnetters?

whenim64 Fri 27-Apr-12 08:13:41

Yes glass but it does provide lots of amusement. My daughter was horrified when one of her students submitted an essay that was peppered with text-speak. She read some of it to me and I laughed like a drain (she did give the student chance to re-write it).

Matt Lucas made me laugh a couple of weeks ago, when talking about the inappropriateness of text-speak, and pretended to read out a text - 'soz yr dad ded wen iz funal?'

glassortwo Fri 27-Apr-12 08:02:31

Does text language infuriate anyone? My sister who is 53 and sounds like she is a 15 year old from London when you read her texts, in fact sometimes I have to send back and ask what was that confused it must take longer to type in the rubbish than to write in English. confused

Greatnan Fri 27-Apr-12 07:35:06

I think the rising inflection came about because young people were watching Australian soaps.

granal Thu 26-Apr-12 22:21:26

What is the current rage with raising the voice at the end of the sentence?
Also, have had to stop watching Escape to the Country, after so many prospective purchasers announced "that view is to die for" What????
"Hi guys" - can't even bring myself to write any more on that one!
"Are you all right there" - grrh!!

We have recently been treating ourselves to Sunday lunch - lovely meal, nice place, v good value - but when it is delivered, and it is announced "enjoy", it almost takes my appetite away - ALMOST, I said!!

Greatnan Wed 14-Mar-12 09:30:33

I am definitely turning into Grumpy Old Woman - the way some people pronounce 'vowel' on Countdown irritates me!

Carol Tue 13-Mar-12 19:09:20

glamma grin

glammanana Tue 13-Mar-12 18:53:09

Carol all you need is for them to pat you on the head and show you to your seat and you are sorted.

Carol Tue 13-Mar-12 18:21:34

I cringe every time I buy a drink in Costa Coffee and they instruct me 'there you go!'

Anagram Tue 13-Mar-12 18:12:10

Yes, but even the checkout girls say it when you've got all your shopping moving along the conveyor belt.....it would be a bit churlish to reply "Yes, I am, please just get on with it" every time! grin

Another phrase which annoys me, and would do even more if I were on the receiving end, is "Can I get a (whatever...decaff latte supremo, perhaps)?". If I were serving them I'd be very tempted to say "No, you can't, that's my job!".

jeni Tue 13-Mar-12 17:30:03

Pressed wrong button. I was going to say, what I say is 'yes! I would like someone to serve me please. And then give them what my kids call my SMO look!(abit like a paddington stare but more so)

jeni Tue 13-Mar-12 17:27:30

anagram

Carol Tue 13-Mar-12 17:20:05

Gransnet Fora! Ha Ha! Blinko blinkin' brilliant! grin

numberplease Tue 13-Mar-12 16:17:45

In a local TV news bulletin yesterday, the cameras zoomed in on a notice that said "Please sign our pettision"!

Anagram Tue 13-Mar-12 13:26:52

I've never come across the 'yeah-no' expression, but the one we get all the time after waiting to be served (anywhere) is 'Are you all right there?'. How pointless is that? The correct response is apparently to ask for what you want to buy....

Blinko Mon 12-Mar-12 20:12:57

Aaargh, apostrophes! A local pub advertised 'Desperate Dan Pie's' until redecorated recently. Don't get me started!

Blinko Mon 12-Mar-12 20:09:03

I'm new to the Gransnet Forums (erm, as this is pedants corner, should that be Fora...?) I've enjoyed reading everybody so far, but had to jump in on this one. I wonder if the current fashion for 'yeah-no' grew from Little Britain, Vicky Pollard, 'Yeah, but no, but yeah', etc.

JessM Thu 08-Mar-12 15:28:35

Jack come on, brace up, as you implied yesterday, worse things happen at sea. Do you need to get out more? Markets are particularly good for spotting spelling and grammar mistakes I believe smile