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Pedants' corner

Unpleasant modern expressions

(241 Posts)
mrsmopp Fri 23-May-14 07:44:05

Up for grabs. I hate it. Let's have your pet hate..

Greenfinch Fri 07-Nov-14 08:14:13

pompagrin

pompa Fri 07-Nov-14 07:58:12

"a Big Ask" is that what they are saying ?, I thought they were saying "A Big Arse" thought it was a bit rude.

alex57currie Thu 06-Nov-14 22:44:56

Haven't read all posts, but if not covered then I wish to add "It's a big ask, I know"

pompa Thu 06-Nov-14 19:56:09

I use the term Guys all the while, as some of you may have noticed on here.

goose1964 Thu 06-Nov-14 19:17:51

lush that is ( I think my welsh upbringing may be showing)

goose1964 Thu 06-Nov-14 19:17:02

living in Bristol it's the local word for nice, lovely etc

TerriBull Sun 26-Oct-14 18:29:16

Went out to Sunday lunch at a pub across the river from where we live. Served by a very nice young man there who addressed us, as "guys" all the time, as does one of my sons, it amuses me, but certainly doesn't offend, much better than being ignored. Husband and I agreed we really don't mind being collectively referred to as "guys" at all, particularly when you get very agreeable service.

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 18:18:28

This is the pedantry corner, isn't it? Some of you are perhaps not pedantic enough... at least not as pedantic as I am in my choice of words.

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 18:17:30

I wouldn't be surprised if the Queen herself says grumpy old fartish things sometimes. That doesn't mean she is a grumpy old fart. I don't think that at all.

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 18:15:57

ariadne, I'm surprised at your interpretation. I didn't call anyone anything. I said I thought the posts seemed like "grumpy old fartishness", which is exactly how they do seem to me. That is not the same at all as saying you or anyone else is a grumpy old fart, which is why I phrased it as I did phrase it and not as you read it.

Someone will probably say that the difference doesn't count. It does.

daffydil Sun 26-Oct-14 14:22:04

People who say 'cut in half' when they mean 'cut by half' - entirely different meanings. Particularly when used by professional journalists. Words are the tools of their trade and they should know better.

Anya Sun 26-Oct-14 10:17:51

Irony isn't dead then hmm

papaoscar Sun 26-Oct-14 10:15:21

Well said, goddess of mazes and labyrinths, wise words indeed.
Now back to school: Windbag - One who loves their own opinions so much they have convinced themselves they actually know what they are talking about. H'mm, getting a bit close to home now, I think. Time for t'Archers.TTFN!

Ariadne Sun 26-Oct-14 09:27:03

Did it? I think I must have caught the sense of humour failure injected here. If we are being called, essentially, miserable old gits, well, takes one to know one.

ffinnochio Sun 26-Oct-14 08:56:18

That brightened up a rather dull Sunday morning, B. grin

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 08:26:51

Right, I've said my bit. Let the grumpy old fartishness continue undisturbed by any troublesome rationality and tolerance smile

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 08:18:07

whoops. too not to

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 08:17:49

Your first two examples come from the northern part of America. They speak English there to and use their own idiosyncracies of the spoken language just as we do.

You did ask, pamaga.

absent grin

Pamaga Sun 26-Oct-14 07:38:36

I hate when people say ' they are meeting with'. Why not just 'they are meeting'? The 'with' is redundant.
Also, there is a tendency now to say 'I am excited for the arena trip' etc instead of 'excited about'. Where did that come from?
No one seems to be able to spell 'definitely' any more - I have lost count of the number of times I've seen 'definately' No, it's not just fat fingers, it is happening too often. Okay, I know I am a pedant. We had English grammar drummed into us when I was at school!

absent Sun 26-Oct-14 06:49:57

Far out bags!

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 06:21:11

We oldies, of course, were never guilty of using trendy expressions when we were young and we'd never pick up and use (shudder!) American expressions! [sarc emoticon] smile

thatbags Sun 26-Oct-14 06:19:23

Pedantry has its uses but that's a good post d4d because all that "hairsplitting, particularity, formality, precision, fussiness, pickiness, nit-picking, punctiliousness, priggishness, etc., etc." about easy-going "trendy" expressions young people (or, even worse, foreigners like Americans!) use, is rather a silly use of it. Spot on smile. I like the directness of your post.

NfkDumpling Sun 26-Oct-14 06:18:52

I can generally cope with new expressions. Many are very descriptive and apt. I really hate 'gobsmacked' but there are occasions when it's just the right word.

What I don't like is the way that perfectly normal everyday words suddenly become obscene or politically incorrect without telling me. Pedants are needed just to slow the process down.

(Pet hate expression for me is 'Lessons have been learned' when clearly they haven't.)

papaoscar Sun 26-Oct-14 02:53:04

Pedantic = = hairsplitting, particular, formal, precise, fussy, picky, nit-picking, punctilious, priggish etc., etc. Thats me, how about you?

ginny Sat 25-Oct-14 23:37:20

d4dsquared Can I come to live in your world ,where nothing bothers or irritates you. My mental energies are used in many ways but sometimes it is a little thing that 'breaks the camels back'. smile