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Pedants' corner

Am I getting old and pedantic?

(108 Posts)
BluebellGran Fri 31-Mar-17 18:40:06

I'm trying to resist commenting to anyone who's listening when I hear on the radio or television, 'ter' instead of 'to', or 'fer' instead of 'for' or 'try and' instead of 'try to.'

If I started this comment with 'so,' would I be more fashionable? Grrrrrr!

Riverwalk Fri 31-Mar-17 19:26:12

Surely 'ter' and 'fer' are pronunciations, so not incorrect in any way?

Can you explain under what grammatical rule 'try and' is incorrect?

Riverwalk Fri 31-Mar-17 19:31:10

... without Googling the answer.

Atqui Fri 31-Mar-17 20:27:42

You would certainly be more fashionable starting your sentence with SO. Its use has evolved hasn't it? To begin with , in modern speech, it was used to preface a question..."So....what are you doing today then?" Now it seems to be used to open any sentence , particularly on the Today programme.

thatbags Fri 31-Mar-17 21:55:38

Yeah*, you prolly are.

*pronounced yer (as in there, not yer as in were). Just so's yer know, like.

wink

BluebellGran Sat 01-Apr-17 20:57:22

Try saying 'try and' in the past tense. E.g. I tried and made a curry. You made a curry. You didn't try to make a curry.

thatbags Sat 01-Apr-17 21:25:38

But I am going to try and make a curry. One day. A gentle one.

thatbags Sat 01-Apr-17 21:28:35

I'm pretty sure I've heard "try and" quite a lot and I don't know whether I normally say "try to" or "try and". Could it be a north Lancashire thing, I wonder?

I'll have to try and trip myself up on it when I'm least expecting it.

Just to find out which I say most 'naturally'.

thatbags Sat 01-Apr-17 21:30:42

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Do say if it's uncomprehensible because of the risible grammar and I'll translate it for you ?

thatbags Sat 01-Apr-17 21:31:15

Can grammar be risible? <heads dictionariwards>

GracesGranMK2 Sat 01-Apr-17 21:35:33

Please don't check this for spelling or grammar but in my experience when we start to ask "Am I getting old and pedantic?" it's a pound to a penny that we areblush

norose4 Sun 02-Apr-17 09:23:29

I hate the misplaced use of 'brought '& 'bought ' I try to get over myself but it really grates with me or should that be greats ?Lol

MawBroon Sun 02-Apr-17 09:57:38

gracesgran gringrin
That said "brought" and "bought" are two entirely different words aren't they?
Like saying "I'm going hedging" instead of "sledging", or "working" the dog instead of "walking" or "frying" to the US instead of "flying"
Never understood that confusion confused

nokkie Sun 02-Apr-17 10:09:10

I hate it when people say 'I personally' or 'I myself' - I was brought up to believe 'the double' is totally unnecessary but I hear it all the time and I am trying to think well does it really matter in the great scheme of things .....

Atqui Sun 02-Apr-17 11:30:19

I'm sure it doesn't matter at all in the great scheme of things, but even the most tolerant and laid back surely find some things irritating.Here on Gransnet it's just a bit of amusement to see if anyone agrees ....isn't it??

sue1169 Sun 02-Apr-17 11:37:29

...oops always say 'try and' think it may be a local.Lancashire thing!! In the grand scheme of things....does it matter?

Badenkate Sun 02-Apr-17 11:38:48

It amuses me when people get upset about the use of 'gotten', complaining that it's an Americanism. I grew up in the Forest of Dean where it is an accepted past participle: 'He's gotten some sheep'. If you look up the history of its use, then it's clear that it was very commonly used in this country before the settlement of America by the British.

thatbags Sun 02-Apr-17 12:03:41

Aha! Another Lancastrian who says "try and". Yus!

My mum always corrected me when I said "different than". She insisted the correct form is "different from". I notice a lot of Americans say "different than" and a lot of
Brits say "different to". My mum's persistence got through and I only use "different from" now.

sue1169 Sun 02-Apr-17 12:12:18

Another one used locally and makes me smile...using I and me in the same sentence...e.g...I'm hungry me!....?

thatbags Sun 02-Apr-17 12:19:37

smile

judylow Sun 02-Apr-17 13:41:17

'You know' is the phrase that drives me mad, especially when I don't, but this has been overtaken by 'So' especially when someone is asked a question and they reply starting their sentence with that word.

Yes, I am pedantic but we all need a hobby!

quizqueen Sun 02-Apr-17 13:56:23

There's lots of phrases which grate on me...
*could/should/would 'of' instead of 'have'
*off of.. the 'of' is totally unnecessary
*'gonna' instead of going to. A lot of people in the media, including privately and therefore supposedly well educated ones like George Osborne, use it all the time. Maybe they think it improves their street cred!
* Also, using 'bit' to describe a liquid instead of 'drop'
These phrases do not fall into the arena of quaint regional dialects which are great, it's just plain laziness.

I will make sure I always say 'try to' from now on!!!!

Riverwalk Sun 02-Apr-17 14:56:11

There's lots of phrases which grate on me...

quizqueen surely you mean there're lots of phrases ...? wink

HootyMcOwlface Sun 02-Apr-17 14:57:24

Have you seen the advert on TV for websites called Go Daddy? I couldn't understand why it was a bit 'different' as it catches my attention, but I just realised today that it is the way they speak - they actually pronounce their words properly! Look out for it and you will see what I mean.

thatbags Sun 02-Apr-17 15:03:06

I say gonna.

I also don't actually say "try and". What I actually say sounds more like "trine".

Gonna trine make a curry one day.

I am well educated and I speak clearly.

Are yous others really as precise in your ordinary everyday articulation as comments seem to suggest?

Yous is not incorrect. It's Scottish and I like it.