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Pedants' corner

Thanks for the offer, but I will NOT take my clothes off!

(35 Posts)
phoenix Wed 10-Oct-18 22:12:48

Evening all, sending every good wish.

Having had problems with my Wifi, and phoning the company concerned, only to be told that current waiting times were around 45 minutes shock, I opted for the online chat thing.

Well, that was subject to long delays too, so I went shopping (nothing exciting, just food) and tried again on my return.

Apart from being referred to as "Sir", which I CBA to correct, on 2 occasions I had messages saying "please bare with me while I check this for you" (I suppose I should be thankful that they didn't say "for yourself" which really invades my nasal cavity)

Well, if the person in the online customer service team feels the desire to disrobe, fair play to them, as long as it doesn't disturb their colleagues, but I am not prepared to join in!

annep Fri 07-Dec-18 00:53:37

This thread has given me a few laughs.

NotSpaghetti Sat 13-Oct-18 09:45:19

Ha ha muddynails - no too clever for me to notice!

LullyDully Fri 12-Oct-18 08:52:34

Practice and practise confusion was my annoyance when I was teaching; from other teachers. I reminded them to model from advice and advise. The problem comes from the pedantic nature of English spelling.

Was going to put bugbare or bugbear but didn't want to show myself up. ( got a red.line on the wrong one!)

sodapop Fri 12-Oct-18 08:48:36

grin struggling

Struggling2do1 Fri 12-Oct-18 08:36:15

Ha ha Lemon, those were the days, great fun taking inside leg measurements! X

lemongrove Thu 11-Oct-18 21:44:51

grin
That’s why they hired you!

Struggling2do1 Thu 11-Oct-18 21:37:11

Many years ago I applied in writing for a job in a men's boutique. In my letter I stated "i do have retail experience but not in clothes"! I got the job and had a great time but never lived down my application letter.

PECS Thu 11-Oct-18 18:05:46

usedtobe ???

UsedtobeGinger Thu 11-Oct-18 17:54:09

As this is pedant's corner, should the title read:
"Thanks for the offer, but I will not take off my clothes"
Just asking, I'll get my coat!

jocork Thu 11-Oct-18 17:36:53

I work in a school as a Learning Support Assistant and am often shocked at the sloppy grammar of some of the teachers. Both my AC have been know to correct friends' grammar on Facebook posts. On one occasion my DD did just that, then apologised saying "I was raised by the grammar police" ie. me! Incidentally I've found recently people use ie. instead of eg. which often makes no sense!

PECS Thu 11-Oct-18 17:35:30

Just checked conni The link shows what Y6 kids are expected to know re spelling & grammar.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-key-stage-2-english-grammar-punctuation-and-spelling-sample-test-materials-mark-scheme-and-test-administration-instructions

PECS Thu 11-Oct-18 17:28:26

I love the image of all the call centre folk in the nude inviting frustrated IT users,to strip off too!
Oh my conni which schools are teaching that? How dreadful..are you sure?

GabriellaG Thu 11-Oct-18 16:23:52

Many thanks for the good wishes phoenix
Your pleasant greeting always makes me smile
I'm another who just can't abide sloppy copy but my dislike may be a little more extreme than yours.
Yes, the bare/bear rears it's ugly head again as does there/their/they're, lead/lead/led and your/you're/you among many hundreds of other illiterate jottings.
I have tried to learned to turn off my irritation. hmm

Conni7 Thu 11-Oct-18 16:05:43

I've given up on most of these. It seems they teach "haitch" , "different to" and "bored of" at school nowadays. Language changes, but should grammar?

GreenGran78 Thu 11-Oct-18 12:10:41

Younger people don’t seem to worry about spelling and grammar as much as we do. I just try to find the errors amusing, instead of getting irritated by them. I had a little giggle over someone on our local Freegle group yesterday. They were offering a Chester draws to some lucky person.

Funnygran Thu 11-Oct-18 12:01:53

'Can I get' is one of my pet hates too. I'm well known in the family for correcting or being annoyed by bad grammar. Last week I sent a jokey response to my son who had sent me a very ambiguous message. He sent me a one word reply - pedant! Guilty as charged!

moobox Thu 11-Oct-18 11:58:03

Sometimes, if it meant I could get live chat instead of Musak on the phone for half an hour, I would probably agree to bear the baring all. As long as it's not on webcam!! I love live chat. It's like emailing without the 5 day delay. You can think what you want to say and how to phrase it. I have had discounts arranged through live chat; I've cancelled services with organisations like Sky that one hates to phone; I've even persuaded phone companies to refund premium call charges that way.

However, my pedantic antennae bristle when I see these so called achievers on the Apprentice. Their creative weeks are always totally marred by complete lack .of spelling and grammar. This week the idiotic girls planned an educational comic about French, full of grammatical errors, and in the end without any French, as not one of them could spell patisserie or croissant or any other French words.

Ankara2005 Thu 11-Oct-18 11:54:52

Why do people say "What WAS your name?" I always reply "When?"

Tweedle24 Thu 11-Oct-18 11:42:58

Even more pedantic - ‘can you’ would get the response, “Yes, I can. Do you want me to?”

lovebeigecardigans1955 Thu 11-Oct-18 11:35:26

To misquote Eric Morcombe, "the plays what I wrote" also comes to mind. So often these days 'what' is in a sentence where it has no place.
Don't get me started on many a statement beginning with, "So."

Legs55 Thu 11-Oct-18 11:15:50

youngagain that aggrieves me too especially as my "Official" 1st name is not the one I'm known as. Even the do you mind if I call you I.... will make my hackles rise. I do prefer to be Mrs as a) that is my title b) I am probably old enough to be your mother/grandmother c) it's all about respect.

On-line chat is abysmal, the spelling is awful but I do think being asked to "bare with me " is a step too far but it did give me a giggle grin

vickya Thu 11-Oct-18 11:14:58

Well, as long as it is just text chat, a little window or voice on the phone it is ok, but not if skype or facetime. smile I don't like being addressed by my first name either by strangers.

muddynails Thu 11-Oct-18 10:57:25

Was "bugBEAR" an accidental pun Not Spaghetti?

Oh be a sport Phoenix, you can drop the blind and do it to the music of the stripper grin

youngagain Thu 11-Oct-18 10:45:57

My bugbear is being called by my christian name and not by Mrs ...... I have been asked on occasion how I would like to be called, which I think is very respectful, but when someone thinks it's ok to immediately call me by my christian name it really 'gets my goat' as the saying goes. I now tend to say - I don't know you so please call me Mrs ..... I must admit that so far this has not caused any problems and the people concerned have been very polite.

GrannyAnnie2010 Thu 11-Oct-18 10:44:24

NotSpaghetti, I couldn't agree with you more.