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Pedants' corner

They are NOT "Invites"& quot; !

(66 Posts)
phoenix Mon 14-Oct-19 21:18:48

This has been annoying me for ages! An area manager for a company that I worked for (for a mercifully short time) would email about meetings saying "I will send the invites soon"

NO! You will send invitations, invite is something you do, not something you send!

I nearly had a fit of the vapours a few months back when I heard Elizabeth Pargeter (of all people) on The Archers saying that Lily had been wonderful sending out all the "invites" shock Nigel would be turning in his grave!

annsixty Tue 15-Oct-19 16:39:12

Actually “can I have “ is also wrong as the answer is yes and then to wait for an instruction.
“” surely “ may I have” is correct or is that something else I have misunderstood.

Esspee Tue 15-Oct-19 16:41:57

Oh dear Lyndiloo should it not be "May I.....

Madmaggie Tue 15-Oct-19 17:17:43

I agree with you Phoenix

willa45 Tue 15-Oct-19 17:26:05

I'm guessing the reason some people prefer to say 'invites' is because the word rolls off the tongue more easily than 'invitations'.
I do agree that poor usage of the English language is unfortunate but having said that, just think what a blessing it would be if that's all we had to worry about.

GrauntyHelen Tue 15-Oct-19 17:29:08

Oh for any favour - Children are dying in Syria , the UK is on the brink of Brexit and you are having a fit of the vapours over language use and the Archers ?! Get a life and worry about important things. I'm off to post some invites .

Hetty58 Tue 15-Oct-19 17:31:56

It seems as if that IS all some people worry about. Do they consider how that makes them appear to others?

sodapop Tue 15-Oct-19 17:36:10

Don't come into Pedants Corner if it irritates you. Just leave us here to be pedantic.

Lilyflower Tue 15-Oct-19 19:33:31

I text him.

Arghhhh!

Nanny27 Tue 15-Oct-19 20:10:54

Why do some people read the thread in Pedants Corner and then moan about people being pedantic? Perhaps it's they who need to 'get a life'

Granless Tue 15-Oct-19 20:33:26

Oh dear! Hetty 58. Do you feel better now?
Yes, I too am a pedant to the point of stirring up trouble.
Now then ..... in we go to a shop or a bank and what is the greeting - “Are you alright there”. I take that as a question and ....you’ve guessed it...... I answer accordingly “Yes, I’m fine thank you” and wait; it usually works. grin

BradfordLass72 Wed 16-Oct-19 09:30:35

It doesn't annoy me but I dislike 'insightful' so beloved of my American friends, when there is a perfectly good English word, 'perceptive'.

As for 'How are you?' being answered with 'Good' - I think we have to clarify the querstion.

Do you mean 'Am I alive?' It should be obvious.

Do you mean, 'How is my health?' My health is good, thank you.

So when you ask, 'How are you?' just what do you mean by "how"?

It implies a state of existence in some way or degree, to which 'good' is just one possible, and quite correct, answer.

'How do you do?' always meant 'How is your health?'

My mother never failed to reply, 'How do I do what?'

grin

Hetty58 Wed 16-Oct-19 10:14:20

My neighbour says 'How are you?' then immediately carries on talking, leaving but a second to answer. I now reply 'Hi'!

Nanny27 Wed 16-Oct-19 10:24:19

See you later as a term for goodbye sounds a bit silly when I more than likely won't.

Lyndiloo Thu 17-Oct-19 16:36:19

Yes, yes, you are right. (annsixty & Esspee) Politely, it should be 'May I have ...' (But definitely NOT 'May I get ...') smile

KarenDerna Sat 19-Oct-19 16:02:08

Haha really enjoying reading these, I totally agree. Annoyances for me are keep in contact with and a real bugbear is when I ask would you like a ... , answer is no I'm good thanks, sorry I didn't ask if you were good or bad !! English is such an interesting language