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Pedants' corner

Another one to go "grrr" about!

(148 Posts)
phoenix Fri 18-Sept-20 20:57:24

Evening all, usual good wishes.

Many of us have been annoyed by the misuse of "the proof is in the pudding" but twice today on the radio I've heard of someone being on " tender hooks"

It's tenter hooks!

And no, I don't have the faintest idea why!

Nannan2 Sun 20-Sept-20 11:50:14

And the 'draws' instead of drawers! Its seems no one has ever bothered to correct those people (mainly younger ones) and so they believe its how they are spelled/pronounced! Perhaps schools should have actual proper English Grammar included in their English lessons?

Georgesgran Sun 20-Sept-20 11:55:22

Draw-rings gets me worked up too! Why the extra ‘r’! So many - perhaps I need to get out more? Oops - no, I’m in lockdown, again!

Nannan2 Sun 20-Sept-20 11:55:40

Kids saying funny things is one thing, (my 6yr old years ago asking my mum if we were staying in a 'bawdy house?' when she said Boarding house,on holiday?) But adults actually thinking this is really the actual phrases/words is another (less funny) thing altogether.

Doodledog Sun 20-Sept-20 11:55:55

One of my bugbears has made its way to a government poster. You meet people, not 'meet with' them! How can you meet someone unless you are with them?

See also 'work colleague'.

HeatherW Sun 20-Sept-20 11:59:52

I asked a local radio presenter how she was,,
.
“ pigs and troughs”, she replied

instead of peaks and troughs

lizzypopbottle Sun 20-Sept-20 12:13:11

I think lazy pronunciation (mine) has a lot to answer for when children make funny mistakes with words. There's a stationery shop that also sells toys in Morpeth called Tinchy Alan's. He's obviously very small. My children used to beg to go there. (T&G Allan) I still refer to it as Tinchy's.
My son used to think that clo must be the singular when told to hurry up and get his 'cloes' on!

Jumblygran Sun 20-Sept-20 12:14:49

On a local buy and sell website today was an add for mud flaps.

Brand new Ford Mudflats for sale.

Armorel Sun 20-Sept-20 12:17:07

Some time ago a friend bought some new goldfish for his pond and proudly told me "I think they are crap!"

Ohmother Sun 20-Sept-20 12:20:50

My friend thinks we live in a ‘mammy’ state. I’ve not corrected her...yet.

Griselda Sun 20-Sept-20 12:35:49

Why are all previews 'sneak' ?

Jillybird Sun 20-Sept-20 12:36:00

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Taptan Sun 20-Sept-20 13:35:00

Should of really grates with me. When my son (48) was in junior school, I corrected some of his spelling and grammar in his homework, his teacher was furious as ‘we don’t do that now’.
Having recently spent some time with my daughter and son in law who are both working from home. Having heard my son in law tell many many colleagues about another one who had feathered his bed, I had to correct him.

Bamm Sun 20-Sept-20 13:35:42

"He was hung" really really annoys me.

Jaxjacky Sun 20-Sept-20 13:37:05

I have a friend who ‘malaprops’ all the time, the usual pacific rather than specific and many more, I don’t have the heart to correct her even though it grates.
My personal bugbear is ‘different to’ rather than ‘different from’, often shout at the TV or radio for that one.

Lancslass1 Sun 20-Sept-20 13:37:52

Why do so many TV -particularly sports -presenters (and indeed authors ) revert back?

widgeon3 Sun 20-Sept-20 13:48:03

Haven't read the thread but imagine that ' He was sat', 'She was stood' must have figured for a grrrrrrrrrrrr

Doodledog Sun 20-Sept-20 14:03:12

I think it's a good thing to hear different accents on TV, but I do feel that presenters should be taught to speak standard English grammar.

I agree that 'different to' is annoying, and find myself grumbling at 'less/fewer' and 'infer/imply' mixups too. How are children meant to learn to speak English if they keep hearing it done badly?

JdotJ Sun 20-Sept-20 14:10:10

Our local barbers has a printed (not handwritten) sign in the window which states 'appts not always necessary, walkings allowed'.....!

fifeywifey Sun 20-Sept-20 14:17:23

I rarely shout at the television (unlike my husband) but I can't stop myself when "floor" is used instead of "ground". Too often when I hear someone being interviewed about an incident outdoors they say that someone fell to the floor. Noooooo - ground is outside and floor inside!

Jillybird Sun 20-Sept-20 14:18:20

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jane10 Sun 20-Sept-20 14:22:53

I get annoyed at cars being 'parked up'. Why not just 'parked'?

hallgreenmiss Sun 20-Sept-20 14:23:36

I keep seeing ‘step foot’ instructors of ‘set foot’.

hallgreenmiss Sun 20-Sept-20 14:24:50

Spangler

In WW!, when Tommy Atkins, who had never been to France, first heard the French expression: "Ça ne fait rien," he thought that he had heard: "San Fairy Ann," and so it stuck, bastardised forever.

Yes, my mum used to say that.

Taichinan Sun 20-Sept-20 14:38:11

Phoenix that audio to print thing you mentioned must be similar to whatever they use for subtitles on tv. Being very deaf, I do have to rely on these and they can be quite hilarious (when they're not being downright annoying!). The other evening "Rees Ring Fish Eye" came up along the bottom of the screen, which stumped me until I looked at the map above it. East Renfrewshire!! Sorry, that's rather a drift away from the topic - although perhaps many a misquote starts off life as a mis-heard.

crazyH Sun 20-Sept-20 14:43:39

Our 'Bible' in High School was the Wren and Martin Grammar and Composition Books. Can I add I studied in a Convent School in India ....