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Pedants' corner

Is it only me that goes grrr at this phrase?

(116 Posts)
phoenix Mon 30-Dec-19 23:47:23

An email from Waitrose asking about plans for (and I quote) "New Years"

There is New Years Eve, and New Years Day, but there is NOT "New Years"

Aepgirl Tue 31-Dec-19 10:30:36

Don’t get me started on irritating sayings - not enough time left in this ‘old years’ to write them down!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL GNs.

jaylucy Tue 31-Dec-19 10:59:33

Yet another Americanism that has crept in !

Nona4ever Tue 31-Dec-19 11:17:42

I received an email from an online company asking,
‘How would you describe your father?’
I replied - honestly, ‘Dead.’
They did apologise.

Desdemona Tue 31-Dec-19 11:20:24

American words and phrases do my head in!! I hate them.

Baggs Tue 31-Dec-19 11:20:25

If you turned off emails from supermarkets your equanimity might not have to suffer such annoyances.

Callistemon Tue 31-Dec-19 11:28:37

My emails from firms seem to go into a junk folder, I suddenly realise that I have about 300+ emails which need deleting.

oldgimmer1 Tue 31-Dec-19 11:39:02

I've kept my inner pedant in check lately but could not control myself when, yet again, I heard a school choir in my town centre singing:

"Good Tidings We Bring to You and Your KING"

FFS - it's KIN.

I told the teacher/choir leader off. blush.

I know it's awful of me but FFS it's easy enough to check.

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 11:52:52

You actually told them off? shock

ladymuck Tue 31-Dec-19 11:54:20

Perhaps it was just a typing error.

sarahellenwhitney Tue 31-Dec-19 11:54:23

No plans for the New Year. At my age will just wait and see.hmm

Jane10 Tue 31-Dec-19 11:58:23

Of course 'Auld Lang Syne' is the Burns song. 'Zyne' doesnt make any sense at all in any language.

HootyMcOwlface Tue 31-Dec-19 12:03:28

oldglimmer I had bit of a rant about Away in a Manger - singing “little baby Jesus” instead of “little Lord Jesus”. It’s a hymn, sing the correct words or find a non-denominational song instead if it offends you!

sodapop Tue 31-Dec-19 12:14:57

Love it oldgimmer1 there are times when you just have to say something.

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 12:21:38

If you want to make yourself look like a complete fool, then yes - go ahead and say something.

That teacher has probably rehearsed with the choir for ages and has filled in eleventy billion bits of paper in order to take them off the school premises, the families have dutifully listened to the practise at home, the children have no doubt been quite apprehensive about appearing in public - and one auld wifie couldn't find anything else to do other than moan about an erroneous G and tell off another adult.

FFS is right.

jacalpad Tue 31-Dec-19 12:23:54

I saw a sign yesterday in a local garden centre, and it really irritated me - ‘gateaux’s £3.50’!!! Wish I dared tell them it should just be ‘gateaux’!

Tangerine Tue 31-Dec-19 12:28:33

I'm not keen on some of these new expressions either but I guess language evolves all the time. I have just used the words "I guess" and that is an American phrase that people use more and more now.

Phloembundle Tue 31-Dec-19 12:31:21

The one that gives me high blood pressure is "slaw" instead of coleslaw. Grrrrrr.

Callistemon Tue 31-Dec-19 12:34:16

Well I never!

I have sung 'To you and your King' for years
I've never seen it written down.

I will try to remember if I ever sing it again.
I assumed 'King' meant baby Jesus.

Grammaretto Tue 31-Dec-19 12:34:18

gateaux's is wrong on so many levels!! shrieks in pain grin

...and no it can never be Zyne

SynchroSwimmer Tue 31-Dec-19 12:40:00

I’ve just had a “go” at M&S on their FB site

Similarly annoyed by their Sparks e-mails where they have started using emojis and sloppy, unbusinesslike message headings.

Looks like they have let a 16 year old loose in the marketing department...

MawB Tue 31-Dec-19 12:45:45

Auld Lang Zyne' as usually sung at parties is a different song from Burns's 'Auld Lang Syne'' although the former is adapted from the latter
confused
No,it isn’t, it’s just mispronounced. And never spelt “Zyne”.
Burns wrote the original poem which was set to first one (IMO rather dreary) tune, then I believe an American popularised the current setting in the early 1900’s
And south of the Border they only sing the first couple of verses. ?

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 12:56:20

I’ve lived in Scotland for many, many years and I don’t think I’ve ever sung more than the first couple of verses of Auld Lang Syne. I’m willing to bet that not many people up here could sing much more of the song off by heart!

marionk Tue 31-Dec-19 13:15:32

So fun, is one of mine

Speldnan Tue 31-Dec-19 13:32:24

I hate it but surely it’s short for New Year’s (Eve) not a plural of New Year

Grammaretto Tue 31-Dec-19 13:37:20

Scottish singer Mairi Campbell had a Fringe show called
"Auld Lang Syne" it was brilliant! She had us all singing, with the words, at the end. Here she is:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWT-4UTwdE8