Pedants' Paradise, Spelling and Grammar Notes and Queries Options

[jm-hamilton]

That one was a Bushism, wasn't it?

Nope. He used that pronunciation and brought it to a wider audience, but it has been around a lot longer than that. I had an audio book in the mid-1990s which through referred to the "Teller Noo-cue-lar Research Facility"...

An example of the American pronunciation gradually taking over from the English one?

Talking of Marylebone and Marlybone, I live not far from a street called Magdalen Avenue. I referred to it as "Maudlin", after the Oxford College and got some very funny looks as most people pronounce it as it's written - does anyone else pronounce it as "Maudlin"?

[Seer_Green]

Oh dear, I'm sure we'll all become self-concious now when we're writing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) In fairness, I think that a lot of the errors which creap into messages here come from writing in a hurry, rather than a lack of knowledge (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

One of my pet hates is the missuse of 'can' and 'may' - 'can' as in being able to do something, and 'may' as in having permission to do something... e.g. 'can I sit down?' - well, you're quite able to sit down; what you really mean is 'may I sit down' - i.e. do I have your permission to sit down...

But, as I say, it's only a pet hate, and most people don't give two hoots these days!

Marylebone is another pet hate - I have always called it (and will continue to pronounce it) 'marry-le-bn' rather than 'marlybone' or 'marrylebone' (gosh...it's difficult to try and write what you say!)

[Czerny]

One of my pet hates is the missuse of 'can' and 'may' - 'can' as in being able to do something, and 'may' as in having permission to do something... e.g. 'can I sit down?' - well, you're quite able to sit down; what you really mean is 'may I sit down' - i.e. do I have your permission to sit down...

I think this comes under the category of grammar usage which, while strictly correct, sounds rather fussy and / or antiquated these days, particularly in spoken English. It's a bit like using the subjunctive.

[Aeolienne]

I also can't bear the way speech (especially children's / teenagers' speech) is punctuated with meaningless uses of the word "like". "I was, like, getting my bag, and this boy said to me, like, ... " AAAAARGHHH!

Seconded. And that irritating txt abbreviation "lol". Strange how people who use that excessively seem bewildered when I ask them what the joke is.

[Czerny]

I also can't bear the way speech (especially children's / teenagers' speech) is punctuated with meaningless uses of the word "like". "I was, like, getting my bag, and this boy said to me, like, ... " AAAAARGHHH!

Seconded. And that irritating txt abbreviation "lol". Strange how people who use that excessively seem bewildered when I ask them what the joke is.

I do hate it when "lol" is used as if it forms a grammatically-functional part of the sentence lol.

Almost as bad as the excessive and superfluous (tautology?) use of "like" is, "and she turned round and said... and he turned round and said... and then she turned round and said...". That one's enough to make you dizzy.

[Aeolienne]

And another thing ... why do people say "see you later" when they're not expecting to see the other person again that day? This seems to be happening a lot lately. At first I'd reply "Oh, will you?" but then I realised the first party meant "goodbye". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[miffy]

And another thing ... why do people say "see you later" when they're not expecting to see the other person again that day? This seems to be happening a lot lately. At first I'd reply "Oh, will you?" but then I realised the first party meant "goodbye". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Or when it just gets shortened to "Later" or "Laters"

[Bagpuss]

GAHHHHHHHHHH. What gets this Bag's basket well and truly rattled is the response "I'm good, thanks" when I ask how a pupe is. I am NOT asking about your standard of behaviour, I rant, I am asking you HOW.YOU.ARE.

That's another thing that p****s me off. People who put full stops after words to emphasise a point.

Mulled-Bag x

[Czerny]

And another thing ... why do people say "see you later" when they're not expecting to see the other person again that day? This seems to be happening a lot lately. At first I'd reply "Oh, will you?" but then I realised the first party meant "goodbye". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

"Take care" is just as bad, particularly when said to you by someone you've never even met.

[corenfa]

The "how are you" / "I'm good" / "take care" etc thing used to trip me up to no end when I was living in the US. It took me a while to learn that they didn't want to know how I was, it was just a greeting. I didn't have a problem with it once I figured that out. After all, in the part of Asia that I come from it was common to ask someone "have you eaten yet" as a greeting, which would seem very strange to us here.

[TeacherNumberOne]

What an irritable bunch you all are!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[maggiemay]

I have to agree with Bagpuss regarding 'I'm good'. I find it really w e i r d.

[TeacherNumberOne]

I tried to reply to Czerny when he said he was irritated by pupe. but I can't seem to find where he said it now. What is a pupe?

[corenfa]

What an irritable bunch you all are!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Don't know about anyone else but if I have an outlet for my irritability, like here, it acts as a valve and the Real World never sees it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[katica]

O blimmin' eck. New I should of resisted the temptation to drop in on this thread.
Totally awesome.
Kind of addictive, like, lol.
Later, guys...


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