Basic English grammar

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#78741 18-Jul-2007 22:08

my biggest pet hates are mongrelised words. *=asterix, or more commonly "astricks" xmas for christmas, "i arx for the remote." etc etc etc. ugh.

And the whole "kitty korner" type thing, frenedz, girlz girlz girlz and that rubbish.

Some misspelled stuff is actually good or clever like "flickr" without just being the only way to get that company name or website, but most is just ugh ugh ugh, get the real brand!

Nightwyrm

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#78762 19-Jul-2007 07:45

If we're getting down to pet hates, what about cafes who can't spell cappuccino or espresso? It is not cuppaccino or expresso (or any other variation)!!!!

But, if we are getting pedantic about spelling and grammar, how do we know who is correct? I often get bailed up for my use of the word "whilst" - a perfectly valid word methinks (other words I'm trying to work into sentences: forasmuch, henceforth, forthwith, etc.).

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TinyTim

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#78769 19-Jul-2007 09:21

This thread hasn't worked yet. Last night somebody here ranted:

...but woosh is one company i would like to see gurgle to it's death.

You know who you are.

Anyway, moving right along, how about these pet language hates:
* the apparent increasing use of imperial units especially in news stories - "Police are looking for a suspect who is 110kg and 6'2" " on the TV news - we went metric more than 30 years ago for goodness sake
* pluralising unit abbreviations - 100kms (kilometre seconds?) and 100 mls (millilitre seconds?)
* americanisms (don't you dare tell me you're going to a gas station unless you're actually going to buy gas, and math instead of maths, and period instead of full stop, and even beezeepee instead of beezedpee on Radio NZ).

Forasmuch we have so much American influence on our society, henceforth I will not be concerned with Americanisms in everyday language. I will go out and purchase an American dictionary forthwith. I hope that helps.

Nightwyrm

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#78777 19-Jul-2007 10:21

TinyTim: Forasmuch we have so much American influence on our society...

Forasmuch as we...

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TinyTim

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#78786 19-Jul-2007 10:51

Discussions involving grammar complaints are always fraught with danger and prone to backfiring...

Jonski

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#78999 20-Jul-2007 15:17

TinyTim: So on my profile page should that be "Your friends' RSS feed" - or "Your friend's RSS feed"? (my imaginary friend?)

TheRegister.co.uk has permanently corrupted me... They pronounce it Arse Feed! *

I'm shocked.

Cheers
Jon

* Best pronounced as if you are Father Jack Hackett (Father Ted)

I reject your reality and substitute my own!
- Adam Savage, Mythbuster

freitasm

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#79000 20-Jul-2007 15:25

Not worse than Microsoft Live One Care...

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Jonski

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#79002 20-Jul-2007 15:28

TinyTim:
* the apparent increasing use of imperial units especially in news stories - "Police are looking for a suspect who is 110kg and 6'2" " on the TV news - we went metric more than 30 years ago for goodness sake

* pluralising unit abbreviations - 100kms (kilometre seconds?) and 100 mls (millilitre seconds?)

Ooh, another pet hate...

* Not specifying units at all - "Buy it for only nine nine five!" Dollars, cents, or elephants?

* Specifying the wrong unit - "He was travelling at 120 kilometers". For all it relates to speed, he could be travelling at 120 kilograms. I don't care. What was his speed??

In all my education, a wrong unit was as bad as, or worse than a wrong value.

Cheers
Jon

I reject your reality and substitute my own!
- Adam Savage, Mythbuster

Nightwyrm

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#79003 20-Jul-2007 15:30

freitasm: Not worse than Microsoft Live One Care...

*snigger*

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TinyTim

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#79005 20-Jul-2007 15:39

Jonski:In all my education, a wrong unit was as bad as, or worse than a wrong value.

Ah yes, those of us who took our education seriously. I could never tell my Dad (the science teacher) we'd bought a kilo of apples... what's a kilo of apples? 1000 apples?

Fossie

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#79008 20-Jul-2007 16:05

10^3 apples!

pando

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#79009 20-Jul-2007 16:17

definitely not definately

rwales

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#79050 21-Jul-2007 04:50

Amen! I could'nt agree more. bad grammer really grates on my nerves and can often make a otherwise valid point, difficult or hard to read often forcing the reader to read on, and on without stopping for breath. Fortunately you, will find my prose to be perfectual in every way!!! thx 4 reading

TinyTim

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#79132 21-Jul-2007 19:10

We were sent a voucher today for "two free fluffy's when you buy a coffee". We don't drink coffee - does anyone want the fluffy's?

Jonski

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#79187 22-Jul-2007 11:51

TinyTim:
* the apparent increasing use of imperial units especially in news stories - "Police are looking for a suspect who is 110kg and 6'2" " on the TV news - we went metric more than 30 years ago for goodness sake

This is true: flying VFR in controlled airspace, the flight visibility has to be 8 km, horizontal seperation from cloud 1 nautical mile and vertical seperation 1000 ft.

Get your head around that.

Cheers
Jon

I reject your reality and substitute my own!
- Adam Savage, Mythbuster

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