Mangled and abused words and phrases

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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,718
1,964
Mercia
Ahhh now there is an interesting point. Surely these days, a credit card...isn't. A library card might be. But a credit card is not made from card(board) after all. Surely a credit card is, more accurately, paying with plastic?
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Ahhh now there is an interesting point. Surely these days, a credit card...isn't. A library card might be. But a credit card is not made from card(board) after all. Surely a credit card is, more accurately, paying with plastic?

Was the card named for being made from cardboard? Or was the cardboard named for being used to make cards? If the latter, then a card might be made from any material.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,718
1,964
Mercia
Triffids mate

I walked into a "World Parts Store" once - I ordered two continents and an ice cap.
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
I am the founder (and currently only) member of the Campaign for Punctuation in Roadside Signs.

"Lambs keep dogs out" is a personal favourite.

do they have flick knives?!?

"slow children" outside schools, nowt like a bit of positive reinforcement!
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
If we are going down this route, the "Bridge works" is rather reassuring.

Back on topic, I'm amazed no-one has mentioned "I could of" yet

Interestingly that one is actually the pronunciation of a proper contraction, "could've." But when people use it in the negative, "couldn't of" not so proper.
 

Mikey P

Full Member
Nov 22, 2003
2,257
12
53
Glasgow, Scotland
For Christ's sake, get over yourselves. Languages evolve and always have done, both in pronunciation and meaning. The English you're speaking today would likely make Shakespeare turn in his grave. And many of the Finnish words I use today, would be unintelligible to a Finn 50 years ago.

PS But I have to agree that the constant use of "tactical" turns my toes red. :lmao:

However, there have to be rules in grammar as that's what grammar is! Otherwise, it would be chaos and would mean nothing. Much of what we are discussing above is language that makes for poor or ambiguous meaning and that is not 'evolution'.

Mind you, you have proved my rule about non-native speakers having good spelling/grammar!
 

Mikey P

Full Member
Nov 22, 2003
2,257
12
53
Glasgow, Scotland
I'm about to alienate all of Glasgow now but I tease my friend about this all the time. I don't know if this is common elsewhere in Scotland but, here, people say 'I done that' and 'I seen that' instead of 'I did that' or 'I saw that'. I've bloody started doing it too now!
 

swright81076

Tinkerer
Apr 7, 2012
1,702
1
Castleford, West Yorkshire
"Will you borrow me that...... "

Then there's the dreadful text speak, kids are even starting to write on paper like it.
"Gr8 m8, r u out l8er, dares a film on in da cinema"

sent from my Jelly Bean'd galaxy nexus.
 

Mikey P

Full Member
Nov 22, 2003
2,257
12
53
Glasgow, Scotland
Yup. Drives me nuts. I don't text speak.

Y not m8 u shd lern its gr8 lols!

Which nicely leads me onto people's 'stream of consciousness' comments where there are no capital letters and no punctuation. For example:

"hey does anyone no what the best type of stick to buy is i would like to buy some and wonted to no so any help would be gr8 ha ha I'm a bit dense lols!"

***?

PS - Loving this! Who needs Naughty Corner when you have Pedants' Corner?
 

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