Mangled and abused words and phrases
- Thread starter Humpback
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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.
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Seen in a Gerber advert featuring BG the TV scout: Extreme Survival and Ultimate Knife. Translations welcome.
A manager in work today asked me to create a spreadsheet to capture incidents.
I said "You mean 'record' incidents, don't you?"
I said "You mean 'record' incidents, don't you?"
I am the founder (and currently only) member of the Campaign for Punctuation in Roadside Signs.
"Lambs keep dogs out" is a personal favourite.
"Lambs keep dogs out" is a personal favourite.
Triffids mate
I walked into a "World Parts Store" once - I ordered two continents and an ice cap.
I walked into a "World Parts Store" once - I ordered two continents and an ice cap.
do they have flick knives?!?
"slow children" outside schools, nowt like a bit of positive reinforcement!
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
"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.
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.
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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