People who can't spell don't bother me. Corporate entities in advertising of any form: tv, radio, print and online (especially online!) that cannot be bothered about the literacy levels of their staff and are too tight to pay for proofreading or staff who speak and write English or go on and on in one long sentence really get on my wick. (Also people who can't spell honorary!)
[cite]Posted By: SaySomething[/cite]Also can't stand bad spelling on public signs/food menus. I used to visit a pub that, on the bottom of it's their menu had written 'thank you for dinning with us'
It's menu?
Irony?
I was referring to spellings, typo grammar doesn't count!!! :-)
Anyway, surely the written language on a forum is freestyle?!!!!
[cite]Posted By: SaySomething[/cite]Also can't stand bad spelling on public signs/food menus. I used to visit a pub that, on the bottom of it's their menu had written 'thank you for dinning with us'
It's menu?
Irony?
I was referring to spellings, typo grammar doesn't count!!! :-)
Anyway, surely the written language on a forum is freestyle?!!!!
Umm ... I think you'll find that there should be no apostrophe in "it's" when used in the possessive case.
Off topic, I accept .. and not a linguistic pet hate, but here's something that annoys me:
When people cross the road and see a car approaching, why is it that they break into that stupid stiff-legged jog/amble to avoid being knocked down?
I mean, this is a potentially life-threatening situation that they are trying to avoid, but the overwhelming desire seems to be to look cool rather than display any hint of self-preservation.
For me the more annoying ones are those that don't even bother with the sturry. Usually teenage kids with something to prove who just carry on ambling as is they have somehow developed immunity to car bonnets.
[cite]Posted By: Stig[/cite]Names whose spelling is nothing like the pronunciation; Siobhan, Beauchamp, Mainwaring, Dalziel and Dun Laoghaire spring to mind.
I love threads like this. They always make me feel like a mellow fellow.
Something people forget is that there are no strict rules in English, unlike many European languages. None at all. As such, all communication should be assessed based on the ability to convey the message rather than whether it conforms to some rules you have learned. That said, if I could rid the world of one linguistic phenomenon, I would eliminate hypercorrections.
Examples: "He came to visit you and I" "There are two famous psychic octopi"
"Octopi" (along with other etymologically incorrect Latinised plurals) seems to have become standard English, which goes to show that there are no strict rules.
[cite]Posted By: Stig[/cite]Names whose spelling is nothing like the pronunciation; Siobhan, Beauchamp, Mainwaring, Dalziel and Dun Laoghaire spring to mind.
The problem is, Stig, that all those names originate from outside England, so the correct pronunciation is dictated by the language of the parent country, not English.
Where's the rule that says that all countries must adopt the English pronunciation of their own native words? Why, you'll have riots in the streets of København, 北京 and أبو ظبي if you're not careful.
Maybe not what people say but when people in the written word can't distinguish the difference their, there and they're. Also hear and here....winds me up as it's stuff you learn as an 8 year old!!!
Lazy, ignorant sports reporters finding it too demanding to pronounce sixth. "Sikth" is bad enough but I've been told more than once that a contestant finished "sik". Is it really that much to ask when they work for a national broadcaster?
And shouldn't LOL more accurately be something along the lines of FQABCNETMMGIP? (found quite amusing but certainly not enough to make me guffaw in public). How often have people actually "LOLed" at a mildly amusing comment on their phone?
On the subject of sports commentators, if you believe Alan Green on Five Live you will discover that the 18-yard box has a French name ... the penaltière.
Also, Chris Waddle will assure you that "it was a definite pelanty" while you can rely on Jimmy Armfield to explain "What 'appened was ...".
In the words of Graham Taylor, "Of that, there is no doubt."
Just heard this gem on Beeb news.
............................
Male announcer-
"We're just going over to inside Downing street for the latest news'
'
Camera cuts to outside No 10
Male announcer=
'Ah, we seem to be outside Downing Street and not inside'
Female Announcer-
'To be more accurate, we're inside Downing Street, it is a Street, but we're outside no 10 which is what I think you meant.'
Leroy Ambrose: "Not necessarily people who can't spell in general (though that's f***ing annoying - especially when they blame it on dyslexia (99% of people who claim to be dyslexic are just f***ing stupid)) but definitely people who think that there's no difference between "your" and "you're"; or "there" and "They're"; or "bought" and "brought"; or (my absolute pet hate at the moment) "We're" or "we'll" It IS important. It DOES matter. And it DOES make you look a moron. "
Misuse of apostrophes, capital letters and, worst of all, hyphens really bothers me. Especially in a post criticising punctuation!
Also, spell checks on forums that imply 'criticising' is spelt incorrectly. As is 'spelt', apparently.
Comments
As in: "Tomorrow will start cloudy, but will clear from the West, with highs of 28 degrees".
No! It's not "degrees centigrade", it's just plain "Celsius".
"28 Celsius, 82 degrees Farenheit"
I KNOW you can hear me: we're arguing.
This one really makes me want to commit a violent crime.
"Would you like a glass with that?"
to which I usually answer: "Seeing that rats are congenitally incontinent; and pubs store beer in crates out doors; yes I @&£;ing DO want a glass"
Drives me up the bloody wall.
Anyway, surely the written language on a forum is freestyle?!!!!
Umm ... I think you'll find that there should be no apostrophe in "it's" when used in the possessive case.
"It's" is short for 'it is'.
When people cross the road and see a car approaching, why is it that they break into that stupid stiff-legged jog/amble to avoid being knocked down?
I mean, this is a potentially life-threatening situation that they are trying to avoid, but the overwhelming desire seems to be to look cool rather than display any hint of self-preservation.
I can see the obituary now:
He may be dead, but he looked cool
Theyre not names... Go back to france.
Something people forget is that there are no strict rules in English, unlike many European languages. None at all. As such, all communication should be assessed based on the ability to convey the message rather than whether it conforms to some rules you have learned. That said, if I could rid the world of one linguistic phenomenon, I would eliminate hypercorrections.
Examples:
"He came to visit you and I"
"There are two famous psychic octopi"
"Octopi" (along with other etymologically incorrect Latinised plurals) seems to have become standard English, which goes to show that there are no strict rules.
The problem is, Stig, that all those names originate from outside England, so the correct pronunciation is dictated by the language of the parent country, not English.
Where's the rule that says that all countries must adopt the English pronunciation of their own native words? Why, you'll have riots in the streets of København, 北京 and أبو ظبي if you're not careful.
'Of course darling.'
Why do men always have to ask that?
And shouldn't LOL more accurately be something along the lines of FQABCNETMMGIP? (found quite amusing but certainly not enough to make me guffaw in public). How often have people actually "LOLed" at a mildly amusing comment on their phone?
What were all the others before me then?
Also, Chris Waddle will assure you that "it was a definite pelanty" while you can rely on Jimmy Armfield to explain "What 'appened was ...".
In the words of Graham Taylor, "Of that, there is no doubt."
............................
Male announcer-
"We're just going over to inside Downing street for the latest news'
'
Camera cuts to outside No 10
Male announcer=
'Ah, we seem to be outside Downing Street and not inside'
Female Announcer-
'To be more accurate, we're inside Downing Street, it is a Street, but we're outside no 10 which is what I think you meant.'
Misuse of apostrophes, capital letters and, worst of all, hyphens really bothers me. Especially in a post criticising punctuation!
Also, spell checks on forums that imply 'criticising' is spelt incorrectly. As is 'spelt', apparently.