Making the Curmudge cringe.....

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:33 pm

Teaching your kids the intricacies of English is always a fun adventure in dislogic (hows that one!).

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:06 pm

This example may be kinda unique, but it's one of the only ones I haven't dismembered...

My Balinese friend frequently uses the phrase "in the between"...and I defy anyone to explain why there's anything wrong with it.

All that aside, if I never hear the word 'awesome' again, it'll be...well...pleasantly satisfying...

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:07 am

In our local newspaper once, a writer used the phrase "possibly imminent"!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:32 am

Was it a possibly eminent writer? Possibly even an impossibly eminent literary personality!

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:38 am

If it was in the local newspaper, it was probably written by a 'pundant'.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:40 am

Business terms that give me the business:

"User-friendly" when applied to things that are anything but.

"Value-added". I can't tell you how many business presentations I've sat through that use this one.

"Team", and individual "associates" (whatever happened to "employee"?

Annual report jargon:

"Bozo Clownsuits, Inc., released its 2004 annual report to shareholders today emphasizing the company's focus on sound strategy, steady execution and highlighting the company's leading efforts in economic development and community initiatives in its service areas."

Huh?

For some more language fun, look at LSSU's banished words list:

http://www.lssu.edu/banished/complete_list.php

Also:

http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp

lyle_from_minneapolis · Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:41 am

"A whole nother."

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:48 am

A whole nuther whut?

lyle_from_minneapolis · Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:01 am

I was listening to an "expert" something-or-other on NPR say, "That's a whole nother issue..."

And I cringed.

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:34 am

How about the stores that call you a guest?! I don't charge my guests when they come to visit.

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:03 pm

Curmudge, how about the term "Active weather?" What is inactive weather?

Our language is evolving to great heights. I still find it amusing to hear of an "entrance system", instead of a front door. Also, why consult when you can "out source."

lyle_from_minneapolis · Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:22 pm

We used to have lunch, but now we do lunch.

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:24 pm

Simple, Peter - consulting allows you to maximize your upside potential, while outsourcing simply subverts the dominant paradigm.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:25 pm

Another pet curmudgeonly peeve in spoken English:

"Actually..."

Then there's the situation (comes up weekly at least)in which a student comes up to me for instructions on how to accomplish task A or B.

I carefully and in great detail explain the steps required to get the desired result.

Half-way through, I notice student NOT taking notes. I think: Wow! photographic memory! (NOT!)

When I'm finished explaining, the student says:

"Really?"

nukebass · Post by **nukebass** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 3:12 pm

Nukular bothers me, but I guess that's obvious (maybe I should change my screen name to NucBass). It comes from nucleus and I don't remember hearing anybody ever say, "nukulus."

English doesn't make any sense anyway. Every rule has an exception. Oh, and I always get except and accept wrong (well, not always, but it takes a minute to figure it out). I once went to a restaurant with a sign on the door stating, "We no longer except checks."

I also don't like it when people write insure instead of ensure. That's probably the most common written error I see.