Word abuses 9

[SantaMufasa]

(I have tried to find a previous thread that dealt with word abuses, but I cannot locate it. If you can locate it, please let me know, and I'll add to that one, then I'll delete this thread.)

[ul][li]The painful sentence I heard just now on the Noon News was, "Be sure to get the vaccinizations for your children."[/li]

[li]At McDonald's, I ordered two breakfasts. The cashier called back the order, "Two Big Breakfasses."[/li]

[li]I also dislike the misuse of the plurals for instance, incidence and incident:

The two arson incidences occurred within an hour of each other.

[/li][/ul]

Do you have other incidences of word abuse?

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[hjgoldstein]

I'll always remember my teacher in 4th year junior school (7th grade? For 10/11 year olds) who said (ad nauseam) "Don't pepper plurals with apostrophes."

Aspiring to mediocrity since 1957

 

[strongm]

Strongm, could you please post an example of awhile used as an adverb?

Adverb: Let's wait awhile
Noun: Let's wait for a while

 

[johnherman]

It's important to note that languages DO evolve. While many of us shudder to think that certain slang used by the younger generation will be added to the dictionary, one should remember that "ain't" was formerly blacklisted. Nevertheless, I shudder to think that the shorthand used by modern texters could someday be as commonplace as traditional media language. Thou canst expect out language to change.

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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[ANFPS26]

My pet peeve is the improper use of the word "badly". If you say, "I feel badly about this," then you have something wrong with your hands. You never say, I feel "sadly", so why "badly"? The proper sentence is, "I feel bad about this"!! I hear "badly" used in error constantly.

Jim

 

[strongm]

>one should remember that "ain't" was formerly blacklisted

Do you have a citation for this?

 

[johnherman]

I'm old enough to remember when it wasn't in the dictionary. I'll try to find something which refers to its acceptance in American English. It is certainly not acceptable in the "Queen's English".


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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[johnherman]

citations regarding "AIN'T":

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ain't

https://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2012/03/21/death-of-a-dictionary-or-abduction/

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/drgw003.html

http://www.newrepublic.com/book/review/the-story-of-aint-dictionary-controversy-david-skinner#

http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2009/julyaugust/feature/ain’t-the-truth

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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[mscallisto]

Pre once meant : earlier than : prior to : before such as pre sliced meant before slicing and pre-recorded meant before it was recorded, you know all the others.

Now the whole concept seems to have changed to just the opposite; pre-sliced at the deli means previously sliced (sliced) and pre-recorded means recorded.

So go to the deli and ask for a half pound of pre-sliced cheese and when they bring post-sliced cheese tell them you didn't ask for that and see how far you get!

Sam

 

[Andrzejek]

When you go to the airport, often you get pre-boarded, which is “you get on the plane before you get on the plane”

Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[Olaf Doschke]

And when is an oven pre-heated? Before it's heated?

Bye, Olaf.

 

[SantaMufasa]

Mrs. Santa: Honey, could you please get the beef roast out of the freezer, then put it on the counter to unthaw?

I: If you want the roast to unthaw, shouldn't I leave it in the freezer?

Mrs. Santa: Honey, do you want me to give you an un-black eye?

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[strongm]

citations regarding "AIN'T":

None of which say that "ain't" was ever blacklisted, which is the contention I was questioning. The omission from one particular dictionary (corrected by the later volume that most of the citations refer to) is not the same as blacklisting. At best it's use is (and was) frowned upon by a certain segment of language purists, which is a somewhat different matter.


>It is certainly not acceptable in the "Queen's English".

If by that you mean British English, you will perhaps have to have a word with Charles Dickens, who used it frequently. And to cockneys, who use it as well. There are other UK dialects that happily use it and have been doing so since at least the 18th century (with earlier variants documented back to the 17th Century). Sure, some people frown on it being used in formal contexts, but that does not mean it is part of the language (or would you suggest that f**k or other swear words - also not seen as acceptable in formal contexts - are not part of the language?)

Interestingly, some sources suggest that the view that it was an unacceptable word for formal contexts seems to have derived from its increasing use by what were seen as the lower-classes and the ill-educated (even though it was once in common use by the English upper class).

 

[KornGeek]

Growing up, I remember hearing

Don't say "ain't", because "ain't" ain't right.

 

[Annihilannic]

Reminds me of the Little Johnny joke which prefaces this document:

http://brooklyn-wac.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/raimes-errors-windows-1991.pdf

...which happens to be interesting and relevant in itself!

Annihilannic
[small]tgmlify - code syntax highlighting for your tek-tips posts[/small]

 

[mscallisto]

Another super abuse is most common lay vs lie.

Lay means to put or set something down, is a transitive verb, a direct object will come after it.
e.g. I lay down the book means You, the subject, set down the book, the object.

Lie means to assume rest in a horizontal position, no object required.

Too many people say I was laying down after eating three big macs WRONG
I was laying down the fourth big mac after eating three. RIGHT
I was lying down after I ate three big macs. RIGHT

sam

 

[flyboytim]

Now, if it's a beef roast, then it's been pre-roasted* ain't it (or "innit" in modern parlance), or otherwise it'd be just beef?

*As in "Here's one I done earlier". (I know it's done, rather than did, because my wife asked "Is it done?", and I checked, and it was.)

 

[SantaMufasa]

In my understanding, at least amongst meat cutters here in the U.S., a beef roast is a particular "cut" of meat that you purchase uncooked, which you would then likely take home and apply heat, thus turning the beef roast into roast beef.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[hjgoldstein]

Here in the UK there are several different cuts of beef that can be used for roasting.

My favourite is Fore-rib which for my money gives the best, most succulent finished product.

Always served with crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding and a rich gravy. A dollop of Horseradish sauce and you have a meal fit for a King. As far as vegetables are concerned, whatever is good and fresh and local will do.

Aspiring to mediocrity since 1957

 

[hjgoldstein]

Now I'm hungry!

Aspiring to mediocrity since 1957

 

[philhege]

Apostrophe....

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