Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe  (Read 834923 times)

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5325 on: 12 July, 2019, 08:22:42 pm »
I think this is increasing in frequency as we see more children speaking 3 languages.

I find having holidayed in Tenerife this year, visited Berlin and now in France that I can sometimes say “Danke, gracias, Merci “

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5326 on: 12 July, 2019, 09:45:20 pm »
I have myself asked for "drei croissant, s'il vous plait"
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5327 on: 13 July, 2019, 07:47:59 am »
US college prof on FB: Peacock baby photos just because their cute.

First comment:  Is that you’re baby?
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5328 on: 14 July, 2019, 10:47:38 pm »
Bonus point for:

I have myself asked for "drei croissant, s'il vous plait por favor"

 :D
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Mr Larrington

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5329 on: 14 July, 2019, 10:55:47 pm »
I have on more than one occasion observed my grate frend Mr Woolrich switching from French to Spanish in mid-sentence.  The look that this produces on a Frenchman's face can only be copied by a lungfish.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5330 on: 14 July, 2019, 11:00:51 pm »
Whereas my Mum and her sister shuttle seamlessly twixt English and Danish and eyelids remain unbatted.

Andrij

  • Андрій
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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5331 on: 15 July, 2019, 07:28:09 am »
The first language I spoke was Ukrainian.  I am most fluent in English.  Growing up our common language was Ukrainglish.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5332 on: 15 July, 2019, 08:38:03 am »
And I'm sure you've been know to switch from Ukrainglish to Englainian in mid-sentence!  :thumbsup:
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5333 on: 15 July, 2019, 09:46:21 am »
Alsacien is the perfect schizophrenic's language. Basically it's a dialect of German, liberally salted with French and pronounced like neither. It also varies from village to village, so that villagers know when to look down their noses at each other.  I'm fluent in French and German but in 30 years I've never managed to get my head round it.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Guy

  • Retired
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5334 on: 19 July, 2019, 09:53:13 am »
Stand up and take a bow British Cycling.

Weekly poll in this week's email:

Quote
Have you ever fallen over while clipping in to your peddles?

 :facepalm: ::-)
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5335 on: 19 July, 2019, 01:29:35 pm »
Any day now the illiterati will be protesting that peddle is an acceptable alternative; and 5 years later the OED will so list it.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5336 on: 19 July, 2019, 01:31:23 pm »
Any day now the illiterati will be protesting that peddle is an acceptable alternative; and 5 years later the OED will so list it.

Chambers already does.


(probably)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Kim

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5337 on: 19 July, 2019, 01:31:36 pm »
Bonus point for:

I have myself asked for "drei croissant, s'il vous plait por favor"

 :D

Last time I tried to speak French, it came out in a mixture of BSL and German...

(Disclaimer: I'm monumentally shit at French, and my brane only has room for about 1.5 languages.)

Torslanda

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5338 on: 21 July, 2019, 07:48:13 am »
Any day now the illiterati will be protesting that peddle is an acceptable alternative; and 5 years later the OED will so list it.

Chambers already does.


(probably)

 "Chambers? Isn't that the dictionary of piss pots?"
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5339 on: 21 July, 2019, 08:07:12 am »
Bonus point for:

I have myself asked for "drei croissant, s'il vous plait por favor"

 :D

Last time I tried to speak French, it came out in a mixture of BSL and German...

(Disclaimer: I'm monumentally shit at French, and my brane only has room for about 1.5 languages.)

IOW three times that of the average Internet user.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5340 on: 25 July, 2019, 05:21:08 pm »
Quote
The town functions as a microcosm of what African Americans have had to deal with in America, says Dr Barbara Ellen Smith, a professor emerita who has spent much of her career focused on inequality in Appalachia.
I don't think I've come across this feminine version before. As we don't inflect adjectives in English, it's kind of odd to do so even if the term is borrowed from Latin. In fact, I'm wondering if we even use this form in UK?

(Ely Dave and others please not, this is another not-cringe!)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Guy

  • Retired
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5341 on: 26 July, 2019, 08:07:20 am »
I thought "emerita" was the plural form of "emeritus".

I have been wrong before, and am quite happy to be wrong again.
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5342 on: 26 July, 2019, 08:11:11 am »
The plural is "emeriti" according to Merriam-Webster.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emeritus
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5343 on: 26 July, 2019, 09:22:09 am »
The plural is "emeriti" according to Merriam-Webster.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emeritus

 :sick:

When did it become a noun?

This is an outrage.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Salvatore

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5344 on: 26 July, 2019, 09:33:42 am »
Quote
The town functions as a microcosm of what African Americans have had to deal with in America, says Dr Barbara Ellen Smith, a professor emerita who has spent much of her career focused on inequality in Appalachia.
I don't think I've come across this feminine version before. As we don't inflect adjectives in English, it's kind of odd to do so even if the term is borrowed from Latin. In fact, I'm wondering if we even use this form in UK?

(Ely Dave and others please not, this is another not-cringe!)

Not only English but also Welsh

Quote
Athro Almaeneg Emerita Aberystwyth Emerita Professor of German 
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5345 on: 26 July, 2019, 09:35:56 am »
The plural is "emeriti" according to Merriam-Webster.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emeritus

 :sick:

When did it become a noun?

This is an outrage.

Hang about, it'll be a verb next week.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5346 on: 26 July, 2019, 09:40:51 am »
Hang about, it'll be a verb next week.

Single or double S in the past participle?
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Salvatore

  • Джон Спунър
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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5347 on: 26 July, 2019, 09:53:54 am »
The plural is "emeriti" according to Merriam-Webster.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emeritus

 :sick:

When did it become a noun?


Since Tacitus, Suetonius and Lacanus used it as a noun, I'd say it was about 2000 years ago.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5348 on: 26 July, 2019, 10:34:48 am »
Since Tacitus, Suetonius and Lacanus used it as a noun, I'd say it was about 2000 years ago.

OK, fair enough, but they were using the original Latin. I've only ever seen it used in English as an adjective.

I might also argue that it should take a naturalised plural form. Not least because it has become somewhat distanced from the original meaning (veteran soldier). See also: forum, stadium. I'm sure some smart arse will point out examples where I'm happy to use a non-naturalised plural form (eg data). But I really don't care. I don't make any claim to being rational about this.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #5349 on: 26 July, 2019, 11:07:51 am »
Hang about, it'll be a verb next week.

Single or double S in the past participle?

Oh, a single, so that people can argue over whether it's pronounced -ussed or -yoozed.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight