Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe  (Read 835059 times)

Zoidburg

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #425 on: 11 August, 2009, 04:57:28 pm »
What this thread needs is some blue sky thinking.

eck

  • Gonna ride my bike until I get home...
    • Angus Bike Chain CC
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #426 on: 11 August, 2009, 09:19:41 pm »
Again, maybe not quite grammar, but why (oh why  ::-))  are the prices of stuff, esp cycling stuff, always expressed as "Only...."

A Dura Ace cassette is not "Only £158.85". It's "£158.85. FFS  :o"

It's a bit weird, but actually quite wonderful.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #427 on: 11 August, 2009, 09:33:17 pm »
No, it's not an "automatic door" if you need to press a button to open it.  It's a POWERED door.

An automatic door would require no manual operation whatsoever.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #428 on: 11 August, 2009, 10:04:41 pm »
Not strictly grammar but...

Was listening to Radcliffe & Maconie this evening talking about Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. I was amused that Maconie said something along the lines of how interesting the Jackon 5's career was in light of the "enormity" of what Michael Jackson went on to do.

It's possible that he really meant that, bearing in mind the rumours and allegations that surrounded Jackson in his later life, but I suspect not.  ;D

d.

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

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #429 on: 12 August, 2009, 10:04:45 am »
I dunno.  maconie chooses his words more carefully than you might at first imagine ;D

Meanwhile, I was reminded of a pet hate sign this morning:

Vehicle Continuously Stopping
Getting there...

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #430 on: 12 August, 2009, 10:23:18 am »
weather conditions. pah!
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #431 on: 12 August, 2009, 10:48:18 am »

Too much of this is a bad thing.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #432 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:15:31 pm »

Too much of this is a bad thing.

Regarding the management bovine pasture consumption byproducts spattered up-thread, I'd agree.  ;D
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #433 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:28:34 pm »

Vehicle Continuously Stopping

There's nothing worse than a vehicle stopping ungrammatically.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #434 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:33:45 pm »
I suppose there is the opposite of tautology, contradiction.

Hurry up and stop, or slow down faster.
Can't you see that you are blind?

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #435 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:44:50 pm »

Can't you see that you are blind?

P1ss off!




 ;)

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #436 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:47:11 pm »
Surely, the definition of grammar that makes you cringe is the old dear planting a sloppy kiss on your chops when you visit.

And you wished she'd stopped doing that when you were 8 years old.



Ayethangewe!  ;D
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #437 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:51:29 pm »

Can't you see that you are blind?

P1ss off!




 ;)

That wasn't aimed at you.
If it was aimed at you I'd have said something like, "Remember you're a womble that your memory is real bad."



But I didn't because I'm good. O:-)

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #438 on: 12 August, 2009, 12:58:29 pm »

If it was aimed at you, I'd have said something like, "Remember, you're a womble that your memory is real bad."

But I didn't because I'm good. O:-)

I've got the memory of an elephant...




...it was in a circus somewhere.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #439 on: 13 August, 2009, 09:43:19 am »
...US military sources can become intelligent ...

Although they have shown no sign of it whatsoever....
Getting there...

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #440 on: 13 August, 2009, 09:55:19 am »
...US military sources can become intelligent ...

Although they have shown no sign of it whatsoever....

Same goes for the British military of course.

Roadrunner's complaint is wrong, since intelligence is also news or information.
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #441 on: 13 August, 2009, 10:49:03 am »
...US military sources can become intelligent ...

Although they have shown no sign of it whatsoever....

Same goes for the British military of course.

Roadrunner's complaint is wrong, since intelligence is also news or information.


Actually, news or information is exactly that - news or information.  Intelligence is the assessment of that news or information.

Therefore, road-runner is correct.
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #442 on: 13 August, 2009, 10:52:03 am »

Actually, news or information is exactly that - news or information.  Intelligence is the assessment of that news or information.

Therefore, road-runner is correct.

Not according to the OED. It's an old use of the word that's coming back into use.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #443 on: 13 August, 2009, 10:53:56 am »
I believe that Shakespeare uses the transitive verb intelligence, as in 'He intelligenced me that...' for informing, but I can't remember where it was.  It may, of course, have been Milton or Jonson, or even Pope, for that matter, :-[ but I know it's quite an old usage, and it stood out when I read it.
Getting there...

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #444 on: 13 August, 2009, 10:55:02 am »

Actually, news or information is exactly that - news or information.  Intelligence is the assessment of that news or information.

Therefore, road-runner is correct.

Not according to the OED. It's an old use of the word that's coming back into use.

*GASP*  Regulator is wrong?  Well I  never...

 :demon: ;D
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #445 on: 13 August, 2009, 10:57:34 am »

Actually, news or information is exactly that - news or information.  Intelligence is the assessment of that news or information.

Therefore, road-runner is correct.

Not according to the OED. It's an old use of the word that's coming back into use.

Care to give the full definition from the OED?  ;)
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #446 on: 13 August, 2009, 11:04:15 am »


Care to give the full definition from the OED?  ;)

Just the relevant bits (actually from the Shorter OED):-

Mutual conveyance of information; communication, intercourse. Now rare or obs. 1531.

Information, news, tidings 1450.

A piece of information or news -1750.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #447 on: 13 August, 2009, 11:10:44 am »
Since it's regularly used as such, why bother arguing the point, Reg?  Does it hurt so much to be wrong once in a while?
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #448 on: 13 August, 2009, 11:11:54 am »
Since it's regularly used as such, why bother arguing the point, Reg?  Does it hurt so much to be wrong once in a while?

The fact that it's used doesn't make it correct.  Just like when people say 'less' instead of 'fewer'.
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #449 on: 13 August, 2009, 11:17:15 am »
Refer to Mr Fry.   Sad though it is, our language evolves and, for many people, 'less' is a synonym for 'fewer', and they will be understood.

The corruption/evolution of language (for example the attachment of 'loony' to 'left' or the replacement of 'respect' with 'political correctness', or, for that matter, the debasement of the word 'respect' itself) is something I might regret, but have not the defences to resist.
Getting there...