Grammar that makes you cringe

[Bledlow]

Tue 11 Aug 2009      09:00      BBC Radio 4

Fry's English Delight

Stephen Fry explores the highways and byways of the English language.

Stephen examines how 'wrong' English can become right English. For example, nowadays, more people use the word 'wireless' in a computer context than in a radio one. With help from a lexicographer, an educationalist, a Times sub-editor and a judge, Stephen examines the way in which usage changes language.

He applauds the council leader who claimed the services provided by her local authority should be seen as strawberry-flavoured and castigates attempts at banning government jargon like step change and synergie. Banning words is fruitless; he favours blue sky thinking, and strawberry flavouring.

Bloody Trefusis. Donald always was a provocative git, & his alter ego also likes stirring just for the fun of it.

[citoyen]

Bloody Trefusis. Donald always was a provocative git, & his alter ego also likes stirring just for the fun of it.

But he makes an important point. Not all neologisms are necessarily A Bad Thing. Many of the complaints in this thread just sound reactionary for the sake of it.

d.

[Ian H]

...I will say, though, that commas are not hundreds-and-thousands, used for decorative purposes.

Whereas I'm always impressed by the complete lack of commas in official legal English.

[Ian H]

But he makes an important point. Not all neologisms are necessarily A Bad Thing. Many of the complaints in this thread just sound reactionary for the sake of it.

d.

His most important point is that the creation of neologisms is unstoppable. It was an interesting to hear about the divergence between official regulated French as it appears in print, and colloquial spoken French.

[Polar Bear]

I've spent the last couple of days reviewing a Disability Access Report.   Lots of curbing where kerbing was really intended!

[mattc]

Bloody Trefusis. Donald always was a provocative git, & his alter ego also likes stirring just for the fun of it.

But he makes an important point. Not all neologisms are necessarily A Bad Thing. Many of the complaints in this thread just sound reactionary for the sake of it.

d.

Not all neologisms are created equal. We have a right to throw out the bad!

[Charlotte]

But I'd really like to reach out and engage around the key learnings and takeaways of this thread...

Perhaps if we sit down together, I can leverage some of your competency and together, we can really grow some fresh value and monetize our collaborative output?

[Kathy]

But I'd really like to reach out and engage around the key learnings and takeaways of this thread...

Perhaps if we sit down together, I can leverage some of your competency and together, we can really grow some fresh value and monetize our collaborative output?

Going forward, I feel we need to action on your blue-sky thinking.

[clarion]

We need to enact the factualisation on the ground.

[Jaded]

Be the bridge, guys, be the bridge.

[Ian H]

I see you are all moving forward to a fulfilling cliche experience.

[clarion]

Indeed.  Taste the strawberry.

[Greenbank]

Single phrases are easy. There are people here who can talk for *hours* without conveying a single fact or making a single useful point. It's an art.

[Ian H]

Back to grammar:-

The Business League is looking for you to build the Business League know how into new clubs and become Chairpersons of new branches of our well-proven Business Networking and Support Club and its great ethos to parts of the South and South West of England

You would be responsible for the formation and initial well being of new clubs and its members using a well established format and gaining good support from The Business League Head Office and Area Manager in the region.

[Charlotte]

Tautologies definitely count.

"Planning ahead" makes me twitch.

When people refer to "ATM machines", I get all stabby.

[peliroja]

So, shall we traffic-light that principle?

[Polar Bear]

Tautologies definitely count.

When people refer to "ATM machines", I get all stabby.

They'll be using their PIN numbers too  

Edit:  beaten to it.  

[Charlotte]

So, shall we traffic-light that principle?

How about we phase in a trial implementation of RAG reporting?

[peliroja]

how about an all-hands to deep-dive and bake that in; do you have the bandwidth?

[Butterfly]

The more I read, the happier I am that the last time I worked in an office was 1989 .

[peliroja]

So Butterfly, the high-level overview is that it's not a hi-pri for you?

[Regulator]

STOP IT YOU LOT!

Before I go postal with an AK47 and Mr Shovel.... 

[peliroja]

So, Reg, I'm sensing some pushback. Can we sync-up offline to engage around the ten-thousand foot view?

[peliroja]

... and identify your pain points?

(OK enough now

[Charlotte]

how about an all-hands to deep-dive and bake that in; do you have the bandwidth?

I say we sunset that idea.  You're a team player, but we're going off-piste where there's a lot of powder so expect some avalanches.  

It's about time we all started eating some reality sandwiches, so let's helicopter this one around the room...