Grammar that makes you cringe

[Biggsy]

Despatches, matches and despatches.  Despatched from the womb first.  I'm not thaaaat much against the Monarchy that I want the sprog to be despatched from the world on day 1. 

[clarion]

I thought it was: Hatches; Matches; Despatches.

[Peter]

It is:  Hatched, matched, despatched, referred to the notices in the papers.

[Tewdric]

"The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son".

This makes me cringe, whether or not it's "correct".  "Delivered of"?  What nonsense.

That is, indeed, correct. Pregnancy is a parlous stated and the labouring woman is safely delivered of the infant who threatens her existence.
Obstructed labour still kills women.
A live-born baby is a bonus.

This is the correct usage.
You may not like it.

I agree - "delivery" is derived from the Latin liberare, so "freed away" of a baby.

"Delivered from a son" is also arguably correct but doesn't sound nearly as charitable.

I'm not sure how good a classicist I'd like my gynaecologist to be, having said all this.

[Biggsy]

Oh, shut up, you lot.   This thread is not about grammar that is incorrect!  It's about grammar that makes you cringe! 

I thought it was: Hatches; Matches; Despatches.

It was.  It is now despatches, matches and despatches.

[Tewdric]

Or no catch matches but lots of dispatches, if you are an Australian cricketer.

[Cudzoziemiec]

"The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son".

This makes me cringe, whether or not it's "correct".  "Delivered of"?  What nonsense.

That is, indeed, correct. Pregnancy is a parlous stated and the labouring woman is safely delivered of the infant who threatens her existence.
Obstructed labour still kills women.
A live-born baby is a bonus.

This is the correct usage.
You may not like it.

I agree - "delivery" is derived from the Latin liberare, so "freed away" of a baby.

"Delivered from a son" is also arguably correct but doesn't sound nearly as charitable.

I'm not sure how good a classicist I'd like my gynaecologist to be, having said all this.

Your gynaecologist?

[Tewdric]

The wonder of the present conditional!

[Arch]

It was.  It is now despatches, matches and despatches.

Who says? I've never heard that. It doesn't make sense.

[Biggsy]

It was.  It is now despatches, matches and despatches.

Who says? I've never heard that. It doesn't make sense.

I says.  Despatched from the womb first, despatched from the world last.  Optional (and ultimately pointless) stuff in the middle.

[Bledlow]

The beauty of 'hatched, matched & despatched' is that the meaning is immediately obvious & it has a good rhythm. Your alternative is, to put it bluntly, crap. It sounds ugly & leaves those who hear it wondering what the hell it's about.

The original's been around for a very long time. I can't imagine your clumsy alternative replacing it.

[Biggsy]

That is all true! 

[RJ]

[paraphrase]This report updates and supersedes the earlier one[/paraphrase]

It would be helpful to know which.  *sigh*

[Wowbagger]

So being delivered from evil is very different from being delivered of evil.

[Gareth Rees]

[paraphrase]This report updates and supersedes the earlier one[/paraphrase]

It would be helpful to know which.  *sigh*

Couldn't it be both?

[RJ]

[paraphrase]This report updates and supersedes the earlier one[/paraphrase]

It would be helpful to know which.  *sigh*

Couldn't it be both?

supersede verb (superseded, superseding) 1 to take the place of (something, especially something outdated or no longer valid)

To my mind, "supersede" implies an entirely new, standalone {report/thing}, whereas "update" means you need both old and new {reports/things} in combination with each other.

(The documents concerned are as long as and drier than {a} Russian novel{s}, hence my grumpiness ...)

[Squarewheels]

People who say quality without a qualifier. When someone says quality do they mean high quality or low quality? Obviously what they mean is high quality - but it really annoys me. Grrr...

[Gareth Rees]

whereas "update" means you need both old and new {reports/things} in combination with each other.

There's another way of using update, whereby "A updates B" means "A is a revised (up to date) version of B".

[mattc]

whereas "update" means you need both old and new {reports/things} in combination with each other.

There's another way of using update, whereby "A updates B" means "A is a revised (up to date) version of B".

 

Luckily I've never seen that usage before now.

[RJ]

whereas "update" means you need both old and new {reports/things} in combination with each other.

There's another way of using update, whereby "A updates B" means "A is a revised (up to date) version of B".

In which case, "supersede" renders "update" redundant?

[Gareth Rees]

In which case, "supersede" renders "update" redundant?

Yes, I expect so: the phrase is like a legal doublet in that respect. Google estimates 15 million hits for "updates and supersedes" so it seems to be a set phrase.

[RJ]

 

15 million Google hits might make common usage, but not necessarily good grammar 

[hellymedic]

So being delivered from evil is very different from being delivered of evil.

Escape does not equal exorcism.

[mattc]

Reader's Listener's* letter on <R4 Science Programme>:

"
...blah blah ... bacteria not bacterium ... blah blah ..

I turned off immediately, and shall not be listening to this programme again.
"

 




*Does anyone else find they make more typos etc on this thread than any other? Just me?

[clarion]

They just had a whole item on the programme of the presenter trying to justify his slack and ignorant usage.

I never thought I'd miss Quentin Cooper...