Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe (Read 856914 times)

T42 · « **Reply #4250 on:** 17 May, 2016, 02:12:42 pm »

Maybe he was feeling Shakespearean.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #4251 on:** 17 May, 2016, 06:52:07 pm »

Can something really be "rare but not uncommon"? If not, TV's Ayshea Buksh will be looking forward to a period of re-education from the Party's Democracy of the Committed.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4252 on:** 17 May, 2016, 06:55:58 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 17 May, 2016, 06:52:07 pm

Can something really be "rare but not uncommon"? If not, TV's Ayshea Buksh will be looking forward to a period of re-education from the Party's Democracy of the Committed.

A steak?

Tim Hall · « **Reply #4253 on:** 25 May, 2016, 05:14:24 pm »

From the Eurotunnel website:

Quote

The media is reporting fuel shortages in certain locations in France

The media are, shirley?

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #4254 on:** 25 May, 2016, 06:28:59 pm »

No, but "media are" is also acceptable. When using the word media to refer to the press/tv/radio collectively it is treated as singular or plural, in the same way as "data". If referring to, for e.g., a work of art in mixed media, then it is always "media are". On the other hand, if you're talking about several clairvoyants, they are mediums.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #4255 on:** 25 May, 2016, 06:59:45 pm »

Quote from: Pickled Onion on 25 May, 2016, 06:28:59 pm

No, but "media are" is also acceptable. When using the word media to refer to the press/tv/radio collectively it is treated as singular or plural, in the same way as "data". If referring to, for e.g., a work of art in mixed media, then it is always "media are". On the other hand, if you're talking about several clairvoyants, they are ~~mediums~~ fraudsters

fTFY

Legs · « **Reply #4256 on:** 25 May, 2016, 07:33:21 pm »

At the swimming baths:

"Non and weak swimmers should not practice (sic) in the fast lane"

Cringe!

mattc · « **Reply #4257 on:** 26 May, 2016, 03:29:15 pm »

[was this thread declared the dumping ground for neo-logisms?]

R5 coverage of the French Open:

"Watson was definitely the overdog in that match-up."

(from an ENGLISH commentator!!! )

T42 · « **Reply #4258 on:** 04 June, 2016, 02:46:30 pm »

Forwarded by a chum:

" ON: CYCLING, LITTLE-KNOWN BIOLOGICAL FACTS ABOUT

It’s all about finding that rhythm, accelerating as hard as you can
without lactating too much.

/cyclist Magnus Bäckstedt/"

Ian H · « **Reply #4259 on:** 04 June, 2016, 02:48:50 pm »

I should milk that one for all it's worth.

hellymedic · « **Reply #4260 on:** 04 June, 2016, 02:52:04 pm »

On Paris-Breast?

Auntie Helen · « **Reply #4261 on:** 04 June, 2016, 05:14:26 pm »

From RCI Bank's online banking (they are French so perhaps that's an excuse)...

Mind you, I've noticed that people say "there's" for "there are" quite regularly so perhaps "there're" is heading for oblivion.

orienteer · « **Reply #4262 on:** 04 June, 2016, 09:28:03 pm »

Quote from: Auntie Helen on 04 June, 2016, 05:14:26 pm

Mind you, I've noticed that people say "there's" for "there are" quite regularly so perhaps "there're" is heading for oblivion.

As for all concluding interrogatives other than "innit"?

T42 · « **Reply #4263 on:** 07 June, 2016, 11:07:43 am »

"Drink driving" makes me wince. It presumably means driving while being legally drunk, but not necessarily enough to be really drunk. Presumably the perps are then drinken drivers rather than drunken drivers. How does the verb conjugate, I drink drive, I drank drive, they shall have been drinken driven?

Drongos.

hellymedic · « **Reply #4264 on:** 10 June, 2016, 01:49:42 am »

TfL Traffic Tweet
<< Blackfriars Bridge is now closed southbound due to an ongoing collision on the south-side of the bridge.>>

Ongoing collision...

T42 · « **Reply #4265 on:** 10 June, 2016, 07:24:44 am »

^^^ Like a slow-motion film of a crash test.

"South-side" as a noun isn't bad either. Hyphenation gets people all confusticated these days.

mattc · « **Reply #4266 on:** 10 June, 2016, 08:51:10 am »

I was worried that the internet was going to sh1t; but if people are critiquing hyphenation used on Twitter, perhaps everything will be OK ...

T42 · « **Reply #4267 on:** 10 June, 2016, 09:13:12 am »

It's a reflection of the whole bloody world.

T42 · « **Reply #4268 on:** 18 June, 2016, 09:29:18 am »

That.

Guy · « **Reply #4269 on:** 20 June, 2016, 11:34:40 am »

From our daily news round-up email

Quote

MOD supplier Cobham has reported interested in a take-up for a right issue after announcing plans to trim its debt.

No. Me neither.

Andrij · « **Reply #4270 on:** 03 July, 2016, 07:30:35 pm »

From this article:

Quote

Landlady Pauline Forster has been battling for almost a decade to save her legendary music venue that has paid host to Anna Calvi, Factory Floor and John Cooper Clarke while Grace Jones, Grimes, Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss have all been shot in the 600-year-old tavern.

With that kind of violence I'm surprised the place is still open.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4271 on:** 06 July, 2016, 04:38:28 pm »

Nigel Farage is the linguistic (but not literary) heir of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Quote

The British decision on June 23rd to leave the European Union is the legacy of Europe’s age-old divisions. Once Geoffrey Chaucer was inclined, and able, to write in English, it was a straight road to English nationalism and, by extension, Brexit.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2016/07/language?spc=scode&spv=xm&ah=9d7f7ab945510a56fa6d37c30b6f1709

pcolbeck · « **Reply #4272 on:** 08 July, 2016, 12:12:01 pm »

On a travel site that spammed my Facebook feed "Europe's most historical cities". Historic you colonial numpties.

T42 · « **Reply #4273 on:** 19 July, 2016, 04:56:12 pm »

A USAnian-type chum of the missus's on FB:

"Do you live in a village type setting?"

No, dear, it's just a village.

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #4274 on:** 29 July, 2016, 08:12:25 am »

John Lewis are asking me to "Buy a new refrigerated appliance".
$:-\$