Grammar that makes you cringe

[Kim]

Perpendicular Road has to be a real name somewhere. We have a Circular Road in Bristol (which no one lives on) but if you google "perpendicular road bristol" it gives you this.

Ah yes, the Z-axis.

Searching Google Maps for "Perpendicular Road" leads me to Perpendicular Monkey Limited, a web design company near Bournmouth with an expired SSL certificate.  Remember when Google used to be good?

[Cudzoziemiec]

I'm wondering whether Perpendicular Road should cross Parallel Avenue at right angles or run alongside it. Either combination is likely to result in Tardis geometry.

[TheLurker]

He set out the position thus: “... punctuation can make that more difficult, particularly with modern computer systems.”

Phew!  What a relief. All we have to do to prevent the machines taking over is use punctuation marks correctly. 



We're doomed, aren't we?

[Kim]

I'm wondering whether Perpendicular Road should cross Parallel Avenue at right angles or run alongside it. Either combination is likely to result in Tardis geometry.

Or worse, Runcorn.

[hellymedic]

[Not Grammar]
Some map databases contain total garbage for certain entries.

I ordered something from a local Screwfix and wanted to pick up this Click & Collect package on my return from a visit to my Mum, using my Taxicard for two concatenated journeys.

Cab driver rather puzzled by the Google Maps address. Road given TOTALLY wrong though postcode OK. We both knew the actual location of said shop & picked up package fine but…

Screwfix Colindale is NOT on Colindale Avenue. It's on Capitol Way…
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Screwfix+Colindale/@51.5941685,-0.2659666,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x4876118ca87ed625:0x81d0c353f91dee36!8m2!3d51.593502!4d-0.2646791!16s%2Fg%2F1ptwk1rvs?entry=ttu

[Pingu]

'Twas ever thus.

In the before times lived in a flat on Northfield Place which some taxi drivers assumed was in Northfield and then got grumpy when it wasn't 

[Peter]

Not grammer but didn't want to let this go:-

"Good play from Everton that's what I expect to see. Trying to attack with a bit of fast play and not working, reverberating the ball, regenerating it and moving it into wide positions."

Leon Osman,  BBC stundit on Everton v Manchester United.

[Pingu]

Not grammer but didn't want to let this go:-

"Good play from Everton that's what I expect to see. Trying to attack with a bit of fast play and not working, reverberating the ball, regenerating it and moving it into wide positions."

Leon Osman,  BBC stundit on Everton v Manchester United.

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=38327.0

[Peter]

Well, he didn't spell anything wrong, whereas I did.  But I'll leave it there as a reference to my almost life-long love affair with Down With Skool!

[Pingu]

I'm hoping for poor grammar in the spelling thread...

[Morat]

When did "Can I get?" replace "Please may I have" when talking to salespersons in retail/catering?

[L CC]

When did "Can I get?" replace "Please may I have" when talking to salespersons in retail/catering?

26th Nov 2010 in this thread.

Me: "Would you like a cuppa?"

Colleague: "Yeah. Can I get no sugar?"

Me: "Er... I don't know. Can you?"

However, linguist Gareth Rees put us all right on 26th November (coincidence!) 2013
Start here

I'm hitting Peak Pedantry here 

[Cudzoziemiec]

"Can I get no sugar?" sounds like an attempt at being Nina Simone.

[tonyh]

However, linguist Gareth Rees put us all right on 26th November (coincidence!) 2013
Start here

Thanks L CC - what a feast!

[Giraffe]

Winchester YH: USAnian at hatch "Say, can I get  more water in this?" (teapot). I'm next " Please may I have some more water for this, when you have time?" 2 min later, warden brings me a fully refreshed teapot. USAnian still waiting.

[Cudzoziemiec]

And I thought the stereotype of grumpy YH wardens acting on prejudices was unfounded.

[Giraffe]

She wasn't grumpy - just objected to the lack of "please"; I didn't like "can" - the kitchen was private and so he couldn't.

[Pickled Onion]

She wasn't grumpy - just objected to the lack of "please"; I didn't like "can" - the kitchen was private and so he couldn't.

Like this?

[citoyen]

When did "Can I get?" replace "Please may I have" when talking to salespersons in retail/catering?

26th Nov 2010 in this thread.

Me: "Would you like a cuppa?"

Colleague: "Yeah. Can I get no sugar?"

Me: "Er... I don't know. Can you?"

However, linguist Gareth Rees put us all right on 26th November (coincidence!) 2013
Start here

I'm hitting Peak Pedantry here 

Ha!

My problem with "Can I get no sugar?" wasn't really with the use of get, more the brain-mangling use of the negative.

I still don't like "I'm good" but I don't think I would argue the toss so strongly these days. Gareth was essentially correct.

[Cudzoziemiec]

More vocabular than grammar, but this sentence seems back to front to me:

Not least because of the way he has broadened out his generic criticism to specific broadcasters, who have then had to face the wrath of his 2.7 million social media followers.

Surely going from generic to specific is narrowing down not broadening out?

[Cudzoziemiec]

I can't make the link to the photo work directly, but if you follow this link and scroll down to the photo of "wall decoration" you'll see what I'm talking about.
https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street/families/family-72

The word "prebelated" is interesting. No, not in a cringing way. There's presumably an element of using fancy language for an occasion, but is it also bet-hedging? Maybe "I missed your birthday this year but I'm early for next year"? Or "I'm writing this in advance so it's early even if I give it to you late"? Maybe it's actually a recognised word in Liberian English?

[jsabine]

It's here and it's ready for you, but you're unable to receive it until after the due date?

[Cudzoziemiec]

AKA "We've dispatched it and now it's in the warehouse of <Hermes/DPD/DHL/FedEx/UPS/FarcelPorce/Hobbling Pigeon>".

[Tim Hall]

New! Shiny! window graphics have been applied at my place of work, with company branding, line drawings of products ect ect. They look very nice.

Except two office doors are being labelled up with the names of the occupants like this:  "Bob's Office".  Except there's no apostrophe. It'll make my teeth itch every time I look at it.

[Jurek]

New! Shiny! window graphics have been applied at my place of work, with company branding, line drawings of products ect ect. They look very nice.

Except two office doors are being labelled up with the names of the occupants like this:  "Bob's Office".  Except there's no apostrophe. It'll make my teeth itch every time I look at it.

Chewing some sand paper should help with that.