Grammar that makes you cringe

[clarion]

Not heard it.

[Wowbagger]

"Small little..." juxtaposed. I have seen this often enough for it to make me think that "small" and "little" are not precisely synonymous, at least, not in the minds of those who put the two together.

What do others think?

[red marley]

That one goes back at least as far as Aristotle as an example of rhetorical tautology. Nothing wrong with repeating something a couple of times for emphasis.

[T42]

Sometimes you can't win...

Use, not take.


Take, not use.

Ah go on.  Take the road, take pride, take the bus...

[Nuncio]

"Small little..." juxtaposed. I have seen this often enough for it to make me think that "small" and "little" are not precisely synonymous, at least, not in the minds of those who put the two together.

What do others think?

Absolutely nothing wrong with repeating something for emphasis.

[Legs]

My apologies if this has been dealt with earlier in the thread, however I felt I had to get it off my chest.  It's not a difficult thing to get right, however lots of people do it. 

https://www.englishforums.com/English/CommaUsageAfterHowever/kvpw/post.htm

[mattc]

"Small little..." juxtaposed. I have seen this often enough for it to make me think that "small" and "little" are not precisely synonymous, at least, not in the minds of those who put the two together.

What do others think?

It's the opposite of "fucking great ... "

[Bledlow]

"Small little..." juxtaposed. I have seen this often enough for it to make me think that "small" and "little" are not precisely synonymous, at least, not in the minds of those who put the two together.

What do others think?

I think you should avoid learning Dutch, to save yourself from constant cringing.

[Mr Larrington]

I don't think I've come across "small little" but "tiny little" is common enough, as are "teeny weeny ickle" and "isty-bitsy teeny-weeny".  The latter two probably shouldn't be, but we do not inhabit a sane Universe.

[hellymedic]

There are so many errors in this tragic story that I hardly know where to start...
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/mum-speaks-in-emotional-video-41158/

<<Daniel was killed in a collision with a van in Ringwould in September 2013.
He died the next day from his injuries. Philip Sinden, who was driving a Vauxhall Vivaro,>>

[Cudzoziemiec]

That's interesting. New to me, too, but clear in the context. To find a thrill in the detailed understanding of someone else's performance or skilled activity. Quite useful.

[Legs]

On the side of a lorry, the scientifically-illiterate "Working together to reduce CO²" 

[ian]

I see that geek is now a verb with a meaning similar to thrill. Bold is mine.

I see a guitar player ... I understand what he's doing and it adds to my experience. That geeks me. Ballet geeks me too. Watching a ballet leaves me breathless -- oh, look what she did there! That extra rush is priceless. That's why we call it "geeking." I'm really lucky, my oldest son is also learning how to play the guitar, so we can geek at each other.

It's been in the dictionary with this definition for some time:

• be or become extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of specialist or minority interest: I am totally geeking out over this upcoming film (OED)

[Cudzoziemiec]

Geek out has been around a while, since the 90s at least I guess, but this is slightly different. For a start, it's used in an impersonal construction; "That geeks me" rather than "I geek out (over/at/...) that". Secondly, it conveys a sense of admiration of someone else's skill through shared knowledge. The original "geek out" sense doesn't have quite that same admiration, it's more a feeling in the person who is geeking, wherease here it is something or someone else that geeks you.

[citoyen]

I like it. Grammatically speaking, it reminds me of this:
https://youtu.be/pX6QlnlMqjE

[T42]

Interestingly, the Urban Dictionary's list of words related to geek out goes geek - nerd - dork.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I like it. Grammatically speaking, it reminds me of this:
https://youtu.be/pX6QlnlMqjE

Or simply it interests/excites/bores/etc me?

Interestingly, the Urban Dictionary's list of words related to geek out goes geek - nerd - dork.

There's a brand of toothpaste (Colgate?) which has a logo it describes as a 'nurdle'. Sounds like a young nerd. Best stop there before I start dorkling out.

[Torslanda]

Not normally a grammar Nazi but a trailer from the BeebBeebCeeb is really grinding my gears...

'Re-live it all again on the red button...' AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Just to make it worse it's a trailer for 'Hyde Park Festival inna Day' which roughly translates as 'Terry Wogan and a bunch of sycophants go mental fawning over ageing recording artists desperate to get a new record deal'

Stopping now before this becomes the Rant Thread.

[Ham]

[Peter]

Exelcent!

[Pingu]

Is there any further checks that can be put in place that would prevent [this]? Is there any other reasons you can think of that would have stopped this check from working that we can realistically put actions in to prevent?

 

[Mr Larrington]

It seems that Hillary Clinton has been releasing old family photos to the media in order to make herself "more relatable".  This may mean something to USAnians.

[red marley]

It seems that Hillary Clinton has been releasing old family photos to the media in order to make herself "more relatable".  This may mean something to USAnians.

For the record, I did not have relations with that woman.

[Ian H]

It seems that Hillary Clinton has been releasing old family photos to the media in order to make herself "more relatable".  This may mean something to USAnians.

For the record, I did not have relations with that woman.

I never suspected you...until now.

[clarion]

It seems that Hillary Clinton has been releasing old family photos to the media in order to make herself "more relatable".  This may mean something to USAnians.

Is that contrasted to 'Rela-under-the-table', as in Monica Lewinski's case?