Grammar that makes you cringe

[Cudzoziemiec]

One of my Northamerician colleagues used to use it but I can't remember whether it was the one from WV or BC. It's also mentioned in various comparative dialect type sources.

[T42]

I understand the time right now is a quarter of three, for some Americans.

Yebbut do they mean 14:45 or 14:15? 14:15 would be translated German idiom.

[Cudzoziemiec]

14:15 would be the way I'd understand it too, but in fact it's 14:45.

[Cudzoziemiec]

http://david-crystal.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/on-quarter-of.html

[Cudzoziemiec]

From the comments it's clearly a common East Coast US expression.

The medieval 'half hour to five' is interesting in this context, as is 'back of', which I always think of as an Americanism for 'behind'. But if you think of 'back of beyond' perhaps it remains in use in British English too.

[T42]

Yes, but we would say "it's at the back of beyond" rather than "it's back of beyond".

[Legs]

Stephen King uses 'quarter of' a lot in his books.

[Mr Larrington]

Stephen King uses 'quarter of' a lot in his books.

Oh dear.  I would appear to have no fewer than fifty-five books by Mr King in The Library.  I may have to shoot myself instead.

[Zipperhead]

Time to do "quarter of"?

Nowt wrong with for e.g. a quarter of wine gums in the days when sweet shops sold sweets from big jars on shelves behind the brown-coated proprietor, in paper bags

(Exit, muttering about jumpers for goalposts)

A quarter? I could never afford more than an eighth.

Oh, you really did mean wine gums.

[Bledlow]

"Smarts", not being a form of the verb to smart, describing a particular type of pain, but something to do with talents or abilities or intelligence.

Yesterday I discovered that it is now being taught in schools in this country. 

[hellymedic]

"Smarts", not being a form of the verb to smart, describing a particular type of pain, but something to do with talents or abilities or intelligence.

Yesterday I discovered that it is now being taught in schools in this country. 

I thought 'smarts' was an undesirable alien Americanism.
I came across it when reading about sporting endurance early in my Audax career.

[L CC]

From the comments it's clearly a common East Coast US expression.

The medieval 'half hour to five' is interesting in this context, as is 'back of', which I always think of as an Americanism for 'behind'. But if you think of 'back of beyond' perhaps it remains in use in British English too.

'Back of' is not uncommon in Scots for the first quarter past the hour, at least it was when I lived in rural Aberdeenshire.

[jsabine]

From the comments it's clearly a common East Coast US expression.

The medieval 'half hour to five' is interesting in this context, as is 'back of', which I always think of as an Americanism for 'behind'. But if you think of 'back of beyond' perhaps it remains in use in British English too.

'Back of' is not uncommon in Scots for the first quarter past the hour, at least it was when I lived in rural Aberdeenshire.

I'm not sure I'd see it as being even that precise - I'd hear "back o'nine" as "a bit after nine" and see it as pretty much any time up til 9:30, albeit with an emphasis towards the earlier part. That might just reflect my lackadaisical approach to timekeeping though.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Makes sense to me. Back of = behind = after. Not that I'd necessarily have understood it without the explanation, though.

[T42]

Begs the question of which way nine is facing. Are we creeping up on it from behind or is it facing us?

[Cudzoziemiec]

9 is the right way up, standing on one leg with its head up. 6 is standing on its head.

[T42]

Gotcha. Thanks for that.

[Legs]

Stephen King uses 'quarter of' a lot in his books.

Oh dear.  I would appear to have no fewer than fifty-five books by Mr King in The Library.  I may have to shoot myself instead.

...but if you were a true Constant Reader, you would have referred to him as Sai King, instead.  Does that absolve you?

[Mr Larrington]

I thought he played drums for Hawkwind after Terry Ollis left?

Anyway I can't be a true Constant Reader coz I've only read the first book of the Dark Wossname series, which did not inspire me to read any more once they were actually written.

[Legs]

... I've only read the first book of the Dark Wossname series, which did not inspire me to read any more once they were actually written.

I was feeling similarly uninspired by The Gunslinger but will add my voice to the doubtless many who will have told you that it is worth persevering.  The Drawing of the Three is much better (Wizard and Glass is utterly brilliant), and many of the things that seemed weird and disjointed in The Gunslinger will only make sense in the context of the later books. 

And I don't think King uses 'quarter of' very much in any of them. 

(Edit to add: because I'm a sad bastard, I checked this and found 4 'quarter of's, all in The Waste Lands.  Interestingly, King uses 'quarter to' twice in Wolves of the Calla and twice in The Dark Tower.)

[Mr Larrington]

... I've only read the first book of the Dark Wossname series, which did not inspire me to read any more once they were actually written.

I was feeling similarly uninspired by The Gunslinger but will add my voice to the doubtless many who will have told you that it is worth persevering.

Actually you're the first.  And my "to-read" pile is big enough already without wanting to add another four thousand pages.

[Cudzoziemiec]

... I've only read the first book of the Dark Wossname series, which did not inspire me to read any more once they were actually written.

I was feeling similarly uninspired by The Gunslinger but will add my voice to the doubtless many who will have told you that it is worth persevering.  The Drawing of the Three is much better (Wizard and Glass is utterly brilliant), and many of the things that seemed weird and disjointed in The Gunslinger will only make sense in the context of the later books. 

And I don't think King uses 'quarter of' very much in any of them. 

(Edit to add: because I'm a sad bastard, I checked this and found 4 'quarter of's, all in The Waste Lands.  Interestingly, King uses 'quarter to' twice in Wolves of the Calla and twice in The Dark Tower.)

It's possible that some were edited for BritEng readers and some not.

[clarion]

I thought he played drums for Hawkwind after Terry Ollis left?

And is now a TV chef (and occasional radio disc jockey).

[Legs]

... I've only read the first book of the Dark Wossname series, which did not inspire me to read any more once they were actually written.

I was feeling similarly uninspired by The Gunslinger but will add my voice to the doubtless many who will have told you that it is worth persevering.

Actually you're the first.  And my "to-read" pile is big enough already without wanting to add another four thousand pages.

Furry muff.

(Edit to add: because I'm a sad bastard, I checked this and found 4 'quarter of's, all in The Waste Lands.  Interestingly, King uses 'quarter to' twice in Wolves of the Calla and twice in The Dark Tower.)

It's possible that some were edited for BritEng readers and some not.

That's quite possible.

[Cudzoziemiec]

As the Gneisenau closed on Cape Pembroke, its senior gunnery officer spotted the three-legged tripod masts characteristic of Dreadnoughts.