Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe (Read 839393 times)

T42 · « **Reply #5950 on:** 19 January, 2021, 03:45:36 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 19 January, 2021, 11:36:39 am

If we're doing Americanisms v Britishisms, I'll declare my preference for -ize over -ise. It just looks better to me. Probably because I grew up reading Puffins and Penguins and other followers of OED-type spelling. So when people say they want "British spellings" I know they mean -ise instead of -ize and I give them that – even though they're wrong!

AIUI both spellings are British. English was all -ize until Dr. Sam'l Halitosis Johnson decided that such endings were of French origin, and since in French only -ise is used we should use it in English too. So unless you're a Johnsonite, -ize is correct except in words whose roots contain ise or an ancestral form thereof, e.g. excise from Latin excidere, excisum to cut out.

offcumden · « **Reply #5951 on:** 19 January, 2021, 04:06:09 pm »

I've had a few Specialized tyres, but never a Specialized bike. But each of my bikes is designed for a specific purpose, and so could fairly be described as specialised.

Boom, boom!

T42 · « **Reply #5952 on:** 19 January, 2021, 04:28:43 pm »

There goes a Johnson supporter ^^^.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #5953 on:** 19 January, 2021, 04:41:57 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 19 January, 2021, 03:45:36 pm

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 19 January, 2021, 11:36:39 am
If we're doing Americanisms v Britishisms, I'll declare my preference for -ize over -ise. It just looks better to me. Probably because I grew up reading Puffins and Penguins and other followers of OED-type spelling. So when people say they want "British spellings" I know they mean -ise instead of -ize and I give them that – even though they're wrong!

AIUI both spellings are British. English was all -ize until Dr. Sam'l Halitosis Johnson decided that such endings were of French origin, and since in French only -ise is used we should use it in English too. So unless you're a Johnsonite, -ize is correct except in words whose roots contain ise or an ancestral form thereof, e.g. excise from Latin excidere, excisum to cut out.

British in origin, yes, but nowadays when people say "British English" they tend to mean -ise instead of -ize as well as -our instead of -or. Occasionally they're bothered about date formats (19th January or January 19th) but only very rarely about phrases or words which are distinct to one or other variety.

ian · « **Reply #5954 on:** 19 January, 2021, 06:12:14 pm »

I'm a defiant -izer but good god, I hate analyze It sounds like shooting a frikkin' laser up someone's enteric fundament.

Moleman76 · « **Reply #5955 on:** 20 January, 2021, 12:59:43 am »

Quote from: T42 on 19 January, 2021, 11:08:54 am

My bugbear is ... Noah Webster

I read that Noah W. is one one who took the "u" out of colour and behaviour when he published his first dictionary. Or was that a diction - ery ?

ian · « **Reply #5956 on:** 20 January, 2021, 09:43:07 am »

He actually proposed many more exciting changes to spelling to which everyone else said 'I don't think so, Noah.'

T42 · « **Reply #5957 on:** 20 January, 2021, 02:00:31 pm »

Quote from: ian on 20 January, 2021, 09:43:07 am

He actually proposed many more exciting changes to spelling to which everyone else said 'I don't think so, Noah.'

Maybe that's why the consonants didn't go in two by two.

citoyen · « **Reply #5958 on:** 20 January, 2021, 02:07:50 pm »

Noah Webster was a count... no, that doesn't really work, does it?

ian · « **Reply #5959 on:** 20 January, 2021, 02:20:43 pm »

It's a shame, I would have liked a soop-making masheen.

It's true, I've been to Noah Webster's house. He wasn't home though.

hellymedic · « **Reply #5960 on:** 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm

Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

citoyen · « **Reply #5961 on:** 20 January, 2021, 04:41:38 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

They're the same word in quite a few languages.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #5962 on:** 20 January, 2021, 05:41:06 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm

Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

See also the urban legend about Yorkshire folk getting run down on level crossings: “Wait while lights are flashing”.

Kim · « **Reply #5963 on:** 20 January, 2021, 06:54:07 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 20 January, 2021, 05:41:06 pm

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm
Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

See also the urban legend about Yorkshire folk getting run down on level crossings: “Wait while lights are flashing”.

Or what actually happened when my Sheffield driving instructor told me to "Stop in this lane."

yorkie · « **Reply #5964 on:** 20 January, 2021, 07:25:42 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm

Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

I resemble that remark!!

yorkie · « **Reply #5965 on:** 20 January, 2021, 07:30:37 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 20 January, 2021, 05:41:06 pm

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm
Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

See also the urban legend about Yorkshire folk getting run down on level crossings: “Wait while lights are flashing”.

The version I was told as a kid in South Leeds was when the first Pelican Crossing was installed in the old West Riding and the (London based) authorities put big signs up saying:

"Do not cross while Red Man shows!"

rafletcher · « **Reply #5966 on:** 20 January, 2021, 08:11:12 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm

Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

Or the Irish habit of using “bring” for “take”.

hellymedic · « **Reply #5967 on:** 21 January, 2021, 01:01:07 am »

Quote from: yorkie on 20 January, 2021, 07:25:42 pm

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm
Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.
West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...
I resemble that remark!!

I worked in Leeds for long enough to be safe...

hellymedic · « **Reply #5968 on:** 21 January, 2021, 01:08:11 am »

Quote from: rafletcher on 20 January, 2021, 08:11:12 pm

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm
Quote from: Kim on 18 January, 2021, 05:55:06 pm
Having lived in The People's Republic of South Yorkshire, I reckon it's a pretty good idea to never use 'while', either.

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

Or the Irish habit of using “bring” for “take”.

'I doubt that' in Shetland means the opposite...

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #5969 on:** 21 January, 2021, 09:12:55 am »

Like in French "je m'en doute" meaning "I expect so".

T42 · « **Reply #5970 on:** 21 January, 2021, 10:30:28 am »

Graun headline the other day mentioned "two National Guard troops" being chucked out of the Inauguration patrol. Thought bloody hell, that's a lot, but it turned out they just meant troopers. Twats.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #5971 on:** 21 January, 2021, 11:14:13 am »

Quote from: T42 on 21 January, 2021, 10:30:28 am

Graun headline the other day mentioned "two National Guard troops" being chucked out of the Inauguration patrol. Thought bloody hell, that's a lot, but it turned out they just meant troopers. Twats.

Yebbut it's the Graun. You're lucky they didn't call them troops.

hellymedic · « **Reply #5972 on:** 21 January, 2021, 02:55:26 pm »

Quote

The pig had lied down in its sty but got stuck in the mud could not get herself up," crew manager Lewis Black said.

From https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-55750456

citoyen · « **Reply #5973 on:** 21 January, 2021, 02:57:33 pm »

Quote from: T42 on 21 January, 2021, 10:30:28 am

Graun headline the other day mentioned "two National Guard troops" being chucked out of the Inauguration patrol. Thought bloody hell, that's a lot, but it turned out they just meant troopers. Twats.

You should stop reading the Guardian. It's obviously bad for your blood pressure.

drossall · « **Reply #5974 on:** 21 January, 2021, 06:01:55 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 20 January, 2021, 04:24:41 pm

West Yorkshire's habit of using 'while' to mean 'until' is confusing...

Funnily enough, two colleagues from Yorkshire (I was also born in Leeds) just did that in a meeting of my London-based employer:
"How long is it since you've been in Yorkshire?"
(meaning, "For how long have you been basing yourself there for home working?" as opposed to the usual meaning). But none of the southerners present seemed to notice. I might not have done either, but for this thread.