Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe (Read 857041 times)

Peter · « **Reply #1950 on:** 11 February, 2012, 09:55:59 am »

Certainly!

mattc · « **Reply #1951 on:** 11 February, 2012, 10:42:11 am »

I can't work out what you lot have noticed, but this phrase made me smile:

"a woman driving a silver people carrier ploughed into the traffic island "

drossall · « **Reply #1952 on:** 11 February, 2012, 03:03:23 pm »

Quote

Councillor David Dean ... said the council needed to remove the bollard, which protects pedestrians standing on a traffic island.

Coun Dean said: “It was exactly the same colour and make as my car and so I got a nasty shock when I saw it.

The bollard was the same size and shape as his car, apparently. That would give you a nasty shock, yes.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #1953 on:** 11 February, 2012, 03:05:22 pm »

I received a spam email today entitled "Our Pick's of The Month".

Biff · « **Reply #1954 on:** 12 February, 2012, 07:22:22 pm »

Heard on a farming prog early one morning last week - "This is one of the only farms in the UK to do this"

citoyen · « **Reply #1955 on:** 15 February, 2012, 10:19:21 am »

From Mirror.co.uk:

clarion · « **Reply #1956 on:** 15 February, 2012, 10:21:14 am »

Which reminds me:

Quote from: Paul McCartney

...but in this ever-changing world in which we live in...

Oh dear.

Peter · « **Reply #1957 on:** 15 February, 2012, 10:24:05 am »

Quote from: clarion on 15 February, 2012, 10:21:14 am

Which reminds me:

Quote from: Paul McCartney
...but in this ever-changing world in which we live in...

Oh dear.

.but if this ever-changing world in which we're living, makes you give in and cry?

citoyen · « **Reply #1958 on:** 15 February, 2012, 10:37:33 am »

Quote from: clarion on 15 February, 2012, 10:21:14 am

Which reminds me:

Quote from: Paul McCartney
...but in this ever-changing world in which we live in...

Oh dear.

Yes, I thought of that too. It's the "of" that really kills it though.

d.

Karla · « **Reply #1959 on:** 15 February, 2012, 10:44:25 am »

That's it, I'm going to boycott the Mirror now.

Peter · « **Reply #1960 on:** 15 February, 2012, 11:08:23 am »

Quote from: citoyen on 15 February, 2012, 10:37:33 am

Quote from: clarion on 15 February, 2012, 10:21:14 am
Which reminds me:

Quote from: Paul McCartney
...but in this ever-changing world in which we live in...

Oh dear.

Yes, I thought of that too. It's the "of" that really kills it though.

D. your cringe is absolutely justified but I want to re-iterate my defence of Pauly:

What he actually wrote (and sings) is "But if this ever-changing world in which we're living makes you give in and cry," Correct English. I'm always telling my pupils to beware of lyric sites. They're not official and frequently wrong! That said, I grew up in the lo-fi era and thought "All Shook Up" was "All Sugar" for some time!

Peter

d.

clarion · « **Reply #1961 on:** 15 February, 2012, 11:16:16 am »

OK. I forgive Mr McCartney for his lyric-writing (but not his diction, the Frog Chorus or Mull of Fucking Kintyre).

jogler · « **Reply #1962 on:** 15 February, 2012, 11:20:33 am »

Quote from: clarion on 15 February, 2012, 11:16:16 am

OK. I forgive Mr McCartney for his lyric-writing (but not his diction, the Frog Chorus or Mull of Fucking Kintyre).

that's a bugger:today's ear worm

clarion · « **Reply #1963 on:** 15 February, 2012, 11:25:09 am »

Sorry!

Peter · « **Reply #1964 on:** 15 February, 2012, 12:15:24 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 15 February, 2012, 11:16:16 am

OK. I forgive Mr McCartney for his lyric-writing (but not his diction, the Frog Chorus or Mull of Fucking Kintyre).

Take comfort in the fact that, even though it is one of, if not the biggest-selling single up to now, the majority of the world's population (including me) didn't buy Mull Of Kintyre!

clarion · « **Reply #1965 on:** 15 February, 2012, 12:25:58 pm »

Or 'My Love Can Tire' as I first heard it. My patience can, too, Macca!

citoyen · « **Reply #1966 on:** 15 February, 2012, 12:41:16 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 15 February, 2012, 11:08:23 am

What he actually wrote (and sings) is "But if this ever-changing world in which we're living makes you give in and cry," Correct English.

Arguable, I suppose. Strictly, I'd say "in which we're living" is redundant - the only purpose it serves is to pad out the line to make it scan.

Anyway, it was Clarion who brought it up - I only agreed with him that the Mirror caption reminded me of the line. I didn't actually pass judgment on Macca! I completely agree that it's far from the worst crime against the language in the history of pop music.

That Mirror caption is truly awful though.

d.

Ian H · « **Reply #1967 on:** 15 February, 2012, 01:29:10 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 15 February, 2012, 12:41:16 pm

That Mirror caption is truly awful though.

d.

It has the look of one who is truly illiterate working hard to be correct and formal - putting all the words in.

Peter · « **Reply #1968 on:** 15 February, 2012, 02:18:42 pm »

@ Citoyen, absolutely right about the bath caption! As is IanH.

Just to bore on about Pauly for a second, the line is actually closer to Cole Porter or Ira Gershwin than most pop lyrics: the "living" is far from redundant because it gives an internal rhyme to "give in" in the next line. Love him or loathe him, Pauly is a clever bloke, except in interviews!

If we were "strict" about redundancy, most poetry and most lyrics would fail, I think. I know that, as a lover of words and a crossword buff, you know this, too! Which is why you said, "strictly," !

citoyen · « **Reply #1969 on:** 15 February, 2012, 02:55:16 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 15 February, 2012, 02:18:42 pm

If we were "strict" about redundancy, most poetry and most lyrics would fail, I think. I know that, as a lover of words and a crossword buff, you know this, too! Which is why you said, "strictly,"!

Indeed. Most poetry is pretty much redundant.

d.

Peter · « **Reply #1970 on:** 15 February, 2012, 04:34:09 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 15 February, 2012, 02:55:16 pm

Quote from: Peter on 15 February, 2012, 02:18:42 pm
If we were "strict" about redundancy, most poetry and most lyrics would fail, I think. I know that, as a lover of words and a crossword buff, you know this, too! Which is why you said, "strictly,"!

Indeed. Most poetry is pretty much redundant.

d.

Regrettably, most of mine has been!

Ian H · « **Reply #1971 on:** 15 February, 2012, 05:01:26 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 15 February, 2012, 02:55:16 pm

Quote from: Peter on 15 February, 2012, 02:18:42 pm
If we were "strict" about redundancy, most poetry and most lyrics would fail, I think. I know that, as a lover of words and a crossword buff, you know this, too! Which is why you said, "strictly,"!

Indeed. Most poetry is pretty much redundant.

d.

Ppfft!

FatBloke · « **Reply #1972 on:** 19 February, 2012, 11:11:05 am »

I have studied my Fowler's and delved at length into the O.E.D. and nowhere^* can I find anything that indicates that the verb "to go" can be substituted for the verbs "to say" or "to speak".

I am sick of hearing people (admittedly, poorly educated lower class Johnnies) announcing, when describing a previous conversion, that they "goes to 'er..", then "she goes to me....". etc., etc.

STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!

^*Other than in the context of to "go on" about something.

rower40 · « **Reply #1973 on:** 19 February, 2012, 05:22:25 pm »

Quote from: road-runner on 19 February, 2012, 03:16:41 pm

Quote from: FatBloke on 19 February, 2012, 11:11:05 am
I am sick of hearing people ... describing a previous conversion, that they "goes to 'er..", then "she goes to me....". etc., etc.

Although I believe that for some years it has been like, not go, eg. I was like, "Where're you goin'?" and he was like, "Nowhere."

Brings new meaning to the statement "She goes like a ..."

clarion · « **Reply #1974 on:** 19 February, 2012, 05:58:40 pm »

'and she turns round to me and says, so I turned round to her and said...'

You're making me dizzy!