Author Topic: Grammar that makes you cringe  (Read 835173 times)

Salvatore

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1250 on: 10 January, 2011, 10:08:04 am »
I heard Strauss and Swann using it in interviews last week. It's high time they came home. It's like Douglas Jardine wearing a hat with corks hanging from the brim.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

HTFB

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1251 on: 10 January, 2011, 11:21:54 am »
"Look," indicates a premise; "So," a conclusion.

Not especially helpful or mature

mattc

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1252 on: 10 January, 2011, 02:32:08 pm »
It's my perception that the "Look:" prefix started off as a defensive/irritated thing;
"Look, we're doing our best here ... "

Perhaps it gained popularity while our players were losing, and it's just become one of those vocal habits - like "y'know".

Not sure when Blair started using it.


Don't have a problem with "so", if used as:
...  "So," a conclusion.

I don't understand why it would sound[edit] patronising.   ???
Has never ridden RAAM
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No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1253 on: 10 January, 2011, 03:08:32 pm »

Not sure when Blair started using it.

Blair started using it heavily in the run-up to the Iraq war!  His manner when using it was as if he was explaining things in simple language that children would understand.  He kept this device up for the remainder of his premiership.

I don't understand why it would patronising.   ???

It's patronising because it's using pseudo-academic language in inappropriate situations.  The people who use it are invariably being interviewed by the media specifically to explain often complex issues in layman's language.  To then start a reply with "so" immediately creates a gap in communication, because, let's face it, who in the real world starts a conversation with the word "so".  It sounds ridiculous.
The sound of one pannier flapping

HTFB

  • The Monkey and the Plywood Violin
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1254 on: 10 January, 2011, 10:03:11 pm »
Quote from: toontra link=topic=2205.msg824427#msg824427
... let's face it, who in the real world starts a conversation with the word "so".  

Gloria Gaynor, for one:
Quote
And so you're back
From outer space...

You are missing a question-mark, by the way.
Not especially helpful or mature

Nightfly

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1255 on: 10 January, 2011, 10:42:39 pm »
Contro-versy  >:(  :hand:  The majority of gormless radio and TV presenters say this.

Con-trov-ersy   :thumbsup:

Conti-nue  :sick:

Con-tin-ue   :thumbsup:

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1256 on: 11 January, 2011, 04:00:10 pm »
Robert Pe e e e e e e e e ston
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Giraffe

  • I brake for Giraffes
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1257 on: 11 January, 2011, 06:02:53 pm »
As in "Is that Pest on again?"?
2x4: thick plank; 4x4: 2 of 'em.

Nightfly

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1258 on: 12 January, 2011, 01:16:22 am »
As in "Is that Pest on again?"?

 ;D

Poor chap. I think he's been taking voice coaching lessons as you can tell he is trying desperately not to let his voice be so.......O weighhhhhh over the t............oppP.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1259 on: 12 January, 2011, 10:04:22 am »
As in "Is that Pest on again?"?

 ;D

Poor chap. I think he's been taking voice coaching lessons as you can tell he is trying desperately not to let his voice be so.......O weighhhhhh over the t............oppP.

I understand he overcame a childhood stutter (just to make you feel guilty).

Mr Larrington

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1260 on: 12 January, 2011, 10:39:10 am »
I do not know whether "scandal" and "condole" are really verbs but if they are, they shouldn't be.  R4 used both within five minutes this morning.

Americans are scandalled by British political cartoons.
Well-wishers have been condoling the family of Salman Taseer.

Hmmm.  Firefox's spill-chucker doesn't object to the latter.
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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1261 on: 12 January, 2011, 10:48:18 am »
Second one's sort of OK, but 'scandalled' is an abomination. The perpetrator should be forced to measure his length from Broadcasting House to the offices of the OED, repeating 'Scandalised' each time.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

HTFB

  • The Monkey and the Plywood Violin
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1262 on: 12 January, 2011, 10:49:20 am »
Americans are scandalled by British political cartoons.
Well-wishers have been condoling the family of Salman Taseer.

Hmmm.  Firefox's spill-chucker doesn't object to the latter.

Only because it doesn't know the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. You can condole with the family, if you really must.

On edit: actually you could condole a death. Condoling the family implies they're all to be lamented over---possible, but rude.
Not especially helpful or mature

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1263 on: 12 January, 2011, 01:07:02 pm »
On a related theme I have several times heard and read, "blood doning".

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1264 on: 12 January, 2011, 05:22:49 pm »
Done by a donator!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1265 on: 12 January, 2011, 05:32:39 pm »
As in "Is that Pest on again?"?

 ;D

Poor chap. I think he's been taking voice coaching lessons as you can tell he is trying desperately not to let his voice be so.......O weighhhhhh over the t............oppP.

I understand he overcame a childhood stutter (just to make you feel guilty).

I've never really understood what peoples dislike for him is driven by.

OK his speech isn't quite the 'queens english' but it's quite understandable and he seems to know what he's talking about.
 ???
“There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened.”
― Douglas Adams

mattc

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1266 on: 12 January, 2011, 07:17:11 pm »
Done by a donator!
Don't you mean doned?   ;D
Has never ridden RAAM
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No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1267 on: 12 January, 2011, 07:59:45 pm »
As in "Is that Pest on again?"?

 ;D

Poor chap. I think he's been taking voice coaching lessons as you can tell he is trying desperately not to let his voice be so.......O weighhhhhh over the t............oppP.

I understand he overcame a childhood stutter (just to make you feel guilty).

I've never really understood what peoples dislike for him is driven by.

OK his speech isn't quite the 'queens english' but it's quite understandable and he seems to know what he's talking about.
 ???


ROBert PESTon's OVER-inflected SPEECH is VEry anNOYing to SOME of us who are SENsitive to SOUND. The VARiations in inTENsity seem to GRATE.

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1268 on: 12 January, 2011, 08:09:29 pm »
I'm concentrating so much on his vocal contortions that I completely miss what he's actually saying.
The sound of one pannier flapping

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1269 on: 12 January, 2011, 09:10:03 pm »
I think that's actually quite a good phrase for a slogan that's intended to be used internationally. It avoids those bothersome articles, for a start.  ;) And it gives a more positive emphasis than "Nothing is impossible", which would be open to the interpretation "(x) is impossible". The way they have it, it's like "The impossible is nothing to me (ie to you when you're wearing adidas)".
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

citoyen

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1270 on: 12 January, 2011, 11:28:33 pm »
It pains me to admit it but I think that adidas slogan is actually rather witty.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1271 on: 12 January, 2011, 11:30:21 pm »
As in "Is that Pest on again?"?

 ;D

Poor chap. I think he's been taking voice coaching lessons as you can tell he is trying desperately not to let his voice be so.......O weighhhhhh over the t............oppP.

I understand he overcame a childhood stutter (just to make you feel guilty).

I've never really understood what peoples dislike for him is driven by.


Personally, I've found his overweening self-importance and fawning attitude towards the captains of industry far more offensive than his odd stresses and pronunciations.

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1272 on: 13 January, 2011, 11:24:22 am »
I was running late this morning, because John Frum bring firewater blong Scotland last night.  Hence I found myself listening to In Our Time, with Belvin Barg.  This is an intelligent programme, with intelligent guests.  I know this because Dr Larrington has been an intelligent guest on it more than once.  Today they were talking about random and pseudo-random numbers, so the intelligent guests were all clever mathemagicians.  In spite of which, two of the three intelligent guests continually referred to the rolling of "a dice".

(Sings, to the tune of If I Were A Rich Man)

Stabby stabby knifecrime
La la la la la la la
All day long it's stabby stabby time
If I were a stabby man

(Waits for audience applause, not a sausage)
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1273 on: 13 January, 2011, 02:36:49 pm »
You obviously think they should die for such a crime.
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

mattc

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Re: Grammar that makes you cringe
« Reply #1274 on: 13 January, 2011, 02:43:25 pm »
If you say "a dice", EVERYONE knows what you mean (but some people might stab you)
If you say "a die", noone will stab you, but some will wonder which meaning of die (or even dye) you intended.

It's always a gamble ...
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles