In grumpy old man mode!

[AlexC]

I've noticed recently more and more people saying 'floor' when they should be saying 'ground', as in 'I woz walking in the street, and I fell on the floor'. That's not the floor, that's the ground! This is probably getting my goat because of my building surveyor background. Anything else getting on the nerves of the other grumpy old (or not so old) men out there in UKAR land?

[Dragon Rapide]

Far too many to list!!! But my latest bete noir is the fashion to answer "good" in response to "how are you"?. You might be good or you might be bad but I am hoping to hear whether or not my respondent is "well" or not! Grumpy or not, it's just deploring the alteration of the meaning of a specific word. What do these people learn at school, I wonder.....

[AlexC]

The use of 'good' in that way obviously comes from the US, and it gets on my nerves too. Another one from the US is to call everyone 'guy', as for example when a number of men and women go into a restaurant, and the waitress says 'how are you guys today?'. I believe this comes from the TV series 'Friends', and it drives me round the bend! My own granddaughter even calls me and my wife 'you guys'!

[DanO1978]

Another is people saying "chair" in a car, when it should be "seat".

And let's not forget Waterstone's dropping the apostrophe.

Don't let the thickos dumb our marvellous language down to their level.

[Liveforriat]

My personal opinion is that the English language always has and always will evolve and quite rightly so ! If a word has a specific meaning but enough people begin to use that word in a different context then so be it the meaning and "correct" usage of that word should alter to suit the way in which it is now used ! This is not a new phenomenon and has little to do with the education system, it is something that is as old as language itself and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

[neilos]

When you see some photos taken at various locations.

Blah blah plane taken at EHGW, or taken at EGHL, or whatever E... Not everyone knows airport codes, why not just say the actual name of the airport/airfield.....

[Cimmerian]

I must be really grumpy, I find most of the things mentioned so far really annoying.

[profile_M]

I don’t have an issue with people using words for different meanings, as mentioned before languages evolve in this way and words are added and altered in the OED all the time. What really does get my goat is when people say “I done it” or “I seen it happen” and you can’t say that has nothing to do with education? Also things like saying pacifically instead of specifically or supposably instead of supposedly. Drives me mad

And I'm only 29. Hate to think what I'll be like later in life.

[wv383]

My biggest bugbear is the use of 'of' as in "I'm fed up of doing something". You can't be "fed up of doing something" however you can be "fed up with doing something". Drives me nuts when I hear it. Mind you there are loads of others but as Dragon Rapide says, far too many to mention!

Also agree with 'neilos'. But this has been mentioned so many times on here but it still happens. Not all of us have access to all these codes. Ok we can look them up online but who wants to do that when scanning quickly through the threads?

[DanO1978]

People who say "haytch" instead of "aitch" for the letter H.

[Kenny]

Was instead of were. 'We was just looking at it' It's were you fricking moron! Far too many people say this these days

[LN Strike Eagle]

My biggest bugbear is the use of 'of' as in "I'm fed up of doing something". You can't be "fed up of doing something" however you can be "fed up with doing something". Drives me nuts when I hear it. Mind you there are loads of others but as Dragon Rapide says, far too many to mention!

Similarly, those who write "could/would/should of"!

[Pen Pusher]

If a word has a specific meaning but enough people begin to use that word in a different context then so be it the meaning and "correct" usage of that word should alter to suit the way in which it is now used !

For example: The word Gay had a different meaning when I was a child to that of today.

Brian

[Dragon Rapide]

As quoted above - "issue"!! Everything is an issue now. We have ceased to have "subjects" and "problems" - only "issues" - drives me mad!!

Even granted that language evolves, the current trend towards sloppy, inaccurate speech and writing, if followed to its logical conclusion, will result in mutual incomprehension.

Perhaps we are slowly regressing to our ancestors' gestures and expressive grunts - mind you some they have already regressed!!

[Liveforriat]

I was watching the BBCs production of Pride and Prejudice over the Christmas period and commented to my girlfriend on how elegant the language of the time was.

Now im not too sure how accurate a representation of the actual language of the time it is but i would imagine that it is quite accurate. Now it certainly does sound more elegant and more pleasing to the ear than modern day English so I suppose an argument could be made that we have regressed however I do not believe that we have, the language has simply changed ! This change in my opinion is not for better or worse its just changed.

Some points made here have some weight to them, especially the use of the word "was" instead of "were" this does sound particularly unpleasing to the ear. However replying "Im Good thanks" to the question "How are you today?" sounds just as pleasing as "I am well" or any other "correct" response. This obviously isnt the marker for what should and should not be termed correct but I often use it as a good rule of thumb This is also why I personally dont mind "Should of" instead of "Should have" Just my humble opinion of course!

[capercaillie]

If a word has a specific meaning but enough people begin to use that word in a different context then so be it the meaning and "correct" usage of that word should alter to suit the way in which it is now used !

For example: The word Gay had a different meaning when I was a child to that of today.

Brian

You beat me to it Brian, I imagine they're all really peeved they cannot talk about their happy chums anymore without fear of categorising them as something they might not be!

Must be a slow news day!

[DanO1978]

"Hanger" for "hangar" and "lense" for "lens" are two in our sphere which annoy the hell out of me.

Oh, and "brought" when the speaker means "bought".

[Dragon Rapide]

Except that "should of" doesn't make sense. It is only written/spoken by people who are ill-educated and hear "should'uv" as the spoken form of "should have" without understanding what is actually being said.

[T3MP3ST]

Another good one is 'Frit' as in 'That filmed frit me' instead of 'That film frightened me'

One I find a lot in the work place is the incorrect use of 'have'/'of' - eg. " I would of thought so' instead of 'I would have thought so'.

Oh - when my boss states he has an 'opportunity' for me - eg. 'Are you busy? If not, I have an opportunity for you' - when he wants me to do something!

Lastly, when people say infront of something negative "No offence, but...." - Classic

Grrr...

But - as Joe E Brown once said 'Nobody's Perfect'!

[iaint]

Except that "should of" doesn't make sense. It is only written/spoken by people who are ill-educated and hear "should'uv" as the spoke form of "should have" without understanding what is actually being said.

I've said before about the fact of dialect/accent/speed it is dry difficult to determine the spoken "should of" especially as "should've" is a legitimate form of the correct "should have"... As such, you can only complain about the written form... Granted if the "OF" is obvious in the spoken form it's fair game

Iain

[Dragon Rapide]

Precisely. And the example of "should of" instead of "should have" cited above falls into the same category. And our worsening education system is partly to blame. I am not sure when, but it was a long time ago that children were no longer taught English grammar in State Primary or Secondary education. That and the pernicious degradation of the language via the textual shortcuts and abbreviations of internet communication.

[DanH]

One thing that really irritates me is when people write using text abbreviations and shortenings when it isn't needed. People who write cud instead of could, fink instead of think, and dis instead of this. Is it really that much more effort to spell them correctly and in a way that is legible? And is it really worth making yourself look like such an absolute dunce for the sake of saving yourself the fraction of a second it would take to do it right?

[Dragon Rapide]

Has it occurred to you that perhaps they don't know they are writing the words incorrectly......?

[Cimmerian]

I really hate text talk, won't even use it when I'm sending a text. It may take a little longer to write but it makes a lot more sense to read.

[Liveforriat]

Of course text talk has a legitimate foundation as not so long ago a text message could only be 160 characters and every message was 12p so shortened versions of words became commonplace ! Not such an issue now with unlimited texts etc etc but it seems t have stuck !

I suppose if the education hammered home the should of should have difference it may lessen the incorrect usage but I think a lot of people know its wrong but carry on using it as when said regardless of its correct meaning it still sounds , to most people, ok

The point of language, both written and spoken is to communicate a point, and if a point is not lost by incorrect usage of words and grammar then it most likely wont change ! I never judge people on their language skills, Ive seen it time and time again when not so articulate people are infact extremely intelligent and although it isnt an excuse not to at least try to communicate correctly or at least coherently being thick and inarticulate arent one and the same