Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

Why Grammar Matters: A Place To Discuss Matters Of Grammar


Message added by JTMacc99,

Nbc Brooklyn 99 GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine

  • Reply
  • Start Topic

Recommended Posts

So I guess this isn't really grammar, but it is more news flubs about words. This apparently happened in Portland, and I don't want to post the picture here because its huge, but there was a story on the local news there about shits being fired at Lloyd Center Mall.

 

That must have been some laxative.

Edited by Cobalt Stargazer
  • Love 4
Link to comment

From the news tonight: "Coming up - The Board of Supervisors has a new plan to grow the North State (this section of CA), literally." I expected a plan to annex territory from Oregon and Nevada, but it was just a program to encourage agriculture.

  • Love 3
Link to comment

This apparently happened in Portland, and I don't want to post the picture here because its huge, but there was a story on the local news there about shits being fired at Lloyd Center Mall.

Maybe they were just laying off some of the more disagreeable employees?
  • Love 2
Link to comment

I watched the latest UFC and was reminded of how much I hate southpaw. It's left-handed, damnit! What's wrong with calling it that? It's not a paw, it's not south. Left-handed.

  • Love 4
Link to comment

I watched the latest UFC and was reminded of how much I hate southpaw. It's left-handed, damnit! What's wrong with calling it that? It's not a paw, it's not south. Left-handed.

I'm left-handed, but, to be fair, Joe, you do appear to be a tiger with four paws. ;>)
  • Love 1
Link to comment

In a story on an antique Ferrari that was auctioned off a BBC News reporter informed us that the purchaser wanted to remain anominous. I would assume that means the state of being a person who does not nom; a breatharian.

  • Love 3
Link to comment

(For some reason the forum won't let me edit my post above)

 

Almost as soon as I saved the above post, some financial idiot on the PBS Newshour uttered the following regarding new unemployment numbers: "We've got a nice tail-wind going into 2015...and that's a lot more paychecks to cushion us and buffer any headwinds..but headwinds are out there. We have a strong dollar ...and a lot more turbulence that could come from abroad, and we don't want those tremors to come up as tidal waves on our own shores." The trouble with a mixed metaphor like that is that I'm not sure whether to get ready for earthquakes, high winds, or tidal waves.

 

Also from the same analyst: "People starting to spend more discretionary spending."

  • Love 8
Link to comment

Every time I see "Opps!" I think, "Yes, I know you meant 'oops,' but it sure sounds like 'opps' in my mind."

This doesn't come up literally on TV (see what I did there?) but does occur on message boards that discuss TV, as well as in email in general.

I think it bugs me so much because the people who do it are often the same ones who pride themselves on never misspelling a word or using incorrect grammar.

Link to comment

Yesterday a BBC News anchor asked a tornado expert about "the ferocity of 250 kilometer winds." I guess the long ones are worse than the short ones.

Meanwhile, one of our local car dealerships is advertising "double the inventory than ever before!"

  • Love 1
Link to comment

Believe it or not, "worser" appears in my Webster's Unabridged. It used to be considered a proper word, but not so much these days.

If it is, it shouldn't be. I suppose you can have even worse, but it still feels wrong.

I'm guessing "worstest" is not a word outside of the speech of cartoon characters.
  • Love 1
Link to comment
(edited)

Americans tend to default to i when they see ai.  But "dame-ler" is the German pronunciation, I believe, and also the British...  

Speaking of British pronunciations, I heard a guy on MasterChef Canada say "tonight we are making tacos" but with his British pronunciation of "tack-os".  I can't stop saying tack-o now. Even my poor kids stopped questioning me about saying it that way. Although to be fair, they don't care what I call them as long as it is tack-o night.

Edited by JTMacc99
  • Love 3
Link to comment

Forgive me, non-native speaker here, but can't it just mean "a lot"?

 

Or are you peeved about "tons is" instead of "tons are"?

 

One could argue since they are not talking about a literal number of tons but "a lot of garbage is being hauled away" it would be ok?

Link to comment
...One could argue since they are not talking about a literal number of tons but "a lot of garbage is being hauled away" it would be ok?
I was thinking that might be acceptable too.

No, it wouldn't.

Link to comment

So I had never seen the infamous episode of L & O where Julia Roberts guest-starred, and so I always wondered why it annoyed people, other than, well, it was Julia Roberts. I just watched it on the Sundance channel. Will someone please tell me that she didn't say the word 'Pantheon' instead of the word 'Parthenon'?

Link to comment

I don't recall the episode (haven't watched L&O for a long time), but there is an ancient building in Rome called the Pantheon. It's been in continuous use for about 2000 years. Quite a tourist attraction.

  • Love 1
Link to comment

I don't recall the episode (haven't watched L&O for a long time), but there is an ancient building in Rome called the Pantheon. It's been in continuous use for about 2000 years. Quite a tourist attraction.

 

Well, I'll be damned. There's a Pantheon and a Parthenon, the latter of which is in Athens. Learn something new every day.

  • Love 2
Link to comment

Speaking of British pronunciations, I heard a guy on MasterChef Canada say "tonight we are making tacos" but with his British pronunciation of "tack-os".  I can't stop saying tack-o now. Even my poor kids stopped questioning me about saying it that way. Although to be fair, they don't care what I call them as long as it is tack-o night.

 

This reminds me of when I vacationed in Ireland last summer and upon going through security for my flight home the agent asked me if I had an "iPod," so of course I pulled out my tiny iPod Nano and then she chuckled and I realized she meant an iPad (which I didn't have.)

  • Love 1
Link to comment

The title iZombie irritates me. The "i" prefix is associated with technology! Something with that particular prefix is meant to be tech-related. A show called iZombie should be about, I don't know, a zombie that's also an Internet personality. Or something.

 

To be fair, I'm only halfway through the pilot, so for all I know, the main character becomes an Apple junkie and surrounds herself with iPods, iPads, and iPhones. 

  • Love 1
Link to comment

Along with "I seen", I fear the acceptance of "should've went" for should've gone.

Always cringeworthy to hear but even worse® when uttered by a well-educated person.  What's really driving me nuts for the past few years is the unnecessary usage of the word "more".  Examples: I'm feeling more sick today than yesterday (what happened to sicker?)  The weather is more warm this afternoon (warmer?).

Link to comment

In a story about Robert Durst on my local news last night, the anchor pronounced 'heir' as 'hair'! I thought that was a word just about everyone was familiar with, but apparently not. 

Link to comment

Dear local newscaster,

The wrong way to say it: "It is unclear during which part of the process the arsenic is coming from."

The right way: "It is unclear which part of the process the arsenic is coming from."

Also, you get bonus points for pronouncing prevalent as pree-VALE-ant during the same report. I won't even get into the unnecessary use of passive verbs...

Link to comment

The right way: "It is unclear which part of the process the arsenic is coming from."

 

 

Surely you mean "from which part of the process the arsenic is coming" ????

  • Love 3
Link to comment

Good one, Quof.  However, it's a losing battle.  I once thought, "Surely it is a fad to write words without any vowels.  That would never be acceptable, would it?"  And yet - seems like it won't go away.

 

Neither will this hashtag business, which I still don't understand, and find extremely jarring when spoken out loud.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
Message added by JTMacc99,

Nbc Brooklyn 99 GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...