Religion and Ethics Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: jeremyp on August 09, 2022, 11:23:00 AM
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This thread is inspired by a post elsewhere on this site that I have just read. I borrowed the title from Jerry Coyne. Post your words and phrases you detest and your reasons why. No need to be rational about it.
I'll kick off with a couple of examples.
x is no age
where x is number usually greater than about 70 e.g. 73. Nope. 73 is an age. It's actually quite an old age.
y has passed
Where y is a person. What have they passed? A kidney stone? Why is everybody afraid of saying the verb "to die"?
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I prefer to say someone has died rather than 'passed away'. The term RIP doesn't make any sense, once a person is dead that is it.
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Using the noun "medal" as if it was a verb.
Fortunately I didn't hear it in the Commonwealth Games, but it was used time after time in the Olympics.
If one won a bronze, silver or gold medal, don't say "I medalled" All you'd be doing would be meddling with the English language. Say, "I won a medal."
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This thread is inspired by a post elsewhere on this site that I have just read. I borrowed the title from Jerry Coyne. Post your words and phrases you detest and your reasons why. No need to be rational about it.
I'll kick off with a couple of examples.
where x is number usually greater than about 70 e.g. 73. Nope. 73 is an age. It's actually quite an old age.
Where y is a person. What have they passed? A kidney stone? Why is everybody afraid of saying the verb "to die"?
Everybody isn't but then I do hate hyperbolic generalizations.
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I prefer to say someone has died rather than 'passed away'. The term RIP doesn't make any sense, once a person is dead that is it.
I think Ricky Gervais has said something along the lines of " xy&z keep saying they're sending their thoughts and prayers <to various disasters> and I keep thinking that's funny, I keep sending them money."
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Everybody isn't but then I do hate hyperbolic generalizations.
I agree that that is one of the more irritating phrases. Everybody thinks this or that .... no not everybody does.
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I agree that that is one of the more irritating phrases. Everybody thinks this or that .... no not everybody does.
Another version of it is when politicians talk about 'The whole country thinks/is doing etc'.
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Another version of it is when politicians talk about 'The whole country thinks/is doing etc'.
Indeed - then there are the mythical 'people's priorities', yet these remain undefined by those that use this particular phrase.
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Another version of it is when politicians talk about 'The whole country thinks/is doing etc'.
Yes. Also in sport when they say 'The whole country is' watching the football, supporting the GB player at Wimbledon, hooked on the curling ..... no!
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I too dislike "passed away", and even more "passed".
Others I hate:
"issues" as a euphemism for "problems";
"humbled" when someone has just been awarded something;
"sociopath": there is a technical difference between it and "psychopath", but for everyday use, "psychopath" covers both, and "sociopath" is just showing off;
"empathy": same as "sympathy", but with all the warmth and humanity removed;
"mom": horrible Americanism. The word is "mum".
That'll do for now: I'll be back with a few hundred more when I think of them.
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I prefer to say someone has died rather than 'passed away'. The term RIP doesn't make any sense, once a person is dead that is it.
There are quite a few grave stones in a local church yard which state 'He fell asleep on .......' I nodded off on one of the seats there once .... Phew, what a lucky escape! I could have been buried.
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"Hit the ground running": it makes no sense In what circumstances would anyone do that?
Treating adjectives as nouns, eg "Believe in better" - a particular sin of advertisers.
"To gift": a verb that shouldn't exist. The correct verb is "to give". Even worse, the noun "gifting" for "gift", which I've seen before now.
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.. and another thing.
I keep getting on buses, with their windows open (to increase ventilation and reduce getting covid). The windows have a sign on them that says "This window cannot be closed."
I could close all of them very easily.
I wouldn't be annoyed if the sign said, "...must not be closed.
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Are you sure the notice doesn't mean exactly what it says? The windows may have been modified to be non-closeable.
"Wellness" - just a trendy word for "health", as far as I can see, so "health and wellness" is tautological.
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Are you sure the notice doesn't mean exactly what it says? The windows may have been modified to be non-closeable.
"Wellness" - just a trendy word for "health", as far as I can see, so "health and wellness" is tautological.
... and to, like, put what you say into, like, modern English ...
"Are you, like, sure the notice doesn't, like, mean exactly what it says? The windows may have, like, been modified to be, like, non-closeable. "Wellness" - just a trendy,like, word for "health" as far as I can see, so, like, "health and wellness" is, like, tautological.
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"humbled" when someone has just been awarded something;
That's a good one. It means exactly the opposite of what just happened. Next time I get an award, I'm going to say "I have been exalted by the voters/judges".
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"empathy": same as "sympathy", but with all the warmth and humanity removed;
These do not mean the same thing.
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These do not mean the same thing.
Explain, please.
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Explain, please.
Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another
Sympathy: feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
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Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another
Sympathy: feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
Sound like pretty much the same thing to me.
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Sound like pretty much the same thing to me.
Well, it's not. Empathy means you can understand and share feelings of others whatever they are. Sympathy is specific feelings of sorrow or pity.
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Sound like pretty much the same thing to me.
Think of them this way, when Gordon and I talk to each other about our prostate cancers, we feel empathy for each other. When people who have not had cancer talk to us about how it must be difficult, they feel sympathy.
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Think of them this way, when Gordon and I talk to each other about our prostate cancers, we feel empathy for each other. When people who have not had cancer talk to us about how it must be difficult, they feel sympathy.
Maybe in theory, but in practice "empathy" seems to be used increasingly where "sympathy" would once have been used.
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The profligate inaccurate use of 'fascism/fascist'.
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The profligate inaccurate use of 'fascism/fascist'.
Agreed.
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I do not like nucular instead of nuclear.
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There are quite a few grave stones in a local church yard which state 'He fell asleep on .......' I nodded off on one of the seats there once .... Phew, what a lucky escape! I could have been buried.
Blame Paul for the 'falling asleep' bit.
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Another version of it is when politicians talk about 'The whole country thinks/is doing etc'.
Beat me to it. Or "What the public want to hear us talking about is"
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... and to, like, put what you say into, like, modern English ...
"Are you, like, sure the notice doesn't, like, mean exactly what it says? The windows may have, like, been modified to be, like, non-closeable. "Wellness" - just a trendy,like, word for "health" as far as I can see, so, like, "health and wellness" is, like, tautological.
And I will resist to my dying day the epidemic (well it's been some 20 years now) to use "I was like" to mean "I said" or "I thought".
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Looking back at my working life, and at 'meetings' in particular, I used to detest some of the phraseology used: in particular "connect the dots", which in my experience was often uttered by those with more enthusiasm than experience and who, ironically, would struggle to find their own bahookie even if allowed to use both hands.
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Blame Paul for the 'falling asleep' bit.
Except that the man who fell asleep did wind up dead - briefly.
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Looking back at my working life, and at 'meetings' in particular, I used to detest some of the phraseology used: in particular "connect the dots", which in my experience was often uttered by those with more enthusiasm than experience and who, ironically, would struggle to find their own bahookie even if allowed to use both hands.
I hate the verb "to table" as in "to table a motion", especially as the Americans think it has the exact opposite meaning to its British usage.
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One of my former employers, a bank, adapted 'thinking outside the box' to 'thinking outside the bank' - which seemed idiotic and counterproductive.
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Except that the man who fell asleep did wind up dead - briefly.
He was 'briefly' dead? Have you become a believer again?
"We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye"
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He was 'briefly' dead? Have you become a believer again?
"We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye"
No. It was just a story. It's like saying Icarus was briefly able to fly. I don't believe Icarus ever did fly, it's just what is in the story.
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No. It was just a story. It's like saying Icarus was briefly able to fly. I don't believe Icarus ever did fly, it's just what is in the story.
I'm all for talking about specific references like Icarus in this way. Your comment had a vaguer frame of reference.
Not that I ever did believe that you'd rediscovered your faith.
No more likely than me being a theist again, I'd say.
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. ...to use "I was like" to mean "I said" or "I thought".
I keep hearing people saying, "I'm like on a train."
No. You are on a train. If you were 'like on a train' it might be a bus or possibly a tram. Look around. Is it a bus? No. Is it a tram? NO. It. Is. A. train. and you are ON a train.
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I keep hearing people saying, "I'm like on a train."
No. You are on a train. If you were 'like on a train' it might be a bus or possibly a tram. Look around. Is it a bus? No. Is it a tram? Is it a tram? NO. It. Is. A. train. and you are ON a train.
I find that very irritating too.
I also dislike the word 'wicked' being used when they mean very nice, i.e. " My Mum makes a wicked chocolate cake!
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Pacific, instead of specific.
Could of, instead of could've.
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Pacific, instead of specific.
Could of, instead of could've.
Could of, would of, should of are the last words of a fool
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When answering a question, the person starts by saying "So ...."
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When people refer to the 'floor' when they are outside, when they really mean the 'ground'.
I recently saw one of these fly-on-the-wall TV programmes involving the police somewhere around London - they chased a guy across a field and brought him down and then radioed in to say that the suspect was 'on the floor' when he was, in fact, 'on the ground'.
I don't suppose it really matters - but it does annoy me.
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Relared to Gordon's complaint about police usage.
Police reports that use "male" or "female" instead of "man or "woman".
My immediate assumption is that someone promoted above his or her level of linguistic competence does not know the difference between a noun and anadjective.
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Pacific, instead of specific.
If I ever heard anyone say "pacific" when the meant "specific", I'd be highly irritated, but I never have, though I frequently read it stated as a pet hate of people. I suspect that it doesn't really exist as a genuine malapropism.
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I prefer to say someone has died rather than 'passed away'. The term RIP doesn't make any sense, once a person is dead that is it.
So you believe, but others disagree.
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My immediate assumption is that someone promoted above his or her level of linguistic competence does not know the difference between a noun and anadjective.
But so many police reports and statements, especially spoken rather than written, sound like that!
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If I ever heard anyone say "pacific" when the meant "specific", I'd be highly irritated, but I never have, though I frequently read it stated as a pet hate of people. I suspect that it doesn't really exist as a genuine malapropism.
You suspect that because you have not experienced something that it's never happened? Really? And all the people you have heard mention it are lying?
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Again looking back at 'meetings' when I was working - "we are where we are" and "touch base".
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Again looking back at 'meetings' when I was working - "we are where we are" and "touch base".
I think sometimes 'we are where we are' is ok. If you are trying to deal with a mess, and people start on the whole who's to blame thing, it's a quick way to get away from that.
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If I ever heard anyone say "pacific" when the meant "specific", I'd be highly irritated, but I never have, though I frequently read it stated as a pet hate of people. I suspect that it doesn't really exist as a genuine malapropism.
I believe Derrick Trotter used it in 'Only Fools and Horses'.
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I believe Derrick Trotter used it in 'Only Fools and Horses'.
Interesting that we might be ranting at fiction.
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You suspect that because you have not experienced something that it's never happened? Really? And all the people you have heard mention it are lying?
No, just mistaken, perhaps. Why are you so determined to pounce on everyone today?
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"From the get-go", instead of "from the start" - stupid Americanism. Why "get-go", ffs? It makes no sense.
I saw someone described online recently as a "climate denier" - another example of someone parroting a cliche without thinking about what they're saying, and mangling it into meaninglessness.
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No, just mistaken, perhaps. Why are you so determined to pounce on everyone today?
Why is pointing out your lack of logic 'pouncing'?
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If I ever heard anyone say "pacific" when the meant "specific", I'd be highly irritated, but I never have, though I frequently read it stated as a pet hate of people. I suspect that it doesn't really exist as a genuine malapropism.
It does.
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It does.
I second that.
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Interesting that we might be ranting at fiction.
It's probably the effect of mass media rather than the fiction itself. Repetition of phrases and words are part of the process of manipulating mass mind. Anyway, nice to see ya, to see ya .......!
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I'm all for talking about specific references like Icarus in this way. Your comment had a vaguer frame of reference.
Not that I ever did believe that you'd rediscovered your faith.
No more likely than me being a theist again, I'd say.
I was referencing the story in Acts 9 of a man who fell asleep listening to one of Paul's sermons and fell out of a third floor window. Everybody thought he was dead but Paul brought him back to life/relised he wasn't dead.
Nothing vague about it at all.
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I find that very irritating too.
I also dislike the word 'wicked' being used when they mean very nice, i.e. " My Mum makes a wicked chocolate cake!
"sick" is the new "wicked".
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"From the get-go", instead of "from the start" - stupid Americanism. Why "get-go", ffs? It makes no sense.
Watch Dave Gorman's Modern Life is Goodish. There is an episode that goes from starting on the get-go to starting on the gecko. I can't remember which one it is though...
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/ModernLifeIsGoodish
I keep hearing ppl say "Can I get a coffee?" Sean Lock replied ,"No. You cannot GET a coffee. You can HAVE a coffee and I will GET it for you "
Even now though when I do have a coffee, when I do receive it, I keep getting told, "Enjoy." Eventually, I'll asks the server (/waiter?), 'Oh. Do I have to?'
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"sick" is the new "wicked".
I get that few of us are 'down with the youth' but surely sick is quite old on these terms. I've been hearing it used in that sense for over 20 years.
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I get that few of us are 'down with the youth' but surely sick is quite old on these terms. I've been hearing it used in that sense for over 20 years.
I agree, the word 'sick' has been used in that context for as long as I can remember. It is 'wicked' which is relatively new.
People who say, 'innit' instead of 'isn't it' are irritating.
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I agree, the word 'sick' has been used in that context for as long as I can remember. It is 'wicked' which is relatively new.
People who say, 'innit' instead of 'isn't it' are irritating.
No, wicked is ancient in these terms as well. Lenny Genry was using it over 30 years ago as a parody.
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I get that few of us are 'down with the youth' but surely sick is quite old on these terms. I've been hearing it used in that sense for over 20 years.
If you're over 30, trying to keep up with yoof slang is hopeless.
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If you're over 30, trying to keep up with yoof slang is hopeless.
That ain't nothing but the chizzle bizzle
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I'm like...
So
The thing is, is
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And she went like
And I was OMG
https://youtu.be/dSINO6MKtco
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The infantilisation of the language, with anthropomorphic packaging ("I'm recyclable") and small or young vegetables being called "baby": it's hard to find new potatoes in supermarkets nowadays; they're always called "baby potatoes".
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...they're always called "baby potatoes".
As long as they aren't called spuds. Spuds can fudge right off IM(HR)O.
Edit: added ed to call
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As long as they aren't call spuds. Spuds can fudge right off IM(HR)O.
;D
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The infantilisation of the language, with anthropomorphic packaging ("I'm recyclable") and small or young vegetables being called "baby": it's hard to find new potatoes in supermarkets nowadays; they're always called "baby potatoes".
We have baby plum tomatoes.
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We have baby plum tomatoes.
Small tomatoes are usually called "cherry", so they should be "cherry plum tomatoes".
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Small tomatoes are usually called "cherry", so they should be "cherry plum tomatoes".
Small round tomatoes look like cherries, whereas baby plumb tomatoes look like small plums.
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Small round tomatoes look like cherries, whereas baby plumb tomatoes look like small plums.
True - but "baby" is particularly stupid when referring to tomatoes, since we only eat them when mature, whatever their size, ulike some other fruit and veg., which can be eaten immature. "Dwarf" would be a better name for them.
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Small round tomatoes look like cherries, whereas baby plumb tomatoes look like small plums.
Baby plums will drop as they mature and smell fantastic.
So, when get some dropped plums hold them and give them a big long smell, right next to your nose.
You'll thank me, later.
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Baby plums will drop as they mature and smell fantastic.
So, when get some dropped plums hold them and give them a big long smell, right next to your nose.
You'll thank me, later.
I don't like the taste of plums.
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I don't like the taste of plums.
You don't know what you are missing.
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You don't know what you are missing.
That's right. Hold some dropped plums, give them a gentle stroke and they'll be ready to pop.
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You don't know what you are missing.
Since she says she doesn't like the taste of them, she is obviously familiar with them, and thus does know what she is missing.
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Since she says she doesn't like the taste of them, she is obviously familiar with them, and thus does know what she is missing.
Thanks Steve. :)
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Since she says she doesn't like the taste of them, she is obviously familiar with them, and thus does know what she is missing.
But there are plums and then there are plums. Friars plums for example or maybe try a couple of Black Beauty's. A couple of those....seventh heaven.
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Since she says she doesn't like the taste of them, she is obviously familiar with them, and thus does know what she is missing.
So how many plums has she stroked then?
(By implication) she must have held a lot of plums and not quite stroked them enough when they dropped to get their juice bursting out of them.
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(P.S. With apologies to Roses. If you want to take part then that's fine.)
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But there are plums and then there are plums. Friars plums for example or maybe try a couple of Black Beauty's. A couple of those....seventh heaven.
Well, you think so, but maybe not everyone agrees. Many people think apricots are nectar of the goods, but I detest them.
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Some plums
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Some plums
They look awfy smale.
Almost bullaces.
As regards Steve's dislike of apricots, I generally prefer the dried version.
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All this talk of plums has got me thinking about the phrase "Pick the low hanging fruit first" in work terms.
Maybe it's ok the first time you hear it and you do your best to get picking.
The problem I have with it is that the fourth or fifth time of hearing made me want to scream.
I mean by then you've already picked all the fruit on the tree, you've stripped it of leaves and chopped the tree down for fuel. There's nothing left. Let it go.
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They look awfy smale.
Almost bullaces.
As regards Steve's dislike of apricots, I generally prefer the dried version.
So do I.
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Saying Fink rather than Think, and Free rather than Three etc
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Saying Fink rather than Think, and Free rather than Three etc
Radio 4, no doubt wishing to appear to be 'down with the street kids' have employed a presenter who studiously affects the fs and vs for all the th's.
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Pronouncing the letter H as Haitch instead of Aitch, irritates me.
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Pronouncing the letter H as Haitch instead of Aitch, irritates me.
Generally pronounced itch in Glasgowk
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Pronouncing the letter H as Haitch instead of Aitch, irritates me.
Are you sure? Actually, I'm half convinced that all the items in this thread are made up!
I can't remember ever being irritated by the wording, pronunciation or grammar someone has used unless they clearly meant it to be insulting or offensive.
If something is just incomprehensible I tend to ignore it.
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The use of the term ' y'know' when encountering certain inhabitants of Glesga (Glasgow).
Sometimes a sentence of twelve words can have 'y'know' inserted at least four times.
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The near-universal inability of native English speakers to correctly pronounce "harass".
Amended to remove evidence of my inability to correctly spell "harass".
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"I was only joking."
What about? Racism, sexism or any other type of prejudice stereotype?
Morons. Idiots. Contemptible fools. Pretending they aren't accountable for their stupidity.
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"Said", immediately before a second or subsequent reference to something previously mentioned. I think it began life as a bit of boring officialese, in civil service memos and the like, before starting to appear in social media posts as a sort of joke. However, the joke died years ago, and it's now just tiresome.
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I detest the phrase, 'What the F....".
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A lot of these phrases are cool when they first come into use. Then everybody starts using them and they become annoying.
There was a lot of overuse of the word "perfect" a while back; this thankfully seems to have died down.
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A lot of these phrases are cool when they first come into use. Then everybody starts using them and they become annoying.
There was a lot of overuse of the word "perfect" a while back; this thankfully seems to have died down.
Not in Costa's Coffee, Tesco's Nailsea.
"No problem" also seems to be going strong there. One would hope there is "no problem" in making coffee in a coffee house.
Nice people though.
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People seem to use "super" a lot nowadays. I find it a bit annoying.
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"Amoral", when used of people. People can be moral (albeit not perfectly, according to the monotheisms, because we're all sinners) if they have a decent moral code that they try to live up to, or they can be immoral, if they ignore morality and act selfishly. Only inanimate objects, such as the chair I'm sitting on, can be amoral.
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"I cannot wait..."
Yes you can, wait until it will occurs.
Are you Dr Who?
Have you got a TARDIS?
No.
So you wait.
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Pronouncing the letter H as Haitch instead of Aitch, irritates me.
Yes. Conversely, the way Americans fail to pronounce the "h" in "herbs" is like fingernails down the blackboard
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Are you sure? Actually, I'm half convinced that all the items in this thread are made up!
I can't remember ever being irritated by the wording, pronunciation or grammar someone has used unless they clearly meant it to be insulting or offensive.
If something is just incomprehensible I tend to ignore it.
Good for you. It's not compulsory to contribute to this thread.
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"...From the get-go". Quite apart from the fact that it's an Americanism, "why "get-go", ffs? Really gets my goat.
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I get mildly annoyed when people used the term 'closure', often to indicate the conclusion of traumatic events such as a court case following a death.
I understand that the mechanics or processes surrounding the conclusion of notable personal events like this can be a turning point but, and speaking from personal experience of that particular scenario, I never felt 'closure' - and it's now 30 years on from the event in question.
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I get mildly annoyed when people used the term 'closure', often to indicate the conclusion of traumatic events such as a court case following a death.
I understand that the mechanics or processes surrounding the conclusion of notable personal events like this can be a turning point but, and speaking from personal experience of that particular scenario, I never felt 'closure' - and it's now 30 years on from the event in question.
I dislike psychobabble in general, of which "closure" is an example.
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I've been changing my first name for click and collect shops (/ items). It used to be 'Squeaky' now I'm using Mr S.
I went to pick up an item with this name and the staff ended up asking me if I was M.R.S.* No I am Mister S, I thought I was using that so it was a bit more formal, I didn't expect them to ask if it was M.R.S. (not Mrs, hopefully obviously 🙄).
* -pronoounced as 'emm' 'are', 'ess'.
(Editted late)
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I've been changing my first name for click and collect shops (/ items). It used to be 'Squeaky' now I'm using Mr S.
I went to pick up an item with this name and the staff ended up asking me if I was M.R.S.* No I am Mister S, I thought I was using that so it was a bit more formal, I didn't expect them to ask if it was M.R.S. (not Mrs, hopefully obviously 🙄).
* -pronoonced as 'emm' 'are', 'ess'.
Maybe they thought you are the Market Research Society?
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“Closed” as in “This win means Manchester City have closed the gap on Arsenal” when Man City have only risen from, say, six points to three points behind Arsenal. What they’ve actually done is narrowed the gap, not closed it.
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'So,' every so-dding time they answer a question they say 'So,. ' and then answer the question.
There's no point. Don't say it. Answer the question.
If not you can So right off.
Must be all those pinko snowflake elitists.
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'So,' every so-dding time they answer a question they say 'So,. ' and then answer the question.
There's no point. Don't say it. Answer the question.
If not you can So right off.
Must be all those pinko snowflake elitists.
May have said this before. "Yeah, no..."
Heard it again this morning on the radio. The interviewee was answering a question to which her intended reply was clearly "Yes" from what she went on to say, but sure enough, out it came: "Yeah, no.."
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If anyone has ever watch Richard Osman's House of Games, he keeps asking the contestants "...Shall we?...",
'Shall we start the first round?
'We'll look at the scoreboard, shall we?'
'Shall we meet up tomorrow?'
Just imagine anyone saying 'no, let's not.'
and it's obvious this verbal tick is superfluous.
He is supposed to an author, whose written three (best selling?) books, but his use of language like that annoys the @#$% out of me.
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"Reverend Smith", or whatever their surname may be. I don't care how common it's become in the last few decades, it s as wrong as "Sir Smith". Both Rev. and Sir have to be followed by a first name, or at least an initial, and Rev. can be followed by Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms, if you want to be formal (eg the Reverend Mr Smith). Furthermore, "Rev." isn't even necessary: "Mr (or Mrs etc.) Smith" is perfectly correct. The Methodist ministers in the church I grew up in were usually referred to as Mr Hoyles, Mr Bellwood, etc. (In our less formal age, they'd probably be Arthur and Arnold.)