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Phrases you wish people would get right

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nicola
Matriarch
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"Gramm.er" added to the forum auto-correct.

I had to add the . otherwise it would have corrected it
rolando
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by _mal_
Not really a phrase, but still something that irks me...

"that that"

Technically, it's correct in English (I suppose... I don't know of anything that says it's incorrect) but it always makes my mind stumble over the sentence (and mouth, if I read aloud). I usually have to backtrack and reread the sentence to make sure it's correct or that the person hasn't made a typo or some other grammar error.

It happens to me very occasionally and I always rewrite the sentence. I wish others would do the same.

It's a weird thing. We find ourselves writing it but logically we know a "that that" isn't necessary -- we can say the same thing using one "that" or none at all. I say axe it.


I'm sorry, you're wrong. Word sequences such as That that is, is. That that is not, is not. That that is not, is not that that is. Is that not it? It is and James, while John had had "had", had had "had had"; "had had" had had a better effect on the teacher are perfect English grammar.
RumpleForeskin
The Right Rev of Lush
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While 'had had' etc. are grammatically correct, IMO, fiction writers should avoid them whenever possible. They can trip up some readers, throwing them out of the story, turning them into ex-readers. A major no-no..
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ddubya
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"two alternatives" drive me mad - you can only have one "alternative" - also the use of text language as in cu etc
Guest
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Hate it when people say "Can I get...." it's "Can I have..."
rolando
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Quote by RumpleForeskin
While 'had had' etc. ... A major no-no..


Guest
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It's not a phrase, but a word; the correct word is "regardless", not "irregardless". And I seem to hear it all the time....
DirtyMartini
Purveyor of Poetry & Porn
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Quote by ddubya
"two alternatives" drive me mad - you can only have one "alternative" - also the use of text language as in cu etc


You can't have two alternatives? If you have three choices all together, and you pick one...didn't you have two alternatives?

Hmmm...not sure I agree with some of these recent posts...

I do agree about the text language though...I don't even use text language when texting...

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MRH
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"I could care less" (Are you sure you could not care less?)

"A flag at half mast" (It's probably at half staff to get technical)

"Orientated" (They mean oriented)

"Bounced off of...." (No, it bounced off)

"Can I axe you a question" (A question such as "How do you pronounce 'ask'?)

Continually and continuously used to mean two different things, they don't any more.

etc.
Guest
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Quote by MRH
"I could care less" (Are you sure you could not care less?)

"A flag at half mast" (It's probably at half staff to get technical)

"Orientated" (They mean oriented)

"Bounced off of...." (No, it bounced off)

"Can I axe you a question" (A question such as "How do you pronounce 'ask'?)

Continually and continuously used to mean two different things, they don't any more.

etc.


Half Mast is correct and comes from the Navy about the colors at half mast.
clum
Clumeleon
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One of my friends would probably have a field day in this thread - he is a notorious pedant and self-proclaimed 'Grammar Nazi'. I'll pick out two which I know really get up his nose:

When people refer to the flag of the UK as the Union 'Jack' when, in fact, it is simply called the Union Flag. Apparently, this is only correct when it is on the front of a naval ship or something like that. He never lets it slide.

General misuse and misunderstanding of the idiom 'to beg the question'. He often tries to catch us out with that one.


I have another of my own: 'alot' is not a word, it's two words.
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Quote by citizencane
When people use the verb 'to OF' - could OF, should OF, would OF and so on - I feel as if I want to strike them down like a righteous Nemesis!

I also hate it when someone writes 'TOW the line'.

Memo to snowlover - I think you'll find that 'gesundheit' is German for 'good health', like an English speaker saying 'bless you' when someone sneezes, because your soul was thought to be in danger.


'Bless you' originates from the times when the Black Death/Bubonic Plague was rife. One of the first symptoms was sneezing and as the disease was so often fatal, 'God bless you' became commonplace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bless_you

My other half drives me crazy with his pronunciation of 'breakfast', he says 'break-fast' (which, while technically correct, I suppose, bugs the shit out of me). He also pronounces 'mortgage' as 'mort-gage', which I also find very annoying. Another one is that he insists on saying 'Whicker-man' instead of 'wickerman', when referring to the movie or the music festival... When referring to annoying youngsters, he will often call them 'whippet-snatchers' not 'whippersnappers' as it should be...

Don't even get me started on the general public!

(I may have to come back!)
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Quote by ddubya
"two alternatives" drive me mad - you can only have one "alternative" - also the use of text language as in cu etc


Of course you can have more than 1 alternative, what are you talking about?
A mistake related to this that bugs the hell out of me: People using "alternative" and "option" interchangeably.

Let’s say I have a primary plan of action. I have to do my homework before I leave on our family trip this weekend. That way I can enjoy the holiday, help with the driving, and relax when we get home Sunday afternoon.
Great plan, but is that the only possibility? No, I have some alternatives to Plan A.

- I can do my homework in the car going to and from the destination.
- I can make some time while I'm at my aunt's place and do it there; it should take only a few hours, right?
- I can wait until I get home and spend Sunday evening doing my homework.

So, I have the original Plan A, and the three other possibilities. How many alternatives do I have?
Did you say four? Nope. Besides the original plan, I have three alternatives. An alternative has to be an alternative to something else. In this case my three backup plans are alternatives to Plan A (in case the original, favoured plan doesn’t work out, for example).
I do, however, have four options. I could decide to do my homework in any of the four ways I have told you about.
The difference between the two is one - the number one, that is. I will always have one more option than alternative.
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Double post, sorry.
MRH
Rookie Scribe
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Quote by Jingle
Quote by MRH

Continually and continuously used to mean two different things, they don't any more.



What did they mean before? I'm curious.

Continuous meant a steady stream, as in a stream 'without cessation'. Continual was a repetitive motion, like a drip.

Now they are used interchangeably.
MRH
Rookie Scribe
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Quote by Shotgun011
Quote by MRH
"I could care less" (Are you sure you could not care less?)

"A flag at half mast" (It's probably at half staff to get technical)

"Orientated" (They mean oriented)

"Bounced off of...." (No, it bounced off)

"Can I axe you a question" (A question such as "How do you pronounce 'ask'?)

Continually and continuously used to mean two different things, they don't any more.

etc.


Half Mast is correct and comes from the Navy about the colors at half mast.



Half mast is correct. If it's on a mast. Technically, on a flag pole (on the ground), it is at half staff.
clum
Clumeleon
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"Off the beat and track." Grr. If people stopped and read that back, they would realise that it makes almost no sense.
Guest
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Ten of the most commonly mis-quoted phrases in the UK
(hey, it's in the Telegraph, it MUST be true!!)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4799157/Damp-Squid-The-top-10-misquoted-phrases-in-Britain.html

The top ten misquotes by British people are as follows:

1) A damp squid (a damp squib)

2) On tender hooks (on tenter hooks)

3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud)

4) Champing at the bit (chomping at the bit)

5) A mute point (a moot point)

6) One foul swoop (one fell swoop)

7) All that glitters is not gold (all that glisters is not gold)

8) Adverse to (averse to)

9) Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)

10) Find a penny pick it up (find a pin pick it up)
DirtyMartini
Purveyor of Poetry & Porn
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Quote by mazza
Ten of the most commonly mis-quoted phrases in the UK
(hey, it's in the Telegraph, it MUST be true!!)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4799157/Damp-Squid-The-top-10-misquoted-phrases-in-Britain.html

The top ten misquotes by British people are as follows:

1) A damp squid (a damp squib)

2) On tender hooks (on tenter hooks)

3) Nip it in the butt (nip it in the bud)

4) Champing at the bit (chomping at the bit)

5) A mute point (a moot point)

6) One foul swoop (one fell swoop)

7) All that glitters is not gold (all that glisters is not gold)

8) Adverse to (averse to)

9) Batting down the hatches (batten down the hatches)

10) Find a penny pick it up (find a pin pick it up)



That was interesting...Number 1 I have never heard of in my life...and 7 and 10 I'm guilty of myself...

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Guest
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Quote by MRH
Quote by Shotgun011
Quote by MRH
"I could care less" (Are you sure you could not care less?)

"A flag at half mast" (It's probably at half staff to get technical)

"Orientated" (They mean oriented)

"Bounced off of...." (No, it bounced off)

"Can I axe you a question" (A question such as "How do you pronounce 'ask'?)

Continually and continuously used to mean two different things, they don't any more.

etc.


Half Mast is correct and comes from the Navy about the colors at half mast.



Half mast is correct. If it's on a mast. Technically, on a flag pole (on the ground), it is at half staff.


goes either way. look it up
Guest
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10 items or less.
That makes me cringe every time. It's '10 items or fewer' and no one seems to get it right.
You're supposed to use 'less' for uncountable mass nouns (water, air, flour, etc.) and 'fewer' for count nouns (cats, computers, shoes, items, and so on)

Oh, and: No dogs please.
Unfair generalisation, many dogs do please.
Someone needs to learn how to use a comma.
WellMadeMale
Constant Gardener
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It is: Shit or get off the pot... Not: Shit or get off my cot.

It is: He couldn't find his ass with both hands and a head start... or: He couldn't find his ass if you gave him directions... Not: He couldn't find his ass with his head up it.

It is: I'm busier than a one armed grocery bagger... Not: I'm busier than a one armed jerkoff artist.

I'll have a few more, later thish evening affter a few more brewskeze
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DirtyMartini
Purveyor of Poetry & Porn
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Quote by WellMadeMale
It is: Shit or get off the pot... Not: Shit or get off my cot.



I always thought the correct phrase was "This pot is shit, glad we didn't buy a lot"...

Shows you what I know...

And you say you have more? Take your time there buddy...

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Guest
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Technically not a phrase, but it annoys me when people use of/off interchangeably. A phrase that irks me is "I would of..
" instead of "I would HAVE..." ah and yet another thing, again not a phrase, but I'm having a good rant here, so excuse me, is the improper use of ellipsis... Three dots will suffice, thank you!
charmbrights
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Please will (or even "can") someone explain in what way the meaning is changed when someone writes "meet up", or even "meet up with" instead of simply "meet"? I find it hard to believe that the prepositions add anything to this verb.
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Mistress_of_words
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Quote by charmbrights
Please will (or even "can") someone explain in what way the meaning is changed when someone writes "meet up", or even "meet up with" instead of simply "meet"? I find it hard to believe that the prepositions add anything to this verb.


That's an interesting one. It's just something that has developed in colloquial spoken language, I think. I have a few observations, but no explanations to offer:

Personally I think it tends to be applied more frequently to pre-arranged social activities, rather than the action of meeting a new person:

Let's meet up at the bowling alley.
I met up with this girl for lunch.
Etc.
vs
I met a girl at the movies.
I was looking forward to meeting him.

Also, I think meet up tends to be used more commonly with the WE/US/THEY pronouns. While meet on its own is more often used with singular pronouns:

We should meet up. Let's meet up.
They met up with...
vs
I'll meet you at..
Where do you want to meet?

I'm aware of the possibility I may be talking bollocks, lol.