Author Topic: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?  (Read 7690 times)

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Offline flowers

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The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« on: August 09, 2013, 06:28:12 pm »
Words that are used these days that are a pet peeve of mine.

Homeland Security. I hate that word "homeland" for me it sounds so Hiltler like.
Democracy. They always say we are a democracy when we are not.
Level the playing field.
Social Justice.

What are some of yours you don't care for or are a pet peeve of yours?


Offline GourmetDan

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2013, 06:35:53 pm »

'begs the question' for 'raises the question'.

Begging the question is a logical fallacy that has nothing to do with prompting a question. 



'anxious' for 'eager'.

Anxious means 'filled with anxiety', not eagerly anticipating something.


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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2013, 11:06:52 pm »

"irregardless"..........UGH!


"should have WENT with us".......you'd be surprised how many people use it there.


and incorrect usage of "to...and too"
"It aint what you don't know that kills you.  It's what you know that aint so!" ...Theodore Sturgeon

"Journalism is about covering the news.  With a pillow.  Until it stops moving."    - David Burge (Iowahawk)

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2013, 11:39:34 pm »
Fair

Offline alicewonders

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2013, 01:01:34 am »
Let me be clear....

 :banging:
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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2013, 12:11:31 pm »
Hopefully, as in, "Hopefully, the rain will hold off," when one means, "I hope the rain holds off."

Using "alumni" when only one person is referenced, e.g., "He's an alumni of our high school."


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Offline massadvj

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2013, 12:18:22 pm »
Mixing singular and plural.  For example: "The consumer wants good value for their money."  I encounter it all the time in my students' writing and it drives me nuts.  I can't get them to stop it.  Another one is the overuse of the word "you" instead of maintaining a first or third person narrative.  They just love to slip into the comfortable, non-threatening second person.

It's like when you go to a discussion forum, you know, and you post a reply... (instead of just saying I went to a discussion forum and posted a reply).
« Last Edit: August 10, 2013, 12:20:04 pm by massadvj »

Offline massadvj

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2013, 12:19:06 pm »
Hopefully, as in, "Hopefully, the rain will hold off," when one means, "I hope the rain holds off."

Using "alumni" when only one person is referenced, e.g., "He's an alumni of our high school."

I hate when they use "media" as singular instead of plural. 

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2013, 12:44:09 pm »
I hate when they use "media" as singular instead of plural.
I quite agree. Too bad so many "media types," including conservative talk radio hosts, don't understand the correct use of the word.
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Offline andy58-in-nh

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2013, 12:52:22 pm »
I hate when they use "media" as singular instead of plural.

The Media are asses.
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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2013, 01:43:36 pm »
My local TV newscast is a daily adventure in bad grammar. Continuing on ...
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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2013, 02:09:07 pm »
The word "saw" is all but gone. From newscasters to reporters to editors and people everywhere, the common usage is, "I seen it!". No one says, "I saw it!" anymore.
You cannot "COEXIST" with people who want to kill you.
If they kill their own with no conscience, there is nothing to stop them from killing you.
Rational fear and anger at vicious murderous Islamic terrorists is the same as irrational antisemitism, according to the Leftists.

Offline EC

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #12 on: August 10, 2013, 02:28:08 pm »
People who complain about the word ain't. It's a valid word.

Massadvj - you'd go nuts on my writing. I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.
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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2013, 02:35:09 pm »
I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.

And why is that?  Care to expound?
"It aint what you don't know that kills you.  It's what you know that aint so!" ...Theodore Sturgeon

"Journalism is about covering the news.  With a pillow.  Until it stops moving."    - David Burge (Iowahawk)

"It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living" F. Scott Fitzgerald

Offline EC

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #14 on: August 10, 2013, 03:02:54 pm »
And why is that?  Care to expound?

Singular and plural is usually an accident due to not paying attention. Sometimes though it is deliberate - I use it to show the multiple facets of an individual. There are multiple you's. That sometimes needs be acknowledged to make things more real.

Tenses - well, I use a change of tense to show a flashback or flash forward, instead of making a scene break. Or sometimes I screw up.  :laugh:

My poor editor goes nuts over it - she is very OCD about grammar.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2013, 03:03:59 pm by EC »
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Offline evadR

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #15 on: August 10, 2013, 03:29:38 pm »
I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.

And why is that?  Care to expound?

Ditto.
You'ns and youses are two of my favorites.
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Offline massadvj

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #16 on: August 10, 2013, 03:36:42 pm »
People who complain about the word ain't. It's a valid word.

Massadvj - you'd go nuts on my writing. I mangle singular and plural (and tenses) all the time. It's deliberate though.

I am paid to prepare college students for professional writing.  There are certain things that identify a writer as an amateur when they show up in a business report.  The two I identified are big red flags that tell the reader "I am an amateur." 

In script writing or fiction, it would be a far different story.  Ditto in a discussion forum.

Still, it doesn't hurt to show some writing discipline in discussion fora. 

Offline katzenjammer

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #17 on: August 10, 2013, 04:01:15 pm »
"At the end of the day" has been overused to the point of annoyance for me.

I also see a lot of "there, they're, and their" confusion that is annoyingly distracting.

Offline NavyCanDo

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #18 on: August 10, 2013, 07:15:41 pm »
"My Bad"    Where the H%## did that horrible phrase come from?  Destroys the redemptive power and the  meaning of the words "I'm Sorry" changing it to a say and forget now lets move on bad grammar quip.   
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Offline NavyCanDo

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #19 on: August 10, 2013, 07:20:30 pm »
And call ne stupid if you want, but I just don't get "Stupid is as Stupid Does".    If someone is being a dumb ass, then say so, instead of relying on a metrosexual phrase popularized by Forest Gump.
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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #20 on: August 10, 2013, 10:05:18 pm »
Memo to America: one does not make a noun plural by adding an apostrophe and an "s," e.g., "I have two dog's."
Two dog's what? Two dog's leashes, collars, squeaky toys? (Or is that "toy's"?)
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Offline EC

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #21 on: August 10, 2013, 10:15:16 pm »
Still, it doesn't hurt to show some writing discipline in discussion fora.

Totally agree. It is a good habit to get in to, to use reasonably correct English on the forums. Don't hassle me for my over use of commas though!
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Offline Cincinnatus

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #22 on: August 10, 2013, 10:24:03 pm »
I have always been highly annoyed by the sentence: Barack Obama is President of the United States of America.
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Offline flowers

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2013, 10:39:29 pm »
I have always been highly annoyed by the sentence: Barack Obama is President of the United States of America.
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Offline flowers

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Re: The Use Of Words...Some Pet Peeves Of Mine, What Are Yours?
« Reply #24 on: August 10, 2013, 10:41:31 pm »
Memo to America: one does not make a noun plural by adding an apostrophe and an "s," e.g., "I have two dog's."
Two dog's what? Two dog's leashes, collars, squeaky toys? (Or is that "toy's"?)
My gramar is terrible. Please feel free to correct me at any time that goes for you or anyone else here.