c4countdown

Gevin has already mentioned ALRIGHT and OKAY in another thread
I don't like some PC terms like Cis , vertically challenged , BAME and Woke.

In have problems with some phrases that are different accross the pond like have your cake and eat it , becomes eat your cake and have it in America.
Also have a problem with the phrase 'he turned round and said' unless there is a swivel chair involved

I should also add back to back as mention by Phil in another thread.
Although I do like to list my palindromes back to back.
Speaking of palindromes it's a shame the word isn't a palindrome too althouthe the fear of palindromes is

It wasn't me that brought up the "all right"/"alright" thing. But anyway to kick off mine (and I'm sure there's loads):

Influencers
Social media
Leader of the free world

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 6:22 pm It wasn't me that brought up the "all right"/"alright" thing. But anyway to kick off mine (and I'm sure there's loads):

Influencers
Social media
Leader of the free world

I like to put anti in front of social media.

A word that I don't dislike but dislike it's mispronunciation is 'ask'.
Too many people that pronounce it as aks .

Also people who get arsey when someone says three but pronounce it as free , I.e. not using the tongue correctly....it still sounds the same for fucks sake.

I've probably mentioned this before but "on a regular basis" is such an ugly, stupid way of saying "regularly". Likewise "on a daily basis" etc.

On the subject of Americanisms, I'm generally quite forgiving of words and spellings that are different to ours, especially since many of them pre-date shifts in British English; but one bizarre American coinage that winds me up because it says the exact opposite of what it means is "I could care less".

Also on the subject of Americanisms, the peculiarly coy tendency to say "bathroom" when they mean "toilet", even in nonsensical contexts like "I'm taking the dog for a walk as he needs to go to the bathroom."

Phil Reynolds wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:21 pm I've probably mentioned this before but "on a regular basis" is such an ugly, stupid way of saying "regularly". Likewise "on a daily basis" etc.

On the subject of Americanisms, I'm generally quite forgiving of words and spellings that are different to ours, especially since many of them pre-date shifts in British English; but one bizarre American coinage that winds me up because it says the exact opposite of what it means is "I could care less".

Also on the subject of Americanisms, the peculiarly coy tendency to say "bathroom" when they mean "toilet", even in nonsensical contexts like "I'm taking the dog for a walk as he needs to go to the bathroom."

I brilliant illustration of Americanisms can be found in the sometimes funny cop show Code 404 episode

Two expressions or specifically suffixes really any me.
The suffix 'holics' as in chocoholic or shopoholic.
This is a lazy misuse , derived from Alcoholics those people addicted to alcohol
Also the use of 'gate' during a scandal derived from the Watergate Scandal from the 1970s involving Richard Nixon.
Watergate was the name of a hotel

"In and of itself". Just a thing people say without them knowing why.

Bane and BAME.

Irregardless

When someone says something like we don't have any strawberry trifle I'm afraid.
I am often tempted to reply , that there's no need to be scared

When people pronounce the term PHEV literally.

Tom S wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 11:44 am When people pronounce the term PHEV literally.

As in this? I had no idea, and I'm surprised you've encountered more than about one person who has said this.

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:52 pm Also the use of 'gate' during a scandal derived from the Watergate Scandal from the 1970s involving Richard Nixon.
Watergate was the name of a hotel

If you haven't already seen it, you should enjoy this.

CHILLIES (or CHILIES on this side of the pond). As in the plural peppers. That E is irrationally maddening.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 4:54 pm

Tom S wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 11:44 am When people pronounce the term PHEV literally.

As in this? I had no idea, and I'm surprised you've encountered more than about one person who has said this.

Am a bit of a petrol head, so quite often encounter it watching videos on the issue...

Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

It's called RAS syndrome

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

I know that ATM is the generic name, but I've never heard anyone use the term (with or without the redundant extra word). Everyone I know calls it a cash point.

Phil Reynolds wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 3:57 pm

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

I know that ATM is the generic name, but I've never heard anyone use the term (with or without the redundant extra word). Everyone I know calls it a cash point.

I call it a CP point.

Phil Reynolds wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 3:57 pm

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

I know that ATM is the generic name, but I've never heard anyone use the term (with or without the redundant extra word). Everyone I know calls it a cash point.

Sorry, I came over all trans-atlantic.

Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 10:44 am

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

It's called RAS syndrome

Reading that link gave me a sense of nostalgia.
One of my friends at school had a mother called Elsie Dee.
When digital watches came out we had so much fun at her expense.
As a footnote , I met my old school chum earlier this year
He told me his wife is called Karen and his daughter is called Alexa

Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 10:44 am

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

It's called RAS syndrome

Of course, this is a poor name itself as it's not the whole acronym that's redundant, just part of it.

Organic chemistry/compounds.

Such a misleading term. Organic:

Relating to or derived from living matter.

Organic compound:

In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Of course, no-one ever tells you that organic chemistry isn't the chemistry of life - you just have to work it out at some point in your life.

The edge of space. People use this to mean the near edge of space, so just when you first reach space. But it's name sounds like the outer edge, like some sort of extreme boundary. You even sometimes hear people refer to it as the very edge of space, which is obviously nonsense because it implies some sort of superlativeness to it, when in fact it's the opposite.

On a separate note, I sometimes wonder how aware most people are about relative distances in space, and how unimpressively close the International Space Station is compared to, you know, proper space.

The International Space Station is only about 250 miles from Earth. I think that would surprise a lot of people.
The Moon is about 250,000 miles from Earth (so x 1000).
The Sun is about 93 million miles from Earth (so another x 400ish)
Neptune at its closest is about 2.7 billion miles from the Earth (another x 30, so about x 10 million from the ISS)

And that's just scratching the surface.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:32 pm I sometimes wonder how aware most people are about relative distances in space

Well, if the typical Sainsbury's customer is anything to go by, most people don't even have a fucking clue what 2 metres is.

Phil Reynolds wrote: ↑Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:52 am

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:32 pm I sometimes wonder how aware most people are about relative distances in space

Well, if the typical Sainsbury's customer is anything to go by, most people don't even have a fucking clue what 2 metres is.

I think proof reading Victor Meldrew is getting under your skin

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 5:14 pm

Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 10:44 am

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:58 am Why do we say things like PIN number and ATM machines when the last word in both acronyms are the same ?

It's called RAS syndrome

Reading that link gave me a sense of nostalgia.
One of my friends at school had a mother called Elsie Dee.
When digital watches came out we had so much fun at her expense.
As a footnote , I met my old school chum earlier this year
He told me his wife is called Karen and his daughter is called Alexa

This is the worst limerick I've read in ages.

"Making memories".

'actor', when they mean 'actress'.
'Tescos', when they mean 'Tesco'.

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 12:38 am 'actor', when they mean 'actress'.
'Tescos' when they mean 'Tesco'.

It seems that over the past ten years there is a national or global action to gender neutralise all professions.
Names like policewoman, actress and comedidiene are being confined to history

As for Tesco becoming Tescos..
That may stem from the playground.
Lets all go to Tescos where (insert name here) buys his best clothes na na na na

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 9:27 am

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 12:38 am 'actor', when they mean 'actress'.
'Tescos' when they mean 'Tesco'.

It seems that over the past ten years there is a national or global action to gender neutralise all professions.
Names like policewoman, actress and comedidiene are being confined to history

As for Tesco becoming Tescos..
That may stem from the playground.
Lets all go to Tescos where (insert name here) buys his best clothes na na na na

With agent nouns generally, they standardly end in -er (or occasionally -or as in this case, but the sound is the same), so "actor" is basically the agent noun of the verb "act". You also get things like "bad actor" where you would never use "actress". So yes, using "actor" for women is presumably just a way of not having a separate female form. Because that's what it is. It's not a male form and a female form - it's the standard form and the female form. And that seems a bit asymmetrical and weird. Obviously we're used to "actor" and "actress", but I don't see it as a problem if it changes. "Comedienne" was always a niche word that hardly anyone actually used anyway.

And it's obviously "Tesco's" that people are saying, not "Tescos". It's not a plural but a possessive apostrophe. It's not at all abnormal for shops to be named like this. We have Sainsbury's. We also used to have Waterstone's until they took the apostrophe out of the name. It might officially be Tesco, but there is a history of naming like that.

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 9:27 am over the past ten years there is a national or global action to gender neutralise all professions.
Names like policewoman, actress and comedidiene are being confined to history

I'm all for it - in the vast majority of cases the gender of the person performing the job has zero bearing on their ability or proficiency.

As for Tesco becoming Tescos..
That may stem from the playground.
Lets all go to Tescos where (insert name here) buys his best clothes na na na na

You went to a posh school When I was at school it was "so and so gets her clothes from the Oxfam reject shop"

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 12:38 am 'actor', when they mean 'actress'.

Referring to a female actor as an actress is usually no more necessary than referring to a female doctor as a "doctress".

I get so angry at expresso. I've left a restaurant because it had expresso on the menu, it's completely irrational. If I had to choose between taking a kick to the bollocks every single day for the rest of my life, or hearing the word "expresso" once - I'm taking the no kids option.

Adam Latchford wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:08 am I get so angry at expresso. I've left a restaurant because it had expresso on the menu, it's completely irrational. If I had to choose between taking a kick to the bollocks every single day for the rest of my life, or hearing the word "expresso" once - I'm taking the no kids option.

Yeah that, and the grocer's apostrophe.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 2:43 pm

Adam Latchford wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:08 am I get so angry at expresso. I've left a restaurant because it had expresso on the menu, it's completely irrational. If I had to choose between taking a kick to the bollocks every single day for the rest of my life, or hearing the word "expresso" once - I'm taking the no kids option.

Yeah that, and the grocer's apostrophe.

Meh - I'm not smart enough to have ever heard of that. By getting a tattoo devoted to countdown, it's kind of like selling your soul and thus becomes property of countdown anyway and then it works grammatically. Probably.

Graeme Cole wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:36 am referring to a female doctor as a "doctress".

Nurse?

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:18 pm

Graeme Cole wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:36 am referring to a female doctor as a "doctress".

Nurse?

Not the same job. Admittedly their responsibilities and requirements probably stem from what men and women were allowed to do. But now the qualifications they require and what they do are different, regardless of the gender of who's doing the job.

Midhusband

Thomas Cappleman wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:20 pm

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:18 pm Nurse?

Not the same job

It was a joke of course, but my gosh, your earnestness is adorable.
Seriously, all you would need to do is install miniature windshield wipers onto your glasses and you'd be my dream man.
(Obviously you're already spoken for, so boohoo me... but yeah - cutie.)

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:44 pm

Thomas Cappleman wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:20 pm

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:18 pm Nurse?

Not the same job

It was a joke of course, but my gosh, your earnestness is adorable.
Seriously, all you would need to do is install miniature windshield wipers onto your glasses and you'd be my dream man.
(Obviously you're already spoken for, so boohoo me... but yeah. Cutie.)

Yeah, I'll pass thanks.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:23 am And it's obviously "Tesco's" that people are saying, not "Tescos".

Even so, when my mother says "I'm going to Tescos*" my response is often, "How many Tescos? Surely just one would suffice?" or "Is that in case the first one has run out of something?"

She's not a fan.

(*or possibly Tesco's)

L'oisleatch McGraw wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 12:56 am

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:23 am And it's obviously "Tesco's" that people are saying, not "Tescos".

Even so, when my mother says "I'm going to Tescos*" my response is often, "How many Tescos? Surely just one would suffice?" or "Is that in case the first one has run out of something?"

She's not a fan.

(*or possibly Tesco's)

I spent many a year calling The Co-Op, Coop and Boots, Bo-Ots, just to annoy my mates

Adam Latchford wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:08 am I get so angry at expresso. I've left a restaurant because it had expresso on the menu, it's completely irrational. If I had to choose between taking a kick to the bollocks every single day for the rest of my life, or hearing the word "expresso" once - I'm taking the no kids option.

https://www.lexico.com/definition/espresso
But would Susie allow it? Not specified, but
"Usage
The spelling expresso is not used in the original Italian and is strictly incorrect, although it is common"

David Williams wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:10 am

Adam Latchford wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:08 am I get so angry at expresso. I've left a restaurant because it had expresso on the menu, it's completely irrational. If I had to choose between taking a kick to the bollocks every single day for the rest of my life, or hearing the word "expresso" once - I'm taking the no kids option.

https://www.lexico.com/definition/espresso
But would Susie allow it? Not specified, but
"Usage
The spelling expresso is not used in the original Italian and is strictly incorrect, although it is common"

Judging from the "strictly incorrect" part I'd bloody hope not!

It's a good job we don't use MW then: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expresso

Just for shits and giggles, how annoyed do we get when people spell or pronouns our names wrong.
I only ever got annoyed if one of my family spell my name wrong.
Tbh I am a frequent offender, especially on this forum

Calling pets "furbabies'.

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:20 pm Calling pets "furbabies'.

Agree with that.
Also those guide dog ads with 'regular pupdates' also irritate me

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:37 pm

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:20 pm Calling pets "furbabies'.

Agree with that.
Also those guide dog ads with 'regular pupdates' also irritate me

Never heard of furbabies. But I totally agree on "pupdates" - just saying it like it's a normal word with no acknowledgement that they're making a really bad pun.

I also think the same about "phishing" when really it's just a wicked internet version of "fishing" and you get the BBC and Oxford dictionaries just acting like it's a normal word.

"Loved ones".

Might have said this before on another thread but the whole glass half full for optimism thing. If you take an empty glass and fill it halfway it's half full. If you take a full glass and empty half of it, it's half empty.

And of course when stupid Americans say they "could care less".

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 8:09 pm I also think the same about "phishing" when really it's just a wicked internet version of "fishing" and you get the BBC and Oxford dictionaries just acting like it's a normal word.

It's a perfectly useful technical term that's a lot quicker than "fishing for people's personal information via internet scams". Sure it may need explaining sometimes but it's exactly the right word for the job.

Thomas Cappleman wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 2:04 pm

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 8:09 pm I also think the same about "phishing" when really it's just a wicked internet version of "fishing" and you get the BBC and Oxford dictionaries just acting like it's a normal word.

It's a perfectly useful technical term that's a lot quicker than "fishing for people's personal information via internet scams". Sure it may need explaining sometimes but it's exactly the right word for the job.

If you just wrote "fishing", it would be clear from the context. Lots of words are used in many contexts but you don't need a separate spelling for each one. It's one of those words that I might use but I'd put it in quotes. It's like reading an article about someone getting totally pwned.

Edit - I posted basically the same thing here.

Mark James wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 12:03 pm Might have said this before on another thread but the whole glass half full for optimism thing. If you take an empty glass and fill it halfway it's half full. If you take a full glass and empty half of it, it's half empty.

Yeah... but this assumes that the person knows the full history of said glass.
If you do not know how it got that way, and just chance upon it in all its glorious 50%ness, it could be either.

However, it might be fair to assume for something like a glass, which (in its natural state, lying inside your glasses and cups press) is normally empty, that it's now half full; whereas if you see a yogurt* in a similar state, you might prefer to call that half empty, because it starts out full, so someone must have already et half.

*Only acceptable pronunciation is to rhyme with "boggart" fyi.

People using text abbreviations in conversation like CBA and especially FYI

"Fully vaccinated". It's not really a thing. It's not like you suddenly reach full immunity after two doses of the vaccine. We just happen to get two doses as standard.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Sep 09, 2021 6:58 pm "Fully vaccinated". It's not really a thing. It's not like you suddenly reach full immunity after two doses of the vaccine. We just happen to get two doses as standard.

And anyone who thinks being double jabbed means you won't get it or transfer it is WRONG.
Both my Partner, her Daughter and my sister have recently tested positive and all have been double jabbed since June or earlier