75ZT Community

Bernard · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 13:34 #1

At Waitrose, no less! (Pun intended)

Bolin · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 16:47 #2

Indeed. Quality food and quality grammer.

Or is it the case that our language is evolving and so the rules should evole with it? After all, how many people know when to use less or fewer? I only know which to use because my Dad told me. They didn't bother teaching grammer at school. And people wonder why English is used so poorly in this country....

Borg Warner · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 17:13 #3

Where else should one shop?

Interesting to see that Waitrose haven't been mentioned too much in the recent horsemeat scandle.

Bernard · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 17:32 #4

I, for one, deplore the way that English is misused. From sloppy speech to hijacking of words to mean something different altogether, for example the way 'like' is used in every sentence. I didn't pursue English beyond that which had to be done at school so I don't profess to all knowledge in the subject, but there are limits. I know that it is evolving, if that is the word, but it can leave me behind.

Borg Warner · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 18:19 #5

Don't get me on errant apostrophes.

Jumper · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 19:54 #6

Good to see they can spell as well.

calibrax · Posted 15 Feb 2013, 22:11 #7

Bolin wrote:Indeed. Quality food and quality grammer.

Or is it the case that our language is evolving and so the rules should evole with it? After all, how many people know when to use less or fewer? I only know which to use because my Dad told me. They didn't bother teaching grammer at school. And people wonder why English is used so poorly in this country....

"grammar"

sorry...!

Bolin · Posted 16 Feb 2013, 22:28 #8

Well we did do spelling tests at school but I wasn't particularly good at them

And recently my spell checker stopped working on some websites and even in LibreOffice :-x

I'd use my dictionary but I can't find the thing!! :roll:

bopperbrian · Posted 17 Feb 2013, 15:58 #9

What I cannot understand is; why the need of young people to speak Jamaican?

Zeb · Posted 17 Feb 2013, 17:48 #10

It is a living language....that doesn't tend to do what people tell it to....and keeps nicking stuff from other countries too...

a brilliant, entertaining and informative read can be had from David Crystal - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Kh_R ... CD0Q6AEwAg and also perhaps from John McWhorter - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J7rE ... 0CDcQ6AEwA and http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WeId ... &q&f=false

Raistlin · Posted 17 Feb 2013, 18:10 #11

Eats, shoots and leaves by Lynne Truss is well worth a read if you're interested in the language as well

MrDoodles · Posted 17 Feb 2013, 19:45 #12

bopperbrian wrote:What I cannot understand is; why the need of young people to speak Jamaican?

It's called "Jafrikaan" apparently and it's supposed to make you sound like you is from the tough streets of LA, innit! :roll:

Trebor · Posted 17 Feb 2013, 20:12 #13

Just a pity the person who ordered the sign got his tape measure from the pound shop

Bermudan 75 · Posted 03 Mar 2013, 19:48 #14

Bernard wrote:I, for one, deplore the way that English is misused. From sloppy speech to hijacking of words to mean something different altogether, for example the way 'like' is used in every sentence. I didn't pursue English beyond that which had to be done at school so I don't profess to all knowledge in the subject, but there are limits. I know that it is evolving, if that is the word, but it can leave me behind.

A frequently used term is, 'brand new'. The correct wording should be 'bran new'. It originates from the Mediaeval practice of storing items such as new arrow heads, in casks of bran. This was done to preserve them from salt water during transportation by sea for example. So when an arrowhead was removed from the cask for the first time, it was called 'bran new', to indicate that it was new and unused.

podge · Posted 08 Mar 2013, 16:51 #15

During the course of work this morning,I read the following in a report.."travelled work".Translated into our spoken word it means....work that has been sub contracted out to another company!
While I am on this topic,why do so many people now have job titles that are adjectives and nouns.I came across a sign on a door that read...Mr.##### ######...........Outsourced Logistical Inventory AFRICA . The capitals are as on the door and the office in question has its various departments named after continents!!
Years ago we had personel departments,now its human resources .
I had better stop there!!

Jumper · Posted 08 Mar 2013, 20:42 #16

It's insipient wordcreep that annoys me - before long it becomes the norm (see, another one) and there is no way back. Like the word 'access' in 'I need to access the top floor'. No you don't, you need to get there. Or 'Can I get a cup of coffee?' The answer should be 'no, because you are not allowed behing the counter let alone to use the machine. I'll get it for you'.

bopperbrian · Posted 09 Mar 2013, 13:47 #17

I have two which make me shout at the television when News readers and/or reporters get it wrong they are:
subsidence. The house collapsed from subsidence (Sub-side-ence). He received sub-sid-ence for his meals at work.
Two very different words often used wrongly.
The other is:
Decade. The 1970s Decade (Deck-aid) Means ten years.. Decayed... The body decayed (Dee-kayed)over time.
Even politicians get these wrong and some of them went to our so-called 'best schools'.

75ZT Community

75ZT Community

At least someone gets it correct! by Bernard