Minor pedantic victory

[rosecott]

BBC headline link changed from "Bob's who's uncle? The people behind famous phrases" to:

"Bob's whose uncle? The people behind famous phrases"

We continue to strive.

 

[Leftie]

The wife of one of my golfing best buddies works as a sub editor for a well known magazine chain and tears her hair out at the lack of "correct English writing skills" that are submitted by staff (and other) writers. You get it on the BBC a lot (other news channels are available) and equally as bad.

Typical examples would include "when the police arrived, he opened the door in his pyjamas" - never seen pyjamas with doors in them, "then, when nine, his mother taught him how to ....." - bit young to be a mother, "One migrant is caught trying to sneak into Britain every 6 minutes" - persistent or what?

 

[Maninblack4612]

I had a letter published in our local newspaper where I pointed out that calling people "tragic" is wrong. Events are tragic. Tragic things happen to people but describing people as tragic is just wrong. They are still doing it.

 

[SocketRocket]

The wife of one of my golfing best buddies works as a sub editor for a well known magazine chain and tears her hair out at the lack of "correct English writing skills" that are submitted by staff (and other) writers. You get it on the BBC a lot (other news channels are available) and equally as bad.

Typical examples would include "when the police arrived, he opened the door in his pyjamas" - never seen pyjamas with doors in them, "then, when nine, his mother taught him how to ....." - bit young to be a mother, "One migrant is caught trying to sneak into Britain every 6 minutes" - persistent or what?

A Woman gets knocked over crossing the road in London every day. She's getting a bit fed up with it now.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

"Heavy plant crossing" - still to see a triffid walk across the A308.

 

[User62651]

I get a little annoyed with the ongoing trend of dropping 'ly' off the end of adverbs, i.e. -

He played brilliant(ly)
I behaved foolish(ly)
I hit it tremendous(ly)

Notice it on tv all the time, last 4 or 5 years it's got worse and worse and seems to be accepted.
Even Adam Peaty's at it on the ad he's in on tv currently.

Well known one of course was Alannis Morisette's complete ignorance of what irony is in her famous song Ironic, none of the lines were ironic, just unlucky, ruins the whole song for me too. Example - 'Rain or your wedding day' is not ironic, it would be ironic if you were a weatherman getting married etc etc,

Grrrrr..

 

[bobmac]

Too many to mention

 

[louise_a]

The one that really gets me is mostly sports commentators using plurals like your Kanes, your Agueras.... Why can't they say players like Kane, Aguera....

Also used to have one at the last place I worked where it was endemic for staff of one department to used the word revert when they meant reply.

 

[garyinderry]

"'I am away upstairs to throw myself down''


Means, I am off for a snooze in Derry. :rofl:


Or the other classic is,

"the doorbell went and there I was sitting in the middle of my dinner''

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Scottish press is hilarious.
Nicola sturgeon gets either slapped down or smashed at least a dozen times a week.

My particular dislike is West of Scotland journalists calling the Police 'Cops'.

Oh and Scots being interviewed who say 'yoose'.

 

[jdpjamesp]

I had a letter published in our local newspaper where I pointed out that calling people "tragic" is wrong. Events are tragic. Tragic things happen to people but describing people as tragic is just wrong. They are still doing it.

Donald Trump is visiting a primary school and he visits one of the classes. They are in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asks the President if he would like to lead the discussion of the word "tragedy."So the illustrious leader asks the class for an example of a tragedy. One little boy stands up and offers: "If my best friend who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a runaway tractor comes along and knocks him dead, that would be a tragedy."
"No," says President Trump, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raises her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explains the exalted leader. "That's what we would call a great loss."
The room goes silent. No other children volunteer. President Trump searches the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room, little Johnny raises his hand. In a quiet voice he says: "If Air Force One carrying you was struck by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaims President Trump, "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy, "because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."

 

[rulefan]

"How are you today?"
"I'm good."
"Then why have you just been sentenced to five years in prison?"