Dumbing down of language... - Page 3

LewisM · #41 11-01-2015, 07:15 PM

A few annoy me.

1. Nucular: I am sure they mean nuclear, and it is seemingly so horribly difficult to pronounce properly.

2. Congradulations: apparently, congratulations is a difficult word too.

3. Noo: A goon's way to pronounce new.

4. Aks: perhaps they could ask how to pronounce ask?

5. Seperately: it's a separate way to spell the word

6. Flouride: all the pseudo-scientists must believe that the water board puts a flour derivative into our drinking water supply. Might make it a bit doughy. Fluoride, non-intelligentsia, fluoride.

And every other Americanised word that has crept into English - color, anything with a z instead of an s (let alone a ZEE instead of a ZED) and so on ad infinitum.

Not nearly as bad as Woolworths and Coles ALREADY putting Easter eggs out on sale... Christmas has just ended for pity's sake!!!

(I shall stand back and watch as the grammar experts rip this post apart too

)

multiweb (Marc) · #42 11-01-2015, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

I also dislike "Debut" being pronounced as "Da-boo" ...

..I always thought it should was more like "De-bew"

Correct as in pepe le pew, although the correct pronunciation is the same as the vu in deja vu.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #43 11-01-2015, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

Not nearly as bad as Woolworths and Coles ALREADY putting Easter eggs out on sale... Christmas has just ended for pity's sake!!!

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti

xelasnave · #44 11-01-2015, 07:28 PM

As one gets older the trap is to let things annoy you...
Remember things become good or bad upon our personal qualification.
Things are the way they is and there is little need to let them annoy you.
Change above all causes annoyance and fear....why let it do this.

OICURMT · #45 11-01-2015, 07:33 PM

http://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhor...ng_language_jk

rat156 · #46 11-01-2015, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

I just want to know why people from Canada aren't called Canadans.

Andrew

Because there from Canadia, don't you listen to the PM????

Cheers
Stuart

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #47 11-01-2015, 08:18 PM

It's like this. English is a stupid language. Always was, always will be. It makes no sense to anybody. Even the English.

RickS (Rick) · #48 11-01-2015, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

Not nearly as bad as Woolworths and Coles ALREADY putting Easter eggs out on sale...

And their even more heinous crime of labeling checkouts "12 items or less" which, as we all know, should be "12 items or fewer."

AndrewJ · #49 11-01-2015, 08:22 PM

Gday Stu

Quote:

Because there from Canadia,

Shouldn't that be "they're" ????

Quote:

don't you listen to the PM

I try really hard not to.

Andrew

rat156 · #50 11-01-2015, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Gday Stu

Shouldn't that be "they're" ????

I try really hard not to.

Andrew

Yep, should be they're, of course. Just watched the TED video, don't care anymore...

Cheers
Stuart

rat156 · #51 11-01-2015, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Gday Stu

Shouldn't that be "they're" ????

I try really hard not to.

Andrew

Oh, and that should be "G'day"...

GrahamL · #52 11-01-2015, 08:46 PM

Quote:

a pole is what a pretty girl dances with

easily one of the funniest comments I've ever read here to a spellchecker
who wanted a poll about grammar

keep this one rollin please

raymo · #53 11-01-2015, 09:16 PM

We'll be back the other side of the break. At the top of the hour-- grrrrrr also. Where did watch on instead of look on come from?
raymo

creeksky (Pete) · #54 11-01-2015, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

And their even more heinous crime of labeling checkouts "12 items or less" which, as we all know, should be "12 items or fewer."

I add a couple more, to be heinous

AndrewJ · #55 11-01-2015, 10:07 PM

Gday Stu

Quote:

Oh, and that should be "G'day"...

Too true.
Ahh the implementation of didactic pedantry is such fun,
so i will wish you a good morrow and leave whilst i'm behind :-)

Andrew

sharpiel · #56 11-01-2015, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MortonH

I get more upset by your use of Hardly Normal's, when it should be Hardly Normal.

If you refer to the original post I think you'll find this was a tongue in cheek poke at Harvey Norman the retail chain...

Also the original post as I now see it read as this "Hardly Normals want me to "shop in store". I could shop in a store. Maybe even shop in stores. Perhaps they are being literal, and want us to shop in readiness. Readiness of what?? Should I be worried???!"

Is the apostrophe in your quotatation at "Normal's" your own addition..? I don't see it now in the OP�� The original quote is correct without the apostrophe as the irreverent misuse of the name does note denote either a contraction of a word or an ownership, which the apostrophe would imply. So unless it's been edited out now that's Peter 1, Morton 0. Lol.

MortonH · #57 11-01-2015, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharpiel

If you refer to the original post I think you'll find this was a tongue in cheek poke at Harvey Norman the retail chain...

Yes, I know. My point is that the chain is Harvey Norman, not Harvey Norman's. Just as there is no store called Myer's.

sharpiel · #58 11-01-2015, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MortonH

Yes, I know. My point is that the chain is Harvey Norman, not Harvey Norman's. Just as there is no store called Myer's.

So the OP has been retrospectively edited to remove bad grammar...

That's hardly fair in a post complaining about others misusing English now is it?

Surely that's a reportable offence regardless how amusing the thread has become...!

gregbradley · #59 12-01-2015, 12:10 AM

Peter,

You may not know but Grammar has all but disappeared in schools and has for some time. Kids are supposed to "immerse" it in. Apparently they don't.

Also, looking up the meanings of words also is frowned upon and again the kids are expected magically to "immerse" it in. Also apparently they don't. Even the bright ones.

As a result, the average number of words the current educated person knows from the most recent generation is very low. So slang is often substituted for a wide vocabulary. A few words that are "flexible" mean many many things.

Apart from that slide there is also the fact that language does evolve and as long as communication is still occurring then its not really a problem as long as most people say - you's.

Greg.

OICURMT · #60 12-01-2015, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OICURMT

http://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhor...ng_language_jk

I guess no one took the bait...

Interesting POV from a linguist on the evolution of what is the spoken versus written word... and what it means for society. He has some humorous slides about people who complain about the "demise of grammar and vocabulary" through time (as in all the way back to 63 A.D.)

I didn't comment on my original post, as I was trying to solicit a debate on the topic. I guess I failed...

OIC!