Pet peeves about words

1. 67

   puppascottposted 14 years ago

   I have a pet peeve about the word "libary" and "irregardless." Is anyone else moved to great emotion when someone else misuses the english language?

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      darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I sat on the other side of a cubicle wall once from a guy who would say the word "irregardless" quite regularly. Somehow he managed to use the word REGARDLESS of what the conversation was about.
      
      I also hate the overuse of the words "basically" and "literally" in conversation.
      
      I spent almost two months in a course with a guy who used both far too much. I'm talking every second sentence.
      
      And I'll never forget the guy who worked in a sports type store that specialised in hiking gear. A friend of mine was after a back pack, this salesman said "basically" in every single sentence. He hit the jackpot when he used the word "basically" three times in the one sentence.
      
      I also have a feeling that some people have no idea what "literally" really means.

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      1. 82

         RooBeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I am pretty sure that many don't. I recently heard a girl say, "I literally died right there."  Really? Did you?   

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            darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            If you had a knife in your hands you could have literally stabbed her.

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   2. 61

      curiozitiesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I was in the Army years ago and I hated when I heard people use irregardless, which they di with a bit of frequency in the Army.  of course, I couldn't do much about it because it was usually used by someone who outranked me. 
      
      Then there's "lie-berry."  My wife is a teacher and she hates that one, too.  She said the secretary who makes announcements on the school's PA system always uses "lie-berry."  So I told her the next time the secretary says "lie-berry" in her presence, she should ask her "As opposed to the 'truth-berry?'"

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   3. 67

      Pearldiverposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Mai Khao Jai..

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2. 0

   \Brenda Scullyposted 14 years ago

   do you mean spells it wrong

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   1. 67

      puppascottposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Not necessarily, because (I think) we all do that once in a while. I'm refering to using words out of context, mispronouncing, and using words that don't exist. I worked with a guy who would make up words like "skeletuality;" a word pertaining to the make up of a skeleton.

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      Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Brenda I just emailed you,wee query bout who the other B.Scully is on your hub.

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3. 82

   RooBeeposted 14 years ago

   I usually just laugh about it, but the two you mentioned are probably the misuses I hear most often.
   
   I myself am a stickler for proper apostrophe use.
   I just can't stand seeing a billboard that says something like:
   
   "Our Customer's Are The Best!"     Arrrgh!

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4. 0

   dennisemattposted 14 years ago

   I too, despise inaccuracy, although I am quite frequently making the very same stupid mistakes. I try sooo hard to spell and speak correctly, but it never comes out how I want.
   I get annoyed by "unthawed" and nuclear being pronounced 'new-clear'

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   1. 82

      RooBeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "Unthawed" is a bad one, but I thought nuclear was pronounced 'new-cle-ur' or 'new-clear' rather than the recently adopted 'new-kya-lur' which is the one that annoys me a bit.

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      1. 67

         puppascottposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         We can thank Bush for this one. I don't think he ever correctly pronounced nuclear.
         
         Has anyone ever watched Hell's Kitchen? Chef Ramsay has the annoying habit of ending a majority of sentences with the question "Right?"
         
         How about February or Wednesday?

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5. 0

   fierycjposted 14 years ago

   Never been to this forum. Just checking in. Now checking out.

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   1. 62

      Lisa HWposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds like a good idea to me.  You do seem to struggle with having something fun or constructive to contribute.

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6. 62

   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   One that bothers me is that half the world seems to say, "realator".   I always wonder if people don't realize that the word is "realtor" - or if they just can't say it.

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      LondonGirlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This part of the word says neither, we say, "estate agent" (if, as I think, it means someone who sells houses)

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7. 69

   Christa Dovelposted 14 years ago

   My biggest pet peeve concerning words is when the spelling changes.  I read many old books, and often find our modern spellings boring.  I also have difficulty remembering which is the current use.

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8. 61

   My Inner Jewposted 14 years ago

   My pet peeve is the world like (in my head i hear a valley girl voice everytime...just shoot me)
   and definitely when a speaker uses um... just pause don't say ummmm as your pause...sometimes, if the speaker is bad i count how many times he says it.

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   1. 83

      Jewelsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The overuse of umm is so common that to have anyone say more than one sentence without it calls for a party game.
      Many moons ago in a sewing class in high school, the teacher was so annoyed at our less than cultured way of communicating.  She wanted hands raised and for someone to explain the difference between warp and weft in fabric. That person was not to use umm in the explanation.  No one could do it. And I doubt I could explain warp and weft to anyone now.

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9. 88

   Chris Teldenposted 14 years ago

   Well, I for one am, like, literally floored when people at the libary, like, make a lot of noise and disturb the piece--totally irregardless of the fact that there are libarian's and basically hundreds of other people around.

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   1. 59

      Teresa McGurkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Lovely.  You said it all (or most of it), there.

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      RooBeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Very funny, you..

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10. 80

    Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

    I'm in the library field and it drives me nuts when people pronounce it libery...and some people who work here do that even though the work library is in the company's name...

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    1. 67

       puppascottposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       How about people who use words like "delish" or "congrats?"

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11. 81

    LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

    "Hun". It's astonishingly insincere and patronising all at the same time.
    
    "Momentarily". Which means, "for a moment", not, "in a moment's time". So, "he was momentarily lost for words, then he said..."
    
    People who use, "disinterested" when they mean, "uninterested" instead of "neutral".
    
    "Plethora", which doesn't mean, "lots of", but means, "an unhealthy excess of".
    
    "Decimate", which means the loss of 1 in 10. Not the loss of half, or a quarter, or whatever.

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    1. 59

       Teresa McGurkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       In the States, "momentarily" does actually mean "in a moment's time," so I've had to learn to live with it. 
       
       But "nuc-u-lar" instead of "nuclear" drives me bloody bats.
       
       As does "liberry," "supposeably," "ve-hick-le," and the phrase "if you will," used to qualify an often factual definition or explanation, which speakers seem to think makes them sound knowledgeable.  If I will WHAT?

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    2. 67

       puppascottposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I felt as though I was suffering from a plethora of ignorance, momentarily.

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       darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That I didn't know.
       
       I'll it in mind next time anyone says I have a 'plethora of ideas'.

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          Sufidreamerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Never knew that one, either - in Modern Greek (not sure about the Ancient), it means many, abundance.

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12. 0

    \Brenda Scullyposted 14 years ago

    here in Ireland lots of people end the sentence with so.... I used to hate it, but now I do it so...
    
    also if someone phones you here at the end of the conversation they say bye bye bye bye bye  guess what so do I sometimes,,,,,,,
    
    how do you pronounce scone  scon or scone that is hard to get right

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    1. 59

       Teresa McGurkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Scon!
       (not that I care whether that's correct or not!)

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       1. 81

          LondonGirlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Easy one. When you have it in your hand, it's a scoe-ne. Once you've eaten it, s'con

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          1. 59

             Teresa McGurkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Brilliant.

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             RooBeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Ha-HA! You win! Funniest post!!!

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             Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Ha ha I love scones. Of course, the Stone of Scone is pronounced Skoon

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13. 78

    JamaGeneeposted 14 years ago

    Misuse of the apostrophe is my biggest pet peeve, as in "three boy's were riding their bikes" or "too many cook's in the kitchen spoils the broth".  Seems like people these days can't write any word with an "s" on the end without putting an apostrophe in front of it.  Were they all asleep in English class in high school, or do English teachers not know the difference any more either??  (A scary thought.)
    
    "At this point in time" is the #1 phrase that grates.  "At this point" denotes time...the addition of "in time" is redundant!

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       RooBeeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Good one! Redundancy keeps coming back over and over again

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    2. 61

       curiozitiesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Currently, at this point in time at the present time, we must now look for book's in the lie-berry. 
       
       How's that? 

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       1. 78

          JamaGeneeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I've been away, but that's great!  Also "truth-berry". I'll be sure to use it next time some moron says "lie-berry".
          
          Got one for feb-you-airy??

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14. 0

    Leta Sposted 14 years ago

    Well, I hate to admit it, but there is a sort of native Nebraskan accent at times.  Causes some people to say "pitch-ur" for 'picture,' and my most hated, the cringe inducing "malk" for 'milk.'
    
    But you've never lived until you hear the creative words and phrases that come out of a native Texans' mouth.  Things such as "Dadgummit," literally (hehe,), and "I'm fixin'."  Now, I don't have them fully translated yet, but I think the "Dadgummit" is sort of a euphemism for 'God d*mn it,' and the latter means 'I am planning to.'

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15. 62

    Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

    One of my English teachers used to always say (in a most disgusted voice), "There is no such word as 'enthused'".  She'd also say, "Never use 'due to'".  Now, whenever someone uses either of those two things I still think of that teacher's disgusted tone.  (Of course, she did tend to use a disgusted tone much of the time anyway.    )

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       puppascottposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       From my experience finding a happy English teacher is on par with leprechauns and tooth fairies

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          LondonGirlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I had the same English teacher for GCSE (aged 14 to 16) and as my sixth form tutor, who also taught me half the time for English A level (aged 16 to 18). She was very cheerful, and very nice!

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16. 80

    Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

    The best English teacher I had was Australian, in grade 10. He was so much fun and we learned a new Australian slang phrase each day. Fair Dinkum!

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17. 78

    JamaGeneeposted 14 years ago

    People who pronounce Washington as "Worshington" also launder their clothes in a "worsher" and "worsh" their car (or pick-up) at the "car worsh".

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18. 60

    Jamie Gatesposted 14 years ago

    I'm with RooBee on the improper use of  the apostrophe. Car dealers have ads with the word SUV's. I've seen a meat market with 'Chicken, Beef, Rib's'
    
    Drives me crazy. Having worked for a newspaper, we constantly had misspellings. Yes, we had a couple of proofreaders who apparently didn't do squat. Going out on assignment was usually an embarrassment for me when someone in the public would point out the day's mistakes.
    
    The worst....ever...that we had...on a headline was -  'School System Gets Pubic Review'
    
    The poor reporter with the byline didn't write the headline. The paginators take care of that task. She's never lived it down and can't wear a sandwich board the rest of her life proclaiming her innocence.
    
    The English language is so ripe for humor. I love the Faulkner competitions.
    
    But yes, our language is becoming bastardized. Good luck to the future job seekers.

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    1. 67

       puppascottposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I think you are just splitting hairs.

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