Commonly used but incorrect words that bug you...

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

Following on from the overused words thread where the ghastly "snuck" sneaked in, what words drive you mad when used incorrectly?

My personal bug-bear is "supposably" which is always thrown in in a bid to make the not so bright speaker sound intelligent. Fail... It gives me that whole one-eye-twitching crazy look whenever I hear it. Kinda like this-> :Wha:

dancingandflying · Mar 14, 2009

Anytime someone says "heighth" or "acrosst", I just want to punch them in the teeth.

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

"Aksed" is another one that does it for me? You axed someone? Why the frick are you allowed out in public?

DeleyanLee · Mar 14, 2009

Irregardless

Haggis · Mar 14, 2009

DeleyanLee said:
Irregardless

That bothers me "alot. "

scarletpeaches · Mar 14, 2009

Normalcy.

Affect/effect being mixed up.

Ast or aksed for 'asked'.

Irregardless, as has been mentioned.

And I read the word 'happifying' in a book recently. I had to be scraped off the ceiling afterwards.

LaurieD · Mar 14, 2009

when someone says someone or something fell in the floor.

When I was working, another nurse once told me in report that so-and-so fell in the floor. I was in a mood and asked her if maintenance had been out to fix the floor or if I should call them.

She didn't get it.

*sigh*

ETA: I also read it in one of Laurrell K Hamilton's Anita Blake books - I also had to be scraped off the ceiling.

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
And I read the word 'happifying' in a book recently. I had to be scraped off the ceiling afterwards.

What book had the ahem... "word" "happifying" in it? Was it used in a serious context? I reckon they'd have to squeegee the ceiling for me too if I read that.

The affect/effect thing really annoys me too. I'm beginning to see why the other kids didn't like me...

Mac H. · Mar 14, 2009

But those using the words 'incorrectly' may just be ahead of the curve with the new meanings. They are the ones boldly forging new paths that other, less able, wordsmiths can follow.

Yes, those trail blazers are going to take many wrong turns - that is the cost of not following the same trail as everyone else. But they are the ones who are going to be creating the language that our grandchildren will be speaking - not us old fuddy-duddys who are sure that all the new-fangled word usages are wrong !

Look at how 'decimated' has changed in definition over the years.

And how many people argued for years that the word 'toilet' meant a lady's dressing table ? Were they right .. or were they just behind the times, sticking to definitions that were decades out of date?

I may not be trail-blazer, but I'm determined I'm not going to be a linguistic pedant for the rest of my life.

And the first step to my rehabilitation is that I'm proudly going to line up at the '12 items or less' queue at the supermarket, and resist the urge to tell them that if they used out of date rules then they should feel guilty for not saying '12 items or fewer'.

Mac

scarletpeaches · Mar 14, 2009

Oh, I just remembered. When people ask, "Is this cliche?" when it should be "cliched."

Tepelus · Mar 14, 2009

Birfday, instead of birthday. I'm sure I'll think of more later.

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

Mac H. said:
But those using the words 'incorrectly' may just be ahead of the curve with the new meanings. They are the ones boldly forging new paths that other, less able, wordsmiths can follow.

Yes, those trail blazers are going to take many wrong turns - that is the cost of not following the same trail as everyone else. But they are the ones who are going to be creating the language that our grandchildren will be speaking - not us old fuddy-duddys who are sure that all the new-fangled word usages are wrong !

Look at how 'decimated' has changed in definition over the years.

And how many people argued for years that the word 'toilet' meant a lady's dressing table ? Were they right .. or were they just behind the times, sticking to definitions that were decades out of date?

I may not be trail-blazer, but I'm determined I'm not going to be a linguistic pedant for the rest of my life.

And the first step to my rehabilitation is that I'm proudly going to line up at the '12 items or less' queue at the supermarket, and resist the urge to tell them that if they used out of date rules then they should feel guilty for not saying '12 items or fewer'.

Mac

Darn it, you've made me feel mildly ashamed of myself. Only mildly though!

Very well put. I'm not entirely anal about these things- I can't be as I'll never be that confident in my own competence with language. It's only certain words that sound to me like nails on a blackboard. "Irregardless" being right up there.

And I'd like to point out that I'm not an old fuddy-duddy. Rather, I am a young fuddy duddy- a twenty-five year with absolutely no tolerance for "txt spk" and the like...

scarletpeaches · Mar 14, 2009

Apostrophes for plurals.

Shop signs that say, "Special offer: Two pie's for the price of one". :rant:

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Apostrophes for plurals.

Shop signs that say, "Special offer: Two pie's for the price of one".

Ooh, that really gets me. Also, apostrophying "its" when "its" is possessive. It's amazing how many publications I've seen this in.

LaurieD · Mar 14, 2009

Millicent M'Lady said:
Ooh, that really gets me. Also, apostrophying "its" when "its" is possessive. It's amazing how many publications I've seen this in.

I admit it, I'm guilty

BarbaraKE · Mar 14, 2009

'Except' when they mean 'accept' (or vice-versa).

I agree with the poster who mentioned 'affect/effect'. And 'principle/principal'. Ugh.

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

LaurieD said:
I admit it, I'm guilty

I am beginning to ponder the futility of my existence when it's things like this that get me wound up!

LaurieD · Mar 14, 2009

Hickspeak kills me "I axed you if'n you wanted anything at Sonics. I'm fixin ta git me somefin."

Clair Dickson · Mar 14, 2009

Task instead of assign. As in "Bill was tasked to complete the TPO reports" *twitch*

I'm all for fluidity of language, but when there is a PERFECTLY GOOD word already... and just about anything that comes out of corporate culture should die a quick and painful death. Please.

Matera the Mad · Mar 14, 2009

Momentarily as a five-syllable substitute for "soon", when it is really a five-syllable substitute for "briefly".

Orientate :rant:

Wups -- forgot "exetera" :rant:

Clair Dickson · Mar 14, 2009

6 am in the morning.
And heinous pronounced "hay-nee-yus."

But I married him anyway... ;-)

scarletpeaches · Mar 14, 2009

"Mischievous" pronounced "Mischeevious". BAH, BAH and triple BAH! :rant:

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 14, 2009

Who's instead of whose.

Also, ridiculous management speak. "Pushing the envelope"? Pushing it where? Just because words are of the same language and you have strung them into a phrase, does not mean any of it makes any sense whatsoever.

BenPanced · Mar 14, 2009

When somebody marks a footnote with an asterik.

I'm not going to go into it with great detail, but all I'm saying is "literally". All I'm saying.

maestrowork · Mar 14, 2009

Importantly. ARGH.

"More importantly, the government has decided to cancel the stimulus package."

It's "more important"! Please.

"Importantly" means a different thing.

Commonly used but incorrect words that bug you...

Exploring the infinite abyss

Is it tea time yet?

Exploring the infinite abyss

Writing Anarchist

Evil, undead Chihuahua

aka Skwirrel

Exploring the infinite abyss

Board Visitor

And so...

Exploring the infinite abyss

Exploring the infinite abyss

aka Skwirrel

Exploring the infinite abyss

aka Skwirrel

A dark core to every cloud

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

A dark core to every cloud

Exploring the infinite abyss

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

Fear the Death Ray