Re: Why can't we talk English

by Cymro Fri Aug 04, 2017 5:15 pm

Yes, and a similar provision (for serious crimes, and subject to 2 conditions) applies in England and Wales, thus surmounting the former defence of autrefois aquit.

Which neatly keeps me relevant to this thread: Why can't we talk English? !

Personally, I like a bit of Latin (as long as it doesn't go beyond O-level!). It's the ever-encroaching Americanisms which I resent. I'm still reeling from OpenReach's email!

Cymro

by dbroada Fri Aug 04, 2017 5:41 pm

Cymro wrote:It's the ever-encroaching Americanisms which I resent. I'm still reeling from OpenReach's email!

Cymro

I'm more bothered by the lack of reading what they've written than any Americanism.

I couldn't get past

In regards to your query, we would like to inform you that I am happy to inform you

by Bad Penny Fri Aug 04, 2017 6:46 pm

Gromit, please don't pick on Askit, he's a fellow Celt, therefore I'm going to tell your wife!!!!!! best_friends

Leighton.

by Gromit Fri Aug 04, 2017 7:25 pm

Bad Penny wrote:Gromit, please don't pick on Askit, he's a fellow Celt, therefore I'm going to tell your wife!!!!!!

Leighton.

And my Scottish ancestry may go back further than Askit's?? scratch head

We can go back to around 1200AD. Won't bore you with the story, but our name was hyphenated at one time (bloody pretentious forebears!! Whistle1

) because the Laird was broke, and the good lady he fancied most definitely wasn't, but she was the last of her line.

So - to get his hands on the bride and the booty he had to take her name. (Didn't make him a bad person in my opinion! snigger

)

by groundhog Fri Aug 04, 2017 9:09 pm

Mc Gromit has a nice ring to it up!

by Gromit Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:16 pm

groundhog wrote:Mc Gromit has a nice ring to it

by Askit Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:21 am

Try pronouncing this Scottish name, MacHinery. Solution below

Here

(I know, off topic rolleyes

)

by Askit Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:23 pm

I watched an industry spokesperson giving an interview on TV when they said, “the sististics prove it”. I guess they must have lots of educational (what Delboy used to call) sistificates think_smiley_46

by Paulmold Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:27 pm

My Dad always called them sustificates.

by GoffnWen Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:59 pm

Paulmold wrote:My Dad always called them sustificates.

So did my Nan. hugegrins

by Askit Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:02 pm

It was never mentioned in my family because nobody had any Whistle1

by Askit Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:07 am

Ok, I spend too much time watching the news but is it unreasonable to expect them to articulate our "common" language? It appears from what they say we are living in the year, twennytwenny think_smiley_46

.

I have no problem with regional variations on language, but what is this "bekiz" word that has crept into usage in news reports rather than "because"?

by Guest Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:22 pm

Today on the BBC we had the early evening "nooos"

by Traficlady Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:52 am

HairyFool wrote:Today on the BBC we had the early evening "nooos"

I think that’s more of an Americanism, they say oo rather than ewe.

by Roger G Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:14 pm

Whatever happened to 'aitch' it always seems to be 'Haitch' now.

A few years ago, a potential client phoned me up and when I asked her name, she said it was Mrs Arrison. I replied "Is that Arrison with an 'A'?" She replied in no uncertain terms that it was Arrison with a 'Haitch'. I replied "aah, so that's Harrison then." Her response was "that's what I said, 'Arrison" shrugg

Roger

by groundhog Mon Sep 07, 2020 7:42 pm

A few years back I was involved with the NTC ( Nautical Training Corp), one of the Officers there used to keep referring to "airship". Eventually I asked where airship was as I had never heard of it. What she actually meant was our ship!

by dansammons Fri Nov 06, 2020 7:52 am

SO, WHAT GET'S ME IS ...... When people don't follow forum rules biggrin

I have apologised..
Oh and the use of capital letters in any context in a post

I think there are so many "spoken and written english" issues that many are merely Regional accidents - the introduction of an "F" where there should be a "TH"
There is a local cricket reporter (radio Sheffield, so probably BBC Norf), who genuinely once said Free Hundred and Firty Free for Free

by BobK Fri Nov 06, 2020 9:22 am

When I was young, an elderly colleague used to split up words with an F for emphasis, as in "for your infor..f...king mation" ; "the bloke has disa f...king ppeared" ; "my wife sent me to the shops for sham f....king poo" smile!

by Geoff57 Fri Nov 06, 2020 11:21 am

I've always wondered when 2 planes nearly collide we call it a near miss....surely it should be a near hit !

by davebc4 Tue Nov 10, 2020 1:15 am

I have a few pet hates - one is advertising a '2 Birth motorhome'. I'm sure it must say '2 Berth' in the paperwork - unless there have really been 2 births in it.
My ALL time grinding of teeth is 'motorhome has 8 draws'. I'm old enough to remember when 8 draws on the football coupon was a great thing but I take it the motorhome has actually 8 drawers. scratch head

by Askit Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:06 am

I find it all too easy to get annoyed with broadcasters who should know better. My current bugbear is "it's quite unique" or "a little bit unique" or "pretty unique", etc, etc. Either something is unique (one of a kind) or it's not.

by Quilter Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:20 am

A mistake that gets both my OH and me shouting at the television is mixing up “ number” and “ amount”.

The amount of people who do this is remarkable.

If you can count them then it’s “number”, if not, it’s “ amount”. In theory you can even count the number of grains of sand on a beach though either word can be used here.

by Cymro Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:21 am

Ditto for "fewer" and "less"!

Cymro

by Gromit Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:42 am

Wonder if I'll get another "exclusive offer" from BT today.

A new phone deal offered "exclusively" to me . . . and everyone else on their mailing list!!

by bikeralw Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:57 am

My OH originates from quite a bit further north than myself, and she gets annoyed when London based TV presenters emphasise the 'H' when mentioning northern towns. She says to all the inhabitants it's always been Ull and Uddersfield..
Just ask Freddie Flintoff..
Al.