In which I risk the patronage of my UK subscribers by getting right stroppy about how you been doin’ the King’s English. * 1 . One is not "adviced." The verb form is "advised." One is "advised."Disaffected Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Sort of related… I’ve noticed a trend among millennials and Gen z types who are for all intents and purposes intelligent people say things like “ I had went to ….” It’s driving me starkers. I have tried to correct this grammar glitch in my own adult children with middling success.
Wait one more… I’m hearing people pronounce the word “ organIzation -long i vs. organization -short vowel i constantly. Both pronunciations are ok but I grew up with the short i version and so hearing the long I from all demographics and parts of the globe is making me scratch my head . Perhaps it’s all of a piece . It feels stilted to my ears . Unnecessarily awkward.
Josh, which of the following is correct? 1) I was bored by the speech. Or, 2)I was bored of the speech. I see and hear the latter a lot more often but it just sounds weird to me.
Even a couple of friends with PhDs in Primatology have earned my scorn by saying orientated. Without the dis. Oriented I would whisper under my breath as I cringed a bit.
I’m afraid that “taking a meeting” is just as American as it is British. I heard it often when I was still working at an Ivy League graduate school of education as a senior fundraiser. I will leave which one up to your imagination. But I live in NYC.
Do you do things over the weekend or at the weekend? (The latter is a British formulation that I still can't take to. Despite living in the UK for most of my adult life I spent the bulk of my formative years in the US and retain American English in cases like this one, where the British convention just sounds off.)
Sort of related… I’ve noticed a trend among millennials and Gen z types who are for all intents and purposes intelligent people say things like “ I had went to ….” It’s driving me starkers. I have tried to correct this grammar glitch in my own adult children with middling success.
Yes.
This comes from the same place that the new glottal stops (I climbed a mouh-unn) come from.
Imitating low black street dialect. Rapper vocal patterns.
Oh yes!!! I hear it. Spot on.
Wait one more… I’m hearing people pronounce the word “ organIzation -long i vs. organization -short vowel i constantly. Both pronunciations are ok but I grew up with the short i version and so hearing the long I from all demographics and parts of the globe is making me scratch my head . Perhaps it’s all of a piece . It feels stilted to my ears . Unnecessarily awkward.
Josh, which of the following is correct? 1) I was bored by the speech. Or, 2)I was bored of the speech. I see and hear the latter a lot more often but it just sounds weird to me.
1 is definitely preferred in American English. I hear 2 a lot and I don't like it.
I used to have a running list of words like "disorientated." After hearing enough language butchering I just rolled my eyes and gave up.
Ahhhhhh! And that was the other one that drives my inner grammar nazi to distraction.
Now do "bring" and "take". Urgh. Is it just me or does anyone else almost come unglued when they hear "bring" being used instead of "take".
"I'm going to bring that bottle of wine to her dinner party." No. No, you're going to "take" it.
"As you were." GAWD!! You just triggered flashbacks to basic training!!😉
Ok more. Lol . You hit a nerve Josh. The current Vogue of women saying:
“I’m ON my period “ vs what I grew up hearing “ I HAVE my period.”
What is this ON? Like you can switch it off? Ride it like pony? Freaking bugs me.
Right?!
Irregardless, nip it in the butt yous guys.
PREVENTATIVE. 🤮
Even a couple of friends with PhDs in Primatology have earned my scorn by saying orientated. Without the dis. Oriented I would whisper under my breath as I cringed a bit.
I’m afraid that “taking a meeting” is just as American as it is British. I heard it often when I was still working at an Ivy League graduate school of education as a senior fundraiser. I will leave which one up to your imagination. But I live in NYC.
Josh, rather than risk the displeasure of our English cousins - Queen Victoria famously observed, "We are not amused" - why not just give them equal time by posting this essay from the BBC? https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20170904-how-americanisms-are-killing-the-english-language
Do you do things over the weekend or at the weekend? (The latter is a British formulation that I still can't take to. Despite living in the UK for most of my adult life I spent the bulk of my formative years in the US and retain American English in cases like this one, where the British convention just sounds off.)
Ugh, another one I can’t stand (most of my language pet peeves were hatched from the evil nest of corporate jargon): “speak to.”
“Sure, I’ll speak to that.” Get your prepositions straight: one speaks ABOUT points, not to them.