Totally OT: Pet hates

[News]

In message , Chris J Dixon writes

Are you sure you're not Martin Bryce? :-)

[Chris J Dixon]

I had to look up the reference. Having done so I have to admit that there are similarities.

They don't make TV like they used to. :-(

Chris

[Andrew]

people who use the phase 'does my head in' !!!.

Aufzug ????

[Chris J Dixon]

Even worse is forward planning. Is there any other sort?

Chris

[Huge]

Chronic when they mean acute.

[Johnny B Good]

It's just a mild form of Tourette syndrome. BTW, "It does my head in" gets right on my t*ts, especially when I happen to be t*ts up. :-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Strictly yes.

Forward planning was a term used to distinguish what became I suppose logistics and project planning, from architects or engineers plans and planning, at least in the large engineering company I did my apprenticeship in.

It is I agree ban ugly term, and we probably have better today.

[Johnny B Good]

It's quite obviously added to disarm any potential charges of stating the (bleedin') obvious, init? :-)

However, I agree it does start to get on one's t*ts when every sentence includes that word as if the author was the victim of a peculiar form of Tourette Syndrome.

So, getting back to the issue of prefixing sentences with unnecessary "so"s, I've noticed this affectation in interviews with "Scientific Experts" on BBC documentaries such as "The Sky At Night" and in Horizon episodes (but more specifically TSAN where it seems all the more egregious since the interviewers themselves also suffer the same affectation).

I'd have thought the producers of those programmes would have received more than enough complaints by now to be offering their interviewees the services of a speech coach to nip this child like lack of confidence in the bud.

Perhaps, like me, they (other viewers) are all assuming that the producers actually "sample their own product" so shouldn't need our input to draw their attention to the problem and therefore, like myself, CBA to post or email a missive of complaint (and thus through the power of apathy, we descend the slippery slope of falling standards).

[whisky-dave]

Government planning ?

[S Viemeister]

Illicit instead of elicit.

[Malcolm Race]

Also, as a retired teacher

Pupil - Do you have a ruler?

Me - Yes thank you.

leaving one puzzled pupli.

Malcolm

[Malcolm Race]

Football comentators describing the events in a match using the present tense.

Malcolm

[News]

Indeed. Pre order. Either order something that is not (yet) available, or don't, but pre order?

[News]

I think there is a hint of Martin Bryce and Victor Meldrew in most of us, as the years pass :-)

Indeed. I will confess to having watched some episodes of Ever Decreasing Circles via YouTube, and being amused. Very gentle comedy, but funny, nevertheless.

[Another Dave]

People using the present continuous: "I am liking that".

Another Dave

[Chris J Dixon]

I recall one interchange which went

Teacher - Where's your homework?

Pupil - It's at 'ome.

Teacher - Really, you've written a whole book?

Chris

[Bob Eager]

The Richard Briers character was indistinguishable from my father. Really.

My father was not amused when I pointed this out.

[The Natural Philosopher]

My pet hate is people blathering 'Tourettes syndrome' without knowing what it really means...

[The Natural Philosopher]

Stationary instead of stationery, and versa vice.

[Bob Eager]

Oh, I know. I have had students who suffered from it. One made a point of announcing it whenever he started a new module; he told his fellow students so that they knew what to expect in lectures.