Re: I despair (take 2 ...) OT

[harryagain]

The words 'anything and 'everything' seem to have been almost erased from

> the English language, to be replaced by 'anythink' and 'everythink' at > best, and 'anyfink' and 'everyfink' at worst. Even TV presenters - > including the educated ones - can't get it right. > > So, today, I'm driving along, and I see a large sign on the side of a > building that says (something too small to read) on the top line, then > THINK on the next line then (something else too small to read) and finally > on the bottom line HOME. So the intended impact statement is "THINK - > HOME", because it was a sort of home furnishings depot. And what did the > two lines of small text say when I got closer ? The first was "Every", and > the other was "for the". > > So the total sign actually read "Every THINK for the HOME". How sad is it > that whoever came up with that little gem, really thought that they were > making a clever play on words ? > > And why on earth didn't the sign producer quietly advise them that their > idea wasn't *quite* right. Because they were too thick themselves to > realise, maybe ? > > Arfa

Essex speak, that's all. Just a fly-by-night fad for the brain dead.

It succeeded in that it attracted your attention and here you are posting about it here. Don't worry, they'll all be speaking Polish in Essex soon and the fad will disappear along with Mondeos. Just be sure never to go into the place. I will support you, I won't go in either.

[Brian Gaff]

Hmm, well, maybe it was supposed to be kind of wrong?

Like innit?

I also note that the American way of saying Aluminium is catching on over here. I blame these American non comedy films where the gag can be seen being set up about three minutes out.

If you really want to be annoyed about the way people speak though, note that we do seem to have a completely new accent in the UK. Bits of American twang, some Carabean, some Asian, throw in some eastern European to taste and one gets some almost uninteligable spoken word.

archery seems to now be Archewee, but There is now Ther, ie no actual end, so maybe we are just seeing the start of a World English of some sort. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Member Bro, don ya Shart aboo ii, wees gonna fin yees Krook

I mean These australian words are also coming in you know. Brian

[PeterC]

Australian does have the advantage of using only 2 vowels.

[Scott M]

I'll see your "anythink" and raise you a "could of".

Also, is it just me or does the word "accidentally" not exist in the English language? As far as I can tell I'm the only person who uses it since absolutely everyone else uses the appaulingly clunky "by accident".

[Tim Watts]

Here's £5 sonny, nip into the charity shop and buy some trousers that fit...

;->

[Tim Watts]

I see official signage in London (temporary signs on laminated paper, not permanent signs) from such bodies as Westminster Council that have no concept of grammar nor correct spelling.

Sometimes it's a typo, but even so, which supervisor let it go out the door without a second look?

[Bob Eager]

The one who is also illiterate.

Councils can't afford to employ that many good people, and most of them seem to hate their job and take it out on the 'customers'.

[Huge]

And only one intonation.

[Lee]

One of the QI episodes touched on this, if you come across it.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Scott M writes

I'm sure that "less" people say "anythink" than those who say "could of"

- but more say "less" when they really mean "fewer".

>

[Dave Liquorice]

And also doesn't know what the red and green squiggly underlines mean in Word?

Or do they arrogantly turn them off, thus typos, spelling and grammer mistake don't get flagged up. Yes Words grammer can be a bit odd but at least it's waving a flag suggesting that it is probably a good idea to look at what you *have* written not what you think you have.

[Johny B Good]

Along with other appallingly misspelled words.

[Johny B Good]

If we're including mispronunciations, the one that really 'grates' is the controversially clunky pronouncement of the word "Controversy" where the stress has been shifted from the second syllable (where it damn well belongs) to the first (which just makes it sound very cumbersome and unnatural).

This _seems_[1] to be an americanism if the 'sound' buttons (UK and USA) are compared on the Cambridge Dictionaries on Line site:

[1] I use _seems_ because I think this is down to some git in the RP department two or three decades ago at the BBC deciding to run a sly experiment of their own on the power of abuse of the spoken word that resides within this department.

If you're in such a 'delicious' situation of power, what better word to test this controversial experiment on than the word "controversy" itself?

This guy must be laughing up his sleeve every time he hears that word spoken, not just by the BBC but by other broadcasters who should've[2] known better.

[2] Short for 'should _have_' BTW.

[John Williamson]

ITYM Word's grammar.

[DerbyBorn]

People who write "your" instead of "you're". "To" instead of "too"

Quite thick people have access to sending their written word all over the world. Many think it doesn't matter if these errors are made.

[Huge]

grammar

Word's grammar

:o)

[Nightjar]

Isn't that one of Murphy's Laws; that anybody complaining about spelling or grammar is bound to make a mistake in one or the other?

Colin Bignell

[spuorgelgoog]

Council supervisors aren't expected to be literate. They are expected to re spect diversity and value inclusion in the workplace and sit in meetings th ink-bubbling awareness and empowerment with post-it notes.

When they get to management level they're allowed to order up to £5.00 of paperclips from an approved supplier without referring to a senior manager .

Owain

[Ian Jackson]

In message , Johny B Good writes

"Pronunciation" is invariably mis-pronounced as "pronounciation" (even on a Radio 4 programme about the BBC's Pronunciation Department).

And "ha-RASS".

With, of course, "shoulda" being short for "should of".

On radio and TV, I note an increasing number of presenters tending to say 'AY' for 'a' - even when there is no need to impart any stress.

And then there are those who insist on writing "it's" when it's really "its" (more-or-less standard by Americans).