What language mistakes bug you most? (literacy, logic, money, writing)

[SandyCo]

Originally Posted by tribecavsbrowns

What really annoys me are people who try to appear intelligent and fall flat on their faces with mistakes like "per say" instead of "per se" or "deep seeded" instead of "deep-seated." Misuse of Latin prepositions is a favorite -- for example, I just heard a girl on a college radio station say, "Let's see what's going on per the weather tonight." What in the world? That's not even close to correct.

I know what you mean. I remember back in the 80s, everyone began using the word "utilize" instead of "use". They mean the same thing, and to me, "utilize" sounds extremely pretentious. The purpose of language is to communicate.

That reminds me of George Carlin's rant about that a long time ago. He used the example of "slum" becoming "low income housing", then becoming "substandard housing", or something like that (I don't think I'm quoting him verbatim).

Hey, "verbatim"! There's another pretentious word that means "exactly". Maybe I should start a new thread...

[Ibginnie]

INK PEN!!!!!!!! All pens have ink. That's redundant.

Also, I have an issue with the usage of the word GENDER. Gender is a grammatical term that implies the feminine or masculine attributes. It has become acceptable to use GENDER to differentiate between the male and female sexes. Acceptable is not always proper.
"What is your GENDER?" No it is what is your sex?

SEEN...I SEEN that instead of I saw that. That one gets to me.


There are so many more...

[anomoly]

I don't bar tend, I tend bar!!!
I tended bar for a long time, and it always bugged me!

And, I think "verbatim" is more appropriate than 'exactly'.
..or would be 'apprapo'?

And, what the heck is the origin of the word 'hater'? It's so common now, I've even heard it on CNN!

[anomoly]

Originally Posted by Ibginnie

INK PEN!!!!!!!! All pens have ink. That's redundant.
That's funny!
Also, I have an issue with the usage of the word GENDER. Gender is a grammatical term that implies the feminine or masculine attributes. It has become acceptable to use GENDER to differentiate between the male and female sexes. Acceptable is not always proper.
"What is your GENDER?" No it is what is your sex?
...

OK, the gender thing is a tough one. I have a BA in Psychology, but I still reflect on my first class, when I thought I understood 'gender', but the way the teacher kept explaining it, I ended up totally confused. I went on to work in research, where this term is frequently used. To this day, I'm always thinking about how I use it, and wondering if I misunderstood.

Gender is what you identify as, not what your sex is. And, yes, it is often used incorrectly.
Ya know, I'm still puzzling over this...

[HereKittyKittyKitty]

Like !!!

"I was, like, going to, like, the store to, like, get some new, like, shoes."

Argh!

Also -- the way that people put a question mark at the end of their sentences when they speak. So the above sentence would be said thusly:

"I was, like, going to, like, the store to, like, get some new, like, shoes?"

[BagongBuhay]

Preventative - not sure that this is really right. I'm used to "preventive".

[cpg35223]

Affect and Effect.

Insure and Ensure.

Four simple words. Why the heck can't people understand how and when to use them?

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by Ibginnie

INK PEN!!!!!!!! All pens have ink. That's redundant.

How about a "hot water heater" ? If the water is hot, why are you heating it ???

It's simply a "water heater," folks ..... !

[motormaker]

Yes, yes, yes,
but what about the words that are spelled wrong in Websters, like:
dickshunary
xtra
nergy
sicolgy
atenshun
lelfant
lementary

Any more?

Oh, and folks that hate how words are used should use dislike.

[southdown]

Seems anyone can write copy for websites these days! Thought you'd enjoy this one I just found describing a leather sofa...

"The Sofa by Pangea blend of style and functionality truly sheik; while uniquely maintaining it’s minimalist beauty."

Sheik!!! Do we think they meant "chic" ???

And don't even get me started on the "it's".......