Language fails that make you angry

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In summary: Havelock Ellis) or the myriads who have died (Aldous Huxley). There is no reason to avoid [the noun]." (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Merriam-Webster, 1994, ISBN 0-87779-132-5, page 657).In summary, "myriad" can be used as both a noun and an adjective to refer to a large, unspecified number of something. The use of "myriad" as a noun is not incorrect, despite recent criticism.
  • #1
KingNothing
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These are the misuses of our language that REALLY bug me:

- Misusing "literally". People say things like "I literally have a million things to do."
--- No, you do not.
--- To deal with these people, I usually say things like "I hear you, I figuratively have a project due Wednesday", or "I figuratively have to go to the bathroom."

- Borrow vs Lend.
- Pronouncing 'etc.' "Eck-Cetera". I absolutely despise this and all who do this. I have noticed that 100% of the human resources staff at my place of work does this.
 
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  • #2
KingNothing said:
- Pronouncing 'etc.' "Eck-Cetera". I absolutely despise this and all who do this.

You're a little high strung, aren't you. :rofl:
 
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  • #3
Reminds me of this:

literally.png
 
  • #4
Using "fail" in the sense used in this thread title is a major one.

The correct word is "failure".
 
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  • #5
expresso instead of espresso
 
  • #6
This thread has flustrated me.
 
  • #7
Ivan Seeking said:
You're a little high strung, aren't you. :rofl:

A "little" high strung?
 
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  • #8
less vs. fewer drives me up the wall.

It's "More movie, _FEWER_ commercials", TNT.
 
  • #9
"I could care less" which really means "I couldn't care less."

"Like" instead of "say", as in "He was like, 'I got to go to class next period.'"
 
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  • #10
The post could also be "Langauge fails that make you mad" as in crazy?
 
  • #11
jtbell said:
"Like" instead of "say", as in "He was like, 'I got to go to class next period.'"
Yeah, how do you explain that to a foreigner trying to learn English?
 
  • #12
micromass said:
Reminds me of this:

literally.png
Bwuhahaha! Oh yeah!

KingNothing said:
- Pronouncing 'etc.' "Eck-Cetera". I absolutely despise this and all who do this. I have noticed that 100% of the human resources staff at my place of work does this.
What is the correct way to say it? "Et-setera"?
 
  • #13
Ben Niehoff said:
Using "fail" in the sense used in this thread title is a major one.

The correct word is "failure".

Actually, this raises an interesting point. In linguistics, there is an ongoing debate beteen descriptivists and prescrpitivsts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_prescription
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptive_linguistics

Langauge constantly evolves. For example, there is little doubt that the english of Shakespeare's time is very different from modern english. Of course there was never a point at which group of people to decided to "update" the language. This occurred via small and gradual changes.
As words take on new meanings or uses, more and more people understand what is meant by the new usage or word. At what point does that new usage become an "official" part of the language?

I would argue that "fail" and "literally" are different cases. "Fail" is a specific extension of the word, making "fail" usable as a noun with specific syntax. The new meaning flows from the previous meaning. In the case of "literally" someone is using the implied literal meaning of the word as a form of hyperbole, while actually using the word to mean its opposite. This is different, because it's not a particularly coherent use of language. In other words, unlike "fail" the meaning is not clear, and it reduces rather then enhances the range of possible lingual expression.
 
  • #14
For all intensive purposes.

lolspeak in general. omg wtf ur lmao derp etc >.>
 
  • #16
Adyssa said:
For all intensive purposes.

lolspeak in general. omg wtf ur lmao derp etc >.>

"all intensive purposes" is a great one!

I once heard a mom say about her son's bad behavior, "I'm going to nip that in the butt before it gets out of hand!"
 
  • #17
KingNothing said:
These are the misuses of our language that REALLY bug me:

- Misusing "literally". People say things like "I literally have a million things to do."
--- No, you do not.
--- To deal with these people, I usually say things like "I hear you, I figuratively have a project due Wednesday", or "I figuratively have to go to the bathroom."

- Borrow vs Lend.
- Pronouncing 'etc.' "Eck-Cetera". I absolutely despise this and all who do this. I have noticed that 100% of the human resources staff at my place of work does this.

"they were loosing the battle." I literally read that in a book ("The Hinge Factor").
 
  • #18
"I seen him at the pool." :grit teeth:

In a myriad of ways. : vision fading:
 
  • #19
When people hyper-correct and use I instead of me.

"The dog followed Sandra and I around the house."

lie vs. lay - almost no one seems to get this one right, so I think it's a lost cause.
 
  • #20
vela said:
When people hyper-correct and use I instead of me.

"The dog followed Sandra and I around the house."

That one bothers me as well. Who would say, "The dog followed I around the house?"

Where are you at? *cringe*

One should never end a sentence with the word at. :P
 
  • #21
Jimmy said:
One should never end a sentence with the word at. :P
...
 
  • #22
DaveC426913 said:
In a myriad of ways. : vision fading:
In English, the term "myriad" is most commonly used to refer to a large number of an unspecified size. In this way "myriad" can be used as either a noun or an adjective.[1] Thus both "there are myriad people outside" and "there is a myriad of people outside" are correct.[2]

Merriam-Webster notes, "Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective... however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English."[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myriad
 
  • #24
Here are some common mistakes people make in conversation.

reed - read. You read a newpaper, not reed it. That would be like rolling it up to look like a clarinet and playing on it.

red - read. You read a newspaper, not red it. That would be like taking red paint and covering what should be black and white all over. Except the Sunday funnies.

red - wreadte. You paint a newspaper red, not wreadte. That's not even a word.

write - right. You write a letter, not right a letter. Unless the letter was tilted.

wrote - rote. You wrote a letter, not rote it. That doesn't make any sense at all.

Please be more careful in your speech in the future in order to avoid these misunderstandings.
 
  • #25
  • #26
I'm surprised nobody has brought up:
You're vs. Your
Their vs. There vs. They're

Also, I hate it when people put an 'a' in the word 'definitely'.
To quote a comic from theoatmeal.com, "If you put an 'a' in 'definitely', you are definitely an a-hole".
 
  • #27
How about when "definitely" turns into "defiantly"? This one always reveals who is relying on spell- and grammar-check, as neither one will catch this mistake.
 
  • #28
Ben Niehoff said:
How about when "definitely" turns into "defiantly"? This one always reveals who is relying on spell- and grammar-check, as neither one will catch this mistake.

I can forgive that slight mistake if it is due to a long string of text and a person merely overlooks it. I cringe more when it is spelled definately
 
  • #29
m-w has a couple good lists of this sort of thing
http://www.merriam-webster.com/top-ten-lists/top-10-commonly-confused-words-vol-1/flaunt-flout.html [Broken]
http://www.merriam-webster.com/top-ten-lists/top-10-commonly-confused-words-vol-2/flush-out-flesh-out.html
 
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  • #30
D4V1D said:
I'm surprised nobody has brought up:
You're vs. Your
Their vs. There vs. They're
The one that really used to bug me is its vs. it's. Now I've become numb to it.

Misspellings don't really bother me, but some do mystify me, like taunt instead of taut. I guess it's not really a misspelling. Some people think taunt means taut.
 
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  • #31
English, she be a evolving , and them there fails will be part of a properly spoken language in the years to come..
 
  • #32
Here are some more:

advise vs. advice: "advise" is a verb; "advice" is a noun.

everyday vs. every day: "everyday" is an adjective meaning "commonplace". "every day" is an adverbial phrase meaning "daily".

Also a whole slew of words ending in -ant vs. -ent, e.g. "relevant", "independent"...these are often mixed up.

i.e. vs. e.g.: "i.e." stands for "id est", meaning "that is"; it should be followed by a paraphrase or something explanatory. "e.g." stands for "exempli gratia", meaning "for the sake of example", and should be followed by a list of examples.

I think the word with the most variety is "definitely". In addition to what's already been posted, let's not forget "definantly".

Edited to add "heighth" and "weighth". Should I start saying "breadt" and "widt" to such people?
 
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  • #33
- the point is mute (instead of moot)

- I'm glad the word 'solution' has ceased being treated as a verb. For a few years (at least in business), people of been 'solutioning' problems.
 
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  • #34
hotvette said:
- the point is mute (instead of moot)
+1

"The point is moo -
- a cow's opinion. It just doesn't matter. It's moo."
Joey Tribbianni

:biggrin:
 
  • #35
This might not exactly fit in with the others, but my pet peeve is when people say over-exaggerate. I've lost many arguments related to this before, as it has shown up in a dictionary or two. The redundancy kills me. It just gets me over-overwhelmed...
 
<h2>1. Why do language fails make me so angry?</h2><p>Language is a fundamental part of our daily communication and when it is used incorrectly, it can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. As humans, we have a natural desire for clear and effective communication, so when language fails occur, it can be frustrating and even infuriating.</p><h2>2. What are some common examples of language fails?</h2><p>Some common examples of language fails include misused words, grammatical errors, and incorrect pronunciation. For instance, using "their" instead of "there" or "your" instead of "you're" are common mistakes that can change the meaning of a sentence and cause frustration.</p><h2>3. How can language fails be avoided?</h2><p>One way to avoid language fails is to proofread and double-check your writing and speech before sharing it. Additionally, staying up-to-date with grammar rules and practicing good communication skills can also help minimize language fails.</p><h2>4. Can language fails have serious consequences?</h2><p>Yes, language fails can have serious consequences in both personal and professional settings. Miscommunication due to language fails can lead to conflicts, misunderstandings, and even harm relationships. In a professional setting, language fails can also make a negative impression and affect one's credibility.</p><h2>5. How can we respond to language fails in a positive way?</h2><p>When encountering a language fail, it is important to remain calm and address the issue politely and respectfully. Instead of getting angry or correcting the person, try to offer a helpful explanation or clarification. Remember that everyone makes mistakes and being understanding can help prevent future language fails.</p>

1. Why do language fails make me so angry?

Language is a fundamental part of our daily communication and when it is used incorrectly, it can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. As humans, we have a natural desire for clear and effective communication, so when language fails occur, it can be frustrating and even infuriating.

2. What are some common examples of language fails?

Some common examples of language fails include misused words, grammatical errors, and incorrect pronunciation. For instance, using "their" instead of "there" or "your" instead of "you're" are common mistakes that can change the meaning of a sentence and cause frustration.

3. How can language fails be avoided?

One way to avoid language fails is to proofread and double-check your writing and speech before sharing it. Additionally, staying up-to-date with grammar rules and practicing good communication skills can also help minimize language fails.

4. Can language fails have serious consequences?

Yes, language fails can have serious consequences in both personal and professional settings. Miscommunication due to language fails can lead to conflicts, misunderstandings, and even harm relationships. In a professional setting, language fails can also make a negative impression and affect one's credibility.

5. How can we respond to language fails in a positive way?

When encountering a language fail, it is important to remain calm and address the issue politely and respectfully. Instead of getting angry or correcting the person, try to offer a helpful explanation or clarification. Remember that everyone makes mistakes and being understanding can help prevent future language fails.

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