Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Language Annoyances

Jump to new
Julia said:
The confusion about 'your' and 'you're' continues.

Is it so hard to remember that 'your' refers to what belongs to you, and 'you're' is a contraction of 'you are'???

There's another strange misuse, common to both journalists and politicians, ie saying 'understated' when they mean 'overstated'.

eg If they're talking about a really significant problem, they often say "our concern about this cannot be understated." No. If you are really worried about it, then your concerns cannot be overstated, i.e. there are no words which can emphasise too much the gravity of the problem.
Seems that people just don't stop to think about what they're saying at times.:banghead:
Click to expand...

Freudian slip........... :)
 
Julia said:
With respect to which of the issues I mentioned? And how?
Click to expand...

Julia, I read Wayne's comment - and smirked in appreciation - as implying that politicians rarely make truly important statements. So it's quite appropriate, albeit a Freudian slip on their part, when they say a point they're considering important can't be enough understated. :rolleyes:
At peril of repeating myself: I prefer as small a Government as possible. One that treats its citizens as mature adults, able to make their own decisions; not like children that have to be told what to do and how to do it every step of the way. With such freedom comes responsibility of Self for any and all consequences. And that principle can never be overstated.
 
Julia said:
With respect to which of the issues I mentioned? And how?
Click to expand...

pixel said:
Julia, I read Wayne's comment - and smirked in appreciation - as implying that politicians rarely make truly important statements. So it's quite appropriate, albeit a Freudian slip on their part, when they say a point they're considering important can't be enough understated. :rolleyes:
At peril of repeating myself: I prefer as small a Government as possible. One that treats its citizens as mature adults, able to make their own decisions; not like children that have to be told what to do and how to do it every step of the way. With such freedom comes responsibility of Self for any and all consequences. And that principle can never be overstated.
Click to expand...

Yes, sorry Julia did not see your query. Pixel is bang on with what I meant. :)
 
CHAISE LOUNGE! :banghead:

Ebay has over 100 times more listings for 'chaise lounges' than it does 'chaise longues'. Probably should have checked for some chase lounges too.

Here's another: people who pronounce Laos as "Low" as in "allow". I usually ask them if they've ever traveled to Roma. Roma? Where's that? It's not far from Paree.
 
bellenuit said:
More of Stephen Fry on language ...
Click to expand...

Should I agree or disagree with Stephen ??

Doctors' prescriptions were once written in Latin.
Because Latin is a dead language, it is less likely to be misconstrued.

English, on the other hand, is a living language.
Agree Stephen, it is evolving ...
but I don't have to like it!



As an aside:
When a chess player says "that's 'Book'", he means
it is accepted theory, though no such 'Book' exists.
 
The over-use of adjectives like "amazing".
Why is there such a tendency, mostly amongst people under 30, to use superlatives in inappropriate contexts?
It means that when we really want to describe something as absolutely astonishing, there's no suitable word left.
I'm sure others can come up with similar examples.
 
Julia said:
The over-use of adjectives like "amazing".
Why is there such a tendency, mostly amongst people under 30, to use superlatives in inappropriate contexts?
It means that when we really want to describe something as absolutely astonishing, there's no suitable word left.
I'm sure others can come up with similar examples.
Click to expand...

Awesome post, Julia!

;)
 
Julia said:
The over-use of adjectives like "amazing".
Why is there such a tendency, mostly amongst people under 30, to use superlatives in inappropriate contexts?
It means that when we really want to describe something as absolutely astonishing, there's no suitable word left.
I'm sure others can come up with similar examples.
Click to expand...

It is an amazing coincidence that you should mention "amazing", Julia.
I just got bored while waiting for European Markets to open and show me some direction. Instead of listening to the dreary QandA on ABC24, I switched to last night's X-Factor right into the passage where the compere asks the contestant how it felt belting out their song and hearing the judges' comments. You can guess the answer. "It felt amazing." And then, there is the next superlative: "It was absolutely amazing!"

But then again: Some of them can sing really well, so maybe we should make allowance for that and excuse their lack of literacy; for example, I can't sing anywhere near as well as Dami Im or Omar Dean, so their feeling "absolutely amazing" levels the score.
 
If I hear "aksed", "preforming", "preformance" or "fings" at work much more, I swear I shall be in the news for murder. I have noticed just the last couple of months how many people say these words incorrectly. All I need is for someone to "be aksed to preform a couple of fings...".:banghead::banghead:
 
johenmo said:
If I hear "aksed", "preforming", "preformance" or "fings" at work much more, I swear I shall be in the news for murder. I have noticed just the last couple of months how many people say these words incorrectly. All I need is for someone to "be aksed to preform a couple of fings...".:banghead::banghead:
Click to expand...

Younger generation?:D
 
I'm not too sure if "framework" and "proactive" got a guernsey, but "strategic" did


 

Similar threads

JohnDe
Can you make money investing in watches?
2
Replies
29
Views
1K
moXJO
M
Fiona96
ATO Tax!
Replies
18
Views
2K
Ibza
Ibza
basilio
How valuable are two parent families?
2
Replies
28
Views
3K
Value Collector
Value Collector
basilio
Ozempic: Magic Pill or Devils Bargain?
Replies
10
Views
2K
sptrawler
sptrawler
ducati916
November 2024 DDD
2 3
Replies
53
Views
6K
ducati916
ducati916
Top