Annoying spelling, galling grammar, irksome words, frustrating phrases

[Swank]

Recently people in my area have started to adopt the Australian "no worries", which sounds like "I forgive you" when Americans use it.

 

[Extollager]

'Agreeance' is a word that sets my teeth on edge, a feeling that is tempered by the reluctant acceptance that it is a much catchier word than 'agreement' and will probably replace it over time.

I have been using it as a joke, but I guess I was an unwitting carrier. I don't have that excuse now I've outed myself.

Ewww! I haven't encountered that one yet.

 

[Extollager]

This isn't exactly spelling or grammar but I invite/harangue you all to join my so-far-one-man campaign against this horror, of which (it pains me to say) many of my friends are guilty.

The wrong-way-round apostrophe.

This occurs when an apostrophe, meant to denote missing letters, comes at the start of a word, but the word-processor has assumed it's a quote mark and turned it automatically into a "6".

So instead of

up and at ’em

you get

up and at ‘em

It drives me crazy. An apostrophe isn't the same as a quote mark! Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!

It's great that you notice this. Sometimes I want to write 'zine instead of fanzine. My solution is to type fan'zine and then delete the fan.

 

[HareBrain]

It's great that you notice this. Sometimes I want to write 'zine instead of fanzine. My solution is to type fan'zine and then delete the fan.

In MS Word, at least, CTRL+' and then ', will get you a hard "9" apostrophe.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

This isn't exactly spelling or grammar

I'll allow it. Maybe the title should also include 'pesky punctuation' or some such alliteration

Anyway, I've just been reminded of another of my pet hates:

pre-order

Given the pre usually means before, how do you order something before ordering it?

I think it's a corruption of pre-release order, in that you can order something before it has been released, but I see it all over the place now, even when things have been released.

Grrr!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Recently people in my area have started to adopt the Australian "no worries", which sounds like "I forgive you" when Americans use it.

Yes, came here to add this (along with upcycle and elevate).

If I order in a restaurant the last thing I expect are any ‘worries’ for simply making my order.

And other Americanisms I loathe are: ‘can I get a…’ when ordering something. Okay, fine, go and get your pan fried sea bass with samphire and steamed new jersey royals ; see what Chef says. The other is ‘I’m gonna do the chicken’ or (to the server) ‘let’s do the chicken’.

Another term I’ve cone to hate lately is, ‘do you have a loyalty card?’

 

[Steve Harrison]

Ewww! I haven't encountered that one yet.

I wish I was in agreeance with you...

 

[Steve Harrison]

Recently people in my area have started to adopt the Australian "no worries", which sounds like "I forgive you" when Americans use it.

We use it in Australia all the time, usually after we've caused a minor mishap that threatens the existence of humanity or the planet. It's great, because everyone immediately relaxes and gets on with their day.

 

[Swank]

We use it in Australia all the time, usually after we've caused a minor mishap that threatens the existence of humanity or the planet. It's great, because everyone immediately relaxes and gets on with their day.

Like I said, it is only aggravating when my countrymen say it. They aren't participating in Australian cultural perspectives - they are just misappropriating a phrase in an annoying manner. It doesn't work when a country of uptight worriers say something like that.

 

[Ray Zdybrow]

Seriously though... I think there is a difference between new idioms or catchphrases such as "my bad!" (equivalent to "soz", meaning "yes I'm in the wrong, but it's trivial") and utter nonsense like "40 percent less fat" which sounds precise but is impossible to understand. I like new idioms and slang, they enrich the language, but weird maths just does my head in. If anyone can explain the %age-less please correct me

 

[dask]

I know this doesn’t solve the problem but I couldn’t resist asking Copilot anyway. Usually it responds immediately even to questions regarding physics and time but it took several seconds to formulate this response.

 

[Ray Zdybrow]

Like I said, it is only aggravating when my countrymen say it. They aren't participating in Australian cultural perspectives - they are just misappropriating a phrase in an annoying manner. It doesn't work when a country of uptight worriers say something like that.

Especially annoying when they (English people) say "Na'waz, mate!" to which my response is "My name's not Nawaz". Harrumph

 

[JunkMonkey]

This isn't exactly spelling or grammar but I invite/harangue you all to join my so-far-one-man campaign against this horror, of which (it pains me to say) many of my friends are guilty.

The wrong-way-round apostrophe.

This occurs when an apostrophe, meant to denote missing letters, comes at the start of a word, but the word-processor has assumed it's a quote mark and turned it automatically into a "6".

So instead of

up and at ’em

you get

up and at ‘em

It drives me crazy. An apostrophe isn't the same as a quote mark! Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!

I have similar feelings about wrong way round ampersands. Admittedly this is more of a hand lettering thing. Ampersands are for some strangely difficult to write. I'm pretty handy with a pencil and can draw well but there is something about the ampersand that is awkward - one of the few characters that start with the pen going right to left that doesn't immediately loop downwards.
What is easier, and to my mind perfectly acceptable, is to draw an E and a vertical line down through the middle of it. A stylised ET. (Which is all an ampersand is after all. )

It's when people get that the wrong way round and draw a 3 with a vertical line through it....

 

[tinkerdan]

I think there is a difference between new idioms or catchphrases such as "my bad!" (equivalent to "soz", meaning "yes I'm in the wrong, but it's trivial")

I always think of Mea culpa when I hear My bad[Have to admit I had a character say 'my bad'.]

me·a cul·pa
/ˌmāə ˈko͝olpə/

exclamation

1. an acknowledgment of one's fault or error.
   "“Well, whose fault was that?” “Mea culpa!” Frank said"

 

[Pyan]

We were taught at school that this was an acceptable alternative:

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

utter nonsense like "40 percent less fat"

It too annoys me, but for the reason that they never say less than what.
A badger? A tub of lard? What is it that your product has 40% less fat than?
(Yes I know they are usually referring to a previous incarnation of the same product, but still...)

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Reminds me of a sign I saw in a grocery store years ago that said "Our bananas have no cholesterol." I guessed they hoped that people would not be aware that cholesterol is not found in plants.

Nowadays, many things are labelled "gluten free." There's no reason to put that statement on, say, a bag of corn chips, which inherently lack gluten.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Or cherries. I've seen a "gluten free" label on a bag of cherries.

 

[Pyan]

 

[Danny McG]

When I'm reading a story and a character is described as having a flare for a particular task.
Also when we have hoards of zombies attacking a town.