Phrases I`m getting increasingly sick of hearing

[swee'pea99]

Misuse of the word 'like' to mean 'such as' is another common one.

Someone might say: "Footballers like Lionel Messi earn millions," meaning Messi is an example of a well-paid footballer.

What the first part of the phrase correctly means is footballers, as a body of men, collectively like - are fond of - Lionel Messi.

It should be: "Footballers such as Lionel Messi earn millions."

But 'like', like many other English words (see what I did there?) has more than one meaning. It doesn't just mean 'be fond of'. It also, for example, refers to resemblance:

...as in, eg, 'Footballers like Lionel Messi' - ie, footballers who resemble, 'have the same characteristics or qualities as', Lionel Messi. Using the word 'like' to mean 'such as' isn't a misuse of the word, it's just a different use of the word.

 

[Maverick Goose]

I dislike its use in business-speak, when it's used to mean circulate or disseminate, but there's nothing wrong with using it as a verb.

That's how he was using it. But waterfalls are allowed to cascade... Let's put it in the thought wok and give it a sizzle during the week going forward.

 

[gbb]

I remember saying too my dad (at the time he was maybe 70 ish) after beginning to realise something....
'Y'know dad, the British are becoming a nation of moaners, got to have an opinion on this that and everything, doesnt matter if its insignificant but they have to have something to say, I never saw that before'
His succinct reply...
'The British were always that way, you just never realised it'

Reading this thread isnt doing anything to reverse my realisation back then

 

[swee'pea99]

I remember saying too my dad (at the time he was maybe 70 ish) after beginning to realise something....
'Y'know dad, the British are becoming a nation of moaners, got to have an opinion on this that and everything, doesnt matter if its insignificant but they have to have something to say, I never saw that before'
His succinct reply...
'The British were always that way, you just never realised it'

Reading this thread isnt doing anything to reverse my realisation back then

I suspect that has more to do with age than nationality. I bet you middle age+ blokes in Italy, Canada and Papua New Guinea are just the same.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I think it was Nicholas Montserrat in the Cruel Sea that had the Australian First Lieutenant observe that "British matelots always seem to be complaining about something". To which the Captain replied "That's normal and healthy. It's when they stop complaining you should be worried"

 

[Pale Rider]

But 'like', like many other English words (see what I did there?) has more than one meaning. It doesn't just mean 'be fond of'. It also, for example, refers to resemblance:

View attachment 501938

...as in, eg, 'Footballers like Lionel Messi' - ie, footballers who resemble, 'have the same characteristics or qualities as', Lionel Messi. Using the word 'like' to mean 'such as' isn't a misuse of the word, it's just a different use of the word.

The Cambridge Online Dictionary says: "Such as is similar to like for introducing examples, but it is more formal, and is used more in writing than like."

Thus using 'such as' in writing is safer and I would suggest better because there is no possibility of a dual meaning.

Less or fewer was mentioned earlier in the thread.

That's another one in which rules have changed over time.

Countable nouns are generally fewer - fewer coins/less money.

But 'the bike ride was less than 100 miles' is, most grammarians would say, acceptable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fewer_versus_less

 

[Pale Rider]

the Cruel Sea

Top film.

Who could forget the ship's cardboard bridge?

"More cocoa, number one?"

"Don't mind if I do, Scotty," as someone throws half a bucket of water over the pair of them.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Top film.

Who could forget the ship's cardboard bridge?

"More cocoa, number one?"

"Don't mind if I do, Scotty," as someone throws half a bucket of water over the pair of them.

"Snorkers! Good-o" is a line I've used a few times, much to the bemusement of others.

 

[swee'pea99]

Ok, so now tell us how this:

The Cambridge Online Dictionary says: "Such as is similar to like for introducing examples, but it is more formal, and is used more in writing than like."

squares with this:

 

[youngoldbloke]

'From the word go' (much used by weather forecasters) - makes little sense. Why not 'from the start of the day'?

 

[iateyoubutler]

I remember saying too my dad (at the time he was maybe 70 ish) after beginning to realise something....
'Y'know dad, the British are becoming a nation of moaners, got to have an opinion on this that and everything, doesnt matter if its insignificant but they have to have something to say, I never saw that before'
His succinct reply...
'The British were always that way, you just never realised it'

Reading this thread isnt doing anything to reverse my realisation back then

Well it`s 27 pages long now matey you obviously wasted plenty of time reading it

 

[youngoldbloke]

'back in the day' why not 'in the past'

 

[Globalti]

One irritating Americanism I've just heard from an English BBC reporter at the tennis in Australia: "We've got some amazing action here for you..... don't we!"

My brother in the USA tells me it's common to hear "Dont you got....?"

 

[Deafie]

My brother in the USA tells me it's common to hear "Dont you got....?"

I use "don't got."..... truly awful!

 

[Profpointy]

That's always bugged me too! The only other person I knew who shared my annoyance was an American friend who was quite particular about language. She was one of the few people I knew who still made the distinction between shall and will.

The "shall" and "should" distinction is very important in telecomms specifications. "shall" means pretty much what you'd expect but "should" quite often means "doesn't"