Things that really annoy you ...

[Flying_Monkey]

I've said it before but: deliberate and aggressive ignorance - i.e.: people who point-blank refuse to educate themselves about anything but still think that their opinions matter. Being ignorant about things is unavoidable. Refusing to learn is inexcusable.

 

[Pete]

People who argue interminably about some obscure point of English semantics.

(*ducks for cover*)

People who put italic stage-direction-type comments between asterisks, in the middle of a post on an internet forum.

Complete strangers who begin a conversation with "how are you?". Cold callers especially. Feel like responding "I was fine until you called..." Interviewees on the Today program who ask John Humphrys "How are you?". As if we cared how John Humphrys is today...

 

[Fnaar]

This morning.... got text from t-mobile, asking me to phone Mr X and Miss Y at my local branch to discuss phone upgrade and/or discount on pay monthly contract. So, I phone number, speak to X, who tells me that they can't discuss individual matters over the phone, due to data protection. Well why did you text me then, and ask me to phone, I reasonably asked.
To talk about upgrades and contracts, says he. But you can't do that over the phone, I respond? No, says he, you have to come in to the shop. Why not put that in the text? He gets confused, i hang up mid-sentence!

 

[mr_hippo]

The use of the word 'well' when people mean 'very'.

But it's not logically or grammatically wrong.

Oh but it is! Consider the original sentence by Arch "It's one of the only working windmills in the county..." What part of speech is 'only'? 'Only' can be used as a conjunction, adjective or adverb. Is it being used as a conjunction here? No. As an adverb? It's not modifying a verb so it must be an adjective. One definition of 'only' as used as an adjective is 'being the single one or the relatively few of the kind.'
With the windmill example, we can say "There are only 6 working windmills left in the UK." which refers to the second part of the definition (relatively few); if there was one windmill left then that would be promoted to 'The only windmill'. You could emphasise it as 'The one and only..."
So 'only' refers to one singular item (The one and only Mr Hippo) or one class of items (Only cakes), there can never be 'One of the only...'

 

[sheddy]

The bloke with the creepy voice who announces trailers on Radio2

 

[Fab Foodie]

Pedants, definitely.
Ignorance.
People who won't change the default language in MS Word to English English.
Irony.
Sarchasm.
Inappropriate Smilie usage.

 

[Arch]

Oh but it is! Consider the original sentence by Arch "It's one of the only working windmills in the county..." What part of speech is 'only'? 'Only' can be used as a conjunction, adjective or adverb. Is it being used as a conjunction here? No. As an adverb? It's not modifying a verb so it must be an adjective. One definition of 'only' as used as an adjective is 'being the single one or the relatively few of the kind.'
With the windmill example, we can say "There are only 6 working windmills left in the UK." which refers to the second part of the definition (relatively few); if there was one windmill left then that would be promoted to 'The only windmill'. You could emphasise it as 'The one and only..."
So 'only' refers to one singular item (The one and only Mr Hippo) or one class of items (Only cakes), there can never be 'One of the only...'

Hooray! You agree. And you NEVER give up...

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Hippo, someone, Pete I think, wants the duck riddle.

 

[GaryA]

I've said it before but: deliberate and aggressive ignorance - i.e.: people who point-blank refuse to educate themselves about anything but still think that their opinions matter. Being ignorant about things in unavoidable. Refusing to learn is inexcusable.

Even more inexcusable when they are 50 something, been doing it for at least 4 years, have access to minors for educational purposes and display no manners, prospective or humour

 

[Alan Frame]

People who don't sound the letter "T" as in " I sa on sea and sha myself".

 

[andy_wrx]

Increasing use of 'over' in BBC news, both on R4 and website/teletext, e.g. Men arrested over murders
- surely you mean 'for' ?

Incorrect use of literally, e.g. "it was literally raining cats & dogs"
- really ? I'd like to see that !


People on this site thinking you spell kerb 'curb'

 

[Arch]

Oh, oh, and people using 'evidently', when they mean 'apparently'. As in someone saying "evidently, he did so and so", when they are recounting something someone else told them, not something they have independant evidence for.

I expect Carwash will disagree on this one as well.

 

[Poacher]

Using "refute" instead of "deny" - as in "I completely refute your allegation".

Using "waiting on" instead of "waiting for".

 

[JamesAC]

<big snip>Neither of your statements are correct to me.</big snip>

Neither of your statements IS correct.

Neither is short for neither one, which is singular.

Cheers!

 

[Carwash]

Oh, oh, and people using 'evidently', when they mean 'apparently'. As in someone saying "evidently, he did so and so", when they are recounting something someone else told them, not something they have independant evidence for.

I expect Carwash will disagree on this one as well.

Quite the contrary. I myself have never heard 'evidently' (ab)used in that way, and frankly your report shocks and depresses me. Still, I suppose language changes, so we shouldn't be too surprised...