What English expression do you hate the most?

[Conrad_K]

"Can I ask you a question?"

[sigh] You just did...

 

[Gwylan]

"Txtspk" deliberate misspelling ticks me off. But that seems to be mostly replaced by some kind of hiphop/gangbanger patois that, for lack of any other name, I call "raplish."

Even more annoying when they're used in business email and memoranda. And when I complained about it, I was somehow the bad guy for not accepting their "culture". For some reason my announcement I would henceforth assert my own culture and communicate by interpretive farting and tap-dancing was seen as an insult, and nearly got me fired.

wrongful dismissal, for a start. Then there's the afront to your sincerely held culture and values held

 

[Conrad_K]

You must work for Viagra? (or, for the pedants out there, Pfizer)

I remember when that hit the market. It was a pretty big advertising blitz for something (in America, at the time) they weren't actually allowed to say what it was supposed to do.

From the "-agra", and way the local rock stations played a strangely high number of ads for farm supplies, I thought it was something farmers would buy to spray on crops. It was several years later when I learned what the product was supposed to do.

 

[Conrad_K]

Cultural appropriation, annexation.

Cultural appropriation *is* English culture!

 

[Conrad_K]

Define "Light engineering".

I call the place where I have my wood lathe and bandsaw the workshop, but would you call woodturning light engineering?

Flip side, in Japan there are "heavy industries," some of which manifest in corporate names, like "Kawasaki Heavy Industries." Which is (among many other things) a major aircraft company, where "heavy" isn't desirable.

"The mind, she boggle!"

 

[Drago]

Cultural appropriation *is* English culture!

Exactly! We stole our culture way back when and shot anyone who complained.

 

[Gunk]

“Numpty” is another expression I just can’t stand, where on earth did that come from?

 

[Alex321]

Listen, we've always been very clear about this, we don't have the actual figures but we are doubling down on difficult decisions.

When are you expected to take over from Kier Starmer?

 

[Alex321]

I remember when that hit the market. It was a pretty big advertising blitz for something (in America, at the time) they weren't actually allowed to say what it was supposed to do.

From the "-agra", and way the local rock stations played a strangely high number of ads for farm supplies, I thought it was something farmers would buy to spray on crops. It was several years later when I learned what the product was supposed to do.

There were no (public) adverts for it here in eth UK, because for many years it was only available on prescription, and Prescription only medicines cannot be advertised to the general public.

There are also quite strict regulation regarding what you can say about over the counter medicines in general advertising, though the restrictions you had would not apply. You are allowed to say (indeed must say in most cases) what the intended use fo the medicine is.

 

[raleighnut]

There were no (public) adverts for it here in eth UK, because for many years it was only available on prescription, and Prescription only medicines cannot be advertised to the general public.

There are also quite strict regulation regarding what you can say about over the counter medicines in general advertising, though the restrictions you had would not apply. You are allowed to say (indeed must say in most cases) what the intended use fo the medicine is.

If memory serves me correctly it was a side effect of a new heart drug that came up (Yes) in clinical trials of the tablets.

 

[mistyoptic]

“Numpty” is another expression I just can’t stand, where on earth did that come from?

The OED describes “numpty” as originating in Scotland and gives this possible etymology: “Origin uncertain; perhaps an alteration of numps n. or numbskull n., with ending perhaps remodelled after humpty-dumpty n.” The first citation is from 1985 ('They are a pair of turkeys,' he said. 'Numpties, the both of them.

 

[Drago]

It's actually numbty, but in recent decades folk have come to spelling as it sounds.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It's actually numbty, but in recent decades folk have come to spelling as it sounds.

I believe the correct spelling is nhumbpty

 

[Dogtrousers]

Looking up "numpty" in an online dictionary I found a list of words for stupid and silly people. Usual candidates - Muppet, berk (yes, yes I know) and nimrod.

Nimrod? Seemingly it means "a very stupid person". I don't think I've ever heard that. I must be a nimrod.

 

[Gunk]

Thanks for continually repeating it!