Which words/phrases drive you crazy? Here are some to start-

auntie_em

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 9:02 am

This thread is so funny! Some of the ones posted are differences between UK and US English. "I was sat" is an example.

In addition to those already mentioned, I cringe when I hear someone say --I was in the mood of pizza (or whatever.) I have to stop myself from asking if they feel cheesy and warm.

I also hate the word 'succulent', always have and always will. I know it's a perfectly good word, innocent as any other. To my ears though, it just sounds sooo creepy. Lol

A lot is two words.

I will sometimes lend things to people. I will never "Borrow you $5".

Finally, when your back itches I am happy to scratch it for you. Why would you ask me to "Itch my back"?

Amital

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 9:15 am

yaakovsmom wrote:

I hear this all the time: "For all intensive purposes."

LOL! I haven't heard that one!

I don't like when someone speaks in the present tense when he means something happened - past tense. "So I'm walking down the road and I see Joe. He says, "Hi." And we start walking together..."

PinkFridge

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 9:45 am

I might be "all wet" (quotes in case that's on anyone's hit list, or "hit list" Twisted Evil

) but I don't like when people talk about ages like this: he's in his high or low sixties. I thought it should be "early or late". Sounds like a weather forecast to me.

mamalooshin

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 9:47 am

The plural of sister-in-law and brother-in-law is sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, NOT sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws.

Foods that are good for you are healthful, not healthy. People are healthy.

PinkFridge

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 9:50 am

mamalooshin wrote:

GREAT screen name for this thread!

mamalooshin

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 10:08 am

PinkFridge wrote:

mamalooshin wrote:

GREAT screen name for this thread!

Thank you.

suzyq

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 10:12 am

mommalah wrote:

NativeMom wrote:

open/close the light

Standard Brooklyn! Rolling Eyes

This one drives me crazy also! They actually had a sign in shul that said it - and we don't live in Brooklyn!

jewels

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 10:29 am

When someone uses the word "preggo" or "preggers". It's bad enough when a teenager uses it but when adults use it it drives me totally crazy. Just sounds so classless and ditzy

sushilover

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 10:50 am

auntie_em wrote:

I will sometimes lend things to people. I will never "Borrow you $5".

Ugh Ugh Ugh. This one irks me so much. I have had teachers use this term! My mother in law, who is a proofreader and knows her grammar uses it too. <shivers>

PinkFridge

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 10:58 am

sushilover wrote:

auntie_em wrote:

I will sometimes lend things to people. I will never "Borrow you $5".

Ugh Ugh Ugh. This one irks me so much. I have had teachers use this term! My mother in law, who is a proofreader and knows her grammar uses it too. <shivers>

Whoa. That construct "weirds me out."

gp2.0

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 11:10 am

Actually, regarding the first post and 'I could care less' vs. 'I couldn't care less' they can BOTH be accurate, depending on exact phrasing. Example:

Question: "Should I slice the cherry tomatoes in half?"

Answer: "I couldn't care less."

Answer: "Like I could care less."

The word 'like' is imperative. Interchangeable with 'as if' as in 'as if I could care less.'

Either way is perfectly correct. However in slang people sometimes drop the 'like' or 'as if' thereby resulting in incorrect phrasing.

**word nerd**

rh1211

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 12:01 pm

Amital wrote:

yaakovsmom wrote:

I hear this all the time: "For all intensive purposes."

I also don't like when printed articles describe past events in present tense. It drives me crazy! Such as "Leah takes her notebook in hand. She is nervous for her first day at Bais Yaakov in Krakow". Oy!!!!!!

invisiblecircus

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 12:41 pm

bluebird wrote:

chica wrote:

"So I says to him......"

for some reason everyone over 50 in my family speaks like this. It drives me crazy!

My generation would say, "So he was like... and then I was like...". It annoys me and I say it too.

Or "I told her I'd bring dessert then she turned around and said she had already made a cake, so I turned around and said she shoud have told me before I went shopping, then she turned around again and said..."

It makes me dizzy just listening to it!

chocolate chips

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 12:53 pm

YOOYY!! For some reasonmakes me cringe!!

also when ppl (including dh whom I constantly corect) say "or___or___" instead of "EITHER__OR___"

invisiblecircus

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 12:56 pm

lamplighter wrote:

"I was thinking in my mind" - really where else do you think?

LOL I've never heard that one but that would annoy me too! I have heard "I don't like how it looks aesthetically" though.

I've never heard open/ close the light either but it makes me think of shabbat lamps.

myself wrote:

I've only heard the term 'I was sat on a chair' in the context of a doctor's procedure or similar, as in I was told to sit in the chair not the regular sitting in a chair.

That is the only grammatically correct use of that sentence. Used in the passive form it is correct but I have heard it used soooo many times when the person should have used the past continuous, I.e. "I was sitting..."

"Lend" instead of "borrow" and vice versa I have only heard in the north west of England. Is it used in America too?

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 1:00 pm

jewels wrote:

When someone uses the word "preggo" or "preggers". It's bad enough when a teenager uses it but when adults use it it drives me totally crazy. Just sounds so classless and ditzy

I've never heard these spoken aloud. I thought they were (slightly annoying) internet message board slang.

anon for this

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 1:20 pm

chocolate chips wrote:

also when ppl (including dh whom I constantly corect) say "or___or___" instead of "EITHER__OR___"

I always figured that most people who do this learned Hebrew or a similar language as a first language, since in Hebrew one says it this way.

farm

Thu, Sep 01 2011, 1:31 pm

chanahlady wrote:

"Axe" and "axed" instead of "ask" and "asked." I have a colleague who says this all day and it makes me want to scream!

Yes! I cannot stand it!
I hear people talk about the "VerraNzano" bridge and I cringe each time.