The Purification of English

**Intifada** · 02 Feb 10, 17:17

I think I'm gonna be sick.....

**Aussiegunner** · 03 Feb 10, 11:08

I have to work in the Australian Public Service and put up with all the ridiculous Sir Humphry Applbyisms that are invented to make us sound smart. We have words that absolutely give me the heaby jeabies. "Oversighted" is my least favourite made up word ... whats wrong with "overseen" like you will find in the friggin' dictionary? Using the term "in this space" to describe oneself as working on a particular issue or set of issues is another phrase that makes me want to spew. So if this university can save my poor ears from being assaulted by some of this crap, then I'm a fan.

**Aussiegunner** · 03 Feb 10, 11:15

Here is a website "oversighting" the use of Australian English.

weaselwords

**Station 22** · 03 Feb 10, 19:04

"No problem"

Chaps my butt.

When I make a normal request of a waiter, such as "Could you bring me another beer?", the common reply of, "No problem" irritates me to no end. Of course it is no problem - it is your job. Don't act like you are doing me a small favor.

**Old World Order** · 06 Feb 10, 17:52

I think this is perfectly cromulent.

**gunnut** · 08 Feb 10, 18:15

The phrase "my bad" really annoys me.

It's "my fault" not "my bad."

"My bad" doesn't even make sense. Who the fuuk came up with this expression?

**dave lukins** · 08 Feb 10, 20:10

Originally Posted by gunnut

The phrase "my bad" really annoys me.

It's "my fault" not "my bad."

"My bad" doesn't even make sense. Who the fuuk came up with this expression?

Parooze this, it may help

My bad

**Tarek Morgen** · 08 Feb 10, 21:09

So far I have always refused to 'take a dump' in English and always used 'give a dump'. I don't care if is not the correct version, it is simply much less gross.

Also I never get the difference between awful and awesome.

Oh and because I did not know the difference between "hitting somebody" and "hitting ON somebody" I left some blood in a street cornor of London when I was 14 or 15.

**Gun Grape** · 09 Feb 10, 00:40

Originally Posted by Tarek Morgen

So far I have always refused to 'take a dump' in English and always used 'give a dump'. I don't care if is not the correct version, it is simply much less gross.
.

I just refer to the act as "Giving birth to a Lieutenant".

**sappersgt** · 09 Feb 10, 02:12

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

I just refer to the act as "Giving birth to a Lieutenant".

Heh, that even works in Afrikaans, just say "Luitenant".

**Blue** · 09 Feb 10, 06:29

Back when my daughter was in her teens(grad college this year) she coined many terms I found stupid even in regard to my own dialects which ranged from redneck to spanglish to spanish.

My alltime top of the top 10 stupid-ass words is "GI-NORMOUS" (evidently meaning really fvckin big) pardon any spelling errors since this is not a real word and no official spelling probably exists.

I would also add to the dumbing down of the language the use of "like" and "you know" as every other word in a three to five word sentence. Two sure signs of a intellectual midget!

**JAD_333** · 09 Feb 10, 08:16

How about ABSOLUTELY in place of "yes" Makes no sense at all.

Anyone else tired of AT THE END OF THE DAY, GOING FORWARD...

This one irritates me:

"Want a cookie?"
"I'm good."

What happened to "no thanks"?

**Parihaka** · 09 Feb 10, 08:44

Eh bah gum, I cannae fash wotcher al oon aboot. Wee nippers is alus makin stuff oop, nuffin tae see here...

**pChan** · 09 Feb 10, 10:14

I once sat through a language "acclimatization" class for communication with native speakers and we were told to avoid the following words

"do the needful" -(doesn't get more self-explanatory than that)

"kindly" - we were instructed to use the word 'please'

"The computer says ...." etc ...etc .

Apart from that I have been confused by the words "only" & "already",

Even neyitiri in Avatar uses "only" as in - "This is sad, very sad only".

I have also been confused by the American usage of "already" - "Would you STHU already".

**JAD_333** · 09 Feb 10, 10:34

Originally Posted by pChan

I have also been confused by the American usage of "already" - "Would you STHU already".

Don't be confused; it doesn't mean much in the example you gave. Called the intensive use. Signifies slight annoyance.

Otherwise, it's an adverb signifying a competed event.

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