Cycling UK Forum

I listened to Stephen Fry on the Jeremy Vine show at lunchtime.The man was spot on IMO when complained about the languag police that seem to infect social media these days.
I don't know if anyone heard it?

I count just the one spelling and one grammar error in there for us to pick apart.

Can anyone do better?

mattheus wrote:I count just the one spelling and one grammar error in there for us to pick apart.

Can anyone do better?

I reckon:
Language.
"seems to infect"
"when he complained"
"anyone else has" (although I'm disliking the whole construct of that sentence).

I'm more a language PCSO rather than fully paid up policeman though.

What I can't understand is why anyone wants to listen to JV's programme.

I like it when people get spelling, punctuation and all that stuff right, but I wouldn't let my distaste for inappropriate apostrophes prevent me reading what people have to say. I take my car to a garage with a misplaced apostrophe on the sign outside. It irritates me just a tiny bit, but the proprietor is a nice bloke who knows his stuff and does a good job. He gets the important things right. I don't go to him for good punctuation.

pwa wrote:I like it when people get spelling, punctuation and all that stuff right, but I wouldn't let my distaste for inappropriate apostrophes prevent me reading what people have to say. I take my car to a garage with a misplaced apostrophe on the sign outside. It irritates me just a tiny bit, but the proprietor is a nice bloke who knows his stuff and does a good job. He gets the important things right. I don't go to him for good punctuation.

So you know him and the quality of his work.

What if you didn't though? What if you were looking for someone to do some work on your car and had a shortlist?
A shop sign is a bit like a CV to me, if they can't be bothered at that level...

Although I'd admit, a misplaced apostrophe on a garage sign isn't the end of the world and I'm not that bothered overall by folks written language - but if I'm struggling with their viewpoint I do sometimes find my opinion coloured somewhat if their English is poor...

Such is life. Just don't send me your CV without having it proof read first.

kwackers wrote:

mattheus wrote:I count just the one spelling and one grammar error in there for us to pick apart.

Can anyone do better?

I reckon:
Language.
"seems to infect"
"when he complained"
"anyone else has" (although I'm disliking the whole construct of that sentence).

I'm more a language PCSO rather than fully paid up policeman though.

Vigilante?

pwa wrote:I take my car to a garage with a misplaced apostrophe on the sign outside … I don't go to him for good punctuation.

Do you drive one of these?



PS: what Mick F said.

mattheus wrote:Vigilante?

Too much of a "sack full of doorknobs" connotation for me.
Although I always fancied myself as Judge Dredd - not easy on a bicycle though.

Mick F wrote:What I can't understand is why anyone wants to listen to JV's programme.

Radio 2 replaced the The Light program

BTW,I dislike him as much as the next man but occasionally there are some good topics.Today it provided a little fun listening to people trying defend BoJo.
And the topic by Stephen Fry on language pedants which the forum seems to have more than it's fair share it seems.

Bez
I started my business working out of one of those Commers,it came to a full stop after about 12months and I bought a Trannie

Was that your business or the Commer?

Sorry John, couldn't resist.

By the way, I was surprised to read your post about Stephen Fry as I thought he was a real stickler for correct English.
I used to enjoy his programmes all about the English language, various dialects and different connotations.
Is he now accepting compromised English for social media, as in abbreviations etc, when texting for instance.

I would have liked to have heard his comments but even if there's a chance of a repeat, sadly being a deaf old stone, it'd be no use for me.
And don't get me started on subtitles.

fausto.

Despite what I said above I don't usually have much of a problem with spelling, correctness of grammar etc - although either can 'trip' me up whilst reading.
The proviso is of course that I can actually understand the meaning behind the words.

There are two folk on here who off the top of my head often have me scratching my noggin trying to figure out exactly what it is they're talking about, my 'gut feeling' being it's often not what I think.

Jeremy vine, great show!

Punctuation is hugely important. Without correct punctuation meanings can massively change.

I would liken the the quality and precision of written English to the quality and precision of interior decorating. It is very satisfying when you see it done well, without blobs in the paintwork or inaccurate wallpapering, but when all is said and done it is not that important.