English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

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Mick F
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Mick F »

Vorpal wrote:
Mick F wrote:+1

........... and free instead of three, and firty instead of thirty.

Lots of people seem to have trouble with the 'xth' sound. They say 'sikth' instead of 'sixth'
............. and that Northern Irish woman on R4 Today programme who always pronounces government as "goverment".
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Mick F
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Mick F »

She's on R4 now.
Drives me crackers. :shock:

Why can't she say GoverNment?
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I am not so picky about not understanding poorly pronounced English from English speaking countries until you phone your bank and get someone overseas non English speaking country, or worse a dentist / doctor and there's clearly a communication barrier.

Happened a few times at hospital, most recently when the doc treating me was clearly from non English speaking country and I had to ask him to say again a few times, made worse by a too laid back attitude and a fondness for flirting with opposite sex co workers :roll:
There is nothing worse than trying to sort out money matters / health with such.
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Vorpal »

Mick F wrote:She's on R4 now.
Drives me crackers. :shock:

Why can't she say GoverNment?

Actually, that's quite common. It's standard pronounciation in the US, and also common in Canada.
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Mick F
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Mick F »

What happened to children?

Kids was an informal term, but now it's mainstream and no-one seems to say children any more, not even on the BBC news.
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Suffolker »

I'm listening to Radio 4, where there's an avalanche of "on a daily (substitute weekly, yearly as required) basis".

Ridiculously prolix, when, in normal English usage, one word e.g. "daily" says it all; or, at a pinch, two words as in "every day".
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Vorpal wrote:
Mick F wrote:She's on R4 now.
Drives me crackers. :shock:

Why can't she say GoverNment?

Actually, that's quite common. It's standard pronounciation in the US, and also common in Canada.

'Regime' might be a suitable alternative
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Mike Sales »

When did all problems become issues?
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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Re: English Language - what

Post by Bonefishblues »

Suffolker wrote:I'm listening to Radio 4, where there's an avalanche of "on a daily (substitute weekly, yearly as required) basis".

Ridiculously prolix, when, in normal English usage, one word e.g. "daily" says it all; or, at a pinch, two words as in "every day".

That grinds my gears, too - as does the use of phrases like "grinds my gears".
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Re: English Language - what

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Bonefishblues wrote:
Suffolker wrote:I'm listening to Radio 4, where there's an avalanche of "on a daily (substitute weekly, yearly as required) basis".

Ridiculously prolix, when, in normal English usage, one word e.g. "daily" says it all; or, at a pinch, two words as in "every day".

That grinds my gears, too - as does the use of phrases like "grinds my gears".

+1, or -1 to signify agreement?
I hate 'hails from' and 'based at', for example 'the houses of parliament are based in Westminster'
Do they go travelling? Like the European parliament?
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Dear Editor

am I the only correspondent who uses 'can' and 'may' correctly?

Yours ever

B Trellis of North Wales
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Bonefishblues »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Dear Editor

am I the only correspondent who uses 'can' and 'may' correctly?

Yours ever

B Trellis of North Wales

Dear Mrs Trellis,

Of course not. A can is a receptacle to preserve food and other perishables. May is how the Queen addresses her subjects and husband.
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Re: English Language - what

Post by reohn2 »

Bonefishblues wrote:
Suffolker wrote:I'm listening to Radio 4, where there's an avalanche of "on a daily (substitute weekly, yearly as required) basis".

Ridiculously prolix, when, in normal English usage, one word e.g. "daily" says it all; or, at a pinch, two words as in "every day".

That grinds my gears, too - as does the use of phrases like "grinds my gears".

Gear changing requires presicion,OTOH with language,as long as I understand what's being conveyed I couldn't give a monkey's :mrgreen:
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by reohn2 »

Bonefishblues wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:Dear Editor

am I the only correspondent who uses 'can' and 'may' correctly?

Yours ever

B Trellis of North Wales

Dear Mrs Trellis,

Of course not. A can is a receptacle to preserve food and other perishables. May is how the Queen addresses her subjects and husband.

And her :? Prime Minister.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
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Re: English Language - what

Post by Mike Sales »

reohn2 wrote:Gear changing requires presicion,OTOH with language,as long as I understand what's being conveyed I couldn't give a monkey's :mrgreen:


There's the problem. When language is used without precision it can lead to ambiguity or misunderstanding.
Metaphor and simile when fresh are illuminating and enlivening. When they get stale and worn they are blunt and boring.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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