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

[Mick F]

The possessive theme is perhaps part of a national revamp. Here's Drighlington's Co-op. Said to be the oldest purpose-built Co-op in England still in use as a Co-op, but much reduced in range.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.75639 ... 384!8i8192

Nice to see the apostrophe.

They have a carpark for customers or just for one at a time?

[Mick F]

What's wrong with Customer Car Park? Used that way it's a descriptive rather than a possessive form: Staff Car Park, Front Car Park, Long-stay Car Park.

Staff is a singular or a plural, so doesn't need an apostrophe.
Neither does Front or Long-stay.

[thirdcrank]

The fashion is to have colleagues. I'm not going to have a look but our ASDA has something like "Colleague parking."

[Cowsham]

Coworkers is a word now -- I feel like I'm working on a farm when I see that on memos from HR -- whoops another bloody acronym

[Jdsk]

What's wrong with Customer Car Park? Used that way it's a descriptive rather than a possessive form: Staff Car Park, Front Car Park, Long-stay Car Park.

Staff is a singular or a plural, so doesn't need an apostrophe.
Neither does Front or Long-stay.

Customers' Car Park is fine and should have a possessive apostrophe.

Customer Car Park is fine. And shorter. Customer in that usage is an adjunct noun.

Staff is a singular or a plural, so doesn't need an apostrophe.

Number doesn't affect that need, it's whether it's possessive or not. Staff is probably an uncountable noun in Staff Car Park, but English is very flexible for these.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

The unnecessary addition of 'environment', as in 'the classroom environment'.

It's not unnecessary. It distinguishes between the physical location and the environment within it. A "tense classroom environment" is rather different from a "tense classroom"! The "classroom environment" need not be in a classroom; it could be reproduced in, say, an office.

Mostly agree. But of course like any other term (!) it can be overused.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

The increasing use of the expression 'bad optics', instead of 'bad impression'.

What's the problem (!) with that? They're both metaphors. A bad impression doesn't leave an actual dent.

Is it only undesirable because it's new?

Ugly and unnecessary. Becoming overused.

It depends how you look (!) at it.

: - )

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Another usage that grates is 'uptick'.

Thanks for raising that. I've never known the origin... off to have a look.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Another usage that grates is 'uptick'.

Thanks for raising that. I've never known the origin... off to have a look.

Seems to come from stock markets or similar.

Could be useful to mean indication of increase, but not so much to mean increase.

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

I thought uptick referred the curve on a chart seen when something which had been going down went up, resulting in a "tick" shape. Perhaps the "up" is redundant?

Re acronyms, I've seen something in the last few days about PPE quipping that our problems with it over the last year stem from so many of those who govern us having PPE degrees and thinking they were experts.

[Jdsk]

Re acronyms, I've seen something in the last few days about PPE quipping that our problems with it over the last year stem from so many of those who govern us having PPE degrees and thinking they were experts.

Yes, but I haven't seen a really neat wording... yet.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

So (!)... who thinks that all initialisms are acronyms?

WASP, NATO, TNT?

Jonathan

[peterb]

I thought uptick referred the curve on a chart seen when something which had been going down went up, resulting in a "tick" shape. Perhaps the "up" is redundant?

i think 'tick' originally referred to a small movement in a stock market index, up or down. Thus 'uptick' and 'downtick.' 'Tick' as in a timepiece - a small period of time, a second?

[Jdsk]

I thought uptick referred the curve on a chart seen when something which had been going down went up, resulting in a "tick" shape. Perhaps the "up" is redundant?

i think 'tick' originally referred to a small movement in a stock market index, up or down.

Yes, and it has a neat and precise purpose if kept to that, or to that as a metaphor.

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

✓

I presumed uptick was some sort of American usage but if you can believe stuff on the internet they say check mark rather than tick.