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

[Freddie]

Dear, love, lovey, sweet, even duck, all are fine by me, but mate I don't want to be called, unless you speak with a thick London accent, and especially not if you are half my age and serving me food in a restaurant, thanks very much.

Anyone else not a big fan of 'mate'? Is it only in the south east that it has become seemingly ubiquitous.

[661-Pete]

...unless you speak with a thick London accent...

Know juzzz wotcher mean, John....

[PDQ Mobile]

Mate!
The Vagaries of the English Language!
The late great Dave Allen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4IfoUM6a4bA

[Cyril Haearn]

Dear, love, lovey, sweet, even duck, all are fine by me, but mate I don't want to be called, unless you speak with a thick London accent, and especially not if you are half my age and serving me food in a restaurant, thanks very much.

Anyone else not a big fan of 'mate'? Is it only in the south east that it has become seemingly ubiquitous.

We l o v e Yorkshire! The lady at the newsagent calls me love although she has never seen me before! Should some of these posts be moved to *a positive thread*?

There is nothing worse than a young pessimist. Except maybe an old optimist

[Vorpal]

I'd rather 'mate' than terms of endearment from someone I don't know. I can't say I especially like it; it just doesn't bother me as much

In the more densely populated bit of Essex, people often greet you with 'alright, mate?', which comes out sounding rather like 'rah-may?' or 'rye-may?" It took me a long time to work that one out. Though it wasn't too bad, once I figured out that 'ya-rye?' was 'Are you alright?', which is another form of the the same type of greeting.

[Lance Dopestrong]

I tell you what grinds my gears. This recent trend for politicians, and latterly newsreaders, to pronounce negotiate as neg-oh-see-ate.

Where will this end? Will portion become por-see-on? Will ration become ra-see-on? Benediction ben-eh-dic-see-on?

[Bmblbzzz]

Dear, love, sweet, darling, tend to be used from the young or middle-aged to the older, in particular from women to older men, whereas mate tends to be used between peers. So if someone half your age is calling you mate, the "youthful cyclist" factor could be strong in you!

[Freddie]

Cyril Haearn, do they still use boy and girl as terms of endearment in Wales? My grandmother (from the south) was always calling me boy and boy-oh, and I often called her girl. Are those terms used anywhere else, save in a condescending fashion?

I'd rather 'mate' than terms of endearment from someone I don't know. I can't say I especially like it; it just doesn't bother me as much

I can't help but feel this is a largely American thing. I can't bring to mind a single Brit I've met who finds terms of endearment unendearing, unless they are obviously being used to consdescend.

I have no problem with mate as such, it is just that is seems to be spreading to people outside London/Essex/Home Counties and, worse still, used in context where it is overfamiliar, where one should stick with sir or nothing at all; of all the terms of endearment, mate is least endearing to me, which probably has something to do with the frequency with which I heard to growing up. It is just less charming to me.

I tell you what grinds my gears. This recent trend for politicians, and latterly newsreaders, to pronounce negotiate as neg-oh-see-ate.

Isn't that how it used to be said many years ago, rather than a recent thing (unlike your 'grinds my gears' Americanism ), and it is now being brought back? Most where I was brought up hadn't heard issue pronounced as is-su until somewhat later in life, everyone saying ish-shoe, but I think is-su may be the older form.

I think plummy Jacob Rees-Mogg says it as neg-oh-see-ate and I'd be surprised if he was one to use a recent pronunciation.

[Lance Dopestrong]

No one seemed to use it until Theresa May did, before she went on to give us the strong and stable government she promised!

[Cyril Haearn]

Not sure how it is in Wales now, I am not there so often. What does help is to know a bit of the language

I remember a few years ago one was often addressed as *sir* (spelt cur?) or madam. *young man* is still current, I am a bit older. I think *right honourable* is good, better too much respect than too little

How are police officers instructed to address people now?

[Bmblbzzz]

I have no problem with mate as such, it is just that is seems to be spreading to people outside London/Essex/Home Counties ...

Apparently it's even spread as far as Australia... !

[Mick F]

Latest thing that I'm finding annoying, and I think it's usual for people to speak like this ................
I'm as guilty as the next person, but I'm trying to stop doing it.

For instance ..............
Weatherman says that the humid weather will go to be replaced by fresher weather.

Grammar Comparison.
The adjectives are - fresh, fresher, freshest.
You can't go from humid to fresher. It should be fresh as the opposite to humid, but if it were fresh weather, it could go to fresher weather.
ie Weatherman should say that the humid weather will go to be replaced by fresh weather.

This error seems to be universal and not just confined to the weather forecast.
If you turned up the radio because the music was quiet, you could turn it up to make it loud or even less quiet. Not louder.
Louder comes after loud, if you were to turn it up further.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Hah.........you knowledge of the English language and grammar is lost on most people.
Your statements could be argued over..........music is quite............turn it up..........not That LOUD

Empty the stale kettle water and draw some fresher water from the tap...............?

[Mick F]

Empty the stale kettle water and draw some fresher water from the tap...............?

No.

Empty the stale kettle water and draw some FRESH water from the tap.

[AlaninWales]

Empty the stale kettle water and draw some fresher water from the tap...............?

No.

Empty the stale kettle water and draw some FRESH water from the tap.

Is the water in the tap entirely fresh? Or is it simply fresher than the water which was in the kettle. Presumably the water from the tap will have stood for some time n the supply pipes, losing freshness, whilst the water in the kettle may have had its freshness boiled away.

The water from the tap is therefore likely fresher than the water that was in the kettle, but not entirely fresh. "Fresher" is therefore the correct adjective (IMO).