Word Choices That Irk Me

[timelord]

The grossly overused 'like' replacing every other word in a sentence....

Seems a good opportunity for a little musical interlude...

 

[tobefrank]

Interesting; my dad (from Portadown) also said 'watter'.

He (and I) also say 'sospun' instead of 'saucepan' and if I make a sauce when cooking I'll use the 'sauce sospun'. (Oddly my three - or is that tree - brothers don't say 'sospun' but they all went to boarding school...). It used to infuriate my wife (who is Brazilian) but she no longer mentions and instead complains of all the Aussie I picked up living there, a few examples:

• thirdy instead of thirty, fordy instead of forty, etc.
• wadder instead of watter or, if you prefer, water
• bottle-o - off licence or bottle shop
• servo - pertrol or gas station
• garbies - bin men/women
• firies - firemen/women
• ambo's - ambulance men/women
• arvo for afternoon (as opposed to avo which is a green fruit usually served smashed on toast for breakfast or lunch - although its use for guacamole is acceptable)
• bonza for good/brilliant
• no worries for virtually every occasion that 'no problem' has been mentioned in this thread (although some Aussie's prefer to use "too easy" rather than "no worries")
• Poor girl is still struggling when I come out with some of the obscure Irish slang although she's got used to "that's grand' which is used pretty much as bonza/good or the one American (and seemingly Australian) phrase that I find really grating: awesome. Can anyone explain to me why a waiter/waitress finds it "Awsome" if I order something off their own menu?
• Aussie coffee has a different lingo too
• then there is a whole sub-dialect of Aussie slang...

Having lived in Australia for the last 15 years, the Aussie slang is now just a normal part of my vocabulary.

One particular expression that used to amuse me when I first came over was 'go for your life' as in 'that's fine' or 'go right ahead'.

I asked a boss for a day off once and he replied with 'go for your life, mate'.

 

[timelord]

Not being a native English speaker, something that irks me is saying 'how are you?' or 'how are your going?' as a greeting and not waiting around for the answer. It seems a bit disingenuous to me.

Also, the English 'cheers' when you mean 'thanks' confuses me a lot.

It used to be "How do you do?". To which the correct response was "How do you do?".

I can see how that would confuse a non-native English speaker; actually it probably confuses many non-English English speakers too.

 

[timelord]

Having lived in Australia for the last 15 years, the Aussie slang is now just a normal part of my vocabulary.

One particular expression that used to amuse me when I first came over was 'go for your life' as in 'that's fine' or 'go right ahead'.

I asked a boss for a day off once and he replied with 'go for your life, mate'.

I must admit at the moment I rather wish we were still in Sydney... ...still I don't think I'll stop speaking Aussie rather than English even after only 9 years there.

 

[tobefrank]

I must admit at the moment I rather wish we were still in Sydney... ...still I don't think I'll stop speaking Aussie rather than English even after only 9 years there.

With 'at the moment', do you mean during the corona virus? Surely Brazil is cheaper/more convenient from a pipe smoking perspective?

 

[timelord]

With 'at the moment', do you mean during the corona virus? Surely Brazil is cheaper/more convenient from a pipe smoking perspective?

Yes, coronavirus...

Nothing convenient at the moment as Sao Paulo has just extended the lockdown (duration again and introduced further restrictions) for the rest of the month; masks must now be worn in the street and all public areas.

But there are surprisingly strong anti-smoking laws in Sao Paulo so it's not too different to NSW. One of my favourite restaurants does have a cigar lounge but I hadn't got around to checking what their attitude is to pipes before the lockdown kicked in.

I used to enjoy smoking and reading in the park off Avenida Paulista until one of the rangers pointed out smoking wasn't allowed there. Actually I don't think he was too bothered as he only told me after 4 weeks and the smoking ban came in 6 months earlier! (Someone had complained and the next day there was a No Smoking sign at the entrance!).

Unfortunately I can't smoke at home as my wife is recovering from something that struck her down last year - nothing to do with coronavirus - it was part of the reason for moving so as to be close to her family. Although she's been making good progress its left her eyes very sensitive to smoke and various other things (like fresh cut onions) so it's only fair I smoke outside which currently means loitering on the street whilst wearing a mask serving no purpose under my chin! Still there are some compensations; there are a lot of students in this district and whilst the university - just across the road from my unit and actually where I tend to loiter - is shut there is shall I say plenty of eye candy about....

The range of tobaccos available at kiosks is dire! Still I should have a tobacco order from US arriving on Monday and although the official import duty of approx 100% sounds dire that works out less than Australia...

...and cost of living is a lot cheaper here...

...and the park ranger assured me they will be putting in a smoking area in the park 'some time'.

So not all doom and gloom.

 

[jaytex1969]

when I watched the national political conventions as a young kid

You poor man! What did they DO to you?

No wonder you're the way you are....

 

[mngslvs]

OMG how could I have forgotten the word “awesome”. That might be number one on my pet peeve list, or certainly close. I mean really? Lightning is awesome. Tornadoes are awesome. But the rest? Like, give me a break.
Oh and also “ like” . Every third word.
Shoot me now.

 

[jpmcwjr]

"Mary hadda liddle lamb, liddle lamb, liddle lamb,
Mary hadda liddle lamb, its fleece was white as snow."

"Maresy doats, and dozeydoats, and liddel lamzydivey."

Anyone know the actual words? (I happen to, but this is a quiz!) You may get it by sounding it out, making separate words in most cases.

Funny, my dad went berserk when someone said "He hadda get out of town". HAD TO, he would correct. Next was "hunnert" for hundred. Bonkers!

Any more parental do's and don'ts?

 

[dino]

Must every comment or sentence begin with "So..." ?

 

[jaytex1969]

So, what don't you like about it, Dino? nana

 

[Papamique]

Well, their ain't none that irk me. I make to many mistakes my own self to correct others. However; the Incorrect use of commas I find humorous. My three favorite things are eating family and not using commas. Irregardless, as long as I can read and understand it, I am fine. I subscribe to the saying “judge not, lest you be judged”. If someone would like me to play English teacher and correct them, all they have to do is ask. Otherwise, its not my job.

Disclosure: MOST (But not all) mistakes and quirks above were made on purpose for entertainment only.

 

[mso489]

Some British English is just...English. It's their language after all. Schedule and controversy are two standard examples, decidedly different in American English, and what we call in the U.S. aluminum isn't even spelled the same way, same as colour, etc. Quite a few English actors can "do" American English to a 'T', regionally as well.

 

[condorlover1]

I slept like a log? - How would you know?
I will drop in on you! - Through the roof?
I am taking the car out for a spin. Why? Can't you drive in straight line?
We will win bigly. That one just confounds me!

 

[Country Bladesmith]

and what we call in the U.S. aluminum isn't even spelled the same way

That one is on account of one Sir Humphry Davy, the Cornish fellow who first named the element. He was wishy-washy on what he wanted to name it, spelling it three different ways in publications. In the U.S. and Canada, “aluminum“ stuck. Just about everywhere else, “aluminium” was preferred. He could’ve nipped that one in the bud. This was of course before IUPAC.

 

[Akousticplyr]

Considering that English speaking members on this forum, not all being their first language, come from different dialects, pronunciations, and accents, it seems a bit presumptuous to take umbrage at how an individual speaks or types their responses.

—during my NATO exchange tour I used to joke that the official language of NATO is “bad American”

 

[jpmcwjr]

"Maresy doats, and dozeydoats, and liddel lamzydivey."

Anyone know the actual words? (I happen to, but this is a quiz!) You may get it by sounding it out, making separate words in most cases.

Good heavens! 24 hours and not one guess?

 

[brian64]

"Maresy doats, and dozeydoats, and liddel lamzydivey."

Anyone know the actual words? (I happen to, but this is a quiz!) You may get it by sounding it out, making separate words in most cases.

Good heavens! 24 hours and not one guess?

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. You’ll have to forgive my ignorance, I don’t get the reference I guess. What’s it from/about?

 

[anotherbob]