A certain village not far away from here is called 'Loose', but the name is, in fact, correctly pronounced 'Lose' (or 'Looze', I suppose).
This once caused much merriment among the ignorant, who found it amusing to see the word 'LOOSE' on the front of the wire-bound trolleybuses which served the village until 1967...
'Of' instead of 'have' e.g. 'He could of done it differently...'
I always assume this comes from misunderstanding the spoken “He could’ve done it differently,” the pronunciation of which is all but identical to “He could of done it differently.”
Meanwhile, I’ll add “apart” when what’s meant is “a part,” as in “I’m so glad I could be apart of this wonderful celebration.” (It’s so much easier just to say “part of.”)
I'm originally from the working class West Midlands, and I have never said 'should of/could of'. I spent a great deal time in the past correcting this usage by my NW Essex kids explaining, as Nick Tamen does that the expression is really should've, short for "should have"
Many many of the examples above are on my list of pet hates. If we had an 'agree' button here I would have been hitting it all the way down the page, but the one that has me repeatedly screaming at the TV/radio is john holding's contribution - "the proof is in the pudding".
Aargh!
‘May’ instead of ‘might’. “If he hadn’t dropped his hairdryer in the bath he may still be alive.”
I do agree about this one. There was a news report about a child seen playing unattended near a railway level crossing: the person who noticed him was reported to have said "He may have been killed." Leaving the reader in doubt whether the child was found in time or not.
Euphemisms for death. I dislike passed away, passed, passed over, gone fishing, gone away, crossed over, left home, promoted to glory, etc etc. There are many more which would fill a book.
Then there are the comic notices such as "whenever I gaze into a paddock and see an Angus cow your memory will not fade"
When I die, just say so plainly and don't sing Amazing Grace at my funeral or I will haunt everyone forever.
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget. Christina Rosetti
Euphemisms for death. I dislike passed away, passed, passed over, gone fishing, gone away, crossed over, left home, promoted to glory, etc etc. There are many more which would fill a book.
Then there are the comic notices such as "whenever I gaze into a paddock and see an Angus cow your memory will not fade"
When I die, just say so plainly and don't sing Amazing Grace at my funeral or I will haunt everyone forever.
I could have written this, rhubarb! I agree about the euphemisms for death (especially "passed"). And I have told people that if anyone sings "Amazing Grace" at my funeral my ashes will rise from their container and leave the church.
Euphemisms for death. I dislike passed away, passed, passed over, gone fishing, gone away, crossed over, left home, promoted to glory, etc etc. There are many more which would fill a book.
Then there are the comic notices such as "whenever I gaze into a paddock and see an Angus cow your memory will not fade"
When I die, just say so plainly and don't sing Amazing Grace at my funeral or I will haunt everyone forever.
I could have written this, rhubarb! I agree about the euphemisms for death (especially "passed"). And I have told people that if anyone sings "Amazing Grace" at my funeral my ashes will rise from their container and leave the church.
I grew up in a family where saying things like “passed” or “passed away” wasn’t done. We said “died.”
But I don’t think “passed” or “passed away” are really euphemisms, much less solecisms. They’re a reflection, maybe almost theological, about how the speaker—or the culture to which the speaker belongs, since use of terms like “passed” or “passed away” is often very much entertwined with culture—views death. From that cultural viewpoint, “death” suggests the person no longer exists, while “passed” or “passed away” suggests the person has passed from this life to the next life. They’re not terms I use, but I generally have no problem with the meaning they are meant to convey, nor do I see them as in any way avoiding the reality of death.
I’m with y’all on “Amazing Grace” at my funeral, though.
Comments
/tangent/
A certain village not far away from here is called 'Loose', but the name is, in fact, correctly pronounced 'Lose' (or 'Looze', I suppose).
This once caused much merriment among the ignorant, who found it amusing to see the word 'LOOSE' on the front of the wire-bound trolleybuses which served the village until 1967...
/end of trolleybus route tangent/
"I could care less" for "I couldn't care less." No accepted usage would allow that one.
If you were from the working class Midlands you would of known that this is perfectly proper English usage
Meanwhile, I’ll add “apart” when what’s meant is “a part,” as in “I’m so glad I could be apart of this wonderful celebration.” (It’s so much easier just to say “part of.”)
Perhaps what is really meant is "apart from this wonderful celebration."
And in South Wales as well, but. (I still have memories of having 'should of ' corrected to 'should have' in a high school essay. Brrrr...)
Many many of the examples above are on my list of pet hates. If we had an 'agree' button here I would have been hitting it all the way down the page, but the one that has me repeatedly screaming at the TV/radio is john holding's contribution - "the proof is in the pudding".
Aargh!
For example, "I need you to try and find the keys."
Taken literally, this would mean that the speaker wants me to try to do some unspecified thing. After which, he wants me to find the keys.
Though I assume this one came into prominence because a statement like "I want you to try to find the keys" would sound a little grating on the ears.
A town of loose women?
Don't worry, I'll applaud when you're drowning.
That's a regionalism. Get over it.
/hobby horse mode on/
'Unnatural' or 'sexually immoral' for anything related to sex or gender which I don't understand or experience and therefore find 'icky'.
/off/
Then there are the comic notices such as "whenever I gaze into a paddock and see an Angus cow your memory will not fade"
When I die, just say so plainly and don't sing Amazing Grace at my funeral or I will haunt everyone forever.
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget. Christina Rosetti
There's that, but the problems start at the beginning of your example. It ought be "Had he not dropped his hairdryer in the bath....."
According to Merriam-Webster (source), 'try and' may be older than 'try to'.
The structure itself is a form of hendiadys.
Iconic
Wowsers or is it Wowzers?
YES - I find that one most irritating.
…or even, possibly, if he’d not been in the bath himself.
But I don’t think “passed” or “passed away” are really euphemisms, much less solecisms. They’re a reflection, maybe almost theological, about how the speaker—or the culture to which the speaker belongs, since use of terms like “passed” or “passed away” is often very much entertwined with culture—views death. From that cultural viewpoint, “death” suggests the person no longer exists, while “passed” or “passed away” suggests the person has passed from this life to the next life. They’re not terms I use, but I generally have no problem with the meaning they are meant to convey, nor do I see them as in any way avoiding the reality of death.
I’m with y’all on “Amazing Grace” at my funeral, though.