Grammar Discussions

[Captain Halliday]

I took this screenshot on my flight today. It certainly didn't seem like a passenger making an announcement.

 

[Deleted member]

Will people (in general) please STOP saying the proof is in the Pudding !! it is not?
the proof "OF" the Pudding, is "IN" the "EATING" Grrrr
im hearing this on the radio and in general conversation it drives me nuts

 

[TheRealTMA]

Will people (in general) please STOP saying the proof is in the Pudding !! it is not?
the proof "OF" the Pudding, is "IN" the "EATING" Grrrr
im hearing this on the radio and in general conversation it drives me nuts

While that's the 'original' quote, now, first you have to define what is the meaning of "Pudding" and "Proof".

 

[Deleted member]

While that's the 'original' quote, now, first you have to define what is the meaning of "Pudding" and "Proof".

shall stay with my "old fashioned" view of the world and rail against change
I

 

[TheRealTMA]

shall stay with my "old fashioned" view of the world and rail against change
I

So you don't want to prove your pastry first?

 

[TheRealTMA]

Amusing -

Embarrassing Charles Dickens apostrophe blunder costs taxpayers  

Mapped: The toughest words to spell across UK cities

 

[Hvr]

Looking at job advertisements and found this sentence:

[TABLE="class: qb-table, width: 600, align: center"] [TR] [TD="width: 8"]
[/TD] [TD="class: qb-head, bgcolor: #003277, align: left"] [TABLE="width: 600"] [TR] [TD="width: 5"] [/TD] [TD] Breifly outline your expeirence in simliar administration roles.
[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
How can a Government department possibly let such a poor sentence be published?

 

[coco50]

Will people (in general) please STOP saying the proof is in the Pudding !! it is not?
the proof "OF" the Pudding, is "IN" the "EATING" Grrrr
im hearing this on the radio and in general conversation it drives me nuts

I wholeheartedly agree. Plenty of uneducated slobs out there

 

[coriander]

Surely the copy editors could have got this rite........ from front page of Tuesday's "Age".

 

[codash1099]

Re: The totally off-topic thread


...........

 

[Major]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

A little something to lighten your day

 

[Chalkie]

Not sure whether this is the right place for this whinge, but it will have to do.My CEO recently published his workplace aspirations. They're probably officially called "goals" or "KPIs", but I take issue with the use of both of those so refuse to utter them. Anyway, the CEO's document referred to "socialising" certain matters. I'm not too far off retirement, so not troubled by being outspoken. I'm crafting a snarky response about the abuse of language and obfuscation taking place at the highest levels. I LOATHE the misuse of expressions such as "socialise" to refer to "discuss", "inform" or, more accurately in the CEO's case, "impose". Why can't people just say what they mean instead of using mealy-mouthed and ambiguous expressions?

Saying "passed" for "died" is another one that drives me bonkers. "Passed" what? Just say "dead" or "died". It is concise and accurate, and leaves no uncertainty about the meaning. Recently I heard the the US Ambassador to the UN use "kick the can" in an address to the UN Assembly. I do hope that the highly skilled simultaneous translators have that idiom on their lists. I can barely explain what it means in English.

The greatest linguistic abomination I've heard recently was "action that solve". My response was "I'd be grateful if you would confirm that I've understood you correctly. I think what you meant to say was 'implement that solution', but I can't be sure." There were one or two shocked looks in the meeting, but the use of that particular abomination has ceased (at least in my presence).

 

[anat0l]

Not sure whether this is the right place for this whinge, but it will have to do.My CEO recently published his workplace aspirations. They're probably officially called "goals" or "KPIs", but I take issue with the use of both of those so refuse to utter them. Anyway, the CEO's document referred to "socialising" certain matters. I'm not too far off retirement, so not troubled by being outspoken. I'm crafting a snarky response about the abuse of language and obfuscation taking place at the highest levels. I LOATHE the misuse of expressions such as "socialise" to refer to "discuss", "inform" or, more accurately in the CEO's case, "impose". Why can't people just say what they mean instead of using mealy-mouthed and ambiguous expressions?

...

The greatest linguistic abomination I've heard recently was "action that solve". My response was "I'd be grateful if you would confirm that I've understood you correctly. I think what you meant to say was 'implement that solution', but I can't be sure." There were one or two shocked looks in the meeting, but the use of that particular abomination has ceased (at least in my presence).

Since you mention you are close to retirement, I'm going to hazard a guess that I'm younger than you. I'm not fresh out of high school young, so don't mix me in with that crowd. However...

"socialising" certain matters

I've never heard of socialising as a transitive verb with a direct object, and frankly I do not think it is time to start now. That statement makes no sense to me.

"action that solve"

This is an abomination on two levels. The first is not as bad in a way, but I avoid using the word action as a verb. It is very commonly used these days in business in place of the more mundane verb, "do". The more pressing matter is the clause itself, involving solve used as a noun, I am assuming in place of something synonymous with solution. I'd accept maybe someone mixing up their words and just pushing it out without bothering to backtrack. Maybe it's someone whose first language isn't English. In almost any other case, especially if deliberate... well, no... just no...

Saying "passed" for "died" is another one that drives me bonkers. "Passed" what? Just say "dead" or "died". It is concise and accurate, and leaves no uncertainty about the meaning. Recently I heard the the US Ambassador to the UN use "kick the can" in an address to the UN Assembly. I do hope that the highly skilled simultaneous translators have that idiom on their lists. I can barely explain what it means in English.

Saying die or any of its forms seems to be reserved to either very direct / brusque circles, or where it is intended to be devoid of any emotion, e.g. when threatening someone - like, "You have killed my father - prepare to die!" - where the harshness is deliberate - like, "If you don't go on a diet today, you are going to die within a month." - or where the whole context is relatively impersonal - like, "3,000 civilians died as a result of the civil war." Ironically, if someone meets their maker through causes which aren't natural, even if they are close to us, we tend to be more "comfortable" using the verb die, e.g. "Uncle John died of a heart attack on Saturday." or "My father died of his wounds shortly after being shot in a battle against the fascists."

It's one of those socially accepted moments when a euphemism is called for, and the verb pass is one such word that can be used, though it is usually accompanied by another word like passed on or passed away. I've not heard it commonly - if at all - without any other word with it, e.g. "Aunt Glenda passed on Thursday morning" not only makes little sense to me, but can be confusing, too.

Many cultures - not just Western, English-based societies - have similar social conventions. French tend to use the verbal phrase être décédé(e), which means to be deceased. The verb mourir - meaning to die - is not used often in a similar fashion as described in English. The Japanese don't use their word for to die, except maybe for their pets. They might use an expression that is similar to saying that they have gone to Heaven, or they may just say that whoever is dead is very, very ill (the intonation and articulation would prompt the listener to take the hint, similar to how Japanese tend to "say" no).

 

[JohnK]

Chefs's special?

English pub in Pattaya.

 

[marki]

Wait until you get into the Polish language now that's a grammar challenge not of this earth.

 

[JessicaTam]

I would have thought “The Age” would have done better than this!

(Mind you, I was the only one at work to spot it.)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I admit I can't see it either!

 

[JessicaTam]

I admit I can't see it either!

“Minister on on rise again ...”

 

[cove]

I still see then instead of than being used.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

"Try and" is becoming commonplace in news media.

Vale "try to". I will try and remember you ...