Linguistic pet peeves

[TCRAIG]

What are things you hear that just make your skin crawl? Mine are adults calling each other "baby" or "baby girl" - yes I live in the South, this is one of our less charming colloquialisms, and mispronouncing "espresso," as I hear that almost daily, not uncommonly, by a barista. SMH.

DATA IS A SINGLE NOUN
THE SINGULAR IS DATUM
DATA IS BRINGS FORTH A FROWN
FROM ENGLISH SNOBS, I HATE 'EM

 

[Uncranky Donald]

You don't know, though. The speaker could genuinely be diagonal

 

[Squirlz]

DATA IS A SINGLE NOUN
THE SINGULAR IS DATUM
DATA IS BRINGS FORTH A FROWN
FROM ENGLISH SNOBS, I HATE 'EM

Slaughtered grammar is ironic.

 

[here757]

When someone refers to their children as sexy... just gross

 

[katie01]

When someone refers to their children as sexy... just gross

People do this?! That's one I haven't heard. Yuck.

 

[here757]

People do this?! That's one I haven't heard. Yuck.

Yea... unfortunately!
I said ew real loud. She looked at me like I had poop on my face.
She was a family friend.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Pretty much any of the "the's" when referring to people (e.g. 'the wife', 'the hubby', 'the kid', etc.)

Plus, the word 'literally' these days.

I literally use literally only when it's literally appropriate. Literally.

Is prego or preggo even a word? I don't even know how to spell it. I hate it being used short for pregnant. And since pregnant only has one G I just spell it as prego. lol

Well, first, you're right. It shouldn't be a word But, preggo for the 'eh' sound typical when the vowel is followed by a double consonant - whether it's the gg in preggo or the gn in pregnant.

People with little kids (usually boy/girl) and they refer to the girl as 'sissy' (i.e. Sister) instead of using her proper name.

I grew up in a casual neighborhood, where all the kids addressed adults by their first names. On of the moms was called Sis, even well into adulthood. Heck, she still is, even though at this point she could be a great grandmother.

Weird, I'm from Nashville, lived in NYC, ATL and did a 10 month in London, and I've always thought it was worst comes to worst...

Worst is the superlative. You can't go any lower than worst, A lesser form has to develop into the superlative situation. So you can't go from bad to ba, or worse to worse, or worst to worst. Heck, technically you can't just jump from bad to worst.

 

[erincon23]

I have a coworker that I love. But she tells people to go to the "liberry", and I want to correct her every time. Today she told me that her son made a "pack" with someone, not a "pact." (and ew, she licks her fingers before she goes to turn a page... another thread, sorry.) I especially hate "expecially" and "jewlery."

 

[siskaren]

Worst is the superlative. You can't go any lower than worst, A lesser form has to develop into the superlative situation. So you can't go from bad to ba, or worse to worse, or worst to worst. Heck, technically you can't just jump from bad to worst.

Thank you - I didn't know how to explain why it has to be worse comes to worst.

And here's another one - nucular (instead of nuclear).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you - I didn't know how to explain why it has to be worse comes to worst.

And here's another one - nucular (instead of nuclear).

How about "edjakation" for "education"? That's the one that makes me wince.

 

[JaneBanks]

Liberry for Library

"I'm going to sale this" instead of sell

I think I can speak for most Long Islanders when I say that it is definitely a pet peeve when people say "You live in Long Island". No, we don't live in Long Island, we live on Long Island.

Also, the incorrect usage of anymore really gets to me. For example "Kids grow up fast anymore".

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think I can speak for most Long Islanders when I say that it is definitely a pet peeve when people say "You live in Long Island". No, we don't live in Long Island, we live on Long Island.

I can see this. I guess it depends if the person saying it thinks "Long Island" is a city or an island. Like you wouldn't say "I live on San Francisco". It's IN San Francisco.

 

[Kaytie]

Ending a sentence a with a preposition. Extreme example: "what did you bring that book I didn't want to be read to out of up for?"

Peeve incited by many cooking competition television shows:
"Chef ____, what did you make?"
"Well, tonight I made for you..."
Do they think "Tonight I made you..." would turn the judges into whatever the dish is?

 

[Domo]

When people pronounce the name "Xavier" as "Ecz-Aevier". Here in Blighty, we're taught that the "X" is in this case a soft "Z", as it is in the word "Xenophobia". The pronunciation of the name is, therefore, "Zavier".

 

[PigletsPal2]

Ooh, now you've got me started! Disclaimer: I am a professional book editor and linguistic errors keep me gainfully employed, but they drive me crazy nonetheless.

Further - follow up "I need to further investigate this investment opportunity."
Farther - distance "I think he lives a little farther up the road."

"try and..." the word "and" implies guaranteed success. It should be "try to..." which implies an attempt but no guarantee of success.

who and that - who is for people "It was Mary who is believed to be the owner of the little lamb,..." and that is for things. "It was Mary's lamb that followed her to school one day." Which can be used in place of that, but sometimes it sounds pretentious.

Either/or "Either Jack or Jill went up the hill..."
Neither/nor "Neither Jack nor Jill came back with water."

I've just started editing a new book, so I'm sure I'll have more to add to my list before I'm finished.

Queen Colleen

 

[AlohaNow]

When people use 'mines' instead of 'mine'. Mines is not a word, well, not to identify something that belongs to you!

 

[maxaroni]

Textus (plural of text). The word is texts.

Plural of pants is not pantsus.

Ugh

 

[AustinMommyofThree]

I know a guy who seems to think "whom" is the "more educated"/grammatically correct version of "who". He's one of those people who constantly posts long rants on Facebook. He, of course, thinks his opinions are far superior but they are riddled with "whoms" which just makes him sound like an idiot.

This! Also, people who always use "I", including when "me" is appropriate. Who and I are used in the subject, whom and me are used in reference to the object.

 

[CdnCarrie]

The poster here who refers to their spouse as honey in every post that she mentions him. Ick.

 

[emer95]

The phrase "over top" instead of "on top." My husband and his family say this all of the time. "Just spread the frosting over top the cake." It really bugs me.

In print, when people misuse ellipses. I think they're trying to portray a stream of consciousness, but it looks awkward and ends up being more work. Even worse, when they do it with commas or hyphens.

Example:

We were at the parks..... and I saw a lady..... with her kids...... and she was in line----- for a ride,,,,,,,