Linguistic pet peeves

[ThurlFan]

I can also add

kidlets
Kiddos
The littles

The last one is the worst.

I just say F1 progeny and wait to see if people figure it out.

 

[AustinTink]

Realtor. This one is like nails on the chalkboard for me. It's pronounced REAL-TOR. Not Real-LA-TOR.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

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

I agree 100%!

I sometimes wish I could have an editor in my back pocket. My grammar is generally good but there are times when I have to google phrases to get the answer. The worst for me is using "affect" vs. "effect". I know that "affect" is the verb and "effect" is the noun. So "this music affects me greatly" and "this music has a positive effect on me" are both correct. But then there's "she effected change with her music" which I think is also correct which makes me not altogether sure at times. So instead of looking like a dope, I have to change the sentence completely. lol

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I had a fourth grade teacher who was really strong with "Melk" instead of "Milk". Drives me nuts.

My wife pronounces it as "melk". I have NO idea why, but it drives me nuts (the kids too).

 

[FlightlessDuck]

People who add an "r" sound before "sh" in words.

"Warsh". "Warshington". Etc.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

People who argue whether "AT-AT" is pronounced "Aye tee aye tee" or "at at".

Both are reasonable pronounciations.

Same with the word Twi'lek. Both "Twee lek" and "twy lek" are reasonable.

/Star Wars linguistics

 

[bethbuchall]

My wife pronounces it as "melk". I have NO idea why, but it drives me nuts (the kids too).

My mother and her relatives from Ohio say "melk." I'm not sure if my father does, though, and he's from the same area.

 

[amberpi]

My mother and her relatives from Ohio say "melk." I'm not sure if my father does, though, and he's from the same area.

I'm still trying to figure out if that is a long or short e sound.

 

[Vijoge]

People mixing up loss and lost.

"I'm so sorry for your lost."

People mixing up bless and blessed.

"Just bought a new house. I'm so bless."

I see it on IG all the time. Drives me crazy!

Not long ago someone posted "I'm sorry for your lose" on an online obit

A co-worker of mine likes to wear clothes with sequence on them. And she had to get her driver's licenses renewed. I'm not sure how many she has.

 

[Vijoge]

Ooohhh the one that gets me is unnecessary possessions. For example if I want to go to a restaurant that's called Adagio, and somebody says "hey we're going to Adagio's"

Yeah, here what I often see is Boma's or the one that really drives me nuts is O'Hana (I always want to say, "It's not an Irish place!" )

I see a lot of people who are looking for reservations at O'hana's, too.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

People who add an "r" sound before "sh" in words.

"Warsh". "Warshington". Etc.

My mom does this. She adds an r to spa... no idea why or where it fits in lol

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm still trying to figure out if that is a long or short e sound.

Well, swell, tell, etc

 

[bethbuchall]

I'm still trying to figure out if that is a long or short e sound.

Short e. Like the word elk with an m on the front.

 

[amberpi]

Well, swell, tell, etc

Short e. Like the word elk with an m on the front.

Thanks for the heads up. That's a new one for me! I just said it repeatedly to my milkaholic cat (seriously, he'd shank you for milk, but only fat free organic, my mom's tried to give him cream and 2% when I'm traveling and the little snob won't touch it), and he looked at me like I was crazy and then meowed. I think the little butthole was trying to correct me.

 

[emer95]

All of the people I know who say "melk" also say "pellow."

 

[bethbuchall]

All of the people I know who say "melk" also say "pellow."

I haven't noticed that, but I'll be listening for pellow now.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

All of the people I know who say "melk" also say "pellow."

Not DW. Melk is her only e for i substitution.

 

[kimblebee]

People who argue whether "AT-AT" is pronounced "Aye tee aye tee" or "at at".

Both are reasonable pronounciations.

Same with the word Twi'lek. Both "Twee lek" and "twy lek" are reasonable.

/Star Wars linguistics

I always say at-at. My SW obsessed husband always tells me I'm wrong. I tell him he should be happy I know what it is at all LOL

 

[karensi]

I work with someone who calls her SO "Daddy"....Ewwwww
She also refers to grown men as boys. She might say something like "the boys are working today." They're grown men, in their 50's!
She says she is "going to use the little girls room", she's in her 60's!
I'm a nurse in an ER. At times we might have a teenager in our waiting room and we're waiting for the mother to arrive. She will say, "Mommy is on her way."
As I said, she's well into her 60's and she will also refer to her own mother as Mommy when speaking to others. For example, she will say something like, "I have to take Mommy to the store later today."

Ugh! I've been waiting for a thread like this so I could vent, thank you.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I always say at-at. My SW obsessed husband always tells me I'm wrong. I tell him he should be happy I know what it is at all LOL

Pao, in the movie Rogue One, says "at-at". On screen. Oddly, the actual walker they are fighting is an AT-ACT.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C72z178VQAI-Fsr.jpg