I'm literally hopping mad

[secret santa]

Of course, I'm not actually hopping mad but this hasn't stopped the word "literally" from becoming the latest word to enter the populist vocabulary like a tornado. Just listen to anyone on the TV or radio and they'll slip the word into every sentence that has a verb in it. People literally don't understand when to use the word. It has become the only adverb available, just as "amazing" has become the only adjective to expressive some degree of value.

Zoe Ball is the current record holder for frequency of use of the word "amazing".

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

4 hours ago, secret santa said:

Of course, I'm not actually hopping mad but this hasn't stopped the word "literally" from becoming the latest word to enter the populist vocabulary like a tornado. Just listen to anyone on the TV or radio and they'll slip the word into every sentence that has a verb in it. People literally don't understand when to use the word. It has become the only adverb available, just as "amazing" has become the only adjective to expressive some degree of value.

Zoe Ball is the current record holder for frequency of use of the word "amazing".

So, that's literally amazing, simply uniquely fantastic.

 

Not wanting to split hairs (or hares, as the case may be). I also find certain egregious misuse of the language to be abhorrent, especially when presented by "professionals". What has happened to pride in presentation. I have seen errors in syntax, spelling, etc. in newspapers, on television, and other mainstream venues. Too many to list.

Possibly it's merely that everyone has become an expert with that assumption supported by the use of spell checkers, grammar checkers, research done on the internet. After all, we are well aware that computers don't make mistakes, and that anything published on the internet should be taken as gospel.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Bronze & Copper Collector

[Peckris 2]

I agree. 'Literally' has become one of those redundant words which 9 times out of 10 can simply be removed without altering the intended meaning. Another verbal villain is 'awesome', and sadly I've now almost become  inured to 'absolutely' as an alternative for 'yes'.

As four spell cheques, eye agree that their ewes is kneaded.

[secret santa]

Yes, or "100 per cent" as everyone seems to say nowadays.

[azda]

11 hours ago, secret santa said:

Of course, I'm not actually hopping mad but this hasn't stopped the word "literally" from becoming the latest word to enter the populist vocabulary like a tornado. Just listen to anyone on the TV or radio and they'll slip the word into every sentence that has a verb in it. People literally don't understand when to use the word. It has become the only adverb available, just as "amazing" has become the only adjective to expressive some degree of value.

Zoe Ball is the current record holder for frequency of use of the word "amazing".

Lol, you should literally watch a bit of YouTube, this overuse was born in America where its literally abused by nearly everyone right now, I literally think its taken the place of the word amazing in their vocabulary 

[RLC35]

3 hours ago, azda said:

Lol, you should literally watch a bit of YouTube, this overuse was born in America where its literally abused by nearly everyone right now, I literally think its taken the place of the word amazing in their vocabulary 

Be nice Azda! LOL...

[Diaconis]

just noticed Peck mentioned my personal favourite, “awesome”. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Diaconis

[azda]

6 hours ago, RLC35 said:

Be nice Azda! LOL...

😉

[copper123]

"At the end of the day" is a personal hate of mine

But only at 23.59 hours of course

[Diaconis]

“To be honest”…

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

43 minutes ago, Diaconis said:

“To be honest”…

"Totally"

[1949threepence]

On 11/30/2021 at 8:27 PM, Peckris 2 said:

I agree. 'Literally' has become one of those redundant words which 9 times out of 10 can simply be removed without altering the intended meaning. Another verbal villain is 'awesome', and sadly I've now almost become  inured to 'absolutely' as an alternative for 'yes'.

As four spell cheques, eye agree that their ewes is kneaded.

I've seen some really poor standards of written English from quite senior managers at work, such as:-

"sort after" (for sought after)

"Loose" (for lose)

Could of, should of, would of (for have)

"hail and hearty" (for hale)

"your" (instead of you're) - very common mistake this one.

"mite" for might

"there" for their

are typical examples - and of course, because they're real words in their own right, often spellcheck doesn't pick them up.

I agree with Richard about "literally". Its overuse does get very irritating. 

    

[Peckris 2]

"Going forward" for "from now on" or "in the future"

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

      Amongst my pet peeves is one regarding those that say “I COULD care less”.

I have always said “I COULDN’T care less” inasmuch as it, to me, is more logical.

If you could care less, then it has at least some modicum of importance to you.

If you couldn’t care less, then it is of the absolute least possible importance to you.

Yet, for some reason, both are used interchangeably, and accepted as meaning the same thing.

[secret santa]

I think I've only heard Americans use that phrase.

[alfnail]

19 hours ago, Diaconis said:

“To be honest”…

Indicating perhaps that you often aren't...... hopefully not a favourite expression in the coin selling community!! 🙄 

[blakeyboy]

'awesome ' is irritating to us because of the the extent and accent.

We probably use 'awful' just as much, but we don't notice, but to others, our extent and accent probably grate.

I rather feel the two cancel each other out.

 

"15 items or less"  in a supermarket here.

"15 items or fewer" in California.

 

One is correct......

 

 

Very unique.

 

Oh- not forgetting the House of Commons   'We must insure this happens' etc etc....

 

language evolves, and there's nothing you can do about it.

To find out how much, play scrabble with a 90 year old and wait for the complaints about the 'words' you play.....

[Peckris 2]

5 minutes ago, blakeyboy said:

language evolves, and there's nothing you can do about it.

 

going forward...

[blakeyboy]

'So...' at the beginning of a statement.

'Enquiry' as opposed to 'inquiry'....

[Peckris 2]

I almost forgot - there is something massive that annoys me. Can you see what it is yet?

[Fubar]

12 hours ago, Peckris 2 said:

I almost forgot - there is something massive that annoys me. Can you see what it is yet?

Give me a "sense" of what it is.

[secret santa]

On 12/2/2021 at 11:24 AM, blakeyboy said:

To find out how much, play scrabble with a 90 year old and wait for the complaints about the 'words' you play.....

Sadly, I think the 90 year old and I would have very similar standards and vocabulary ......................

[Peckris 2]

1 hour ago, Fubar said:

Give me a "sense" of what it is.

Footballer: "We have a big game coming up. Absolutely massive..."

[Rob]

Wot? This one?

[Peckris 2]

Very good Rob.

No, it's the habit of using "massive" to indicate anything from the slightly important upwards.