Completely unimportant language misuses that bug you

[Peelee]

Hi, I don't know if this has already been brought up, but the thing that gives me the irks is Irregardless. And I've just got even more upset because the forum spell-checker hasn't detected it! It is not a word! It's a double negative. It is most likely an amalgamation of two real words; Regardless and Irrespective. In my life it's most commonly used by two people I know, and they are both school teachers! I know that English is by and large a collection of words we've stolen from other languages and completely broken into things that don't make a lot of sense, and that it is constantly evolving into something that probably makes even less sense, but this word really bothers me.

Hi, I don't know if this has already been brought up, but the thing that gives me the irks is Irregardless.

gives me the irks

By the sword you did your work, and by the sword you die.

irk
[urk]

verb (used with object)

[georgie_leech]

By the sword you did your work, and by the sword you die.

Well yeah, clearly that completely unimportant language misuse doesn't bug them

[StarRaven]

I didn't even see that hidden text. I just thought you were being rude, sorry.

[Peelee]

I didn't even see that hidden text. I just thought you were being rude, sorry.

No worries. I think I'm funny. And smart.
And rakishly handsome. And, most of all, humble.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I didn't even see that hidden text. I just thought you were being rude, sorry.

Pro-tip: quotations don't count towards letter count, so you can't ever have a post with only quotations, so there had to be a hidden message. Now, it could've been the usual "1234567890", but lately, more often than not, a bit of humour is more likely.
Nothing to see here, move along, move along
Grey Wolf

[Bohandas]

...It's a mistake born out of knowledge that the word is French...

I disagree. I strongly doubt anyone takes its origin into consideration when pronouncing it, or indeed even considers its origin at all.

[Tvtyrant]

No worries. I think I'm funny. And smart.
And rakishly handsome. And, most of all, humble.

Who am I to disagree with a smart, rakishly handsome, humble man who believes himself to be funny?

[Peelee]

Who am I to disagree with a smart, rakishly handsome, humble man who believes himself to be funny?

A very bold man, I'd say.

[Tvtyrant]

A very bold man, I'd say.

As bold as the coffee I force myself to vhoke down without creamer on dates.

[halfeye]

Tidbit. It's titbit, and I don't recall anyone renaming the town of Scun-thorpe.

[Rockphed]

Tidbit. It's titbit, and I don't recall anyone renaming the town of Scun-thorpe.

The etymologies I am seeing imply that you have it precisely backwards. I.e. they all implicate the origin as either tide (meaning feast) or tid (meaning tender).

[Xuc Xac]

The etymologies I am seeing imply that you have it precisely backwards. I.e. they all implicate the origin as either tide (meaning feast) or tid (meaning tender).

Yes. From what I can see, it started as "tyd bit" in the 1600s.

[Wardog]

You don't like "utilize"/"utilise"? I suppose it gets used too much, but I think it connotes a level of measured tool use that simply "use" doesn't. Also, if use sees a lot of use, it can be confusing to use use in the same sentence; utilizing utilize helps break things up.

My understanding is that utilize means "make use of", which in some cases make make a significant difference to the meaning of a sentence. E.g:

"We bought some new machinery, but couldn't work out how to use it" = it's too complicated/the instructions are badly written.

"We bought some new machinery but couldn't work out how to utilize it" = it wasn't suitable for our needs.

Other than that, I suppose you can get away with using utilize as a synonym for use, but if you do it a lot you lose the distinction and (imo) look pretentious. (Plus, it's the sort of phrase I associate with corporate waffle "We will utilize blue sky thinking to actualize our potential and ensure we continue to give 110% etc etc".

[Xuc Xac]

Plus, it's the sort of phrase I associate with corporate waffle "We will utilize blue sky thinking to actualize our potential and ensure we continue to give 110% etc etc".

You forgot to synergise your paradigms. Try to be more on point going forward.

[Fevvers]

Literally used for metaphorically, it's exact opposite.

So annoying, since there is literally no other word that could take its place.

[Peelee]

Literally used for metaphorically, it's exact opposite.

So annoying, since there is literally no other word that could take its place.

Sure there is. "Non-metaphorically." BAM, you just got worded!

[Aedilred]

Tidbit. It's titbit, and I don't recall anyone renaming the town of Scun-thorpe.

I think this is just a US/UK difference, but I have noticed "tidbit" creeping into UK usage too, which does annoy me. For that reason I have started using the word "boobbit" in its place just to make the point.

[Rockphed]

I think this is just a US/UK difference, but I have noticed "tidbit" creeping into UK usage too, which does annoy me. For that reason I have started using the word "boobbit" in its place just to make the point.

As I mentioned upthread, the US tidbit is closer to the etymological basis of the word than titbit. As memory serves, most of the things about which the british find fault with americanisms are actually places where the british have corrupted their own language.

[Peelee]

As I mentioned upthread, the US tidbit is closer to the etymological basis of the word than titbit. As memory serves, most of the things about which the british find fault with americanisms are actually places where the british have corrupted their own language.

The British make a convention, pass it off to the Americans, change the convention, and then harrumph about the Americans doing it wrong? Say it ain't so, Joe!

[Bohandas]

As I mentioned upthread, the US tidbit is closer to the etymological basis of the word than titbit. As memory serves, most of the things about which the british find fault with americanisms are actually places where the british have corrupted their own language.

And/or where the French have corrupted the English language (ie all the "-our"s and some of the "-re"s)

[Aveline]

I wrote "authoritative" where I should have written "authoritarian" the other day, and it's been bugging me ever since.

[Vinyadan]

So... do you people pronounce cot and caught as different or the same way?

[Tvtyrant]

So... do you people pronounce cot and caught as different or the same way?

In Oregon they are both cot, but in the other Portland they are cot and cowt.

The one that really got me was discovering some people pronounce pawn with a w, instead of rhymed with pond.

[Peelee]

So... do you people pronounce cot and caught as different or the same way?

The same, of course. I'm civilized, after all.

The one that really got me was discovering some people pronounce pawn with a w, instead of rhymed with pond.

Past tense would have been better for the rhyme.

[veti]

So... do you people pronounce cot and caught as different or the same way?

Cot rhymes with pot, not, shot, lot. Caught sounds indistinguishable from court. Rhymes with port, sort, short.

[Tvtyrant]

The same, of course. I'm civilized, after all.

Past tense would have been better for the rhyme.

I didn't know there was a past tense for pond...

As a verb pawned and pond are pronounced identically here, pawn could also be said to rhyme with Sean.

You court a fish? Where is this?

[understatement]

How some people pronounce: Moun ' n.

How dictionary pronounce: Moun - tin.

[Mountain.]

Doesn't bug me, but it's a bit perplexing. Also, why would there be an "a" in the 2nd half of the word if it's going to be pronounced TIN?

[Peelee]

How some people pronounce: Moun ' n.

How dictionary pronounce: Moun - tin.

[Mountain.]

Doesn't bug me, but it's a bit perplexing. Also, why would there be an "a" in the 2nd half of the word if it's going to be pronounced TIN?

Glottal stop.

[factotum]

Also, why would there be an "a" in the 2nd half of the word if it's going to be pronounced TIN?

If you're going to start complaining about letters in English words that don't appear to be necessary you're going to be here a long time.

[Knaight]

How some people pronounce: Moun ' n.

How dictionary pronounce: Moun - tin.

[Mountain.]

Doesn't bug me, but it's a bit perplexing. Also, why would there be an "a" in the 2nd half of the word if it's going to be pronounced TIN?

Look, I live near the mountains. I can't be pronouncing a t every time I need to refer to them, and neither can the rest of us mountain state types.