Completely unimportant language misuses that bug you

[georgie_leech]

As it is, the joke falls a bit flat.

Grey Wolf

I believe you mean "the wisecrack autumns slightly level."

[Peelee]

I believe you mean "the wisecrack autumns slightly level."

You deserve a Rupert's Finger.

[halfeye]

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Note to any USAians who might take that seriously--only the first two are actually true.

While this is correct, that's not the point. There are british versions for most of them, and some of the off ones are funnies in their own right.

Particularly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottaging

For the rest,

Zip code = Post Code (but not exactly identical)

Fall = Autumn,

Donut = Doughnut (as somebody mentioned above, but note that the ones illustrated are ring doughnuts, most of ours are lumpy and have a small amount (5%? less?) of filling in them),

Mailman = Postman (also postlady, though that's not standard),

Pretzel = Pretzel (we don't usually have them),

Restroom = Lavatory (or dozens of others, but "cottage" isn't in general use),

Pants = Trousers,

Hotdog = hotdog (it's a foreign food we sometimes eat),

Sidewalk = Pavement,

Tic-tac-toe = noughts and crosses,

Eggplant = Aubergine,

Cotton Candy = Candy Floss.

[Knaight]

Note to any USAians who might take that seriously--only the first two are actually true.

The first one. The US also uses "autumn", just a little less often. It's just not hilariously off the rails yet by the second.

[Peelee]

Zip code

ZIP code, if we're taking all the fun out of it. Zoning Improvement Plan.

[Lissou]

While this is correct, that's not the point. There are british versions for most of them

Thanks for the list! I knew a lot of those, and as a result I was starting to wonder if pretzel and hot-dog did have British versions too.

[Knaight]

ZIP code, if we're taking all the fun out of it. Zoning Improvement Plan.

ZIP is a lot like LASER in this context - acronyms can turn into words, and if they get used routinely enough they almost certainly will*, which zip codes and lasers did, where HOA is still thankfully not hoa and MALDI is tragically still not maldi, though it's at least not MALASERDI the day it would be if laser didn't become just a word.

*Assuming that they're some combination of sufficiently long and pronounceable. DVD is three syllables, and trying to pronounce it directly involves a phoneme not only not in the language but downright uncomfortable to say.

[Peelee]

ZIP is a lot like LASER in this context - acronyms can turn into words, and if they get used routinely enough they almost certainly will*, which zip codes and lasers did, where HOA is still thankfully not hoa and MALDI is tragically still not maldi, though it's at least not MALASERDI the day it would be if laser didn't become just a word.

*Assuming that they're some combination of sufficiently long and pronounceable. DVD is three syllables, and trying to pronounce it directly involves a phoneme not only not in the language but downright uncomfortable to say.

Someone better warn NASA.

[Knaight]

Someone better warn NASA.

If "nasa" becomes a generic term for any one of numerous space exploration organizations I don't see anyone at NASA considering that anything other than a victory.

[Peelee]

If "nasa" becomes a generic term for any one of numerous space exploration organizations I don't see anyone at NASA considering that anything other than a victory.

I don't quite see how that relates to ZIP codes. To be fair, a better comparison would be with banking or computers asking for your PIN.

[Knaight]

I don't quite see how that relates to ZIP codes. To be fair, a better comparison would be with banking or computers asking for your PIN.

That's a little more like the laser than zip codes, which would just be NASA getting so ubiquitous that people called it "nasa". As for PIN, "pin number" is well on its way to being a two word phrase.

[Peelee]

That's a little more like the laser than zip codes, which would just be NASA getting so ubiquitous that people called it "nasa". As for PIN, "pin number" is well on its way to being a two word phrase.

Wikipedia seems like a reasonable go-to source for commonality, at the very least. In which case laser is not at all in the company of NASA, PIN number,, or ZIP code. Surely in the 80's and 90's AIDS was fairly ubiquitous, and yet.

[qbits]

Hi! As a rule, I never correct people on their grammar unless it's for formal writing or they themselves corrected someone else's grammar. If you're going to be be pedantic about what other people write, please be at least mildly pedantic about your own writing. *cough cough*

That being said, I cringe internally at many mistakes. The worst of them all is "for all intensive purposes." I know someone who actually thinks the phrase is "for all extensive purposes." It's a misuse of a misuse, and really bugs me. Maybe someday I'll have to mention that to him.

Some so-called "misuses", though, are hilarious. "PIN number", "ATM machine", and "LED display" are RAS Syndrome and I love them. "I could care less" gets me every time. I am highly amused when "her affect" and "to effect change" are miscorrected.

While maybe there's value in pedantry, I think human relationships are more important, and thus I'd suggest to some that they refrain from correcting others. It offends easily.

On an unrelated note, how okay is it to refer to the USA as America? It bugs me but I'm not sure why. Shouldn't all of North and South America be collectively referred to as America instead?

[Rynjin]

On an unrelated note, how okay is it to refer to the USA as America? It bugs me but I'm not sure why. Shouldn't all of North and South America be collectively referred to as America instead?

Depends where you are. A lot of places (in the US especially), it's fine, even expected.

Central Americans/South Americans/Latinx people can often take umbrage with it though. Particularly salty Mexican people also get offended by "The United States", since it basically dismisses the full name of Mexico.

[Rockphed]

Some so-called "misuses", though, are hilarious. "PIN number", "ATM machine", and "LED display" are RAS Syndrome and I love them.

The 'D' in "LED" is for "diode", not "display". You might be thinking of "LCD Display".

[Razade]

Depends where you are. A lot of places (in the US especially), it's fine, even expected.

Central Americans/South Americans/Latinx people can often take umbrage with it though. Particularly salty Mexican people also get offended by "The United States", since it basically dismisses the full name of Mexico.

And in this, the Mexicans do have somewhat of a leg to stand on. They are The United Mexican States. But just as they shorten it to Mexican, we short it to American. Because we're the United States of America. And while yes, other people from the Americas are American, they're also Argentinian or Brazilian. Where as a person from the U.S is American and...American.

I always find it weird that people get upset about it. It doesn't invalidate their "American-ness". It's accurate to call Americans, the U.S ones, Americans.

[veti]

I like to call them 'Usaliens', myself. Doesn't seem to have caught on, though.

[qbits]

The 'D' in "LED" is for "diode", not "display". You might be thinking of "LCD Display".

I believe you're right, thank you.

[Razade]

I like to call them 'Usaliens', myself. Doesn't seem to have caught on, though.

Yeah, I'll stick with Americans and laugh when people get up in arms, personally.

[Bohandas]

Some so-called "misuses", though, are hilarious. "PIN number", "ATM machine", and "LED display" are RAS Syndrome and I love them.

Don't forget "DC Comics"

[Peelee]

Don't forget "DC Comics"

Imean, they kinda call themselves that.

[BannedInSchool]

I may have shared this here before, but "Standard SOP Procedure".

[Aedilred]

And in this, the Mexicans do have somewhat of a leg to stand on. They are The United Mexican States. But just as they shorten it to Mexican, we short it to American. Because we're the United States of America. And while yes, other people from the Americas are American, they're also Argentinian or Brazilian. Where as a person from the U.S is American and...American.

I always find it weird that people get upset about it. It doesn't invalidate their "American-ness". It's accurate to call Americans, the U.S ones, Americans.

I don't think it's the accuracy or otherwise that annoys people so much as the proprietary assertion the name implies. There is no qualifying descriptor within the name (or, consequently, its adjectives) that limits it to a level below the continental. Where a country's name asserts ownership (implicitly or otherwise) over territories beyond its borders, its neighbours can get upset. For the sake of avoiding the overtly political I won't namecheck any live disputes but there's been one in the news quite a bit lately.

Moreover and while that sort of spat is fairly common in the old world where borders have been rather more frequently mobile in the past, no other country has quite the nerve to identify itself solely with its continent absent anything else. There is no Kingdom of Oceania, United States of Europe or Republic of Asia. Perhaps the closest comparison would be with South Africa, which is in south Africa but doesn't comprise all of south Africa.

Back in the day rulers used to get around this sort of situation by - among other things - calling themselves "King in x" rather than "King of x", but alas we have few kings left so this venerable tradition has fallen by the wayside.

[Peelee]

MBack in the day rulers used to get around this sort of situation by - among other things - calling themselves "King in x" rather than "King of x", but alas we have few kings left so this venerable tradition has fallen by the wayside.

That sounds like more of a "too many kings which created a problem they had to fix" issue.

[factotum]

Perhaps the closest comparison would be with South Africa, which is in south Africa but doesn't comprise all of south Africa.

I dunno--that one seems sort of reasonable, because there isn't any part of Africa which is further south than South Africa, and who defines how large the southern part of a continent is anyway? I mean, if Cornwall decided to rename itself South-West England I wouldn't be too fussed about that either.

[Peelee]

And in this, the Mexicans do have somewhat of a leg to stand on. They are The United Mexican States.

I dunno--that one seems sort of reasonable, because there isn't any part of Africa which is further south than South Africa, and who defines how large the southern part of a continent is anyway? I mean, if Cornwall decided to rename itself South-West England I wouldn't be too fussed about that either.

When the US formed, we were the only united states in America. So I'd argue it was a very reasonable name at the time. Not our fault they decided to call themselves United Mexican States after the fact. That's be like us calling ourselves America's France and then getting mad at the French. it's a great analogy if you do zero thinking about it.

[Razade]

I don't think it's the accuracy or otherwise that annoys people so much as the proprietary assertion the name implies. There is no qualifying descriptor within the name (or, consequently, its adjectives) that limits it to a level below the continental. Where a country's name asserts ownership (implicitly or otherwise) over territories beyond its borders, its neighbours can get upset. For the sake of avoiding the overtly political I won't namecheck any live disputes but there's been one in the news quite a bit lately.

I think they need to stop projecting. Saying that we're Americans doesn't say no one else can be Americans. What else ought we call ourselves? We can't call ourselves United Statesians because surprise, Mexico could complain about that just as they could complain about us calling ourselves Americans. But we ARE the United States of America. That's been the name of our country since it was founded.

Moreover and while that sort of spat is fairly common in the old world where borders have been rather more frequently mobile in the past, no other country has quite the nerve to identify itself solely with its continent absent anything else. There is no Kingdom of Oceania, United States of Europe or Republic of Asia. Perhaps the closest comparison would be with South Africa, which is in south Africa but doesn't comprise all of south Africa.

But we're (the United States) from that Era. We were the first colony to gain independence and the first country to declare itself a sovereign on the continent..other than the people we knocked over to get here that is. We were the only United States around. We were a lot of firsts, or at least only's when we formed. The idea that we somehow shouldn't make an identity around that or be proud of it because "others have them now as well" really just boggles the mind. It's American Flagellation pure and simple.

Back in the day rulers used to get around this sort of situation by - among other things - calling themselves "King in x" rather than "King of x", but alas we have few kings left so this venerable tradition has fallen by the wayside.

I am rather happy that this state of affairs is falling further by the wayside every day. The fewer kings we have, the better. When the number of kings meets the number of people who ought to rule over others, we'll have reached a better period in human history. Sic Semper Tyrannis.

When the US formed, we were the only united states in America. So I'd argue it was a very reasonable name at the time. Not our fault they decided to call themselves United Mexican States after the fact. That's be like us calling ourselves America's France and then getting mad at the French. it's a great analogy if you do zero thinking about it.

A better analogy would be if we called our selves The People's Republic of Appalachia and then got angry when China went around calling themselves Republicans. Like, how dare they. We're a Republic too! (We....are. But that's beside the point.)

[halfeye]

I mean, if Cornwall decided to rename itself South-West England I wouldn't be too fussed about that either.

Well, yeah, but you're oop norf, would you feel so happy about Yorkshire calling itself "North England" ?

[Knaight]

When the US formed, we were the only united states in America. So I'd argue it was a very reasonable name at the time. Not our fault they decided to call themselves United Mexican States after the fact.

This seems a lot like the decision to use the term "modernism". It's pretty clear that eventually that will stop being a clarifying term and start being particularly unhelpful jargon, and specifying two continents in the hope that your government form will be distinguishing is what one might call a clearly bad plan. Which is probably why it doesn't happen more often, and we don't see people coming up with country titles like "Parliamentary Democracy of Eurasia" and deciding that yeah, that's totally going to work.

Of course the ship has long since sailed on this one.

But we're (the United States) from that Era. We were the first colony to gain independence and the first country to declare itself a sovereign on the continent..other than the people we knocked over to get here that is. We were the only United States around. We were a lot of firsts, or at least only's when we formed. The idea that we somehow shouldn't make an identity around that or be proud of it because "others have them now as well" really just boggles the mind. It's American Flagellation pure and simple.

It's basic future proofing, especially given that colonies on other continents were declaring sovereignty and it was clear even at the time that other regions shaking off colonial powers and establishing nations was pretty likely in the near future.

[Vinyadan]

Macedonia controversy > any US naming controversy

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