Hoddy Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Since we are now ell and truly off topic perhaps I can share my latest irritant.Gifted instead of given; it's driving me mad.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 You mean like ' Hoddy gifted woolybanana her French mansion'? It is American, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkkent Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]You mean like ' Hoddy gifted woolybanana her French mansion'? It is American, isn't it?[/quote]An American disease - turning nouns into verbs. Another thing that annoys me is the inability of broadcasters (and others) to use "less than" and "fewer than" correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Grammatically this has been undergoing change for a long time, though we have not quite got to the point of saying 'fewer sugar' yet. I suspect that the cause of this may be International English as many speakers find less and fewer difficult to grasp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Should that not be "Hoddy like gifted Woolybanana her French mansion, - like" The final "like" being optional, normally added when they dont know what else to say, the French would use an euuhh or voila! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 And "train station" instead of "railway station" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 ...and "for free" instead of simply "free".Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frecossais Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 And, "How are you?""Oh, I'm good." Makes my teeth grind.And an expression that has puzzled me for a while now: "A no-brainer." I first came across it in a Jack Reacher book, and took it to mean a stupid idea, but it was recently used on TV and appeared to mean a great idea which did not necessitate the use of a brain. Which is it? And is there a similar expression in French? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 There is one thing that I do not understand and that is I have recently heard the people on the news say 'in Ukraine', whereas, I would have said, ' in the' Ukraine. I've heard it with a few other things too where the noun has a vowel as the first letter. Many people butcher conjugaisons around here, ie 'you was' which is the first of many that come to mind. And I don't care really. My pet hate is 'draw Ring' for drawing. And now news readers can no longer manager 'th's', and cannot say 6th anymore, always sounds more like sex to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkkent Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 [quote user="idun"] There is one thing that I do not understand and that is I have recently heard the people on the news say 'in Ukraine', whereas, I would have said, ' in the' Ukraine. I've heard it with a few other things too where the noun has a vowel as the first letter. [/quote]From Wikipedia:The form "the Ukraine" was once usual in English. In 1993 the Ukrainian government requested that the article be dropped, and it has become rarer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 [quote user="Frecossais"]And an expression that has puzzled me for a while now: "A no-brainer." I first came across it in a Jack Reacher book, and took it to mean a stupid idea, but it was recently used on TV and appeared to mean a great idea which did not necessitate the use of a brain. Which is it? And is there a similar expression in French?[/quote]Goodness, how have we drifted here from Q's original post?[:D]A no-brainer means "it's no contest", so you could say that it's the action of choice and that you wouldn't need to think too hard about it.In French I might say c'est ... fastoche or le doight dans le nez or du gateau. All those mean easy-peasy so would do for no-brainer though I am not sure that they mean exactly the same as it's the most easy and effective option.BTW, I hope you are looking in on the thread about French expressions that might be useful; otherwise I can see Norman and I yet again just having a dialogue and that nobody else cares to join in![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 [quote user="Clarkkent"][quote user="idun"] There is one thing that I do not understand and that is I have recently heard the people on the news say 'in Ukraine', whereas, I would have said, ' in the' Ukraine. I've heard it with a few other things too where the noun has a vowel as the first letter. [/quote]From Wikipedia:The form "the Ukraine" was once usual in English. In 1993 the Ukrainian government requested that the article be dropped, and it has become rarer.[/quote]Thankyou for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frecossais Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 [quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="Frecossais"]And an expression that has puzzled me for a while now: "A no-brainer." I first came across it in a Jack Reacher book, and took it to mean a stupid idea, but it was recently used on TV and appeared to mean a great idea which did not necessitate the use of a brain. Which is it? And is there a similar expression in French?[/quote]Goodness, how have we drifted here from Q's original post?[:D]A no-brainer means "it's no contest", so you could say that it's the action of choice and that you wouldn't need to think too hard about it.In French I might say c'est ... fastoche or le doight dans le nez or du gateau. All those mean easy-peasy so would do for no-brainer though I am not sure that they mean exactly the same as it's the most easy and effective option.BTW, I hope you are looking in on the thread about French expressions that might be useful; otherwise I can see Norman and I yet again just having a dialogue and that nobody else cares to join in![:P] [/quote]Sorry, I just tacked that on because I was wondering. Yes, I do read the other thread too, but difficult to remember many of the new expressions when I'm in Blighty and can't use them.Thank you for the explanation of the no-brainer. I'll make a note of fastoche."du gateau" like "a piece of cake." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I went to the optician's last week to pick up my new glasses and there was a woman in front of me complaining about the frames of her glasses, and asking for them to be replaced. After the 5th or 6th time she had repeated that she wasn't happy because they shouldn't have "deteriated" in such a short time, I was ready to become an axe murderer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 What a model of restraint you were, my dear Betty!For sure I would have dopped her one![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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