Loosing vs. Losing

[geoffw]

MrsW us not a native English speaker. So with her, I am a lot more tolerant of mistakes than with other people.

I went out for a walk one day. When I came back, she said

"it must be hot outside. You're swearing".

Which leads me to another grammatical point.

Many people don't use quote marks when quoting.

Which, as will as being incorrect, can also lead to a lot of ambiguities.

 

[ianvestor]

MrsW us not a native English speaker.
... she said "it must be hot outside. You're swearing".

Is she Korean? My wife has made the same mistake a few times. Except it's normally when she's 'swearing' so I just laugh and tell her to stop swearing when she comes home from the gym.

 

[GreatPig]

One of my pet hates is when people use "that" in sentences that don't really need it, and that sometimes they should be using "which"

There is a considerable amount of misconception about what is correct when using that and which. I've seen many people claim that only "that" can be used in certain situations where in fact either "that" or "which" can be used.

GP

 

[GreatPig]

I was always under the impression that a team was a single entity and thus referred to as such.

It depends. "Team" is a collective noun and can be either singular or plural depending on the meaning.

The general idea is that if you are primarily referring to the team itself, and not the people in the team, then it's singular. However, if you're referring to all the people in the team, then it's plural.

The team has never been beaten. (singular)

The team are a bunch of wusses. (plural)

See here for more details.

GP

 

[GreatPig]

I am more worried how many sheeps and fishes there are

Sheeps yes, but fishes is okay.

Either fish or fishes is an acceptable plural (remember those loaves and fishes).

GP

 

[skater]

The other beauty was at an open day for a primary school I went to for my daughter.


(Is anyone else being really careful with their spelling in this thread? I'm quite nervous to hit 'submit reply' in case I've made a glaring error )

Missed one!

 

[Casserole Dish]

Aargh! That's it! No more posts on this thread from me, it's too stressful

 

[skater]

Aargh! That's it! No more posts on this thread from me, it's too stressful

Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes.

 

[Perp]

I was teased as a child for 'trying to sound posh and better then us'. I was told I spoke with a plum in my mouth.

I get asked by strangers in shops "why do your kids have a British accent?", and by other parents at school etc (who know we're not British and haven't spent time in Britain) "how do you get your boys to speak so well?" I think they speak very clearly because I'm terrible at understanding mumbling , and have always emphasised clear enunciation. Seriously, that's it. And whilst I enunciate, I have a thick Strine accent, earned through growing up in the Mallee, but somewhat softened by spending many years in Adelaide.

But I find it amusing that mumbling is so commonplace that children who enunciate all the sounds in words are assumed to be from a foreign country, or to have had some special training or something.

Having just moved to Brisbane I can say that the one thing that completely perplexes me is the propensity of Brisbanites to turn every statement into a question, or apparantly express surprise, through the addition of the interjection "hey".

LMAO I caught myself doing this a couple of years ago, and cracked myself up. It is a nonsensical habit, but also somewhat endearing (on an occasional basis, not at the end of every sentence). I've always taken it to mean "don't you agree?", and view it as an effort to be friendly and inclusive, by inviting the other person's opinion on the matter.

I went out for a walk one day. When I came back, she said

"it must be hot outside. You're swearing".

Early in our marriage, hubby's term of endearment for me was "Sweet Pea" - not to be soppy, but as a bit of a laugh. He wrote me a birthday card once that started "Dear Sweat Pea"...

 

[joanmc]

I find having had 3 teens for the last few years i now sometimes say "like" myself! aarrggh! because, it's like I just can't help it. and like because I talk to my kids all the time it like a bad habit like.....just shoot me

 

[RumpledElf]

I get asked by strangers in shops "why do your kids have a British accent?", and by other parents at school etc (who know we're not British and haven't spent time in Britain) "how do you get your boys to speak so well?" I think they speak very clearly because I'm terrible at understanding mumbling , and have always emphasised clear enunciation. Seriously, that's it. And whilst I enunciate, I have a thick Strine accent, earned through growing up in the Mallee, but somewhat softened by spending many years in Adelaide.

But I find it amusing that mumbling is so commonplace that children who enunciate all the sounds in words are assumed to be from a foreign country, or to have had some special training or something.

I pretend deaf when I encounter mumbling (both child and other half do it - other half mumbles constantly, child only mumbles and refuses to look at you when she has something important to say, she is LOUD the rest of the time). They both repeat nice and loud when I say "mumble mumble" back at them, although it may take a few tries with the child to get her to look at you when talking. Saying nothing, apparently, means you heard perfectly

My elder kid has the weirdest accent. It is almost like a fake Mafia accent. She pronounces "time" "toim" (almost with an extra syllable "toy-imm"). "Now" is "neeeeow", same with most similar-sounding words. It is really weird, and just one of a long list of things she's been doing for years that I can't ever see changing. I have absolutely no idea where she gets it from.

 

[The Y-man]

Which, as will as being incorrect, can also lead to a lot of ambiguities.

"it must be hot outside. You're swearing".

Maybe you were! "It's so @#$^#@!ing hot out there!!"


Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[geoffw]

Maybe you were! "It's so @#$^#@!ing hot out there!!"

I'll blame the typo on fat fingers on a small iPhone keyboard.

 

[skater]

My elder kid has the weirdest accent. It is almost like a fake Mafia accent. She pronounces "time" "toim" (almost with an extra syllable "toy-imm"). "Now" is "neeeeow", same with most similar-sounding words. It is really weird, and just one of a long list of things she's been doing for years that I can't ever see changing. I have absolutely no idea where she gets it from.

My eldest used to say some weird things when younger and so did Hubby. They both had to go to speech therapy to have it corrected. His was so bad that nobody could understand a word he said. Being the youngest of 7, I guess it just didn't get picked up at home. When he had finished, apparently Hubby used to talk with a very British accent. He then had to learn to talk more normal.

 

[travelbug]

There are some weird expressions in this thread that are incorrect.

I'm not sure if people are meaning them as a pun or if they're serious.

It's funny how people think they are saying things correctly and mix up sayings.

 

[vbplease]

My elder kid has the weirdest accent. It is almost like a fake Mafia accent. She pronounces "time" "toim" (almost with an extra syllable "toy-imm").

That's pretty funny.. I'd be getting curious if she starts walking around with wads of cash and you ask her where she gets it she says, "ey! forget-about-it!".

 

[Kit]

when my kids were in junior school they used to enjoy watching a British TV show and mimicking the accent and speech patterns. They used to talk to me like that all the time (but nobody else) e.g. "I say Mother old chap, could you be so kind as to pass me the salt? Jolly good show old boy" all in a 30's style upper class English voice. People thought they were crazy but gosh I had the politest kids in the country! It lasted for years!

 

[BayView]

I find having had 3 teens for the last few years i now sometimes say "like" myself! aarrggh! because, it's like I just can't help it. and like because I talk to my kids all the time it like a bad habit like.....just shoot me

Yeah, and I'll bet you wear your waistband down around your bumcrack as well these days.

 

[skater]

Yeah, and I'll bet you wear your waistband down around your bumcrack as well these days.

You forgot the anal floss hanging out the top.

 

[Wake]

I'm sure when I was at school we were taught to say "John & I". Now its "John & me"???

Also something that goes against my grain - putting the word "an" in front of words starting with H eg an holiday, or an horrific fire. Maybe if you were dropping the H, as in "an oliday". Why was that ever changed?

Speaking of haitch v aitch, my Mum still gets quite heated about the mispronunciation and swears that catholic schools are to blame for teaching haitch.