Author Topic: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?  (Read 15977 times)

Brad Johnson

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #75 on: December 28, 2006, 10:37:26 AM »
Quote
"Duct" tape was originally adhesive on strips of cotton duck fabric.

Later duck tape was stuck to ducts and became duct tape...


...and, of course, the worst possible thing to use on ducting is "duct" tape.  That is unless you actually want your system to leak.

Now on to the mis/overuse of the words "basically", "totality", and "dichotomy"...

Brad
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"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #76 on: December 28, 2006, 10:59:45 AM »
How about "literally"?  It is literally overused by literally everybody, who use it literally all of the time, when they should be using "very," or something else. 
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JohnBT

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #77 on: December 28, 2006, 01:03:14 PM »
I looked all over and walla, there it was. No, not wallah either. Drives me nuts.

It's voilà [French < voi "see!" + là "there"]
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And going back a few posts to the word ax, or aks or axe, it really is a word. In fact, it was a word centuries before ask. The English brought it over hundreds of years ago and it's still commonly heard in Virginia among whites and blacks.

"ax 2  (ks)
v. ax·ed, ax·ing, ax·es Nonstandard
Variant of ask.
Ax, a common nonstandard variant of ask, is often identified as an especially salient feature of African American Vernacular English. While it is true that the form is frequent in the speech of African Americans, it used to be common in the speech of white Americans as well, especially in New England. This should not be surprising since ax is a very old word in English, having been used in England for over 1,000 years. In Old English we find both scian and csian, and in Middle English both asken and axen. Moreover, the forms with cs or x had no stigma associated with them. Chaucer used asken and axen interchangeably, as in the lines "I wol aske, if it hir will be/To be my wyf" and "Men axed hym, what sholde bifalle," both from The Canterbury Tales. The forms in x arose from the forms in sk by a linguistic process called metathesis, in which two sounds are reversed. The x thus represents (ks), the flipped version of (sk). Metathesis is a common linguistic process around the world and does not arise from a defect in speaking. Nevertheless, ax has become stigmatized as substandarda fate that has befallen other words, like ain't, that were once perfectly acceptable in literate circles."



Brad Johnson

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #78 on: December 28, 2006, 01:16:05 PM »

Quote
How about "literally"?  It is literally overused by literally everybody, who use it literally all of the time, when they should be using "very," or something else.

So what you're basically saying is that literally anyone who is using the word in its totality is creating a dichotomy?

 laugh

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Perd Hapley

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #79 on: December 28, 2006, 01:17:02 PM »
Quote
And going back a few posts to the word ax, or aks or axe, it really is a word. In fact, it was a word centuries before ask. The English brought it over hundreds of years ago and it's still commonly heard in Virginia among whites and blacks.
That's nice, but now we have something called "standardization."  It's a good thing.  Ask has only one correct spelling in the twenty-first century, and I just gave it to you.  The pronunciation is standard as well.  Ax and axe describe tools used for cutting trees and trimming branches.  To be axed means to be hewn with an axe, not consulted for one's opinion on a matter. 
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cosine

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #80 on: December 28, 2006, 01:48:19 PM »
Quote
And going back a few posts to the word ax, or aks or axe, it really is a word. In fact, it was a word centuries before ask. The English brought it over hundreds of years ago and it's still commonly heard in Virginia among whites and blacks.
That's nice, but now we have something called "standardization."  It's a good thing.  Ask has only one correct spelling in the twenty-first century, and I just gave it to you.  The pronunciation is standard as well.  Ax and axe describe tools used for cutting trees and trimming branches.  To be axed means to be hewn with an axe, not consulted for one's opinion on a matter. 

I'm not arguing with you that standardization is not a good or necessary thing, it's just that there's something called "context" that in my opinion should enable one to determine if someone who insists on using "axe" for "ask" is talking about the tool (or the actions taken with such a tool) or the act of requesting. Wink
Andy

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #81 on: December 28, 2006, 04:29:28 PM »
True.  And? 

RocketMan

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #82 on: December 28, 2006, 08:10:37 PM »
Noone for "no one".
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

oldcop1971

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #83 on: February 01, 2007, 07:30:30 PM »
If i see the word  "ULTIMATE!!!!!!!" used on the cover of a gun mag again, i shall scream.  How can there be so many 'ultimate' firearms in the world.  once someone has invented the 'ultimate' firearm, everyone else should just roll over and die.  the pinnacle has been attained. rolleyes rolleyes

Perd Hapley

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #84 on: February 01, 2007, 07:56:36 PM »
You think that's bad, I've heard penultimate used as a superlative a couple of times lately.  By news media, of course.  Guess they think it's better than ultimate.   smiley

Heard some schmuck talk about weapons "cachets" the other day, too.    rolleyes
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The Rabbi

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #85 on: February 02, 2007, 02:44:55 AM »
My favorite is "Extreme".  I guess Madison Ave figured out you could sell more stuff by calling it extreme.  The HS2000 was a Glock wannabe until Springfield picked up and called it XD for Extreme Duty, like any of them are going to spend 24 hours out of a safe.  Taurus' 24/7 I think also advertises extreme with its ability to be grasped "with bloody hands."
In my time everyone eschewed extremism.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #86 on: February 02, 2007, 03:01:34 AM »
In my time everyone eschewed extremism.

Well, not Barry Goldwater.  You moderate weenie.  Tongue
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MechAg94

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #87 on: February 02, 2007, 05:32:33 AM »
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In my time everyone eschewed extremism.
I would disagree with that.  There were plenty of extremists, they just weren't on TV every day. 
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

280plus

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #88 on: February 02, 2007, 06:27:09 AM »
"To be completed in a workmanlike manner", what the ^#$& does THAT mean?

I just read it on a print and I've heard it before, it reminded me of this thread.

It should be something like, "to be completed in a good WORKMANSHIP LIKE manner"

Thene there's "Check it out in good shape". Huh?

[/rant]
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #89 on: February 02, 2007, 08:00:32 AM »
"Workmanlike manner" is pretty stupid.  Can't they just use a word like professional, or do they think you'll do a good job just because someone said so?  "Well, I know I didn't do a very good job, but you didn't say anything about that."

I think that second phrase just means that you check it off the list as being in good shape.  Huh?
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bratch

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #90 on: February 02, 2007, 09:05:05 AM »
Its really six of one; 3 factorial of the other.

Brad Johnson

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #91 on: February 02, 2007, 09:39:16 AM »

Quote
"To be completed in a workmanlike manner", what the ^#$& does THAT mean?

It means they failed high-school Engrish.



"...to be completed in a manner consistent with the highest quality of workmanship."

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #92 on: February 02, 2007, 09:41:19 AM »
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It means they failed high-school Engrish.
cheesy

I wouldn't care so much but I've heard it so often for so long now. It drives me NUTS!  grin

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Perd Hapley

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #93 on: February 02, 2007, 09:42:08 AM »
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"...to be completed in a manner consistent with the highest quality of workmanship."

Oh.  I was just gonna do it in any old way I wanted to, but since I read that...

 smiley
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280plus

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #94 on: February 02, 2007, 09:55:41 AM »
How bout, "Check it out and make sure it's in good shape."

I don't know, it just BUGS me.  grin
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #95 on: February 02, 2007, 10:02:06 AM »
Quote
I wouldn't care so much but I've heard it so often for so long now. It drives me NUTS!

Quote
I don't know, it just BUGS me.


Nice to meet you, Bug Nuts.

 grin

Brad
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #96 on: February 02, 2007, 11:24:27 AM »
Hey Nooowwww....   cheesy
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crt360

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #97 on: February 02, 2007, 11:26:45 AM »
"Professional grade."  Huh?  Is GM telling us that everything they built in the past was amateur grade crap?  Who knew they were building vehicles that apparently were not either built by professionals or for professional use?

You see the same thing on other stuff, like kitchen and laundry appliances.  What, exactly, is non-professional grade?

When did quality quit becoming a standard goal?
For entertainment purposes only.

280plus

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #98 on: February 02, 2007, 11:39:38 AM »
SHISH kabob!  rolleyes

Shish means stick, kabob means LAMB. So if somebody is telling you to try these BEEF kabobs or CHICKEN kabobs they are telling you to try some beef lamb or chicken lamb. SHEESH!!  There, I feel better now. laugh laugh laugh
Avoid cliches like the plague!

280plus

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Re: Anyone else bugged by the slaughter of common phrases...?
« Reply #99 on: February 02, 2007, 11:40:29 AM »
And while we're on the subject, where the H-E double toothpicks is grampster anyways?
Avoid cliches like the plague!