So, as most of you probably know, I am a total English dork. I'm one of those people that has favorite words, despised words, and I occassionally even congratulate folks on the use of a good word. I enjoy grammar and its uses. I love word play. I'm just a goob in that way. So along that thread, here are a few language-related preferences...
1.) I hate the word "engorged". What a disgusting sounding word!! That's not to say that I never use it because sometimes it's the only word that truly fits, but it's still a repulsive word.
2.) I hate when people say, "I could care less." Well, if you COULD care less, then your feelings on the topic aren't really strong enough to be worth commentary, now are they?!? The phrase is "I COULDN'T CARE LESS"!!!!! It drives me nuts that the incorrect way has become acceptable. Even very educated people use it incorrectly. Drives me nutters!!! (Admitedly, this is not a trip for which you need to fill your tank.)
3.) I think "over top of" is one of the strangest, most awkward phrases I have ever heard. It's either "OVER" or "ON top of". I don't understand the need to combine the two to make this modern marvel of awkward language. "It's those things that make ya go hmmmm..." (Who remembers this song? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?)
4.) One of my new favorite phrases is "Less Worse". Now, I understand that this is a bit hypocritical, since I dislike other phrases based almost solely on their gramatical incorrectness. However, I have a reason for liking this one so much. Drew's graduate Orchestral Conducting professor is Chinese and has a delightful way of expressing things. This is the man who, when Drew wasn't conducting emphatically enough, told him, "You captain, maybe Colonel. I need (and I will spell phonetically here) Fie Stah Genrah!!!" (That's Five Star General for those of you not as random in the head as I am.) Anyway, when he's trying to get a student to fix a problem in their conducting and they change something, but it's still not what he wants, he tells them that it is "Less worse". I LOVE IT!!!
Ahhh, the English language! What a grand thing!!!
Love & Shipoopies!
Les
3 comments:
You KNOW how much this one made me smile...
Entitled.
I swear, ever time I'm listening to NPR on the way to work, the reporter says "his new book, entitled..." or "...gave a speech entitled..."
Books and speeches are entitled to nothing. They have no rights.
It's titled!
Mmmm, that's a good one! Never really thought about that one. It will now start irritating me as well - and I am titled to that irritation. :-)
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