Things you really wish people wouldn't say

épousette would be even more continental - wifelette sounds like an egg dish...

True, but my husband doesn't speak French as well as I do.  Wifelette is a good compromise.

I really wish my mother and one of my paternal aunts wouldn't refer to people's skin colour (when they are not white), when it is not relevant to the story or situation they are talking about.  I can't think of a time when they've ever mentioned skin colour that it was relevant, so I get annoyed but I don't mention my annoyance to them.

"Ya reckon"

I could murder people in cold blood for that one!

and people describing overweight people as "Lardy" I had a candidate refer to her boss as "Lardy" and I found it more offensive than saying she was fat.

and people describing overweight people as "Lardy" I had a candidate refer to her boss as "Lardy" and I found it more offensive than saying she was fat.

I refer to myself as being 'a bit lardy'.  I think i'd murder anyone else who said it though!


Vicky

Oh gosh there are so many things really!  But for the most part, these things are very minor annoyances in the overall scheme of things. 

One thing that has really started to grate on me lately is when people who do clearly have an excellent command of grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc start to lord that over people who don't, and go out of their way to try and make others feel small because of their failings in one of those areas.  Especially on friendly websites where people go to chill out.  I think when people habitually correct other people like that in certain contexts - it's simply just not nice.  I mean - it's not like writing something for work, business or school, where to be corrected on something would not be unwarranted.  (Also maybe it's bad eyesight, like when my 'r' key puts one too many 'r's in there, and I don't see it!)

However, there is one word that gets misspelled a lot on this website, although I can't remember what it is...hmmm...often on argument threads - that gets on my last nerve.  It'll come to me when I'm thinking of something else!  OH - just remembered - when hypocrisy ends up being spelled 'hypocracy'!    Hee hee!

I love using the word 'reckon', by the way! 

One thing that has really started to grate on me lately is when people who do clearly have an excellent command of grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc start to lord that over people who don't, and go out of their way to try and make others feel small because of their failings in one of those areas. 

I hear ya sista!!! I hate it when my spegging or others is corrocted 

I hear ya sista!!! I hate it when my spegging or others is corrocted 

I like correction (both giving and receiving) as long as it isn't done in a belittling way, and as long as it's really warranted.  Correcting someone for something that is obviously a typo is unnecessary, but if it is a real misuse of the language that impedes their ability to communicate, then it should be addressed.  I would rather have ten seconds of feeling dumb after being corrected than continue to make the same basic mistake again and again and have people rolling their eyes at my ignorance behind my back. 

Prolly instead of probably...I don't get that one at all.  Do people really think it's prolly or is that short hand?

Anyways instead of anyway...it's not plural.

I like correction (both giving and receiving) as long as it isn't done in a belittling way, and as long as it's really warranted.  Correcting someone for something that is obviously a typo is unnecessary, but if it is a real misuse of the language that impedes their ability to communicate, then it should be addressed.  I would rather have ten seconds of feeling dumb after being corrected than continue to make the same basic mistake again and again and have people rolling their eyes at my ignorance behind my back. 

I had a dilemma when we had an American visitor in the office last month.  He came back after a weekend of sightseeing and told me all about touring the "London Tower".  I wasn't sure if he meant the Tower Bridge tour or the Tower of London, so I sought to clarify.  It wasn't easy, but eventually I got it nailed down to being a Tower of London tour.  I tried to be as gentle as possible with rolling my head back when I finally understood and said something to the effect "Oh, the Tower of London - yes that's great [insert anecdote from when I was last there and saw Prince Charles]". 

I tried to emphasise what it was called by merely reiterating it rather than being really pointed about it, but the reason was that if he were to relay his travels to others who were informed about the place, they would also be confused, so better to sort it out....

I hear ya sista!!! I hate it when my spegging or others is corrocted 

Um, DF, let me count the errors of your post... 

One thing that has really started to grate on me lately is when people who do clearly have an excellent command of grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc start to lord that over people who don't, and go out of their way to try and make others feel small because of their failings in one of those areas.  Especially on friendly websites where people go to chill out.  I think when people habitually correct other people like that in certain contexts - it's simply just not nice.  I mean - it's not like writing something for work, business or school, where to be corrected on something would not be unwarranted.  (Also maybe it's bad eyesight, like when my 'r' key puts one too many 'r's in there, and I don't see it!)

I'm glad someone FINALLY said this!  One of my best friends is fairly illiterate; she never got encouraged at school or at home.  They threw her into the 'learning disabled' class and never expected anything out of her.

She gets a lot of sh!t from people who like to point out when she's said or spelled something incorrectly, (ie supposeably) like she is deliberately ignorant or doesn't care.  People want to treat her like she's stupid but she's not.  Actually, she performs at the top of her industry and is an an exceptionally cool manager of people (because she never tries to make them feel small).

As long as you get what someone means, why does it matter how they say it or spell it?  

As long as you get what someone means, why does it matter how they say it or spell it?

To which I would add, there are times when language matters a great deal - certainly to me, but I'd rather pick my battles on when I think it's important, and not hassle and needlessly poke a stick in someone's eye when it's not. 

As long as you get what someone means, why does it matter how they say it or spell it?  

But it does to a lot of people, myself included. We've had enough threads about grammar here to show that people do care!

I don't mind seeing people correct other people's grammar as long as it's done in a friendly way. I don't choose to do it myself, but when I see someone else do it I'll admit that my first thought is usually, "THANK YOU!"

But it does to a lot of people, myself included. We've had enough threads about grammar here to show that people do care!

Undoubtedly!  Just offering a different perspective 

edited cuz I screwt up

One that grates on my nerves is when people use "sale" instead of "sell."

I belong to a forum where a very nice woman says she's "going to sale something."  She's also referred to the act as "saleing it."  I think someone once "saled" her something too. 

Some really twangy southern accents can sound like that, even though the person means "sell" it just comes out as "sale."