h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

'I could care less' is a kinda follow on from 'I couldn't care less', as in 'I could care less if I tried, but I'm not going to bother'.

Although if it involved two teenage Americans, I've probably missed out a 'like' somewhere.

Tut, tut, Trin Tragula. Your full-stop should have been within your brackets.

TRiG.

What hurts my brain every time is whether or not you should add "ly" at the end of a word. How can you tell?
This and That get me as well. I say That by way of default, but always have the feeling it should have been This. How can one decide?

Definately definitely irritates me too.

This one here. That one over there.

I always refuse when people ask if they can borrow a stamp, or some ink (OK that dates me ...) or some milk.

You may have some of my ink, certainly. But I'll not be wanting it back thank you.


Hmmm...now I'm wondering about the old euphemism of borrowing a cup of sugar.

Ah, but you might only want a little of the sugar, so you could give the cup back, albeit with slightly less sugar than when borrowed...

The worst is when someone asks to borrow a kleenex!

az

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For indication of physical objects, yes. But for this and that (and it) used in discourse...

"This, that and it can all be used to refer back to thingsthat have been talked or written about earlier. The differences between them are not well understood..." - Longmans Practical English Usage.

Noggin

ps While I'm here could someone borrow me a fiver?

People around here often ask if they can 'lend' for example, a pen.

Sure, they should feel free to lend a pen, but if they haven't got one they shouldn't be offering.

People seem to have forogtten the word borrow.

And some people seem to have forogtten how to spell forgotten.

Of course you can ask - 'could you lend me a pen?' Or - 'could I borrow a pen?' It's something I have to teach my students here. Same with using go and come, bring and take.

Though I think North Americans are more flexible with the use of bring and take than UK people are.

az

When someone asks 'is this seat empty' when there is so obviously nobody sitting in it. Makes me laugh every time.

Also, BOGOF. Hate it.

I just had to ask Noggin what BOGOF means - have never seen it before.

And yes, the correct thing to say would be - 'is this seat taken?'

I think I tend to be more of a pedant when it comes to written rather than spoken English.

Having said that, I really really hate LOL. And I don't know why. It just seriously irks somehow. I think it might have to do with how I read it - sounds to me like LAAWWLLL - kinda gross. Why not just say - 'oh that was funny'? or 'that really made me laugh out loud'?

az

'May I borrow a cup of sugar', I think, is usually a pretext for some desired conversation - often of the busybody type.

Here would be something to really tick me off though:
'Since my daughter and her baby moved in, I have had literally hundreds of requests for sugar from my neighbors.'

Literally seems to be used in cases where the figurative alternative doesn't make sense - at least not to me.

The neighbours in my building sometimes show up to ask for stuff. It's a bit different in Spanish. For example, they don't ask to *borrow* a cup of sugar, they just say (loose translation) - 'do you have a cup of sugar for me?' Likewise if they ask for a couple of eggs or an onion or whatever. Though of course when the girls next door wanted to use my blender the appropriate term was to ask if they could borrow it.

Perhaps the idea of 'borrowing a cup of sugar' means the person intends to bring you back a cup of sugar at some point to replace what they've borrowed. Or else - more likely - it's just the idea that it's a neighbourly thing to ask for the occasional this-or-that.

I really like the fact that my neighbours sometimes come over to ask for the occasional this-or-that. Makes me feel I can do the same if I ever run out of something and only realise it half-way through making a meal.

No doubt the 'cup of sugar' excuse might be a way for nosy neighbours to start up a conversation, but happily this has never been my experience.

az

'do you have a cup of sugar for me?' is such a delightfully straightforward request. I would probably want to say, 'yes, this one - and I have been saving it just for you.'

It is a rather delighfully straighforward request, isn't it? My usual response is - 'well of course I do, and do you need anything else?'

And in terms of the between-neighbours-borrowing factor nobody ever feels put upon - and nobody ever feels like they have to return the two eggs or cup of rice or whatever. Heck, we even swap gas canisters (used for cooking or heating water) when one of us runs out - whoever has an extra one passes it on to the neighbour until we can get more delivered. I actually really like this.

az

I have noticed (this is getting a little off the topic of pedantry) that when I lived in the city, I was much more socialized. Now that I've lived in a rural area, I am tending to become less socialized. The popular notion is that cities are less friendly, and the country is more friendly. Actually I think people are pretty much the same everywhere, but in cities you get out more, you walk more, you see more people you know, and so on. I do miss that. (At least I think I do - there must have been some reason I left the city. Oh yes, the noise - I don't miss that.)

()

Surely the ultimate pedant was Dominique Bouhours, the French grammarian.

His reported last words on his death bed were,


I am about to, or I am going to, die: either expression is correct.



Salute a great pedant

So in other words he said: "Je suis en train de, ou je vais mourir: les deux expressions sont correctes" ?

Traveller in Time knowing both postings
"You should have added the literal translation in the same posting . . .

"Je suis en train de, ou je vais mourir: les deux expressions sont correctes" > I am about to, or I am going to, die: either expression is correct.

< A2663543 > 'The h2g2 Language Thing - Departments Co-ordination Office' "

Ok, it's the pedants' thread here, I see