Old Fart Rant

[GoodbyeDave]

A favourite among prole teens: "She's like …" meaning "She said …"

The "greengrocer's apostrophe": Free-range egg's.

Journalists who can't tell "flout" from "flaunt".

Ah, I feel better now!

 

[Revoltingest]

Confusing "power" with "force" & "energy"....ugh!

 

[WalterTrull]

Ah, I feel better now!

"Hits the spot, don't it!" - ANNIE (Hobo)

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Why can't members of the English speaking world distinguish between lie and lay?

That doesn't mean you're old, it just means you care about grammar. Such as, why are so many people here oblivious to the difference of there, their, and they're, clueless as to how to properly use whom (and aware it is not a "word to sound fancy"), got and have are used interchangeably and incorrectly, and even college professors are complaining of students submitting papers that use text-speak and other informal words and expressions. Weird Al even has a song, I believe it's called "Grammar Crimes," slamming the widespread and accepted use of poor grammar.
And it doesn't help there are Youtuby Libs who deride grammar as racist and classist (lazy bums who don't want to put the effort into learning is more what I think it is).

 

[Revoltingest]

Vocal fry & rising inflection (upspeak) annoy me.
(The latter is worse cuz everything is a question.)

Feminists on NPR tell me that I'm a misogynist for not accepting these abominations.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Feminists on NPR tell me that I'm a misogynist for not accepting these abominations.

Upward inflection is an abomination when not asking a question, because it's confusing to people who expect a question but don't get one (and last I heard, more men do it than women).
And, interestingly, watching for vocal fry and reducing it is a common voice training tip for sounding more female and feminine.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

A favourite among prole teens: "She's like …" meaning "She said …"

Again, something you don't have to be old to complain about.
I blame our culture of way too much positivity and faux cheerfulness for the too frequent and overly and incorrect usage of the word like.

 

[Revoltingest]

Upward inflection is an abomination when not asking a question, because it's confusing to people who expect a question but don't get one (and last I heard, more men do it than women).

IRL & listening to NPR, I say far more women do upspeak.
(Lack of pepper in their diet, eh.)

 

[Shadow Wolf]

IRL & listening to NPR, I say far more women do upspeak.
(Lack of pepper in their diet, eh.)

In attempting to find my sources (I've failed so far), I did find one article saying it's about even but not as noticeable in men (given how they have deeper voices and use less inflection than women), that did cite NPR, and one Psychology Today article written by a Canadian who laments the pervasiveness of the barrage of questions and lack of confidence.
The Uptalk Epidemic

I wrote an editorial in 2002 for the Toronto Globe and Mail, a very influential national newspaper. It received prominent placement in the paper, complete with a headline in the widely-read "Facts and Opinions" section of the paper. The article was called "The Canuck Uptalk Epidemic." It resulted in a flurry of response, almost all of it positive. In fact, I'm being polite. There was no negative response. I heard from public speaking groups, science teachers, linguists, feminist organizations. My editorial was reprinted in The Canadian Guide to Public Speaking. Feminist groups wondered why women were more readily affected and so quick to back away from their opinions and seek consensus before continuing to speak. What was wrong with being assertive? Since when had it become impolite?
...
Some argued that Canadians were a perfect demographic in which the epidemic could spread. Mild-mannered, consensus-seeking to a fault, what better place for uptalk to take root than in the land of moose and maple syrup?But it didn't stay there. "The Canuck Uptalk Epidemic" is now just "The Uptalk Epidemic."
...
I recently heard it in a visitor from Britain. That was particularly disturbing to me because back in 2002, when I attended a conference in London, one of my hosts came up to me during a presentation by a Canadian woman. "What's wrong with her?" he whispered. "It sounds like all she's doing is asking questions. Do Canadians all speak like that?"
...
As I said at the outset, I fear the battle is in its last stages. People no longer hear uptalk unless you point it out to them (I continue to.)
...
There is a big difference between "My name is Hank? This is what I believe?" and "My name is Hank. This is what I believe." I am saying the latter. I hope you can still hear the difference.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Makes me glad I have Asperger's and am prone to seeing "pointless things people do that serve no use or purpose" instead of getting caught up in soul-destroying amounts of empathy.

 

[Revoltingest]

In attempting to find my sources (I've failed so far), I did find one article saying it's about even but not as noticeable in men (given how they have deeper voices and use less inflection than women), that did cite NPR, and one Psychology Today article written by a Canadian who laments the pervasiveness of the barrage of questions and lack of confidence.
The Uptalk Epidemic

What really bothers me about upspeak in person is that I feel compelled to respond.
Either the speaker is looking for an answer or acknowledgment that I heard them.
It's a relentless barrage of ambiguous social cues. Respond? Don't respond?
I'm much more comfortable when the difference between a statement & a question
is clear.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

What really bothers me about upspeak in person is that I feel compelled to respond.

I'd say the feeling is more that of being mandated. Which I feel probably about 90% of the time anyone speaks to me, with a burdensome obligation to say more than what is needed.

 

[WalterTrull]

Such as, why are so many people here oblivious to the difference of there, their, and they're, clueless as to how to properly use whom (and aware it is not a "word to sound fancy"), got and have are used interchangeably and incorrectly, and even college professors are complaining of students submitting papers that use text-speak and other informal words and expressions.

Irregardless...

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Irregardless...

 

[WalterTrull]

That doesn't mean you're old, it just means you care about grammar. Such as, why are so many people here oblivious to the difference of there, their, and they're, clueless as to how to properly use whom (and aware it is not a "word to sound fancy"), got and have are used interchangeably and incorrectly, and even college professors are complaining of students submitting papers that use text-speak and other informal words and expressions. Weird Al even has a song, I believe it's called "Grammar Crimes," slamming the widespread and accepted use of poor grammar.
And it doesn't help there are Youtuby Libs who deride grammar as racist and classist (lazy bums who don't want to put the effort into learning is more what I think it is).

Just watched a TV news report where the guy saving folks from the stuck gondola ride said: "...we train for these incidentses."
Naturally, I speak with authority as a well established pedant.