English...NOT!

[Churchill]

My dad actually used that one on me yesterday.... I'm sure I almost spontaneously combusted!!

You did...

[cailin maith]

You did...

True.

[Churchill]

True.

Mmmmmmm Maltesers!

Talking about Maltesers, have a look on the web for Maltese Puppies! They look like a Mogwai!!!

[Drewster]

My dad actually used that one on me yesterday.... I'm sure I almost spontaneously combusted!!

Sorry to be picky... but what is "almost" spontaneously combusted?

My bonfire "almost" spontaneously combusted could mean:
a) It combusted after I poured 2 gallons of Diesel on it and then chucked my Zippo on top...
b) Its actually still a pile of wood.....

Its a bit like a qualified absolute...

[threaded]

What has happened to the English language? WHY do people insist on appending the word ‘not’ to something they say, for example, 'Gordon is really competent…NOT!'

What is wrong with using the word in its proper place in the sentence, just after the words ‘is’ or ‘does’?

Is this some nasty habit taken over from the Septics, just like repeated use of the word ‘like’ and ‘going forward’?

Would the death penalty be too harsh?

IIRC it is actually very old English, that went out of fashion with the language becoming more frenchified. A lot of old English constructions have survived in colloquial American English, and have then come back into fashion over here.

[cailin maith]

Sorry to be picky... but what is "almost" spontaneously combusted?

My bonfire "almost" spontaneously combusted could mean:
a) It combusted after I poured 2 gallons of Diesel on it and then chucked my Zippo on top...
b) Its actually still a pile of wood.....

Its a bit like a qualified absolute...

Ahem - Contrary knickers!!!

[Mich the Tester]

A lot of old English constructions have survived in colloquial American English, and have then come back into fashion over here.

Well it's a crap one and if it was put over there it was done so for a reason and it should have stayed over there.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

IIRC it is actually very old English, that went out of fashion with the language becoming more frenchified. A lot of old English constructions have survived in colloquial American English, and have then come back into fashion over here.

Das verstehe ich nicht.

[threaded]

Well it's a crap one and if it was put over there it was done so for a reason and it should have stayed over there.

Well, it has, you've just not noticed. It survived more prominently in Scandinavian languages to this day.

So you ended up with the very similar:

"...the best beer in the world, probably"

Which was changed after people complained about the grammar to

"probably the best beer in the world"

Which is just as bad really.

[Drewster]

Ahem - Contrary knickers!!!