Misuse of the word "refute" really tits me off - Contractor UK Bulletin Board

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PhiltheGreek replied

12 March 2018, 20:53
Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

Nazis should have a capital "N" !

God, when will it ever end?

It's Goering to take time.
Leave a comment:
woohoo replied

12 March 2018, 20:41
Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

Nazis should have a capital "N" !

God, when will it ever end?

gosh does it really annoy you; well you must be a nazi:
Leave a comment:
OwlHoot replied

12 March 2018, 16:05
Originally posted by woohoo View Post

Not really, as I said it only matters to grammar nazis.

Nazis should have a capital "N" !

God, when will it ever end?
Leave a comment:
woohoo replied

12 March 2018, 14:46
Originally posted by northernladyuk View Post

Capitalisation is not part of grammar. It is a type of orthography.

I hope that helps.

Not really, as I said it only matters to grammar nazis.
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OwlHoot replied

12 March 2018, 13:46
"new premieres"

Pisses me off every time I see that in the Sky TV menu

Or the other month, when a summary on Sky TV of that film Dambusters read ".. infamous raids on the dams ..". FFS, "infamous" is "bad famous", i.e. famous for the wrong reasons, like a serial killer!
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pjclarke replied

12 March 2018, 12:55
'I could of done that'

'He is very unique'

'Expresso Coffee'

Letter aitch pronounced haitch.

All like fingernails down a blackboard to me.
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northernladyuk replied

10 March 2018, 12:55
Originally posted by woohoo View Post

Only to ******* grammar nazis.

Capitalisation is not part of grammar. It is a type of orthography.

I hope that helps.
Leave a comment:
jamesbrown replied

10 March 2018, 11:31
From the most irritating pedant around:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/r...ical-fkk57xhjz
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woohoo replied

10 March 2018, 10:41
Originally posted by WTFH View Post

Hitler should have a capital H.

Only to ******* grammar nazis.
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northernladyuk replied

10 March 2018, 10:12
Originally posted by WTFH View Post

'Hitler' should have a capital H.

I hope that helps.
Leave a comment:
OwlHoot replied

10 March 2018, 09:13
Heard on Radio 4 news last night "John Bercow strongly _denies_ the allegations" So all's well with the world again!

Or maybe bots reading this forum forward snippets containing relevant keywords, and somebody actually saw my post?!

Possible I suppose, but more likely they were inundated by complaints from grammar Nazis through their normal channels.
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WTFH replied

10 March 2018, 08:02
Originally posted by woohoo View Post

******* grammar and word hitlers.

Hitler should have a capital H.
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woohoo replied

9 March 2018, 22:31
******* grammar and word hitlers.
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PhiltheGreek replied

9 March 2018, 15:13
Originally posted by northernladyuk View Post

When it comes to understanding the English language, traditionalists are typically insecure and poorly educated fools.

Bit judgemental that. For a brasser.
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northernladyuk replied

9 March 2018, 15:09
Originally posted by NickFitz View Post

Indeed. The fact that the OED reports incorrect usage is merely a consequence of their mission being descriptive rather than prescriptive. It doesn't stop the wrong 'uns who misuse the word being wrong

Prescriptive lexicography and grammar don't really work well in English. They often seek to apply rules that not only deny the changing nature of the English language, but also ignore historic usage.

The 'fewer' vs 'less' argument in a case in point. Apparently 'less' should not be used with plural countable nouns. However, such usage of 'less' can be documented back as far as the scholarly Alfred the Great in 888.

"Swa mid læs worda swa mid ma, swæðer we hit yereccan mayon."

"With less words or with more, whether we may prove it."
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