Monday, 14 November, 2005

1. By Tehobu. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @09:51am:

   Sorry John,just had to do this."Misuse of the word 'Religion ' gets my blood boiling (no, not literally). It started as a nit-picking distraction, grew to a frustrating obsession, and finally resulted in the recreation of this blog."
2. By wok. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @10:03am:

   
   
   
   It's been done.
3. By . Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @10:13am:

   According to this link, the use of "literally" as an intensifier (rhather than to signify something that is literally true) has a long and venerable history.
   
   http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002611.html
4. By fancypants. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @11:17am:

   I can't stand how they've upped the percentage ante. At one time it was considered some sort of metaphysical conceit to brag that an athelete gave a hundred percent. Then it was upped to a hundred and one percent. Next, they would brag they gave 110 percent. Now I've heard celebrities and athletes bragging that they give 200 percent.
   Seeing how those values are meaningless, it seems ridiculous to keep increasing them.
5. By . Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @11:33am:

   I agree with you 300%, fancypants.
6. By laz. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @11:37am:

   I hate the word unprecedented. Sadly, I've never seen it listed as a cliche, but a google news search just brought back 13,000 results for it. It turns out a lot of new things have no precedent. Who would have thought?
7. By the real Richard. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @12:53pm:

   My word that bugs me is uncontested. Used in the context of a boxer. If 'so and so' is the uncontested heavy-weight champion of the world, why does he still fight? Definition: not disputed and not made the object of contention or competition
8. By fancypants. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @02:25pm:

   I also hate when people use the word apropos when they mean to use the word appropriate. And I detest when they use the word ironic when they mean to use the word coincidental.
9. By Satan. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @04:04pm:

   My favorite is a description of something, followed by a declaration that it's indescribable.
   
   "...the hills turned a brown which was not brown but a gold and saffron and red — an indescribable color."
10. By . Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @04:54pm:

    I am literally exasperated by people who invest such time and effort in so trivial a topic of concern. They figuratively have way too much time on their hands, and virtually waste all of it.
11. By . Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @05:21pm:

    Lighten up YetAnotherDave. That site is a perfect example of what makes the Web so much fun.
    
    Frankly, I'm exasperated by people who tell others that they have too much time on their hands. 90% of the time, they're just jealous. BTW, this blog is entirely the effort of someone who has too much time on his hands.
12. By fancypants. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @07:42pm:

    Wow, J-Walk, I was just going to say that...that is so ironic. I thought it was very apropos that you told YetAnotherDave that this site was perfect for that sort of discussion.
    Damn, I've heard Oprah use those words that way so many times....
    (not that I watch oprah all that much...really)
13. By Jordan. Comment posted 14-Nov-2005 @09:41pm:

    fancypants nailed it
    
    I could not agree more with the use of ironic. It is over/misused by so many people. I especially can't stand that Alanis Morrisette song, very few items (if any) that she lists in that dumb song constitute irony.
    
    another gripe I have is irregardless.
    
    From dictionary.com: Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing. Coined in the United States in the early 20th century, it has met with a blizzard of condemnation for being an improper yoking of irrespective and regardless and for the logical absurdity of combining the negative ir- prefix and -less suffix in a single term. Although one might reasonably argue that it is no different from words with redundant affixes like debone and unravel, it has been considered a blunder for decades and will probably continue to be so.
14. By mercurior. Comment posted 15-Nov-2005 @03:07am:

    as the country that originated the english language, i have to say it has to be americans who get so het up over words, words change over time, then of course theres the local variations of language.
    
    i even have been told off for using the wrong verbs, i mean its silly i am using the right words in relationship to my region, in the correct form, and yet i am told by know it alls i am wrong, that i should be speaking received pronunciation, and how coz is a net speak work, when it was first used in 1870, a few years before computers. Language changes over time, the word gay, used to mean happy, now it means homosexual. thats a change so is that site right about making everyone speak the same, becoming a homogenised mess, with no time for regional ways of speak..
15. By . Comment posted 15-Nov-2005 @12:17pm:

    the use/misuse of 'hopefully' fries my chaps
16. By . Comment posted 15-Nov-2005 @01:24pm:

    For pity's sake, mercurior, find the shift key and the apostrophe on your keyboard and use them.
    
    You make good points, but I doubt that my eyes are the only ones that cross while trying to sort through that mess.
17. By . Comment posted 15-Nov-2005 @02:19pm:

    I agree with Mary, except that I didn't detect any good points because it's not worth trying to decipher that childish typing.

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