Read and learn

[BeckyJ]

And colour. Those British spellings feel like they give the words additional meaning.

"tyre" and "centre" are a couple of my favorites.

[MarketStEl]

"tyre" and "centre" are a couple of my favorites.

I note that locally, many of the city's legit theaters use the British spelling in their names:

Zellerbach Theatre and Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center (go figure)
Walnut Street Theatre
Suzanne Roberts Theatre of the Philadelphia Theatre Company
Forrest Theatre

So perhaps we should salute the truly American outfits:

Wilma Theater
Prince Music Theater
Merriam Theater

[phillyaggie]

okay, if we're talking about things that sound weird or that make your skin crawl, I've got a few examples:


"Preggers" or "bump" - in reference to a pregnant woman.

"disrespect" used as a verb and not its normal usage as a noun. One is shown disrespect, one is not disrespected (AFAIK).


"Git R Done."


The whole cottage industry within celeb media industry-sector dedicated to coming up with new words that are combination of two (or more?) words/names. I give you as example....

Brangelia
Bennifer
Octomom
Momtourage
Mantourage

Manlove (or man-love or just man love) when talking about some radio or tv sports analyst showering too much positive attention on an athlete

Orgasmic

Some others that are more likely creations of people being lazy online:

lemme = let me
prolly = probably (not two words but still)


And what's with several artists going with their stage names as "lil" so and so?

Lil Wayne
Lil Kim
Lil Romeo

Little Richard had a great career without having to go all "lil" on us.

[phillyaggie]

"Let me ax you a question"

[RussDiamond]

Manlove (or man-love or just man love) when talking about some radio or tv sports analyst showering too much positive attention on an athlete.

AKA "bromance"

[Oladybug]

Here are some examples of bad English that really stick in my craw:

The all-too-common misuse of the word literally to add emphasis; e.g., "I literally jumped out of my skin."

The overuse of the word basically, especially at the beginning of a sentence: "Well, basically, I..."

The improper use of the pronoun I, when it's me that should be used: "Between you and I..." or "They sent my friend and I..."

So, basically, between you and I, I literally jump out of my skin whenever I hear people speak this way!

[BeBe]

Here are some examples of bad English that really stick in my craw:

The all-too-common misuse of the word literally to add emphasis; e.g., "I literally jumped out of my skin."

The overuse of the word basically, especially at the beginning of a sentence: "Well, basically, I..."

The improper use of the pronoun I, when it's me that should be used: "Between you and I..." or "They sent my friend and I..."

So, basically, between you and I, I literally jump out of my skin whenever I hear people speak this way!

The misuse of you and I, her/him and me, and the fact that no one EVER seems to know when to use the word "myself" bothers me a lot.

Other things that bother me....what exactly IS a "craw," and why does something stick in it!?

[phillyaggie]

AKA "bromance"

ah, yes. The really "bromantic" analysts get on my nerves.

[Oladybug]

Other things that bother me....what exactly IS a "craw," and why does something stick in it!?

Good question.

Good ol' Google came up with:

stick in craw: - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Etymology: like something you cannot swallow, based on the literal meaning of craw (the throat of a bird)

[MuscleHead]

Irregardless

I once worked with a lady who would always say "Irregardless of what you think....".

[BeBe]

Good question.

Good ol' Google came up with:

stick in craw: - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Etymology: like something you cannot swallow, based on the literal meaning of craw (the throat of a bird)

I was being a bit sarcastic, what I really mean is why do we [still] say stuff like that rather than just verbalize it in one's own way...
Once in a while, it's fine, but people pepper entire conversations with sayings like that, so much so that I don't think they can come up with other ways of expressing themselves on their own!

"six of one, half a dozen of the other"
"caught between a rock and a hard place"
"a blessing in disguise"
"a piece of cake"
"a slap on the wrist"
"drop of a hat"
etc., etc....

And another thing that bugs me...It's "ET-ce-ter-a, but people most often say "EKcetera" or just "EK-ce-TRA."

Oh, and "interwebs"... Some people seem to actually use this term seriously and don't realize it's a JOKE word!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interweb
is a malapropism used satirically or to indicate inexperience by intentionally and incorrectly merging the terms 'Internet' and 'World Wide Web'. The joke is that many inexperienced users access content on the World Wide Web (or "Web") via the "Internet" without knowing what either is.

[Oladybug]

Irregardless

That's another one that makes me crazy!!

[RussDiamond]

Irregardless

Once upon a time I had a wife who used that word frequently. I loved her so much that I never uttered even a peep of protest. Now whenever I hear it, it reminds me that I'm a hopeless irromantic.

[BeBe]

Once upon a time I had a wife who used that word frequently. I loved her so much that I never uttered even a peep of protest. Now whenever I hear it, it reminds me that I'm a hopeless irromantic.

hahaha! I couldn't have married someone who used a term like that!

[Oladybug]

Once upon a time I had a wife who used that word frequently. I loved her so much that I never uttered even a peep of protest.

Very sweet of you. If only my ol' man were that considerate of my fragility.

Now whenever I hear it, it reminds me that I'm a hopeless irromantic.

Ah, and clever too!

[phillyaggie]

People abusing the terms "literally" and "virtually." Now, it has come to a point where "literally" and "virtually" are often on par and may be used interchangeably.

It used to be that "literally" meant that you are saying something without exaggeration... now, it is used (abused?) whenever someone wants to make a stronger point... "The Blue Route literally became a parking lot!", when in fact it didn't really turn into a parking lot in the usual sense of the term "parking lot".

Am I making too much out of this? Do I literally/virtually have the panties in a wad?! :P
Perhaps the Wekster or Ms. Jones can set me straight on this issue.

[Illiniwek]

People abusing the terms "literally" and "virtually." Now, it has come to a point where "literally" and "virtually" are often on par and may be used interchangeably.

It used to be that "literally" meant that you are saying something without exaggeration... now, it is used (abused?) whenever someone wants to make a stronger point... "The Blue Route literally became a parking lot!", when in fact it didn't really turn into a parking lot in the usual sense of the term "parking lot".

Am I making too much out of this? Do I literally/virtually have the panties in a wad?! :P
Perhaps the Wekster or Ms. Jones can set me straight on this issue.

The correct word in place of a misused "literally" is generally not "virtually"; it's
"figuratively."

[Jayfar]

I note that locally, many of the city's legit theaters use the British spelling in their names:

Zellerbach Theatre and Harold Prince Theatre, Annenberg Center (go figure)
Walnut Street Theatre
Suzanne Roberts Theatre of the Philadelphia Theatre Company
Forrest Theatre

So perhaps we should salute the truly American outfits:

Wilma Theater
Prince Music Theater
Merriam Theater

My understanding is that properly theater should be used to refer to the physical edifice in which the business of theatre takes place. In common usage, however, the two have become interchangeable.

But there are also other opinions:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...versus+theater

[niel]

"six of one, half a dozen of the other"

When I was a kid I thought this expression was "six of one half...a dozen of the other" and it made no sense to me, for obvious reasons. It all depends on where the stress is placed when you say it.

My favorite pet peeve about poorly written public language (i.e. signs, etc.) is the use of quotation marks to indicate emphasis, e.g.:

This parking lot is a "secure" facility

Maybe that's not the best example, but I see a lot of signs where pretty clearly the quotes are meant to act in the same way italics or boldface would - to emphasize the point being made. Of course, they have ironically the exact opposite effect, undercutting the meaning of what's been printed. I wouldn't park my car in a "secure" facility.

[niel]

And wouldn't you know it, someone else has already created a website devoted to just this phenomenon:

Gallery of ''Misused'' Quotation Marks