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naturalplastic
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14 Sep 2020, 3:25 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
That’s in the U.K. “Train station” is not incorrect; it’s colloquial.

In the US, it would be called a railroad station or a train station—or maybe a depot.


Yes. In fact in Brits call the tracks next to the train station "the railway", and Americans call it "the railroad".

But either word would be understood in either country. So that dont bother me none.

But yeah...as with the OP some misused words can really grate on me.

A certain Brit on WP here talked at length about some experimental therapeutic program in Britain for autistics or something. But the program had some flaw so it didnt work. So he concluded that the "program was useless". Except he didnt say "useless" he said "the program is redundant". It wasnt "redundant". If the program in question was perfectly good and functioning, but... another program had already existed and was already in place that was just as good- THEN - it would be "redundant"( a repeated version of something already in place). But that was not the case- no prexisting program existed, and the program in question was not perfect, and did not work. So it was not "redundant". A flat tire is useless. An intact spare tire is "redundant" (but redundant on purpose as a back up for the other tires). The two words dont mean the same thing. And person could figure that out easily from how "redundant" is spelled. Its starts with the suffix "re" which means "again".

However from what I gather the word "redundant" is commonly used in Britain as euphemism to soften the blow of loosing your job. If either foreign cheap labor, or robots, take your job, then the powers that be tell you that "we are sorry, but you have just been rendered redundant" because thats not as nasty and personally insulting sounding as "you are useless". But apparently many Brits have forgotten what "redundant" originally meant and now conflate it with "useless". :lol:



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14 Sep 2020, 3:27 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
Semantics is funny :jester:

I seriously agree.


For me, it was so hilarious to hear and read about it...
... So damn hilarious... That if 'semantics' had a neck, I'd strangle it.


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14 Sep 2020, 5:32 pm

I get offended when people say "stop moaning" to me when I'm just verbally expressing my feelings. But it does depend on the context it is used.

I dislike people going "sshh". It's just cringing, even if I hear people say it in movies.

I don't like the word "adult", but again this is based on the context it is used. Also I dislike it when people give age-related criticisms, like saying that a phobia or anxiety of mine is childish.


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17 Sep 2020, 4:20 am

Bumping this up: because "soap opera" to describe such shows is seemingly seen as wrong by some of the more conservative, church-going, fundie religious types, I call them (both for the ones still on now, and those in the past) "daily serials," because that's what they basically are (they are continuing serials, and they are on daily).



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17 Sep 2020, 9:21 am

Precision of language

Euphemism change with time

Actions speak louder than words

Communication euphemism for noise pollution

20/20 hearing

Too many of them, talk too much. And too enthusiastic

About the most mundane things

Headache

"Girl" for woman

"Huh" and "what" instead of "excuse me"

"Can you" like, just because you can, you have to. (How about:. Can you please go commit suicide? You can do anything you set your mind to)

The only socially acceptable answers to "how are you doing?":. "good" and "fine". But bell curve. There are five emotions and happy is just one of them



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17 Sep 2020, 10:50 am

Why do we drive on a parkway and park on an driveway?



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17 Sep 2020, 10:59 am

"Woke"

Woke subculture functions as a rigid and self-righteous secular-fundamentalist religion where you will be instantly excommunicated for stating heretical facts or ideas.  A great many young "Woke" people may as well present themselves as a bunch of uptight, rigid, self-righteous church ladies in drag, selling "I'm Woke" tee-shirts and pontificating on exaggerations of valid past and present abuses of various groups.

Being "Woke" has become a set of blinders, a template that encourages projection of one's own prejudices and self-hatred onto other groups while denying the atrocities committed by one's own group -- which is exactly what white supremacists do ... so are they woke too?


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17 Sep 2020, 1:27 pm

Fnord wrote:
"Woke"

Woke subculture functions as a rigid and self-righteous secular-fundamentalist religion where you will be instantly excommunicated for stating heretical facts or ideas.  A great many young "Woke" people may as well present themselves as a bunch of uptight, rigid, self-righteous church ladies in drag, selling "I'm Woke" tee-shirts and pontificating on exaggerations of valid past and present abuses of various groups.

Being "Woke" has become a set of blinders, a template that encourages projection of one's own prejudices and self-hatred onto other groups while denying the atrocities committed by one's own group -- which is exactly what white supremacists do ... so are they woke too?


Is your problem with the term, or with people becoming fanatical about the concept? Besides, I figured you'd sympathize more with those who are gadflies for pointing out where society can do better, even if you disagree with the specific criticism being raised.


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17 Sep 2020, 9:08 pm

I hate it when people say "unthaw" when they mean "thaw." If you unthawed something that would mean re-freezing it.

"Bring" when they mean "take." That can give rise to confusion.

"Hard-working," especially "hard-working families," also any reference to working hard. It's mostly an ideological thing. For me, hard work is a necessary evil, not a badge of honour. When I hear the term I get the feeling that somebody is trying to appeal to my emotions instead of my sense of reason in order to persuade me of something, and I see that as an attempt to cheat.

"Passionate," usually followed by "about." It's just over-used, and it seems like it's designed to get me all excited, and it doesn't, it just makes me wish people would use more original language. If you want to get me excited, give me something I want instead of using silly buzz words on me.

"Rolling out." Most of the things that are described as being rolled out aren't round or on wheels.

"Print off." No! It's enough to say you've printed something, there's no need for the "off" bit. I should be just as averse to "print out" but somehow that one doesn't grate on my nerves as much.

"So....." when added without just cause to the beginning of a sentence. It's pointless.

"Very delicious." "Delicious" is enough on its own, there's no need for the "very," it adds nothing to the meaning.

"Let me begin by saying......" that's just wasting my time. Why not just say it?



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18 Sep 2020, 7:04 am

When people say ''half a dozen''. Ain't it quicker to just say ''six''?
(By the way I am aware of the social meaning behind this but I can't explain it in words).


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18 Sep 2020, 7:07 am

when people refer to a water heater as a "hot water heater". if it's hot water, why does it need heating? :?



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18 Sep 2020, 9:47 am

"Rest room." They mean the toilet. I'm not saying nobody ever took a rest in there, but it's not supposed to be its primary purpose, not by a long chalk. Even toilet is pretty inaccurate, but hand-washing is more usual than resting, so it's not quite so bad. I also strongly dislike "loo," but I don't know why.

"Obtain." What's wrong with "get?"



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18 Sep 2020, 10:03 am

funeralxempire wrote:
Fnord wrote:
"Woke" -- Woke subculture functions as a rigid and self-righteous secular-fundamentalist religion where you will be instantly excommunicated for stating heretical facts or ideas.  A great many young "Woke" people may as well present themselves as a bunch of uptight, rigid, self-righteous church ladies in drag, selling "I'm Woke" tee-shirts and pontificating on exaggerations of valid past and present abuses of various groups.  Being "Woke" has become a set of blinders, a template that encourages projection of one's own prejudices and self-hatred onto other groups while denying the atrocities committed by one's own group -- which is exactly what white supremacists do ... so are they woke too?
Is your problem with the term, or with people becoming fanatical about the concept? Besides, I figured you'd sympathize more with those who are gadflies for pointing out where society can do better, even if you disagree with the specific criticism being raised.
My problem with the term "Woke" and it's culture is that "Woke" people seem to be just as "Asleep" as the people they tend to demonize -- conservative wealthy white men -- when they're metaphorically both "Asleep" on opposite sides of the same bed.  To say, "I Am Woke" is a form of virtue signalling as well as an unconscious admission of hypocrisy.


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18 Sep 2020, 3:09 pm

Fnord wrote:
funeralxempire wrote:
Fnord wrote:
"Woke" -- Woke subculture functions as a rigid and self-righteous secular-fundamentalist religion where you will be instantly excommunicated for stating heretical facts or ideas.  A great many young "Woke" people may as well present themselves as a bunch of uptight, rigid, self-righteous church ladies in drag, selling "I'm Woke" tee-shirts and pontificating on exaggerations of valid past and present abuses of various groups.  Being "Woke" has become a set of blinders, a template that encourages projection of one's own prejudices and self-hatred onto other groups while denying the atrocities committed by one's own group -- which is exactly what white supremacists do ... so are they woke too?
Is your problem with the term, or with people becoming fanatical about the concept? Besides, I figured you'd sympathize more with those who are gadflies for pointing out where society can do better, even if you disagree with the specific criticism being raised.
My problem with the term "Woke" and it's culture is that "Woke" people seem to be just as "Asleep" as the people they tend to demonize -- conservative wealthy white men -- when they're metaphorically both "Asleep" on opposite sides of the same bed.  To say, "I Am Woke" is a form of virtue signalling as well as an unconscious admission of hypocrisy.



I agree with what I think you are saying. It seems that the word carries with it the implication that this particular set of concerns about issues of social injustice is "more important" than anyone else's set of concerns about social injustice. It seems to carry with it a sense of entitlement to attack or denounce anyone who doesn't prioritise their concerns about social injustices in the same way.



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19 Sep 2020, 3:31 am

kraftiekortie wrote:
That’s in the U.K. “Train station” is not incorrect; it’s colloquial.

In the US, it would be called a railroad station or a train station—or maybe a depot.


How is train station colloquial?

What are we meant to say more formally?

Railway station?


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19 Sep 2020, 3:55 am

KT67 wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
That’s in the U.K. “Train station” is not incorrect; it’s colloquial.

In the US, it would be called a railroad station or a train station—or maybe a depot.


How is train station colloquial?

What are we meant to say more formally?

Railway station?


Railway Station is the correct general term here in the UK and has been for the past 180+ years.