Job Discussion Forums

[senor boogie woogie]

Hola!

The following terminology drives me crazy.

1.) Using verbs as nouns. This is a new concept. For example, calling a winter blanket a "throw" or a flour tortilla with food inside rolled up a "wrap".

2.) Words that people make smaller by speaking. "Veggies" for vegetables. Many years ago, I worked in a hotel where registration cards were called "REG CARDS". "Carb" for carbohydrates.

3.) People in a trade who use their own jargon than use the simple common words.

4.) Calling the United States, "The States".

5.) "Hanging out", such as "Hey, we need to hang out sometime". My mind reels me and the person dangling on the end of a rope talking about the weather.

6.) Computer jargon (see three). Especially the words BLOG and BLOGGER. I think BLOG sounds like vomit, " I drank too much last night and blogged on my shoes". SPAM mail.

7.) Queue. The word is called line.

8.) Spelling words like neighbor, color and flavor with a u after the o. Spelling "center, "centre".

9.) "Tongue in cheek".

10.) Writers who use the word "well" like this, "China is....well....cold." It's as if the writer is apologizing to its reader.

11.) Internet acronyms such as LOL, AFAIK, IANAL, WAG, plus many others in the same vain. I like to read message boards and it is annoying to see a new one of these, and I have to either ask the person what the hell it means or have to waste my time researching the meaning myself.

12.) Lusicious.

13.) "Maths" instead of Mathmatics. Maths is incorrect because Math is an uncountable noun.

14.) THE PROHIBITION IN WRITING IN ALL CAPS. I have never understood why people dislike this. Some tell me it's because I am yelling. Yelling?

senor

[Guy Courchesne]

I'm sure you'll get a number of complaints from the Brits cruising the forum on maths and queue.

I note rather dryly that such phenoms in English are what keep us employed abroad! Thats...well...my take on it.

and that's a wrap..cut!

[Roger]

No, he won't get flak for his inconsiderate opinionatedness; just a friendly bit of advice: practise (with an 'S') the tolerance you yank demand from others for your own parochial English.

[Guy Courchesne]

Why, the wonderful flavoUrs of English do allow use to organiSe and practiSe different things for lessons (but not in maths) every day. Such a coloUrful, neighboUrly sort you are, Left-tenant Roger.

All in jolly good fun.

[Glenski]

senor,

You have a right to your opinion and feelings, but may I just say that most of what you object to is commonly used? Don't like it? Not much you can do unless you have a time machine. Try to let more important matters come to the forefront and tackle them instead.

[Will.]

Hi Bogie Woogie,

How do you write 4 in Usanian? or lout, dour, pour, flour ...you have spelt that one right!
Court, courtesy, aloud,

Proud, flounder foundering around...

I am sure all these words wold be better off without 'U'

[valley_girl]

[valley_girl]

[spiral78]

Ok, at the risk of getting flamed, I'll bite.
I agree with senor, the abbreviated versions sound ugly to me.
'Ave' instead of avenue, for example.
And the flat 'a' of that group of Canadians who can't say 'ah' as in drama. Ungrammatical reductions "Whaddaya got?" and "Didja eat yet?"
And, EH?!
All this local weirdness provides for one or two fun lessons for immigrants.

Maybe if it's your native lingo, it sounds acceptable to you.....but as an ESL teacher from Elsewhere just serving a bit of time here before returning Elsewhere, I can't get over noticing it. And, yeah, it annoys me. It's clearly MY problem, though - I'm just a sojourner here, and I don't basically have any right to be critical.

[basiltherat]

......

[basiltherat]

when Elizabeth is referred to as the Queeen of England.

Yes ... and a lot more.

basil

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[Gordon]

Senor,
Have you been drinking again? I thought you promised us you were quitting? Oh well.
ColoUrful post as always.

[dyak]

[lagerlout2006]

1 3 and 4.

1) Do people ever say "a throw?" It's always a throw blanket. And is wrap in "that's a wrap" a noun or a verb? (IN movie usage,)

3) Why would you or anyone find "the states" objectionable? Surely we can all get along on this one?

4) OK this should be 5. WTF is wrong with "hanging out?"



Speculating here ---but the Senor just might be drinking the blue wine---ahh he did post this on Super Sunday. (XXXIX) Why don't you add Roman numerals to the list?