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MECKWELL
Joined: 17 Oct 2007
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 Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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Whilst in Korea, I've come across many abuses regarding the proper use of the English language. This is especially troubling because the people who commit these errors are usually both college graduates and teachers of the English language. Here is my list; I hope that you can add to it:
1. Irregardless - Not a word
2. Brang - Not a word
3. Heighth - Not a word
4. Intensive Purposes - As in 'for all intensive purposes'
5. Irony - Often used for something coincidental or humorous
6. Nonplussed - Often used contrary to its meaning
7. Like - Often used to give an example instead of 'such as'
8. Forte - As in a personal strength. Commonly pronounced
'for-tay' but the correct pronunciation is 'fort'. Most
modern dictionaries accept either pronunciation,
though.
9. Peruse - Often used contrary to its meaning
Last edited by MECKWELL on Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:57 pm Post subject: Re: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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| MECKWELL wrote: |
2. Brang - Not a word
3. Heighth - Not a word
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I have never seen either of these. |
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DrunkenMaster
Joined: 04 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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Here, here!
It's just rediculous. |
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superdave
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: over there ----->
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject: Re: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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| MECKWELL wrote: |
| 1. Irregardless - Not a word |
while technically not a word, it has been in common usage since the 1930s ... if we use it, why can't koreans??
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Irregardless |
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thatwhitegirl
Joined: 31 Jan 2007
Location: ROK
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: Re: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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| MECKWELL wrote: |
4. Intensive Purposes - As in 'for all intensive purposes' |
I thought is was "to all intents and purposes" |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Supposingly.
Misfortunate. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject: Re: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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| thatwhitegirl wrote: |
| MECKWELL wrote: |
4. Intensive Purposes - As in 'for all intensive purposes' |
I thought is was "to all intents and purposes" |
It is, that's what he's saying. |
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fruitcake
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Location: shinchon
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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"Actually"
"especially"
"more better" |
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RyanInKorea
Joined: 17 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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The negative side effect of mass literacy is the dumbing down of the language. Honestly, do you care that people throw down double negatives like 'irregardless'? It sounds pretty intelligent when spoken aloud.  |
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superdave
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: over there ----->
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| xtchr wrote: |
| Misfortunate. |
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Misfortunate
although it should be unfortunate and misfortune, i think that misfortunate has slipped into common lexicon. i've heard it used by westerners, so i think it's harsh to be critical of koreans for using it too.
i think people forget that we make language up all the time. and we suck at following our own rules ... like i just did by starting a sentence with 'and'.
if it makes sense and i can understand it, but isn't perfect grammar, i don't see a problem. |
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Davew125
Joined: 11 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| pacific - specific |
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RyanInKorea
Joined: 17 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: Re: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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Did you even read the page you just linked?
Ryan |
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superdave
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: over there ----->
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:57 pm Post subject: Re: Infuriating word/usage errors |
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| RyanInKorea wrote: |
Did you even read the page you just linked?
Ryan |
yes, i did ... that was the point at which i said it's technically not a word, but has been in common usage ...
| Quote: |
irregardless
an erroneous word that, etymologically, means the exact opposite of what it is used to express, attested in non-standard writing from 1912, probably a blend of irrespective and regardless. Perhaps inspired by the double negative used as an emphatic. |
so it is used, and for nearly 100 years, which is longer than i first stated.
i never said it was a word ... i merely said it was frequently used. |
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Css
Joined: 27 Sep 2004
Location: South of the river
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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I cant stand irregardless....
Id never heard misfortunate...people seriously use that?
Koreans using these words is less of an issue for me...but western english teachers using them...oy vey..
my pet peeve....
'could care less'...it drives me up the freakin wall |
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IncognitoHFX
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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I hate when people say "brang". It happens more at home then it does here though. When people say, "I brang it!" I want to shoot them in the face.
I also hate how rap music lingo makes it's way into common speech. Everyone back home was yelling "holla at ya girl!" from a block away while making cell phone gestures when I was about to leave for Korea. That drove me nuts. The old company I worked for, a cellular service provider in the US, was adopting a script for one of it's other distributors requiring phone operators to say things like "aight, dog" and "let me AXE you a question" in order for certain types of Americans to understand them. Now ghetto-speak is making it's way into common discourse. Especially back home.
It's annoying, as it derived from two things I hate: stupid Americans who live in slums and never wish to leave said slums and popular rap music which is equally as stupid (yes, I think all rap music is stupid, even the supposedly "sacred" stuff like "Tupac").
Last edited by IncognitoHFX on Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:27 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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