Pet Dislikes In The Use Of English In Forums

[daveh]

I developed a pet peeve in Thailand from hearing the use of "either" to mean "both". I'm not sure if it is technically incorrect, but I have never recalled hearing it so much as I did while I was in Thailand.

[johna]

"I don't give a dam_n for a man that can only spell a word one way."

Mark Twain.

"I have nothing but contempt for anyone who can spell a word only one way."

attributed to, Thomas Jefferson.

Don’t sweat the small stuff, and its all small stuff

[Syl]

Reminds me of older people that say " whin eye waz at shcoll, I waz dialectic, and the teechters caled me fick"

[eek]

All these written faux pas, however, pale into insignificance when compared with the spoken evil that spews forth from the mouths of some of the UK's less polished council estate dwellers. "Borrow us a tenner, will yoh?", translating as "be kind enough to lend me ten pounds will you please kind sir?". Urgghh!

The area in Scotland where I grew up the word "How?" (or "How come?") was often used instead of "Why?". Used to drive me potty.

eg:

Me: "Sorry, I won't be able to go after all"

Friend: "How?"

??????????

[PhilHarries]

Errors like the use of loose instead of lose or there instead of their mildly irritate me but nowhere near as much as the use of textish. Okay for those short messages from the mobile phone but is just plain stupid or lazy when the poster has a full keyboard available.

[scottyd]

The area in Scotland where I grew up the word "How?" (or "How come?") was often used instead of "Why?". Used to drive me potty.

eg:

Me: "Sorry, I won't be able to go after all"

Friend: "How?"

??????????

This is also used where I live, I use it too. Infact I completley butcher the English language when I talk. The thing is, I don't really have many problems with bad English, as long as I can understand, it's all good.

[GungaDin]

There Their They're......4, Fore, Four, For me the worst Internet spellers are the Aussie's.

Sorry about the stu, stu, stutter.

Syl.

Proof please!

[Mr Jones]

alot drives me up the wall

A LOT is the correct English

[junkofdavid2]

most arrogant are those english native speakers who aren't able to communicate in any language other than their mother tongue.

I've noticed the misuse of "lose" and "loose" a lot too, although it hasn't bothered me. Find it kinda funny.

Regarding Siam's comment above... I think that also a lot of the ones who are also bothered by grammatical mistakes are in fact non-native speakers who learned "prim and proper" English from an old lady professor with thick spectacles.

[Moonrakers]

What annoys me is when people spell a certain word as: <deleted>. Pure laziness.

[Old Croc]

And who the hel_l spells hel_l like this? hel_l

[scottyd]

Is hel_l a bad word? I would not say it was as bad as cun_t, fuc_k, <deleted> or shit,. I wonder if the forum will change these when I click Add Reply.

[Moonrakers]

the next thing we know, people will be spelling: heav_en.

[PoorSucker]

My pets cannot spell at all.

When thinking about it, their spoken English is also limited to "Me owe"

[loong]

My pets cannot spell at all.

When thinking about it, their spoken English is also limited to "Me owe"

That's why so many cats starve to death in Thailand.. Ask them if they want food - they say "Mai ow"

[PoorSucker]

My pets cannot spell at all.

When thinking about it, their spoken English is also limited to "Me owe"

That's why so many cats starve to death in Thailand.. Ask them if they want food - they say "Mai ow"

And when I come home drunk they all cry. "Maoo maoo"

[DC1066]

Lose/loose is the most common here.

I would of thought that "your" and "you're" was the most common.

There are a couple of posters who don't know when not to use the word "an". I even went to the trouble to educate one of them and he nearly banned me. Won't bother any more.

most arrogant are those English native speakers who aren't able to communicate in any language other than their mother tongue.

Your post corrected.

I was waiting for this one. It's by far the most common.

There, their and they're is not far behind.

In Thai, the one I really don't get is:

New wood doesn't burn, does it?

How could one possibly get this wrong?

[jayjayjayjay]

let not worry, you worry man.

[PeaceBlondie]

My pet was so spicy we could not bring him to the new mooban, where some Thais eat dogs.

[bannork]

My pets cannot spell at all.

When thinking about it, their spoken English is also limited to "Me owe"

That's why so many cats starve to death in Thailand.. Ask them if they want food - they say "Mai ow"

And when I come home drunk they all cry. "Maoo maoo"

Our ducks are so contrary, the wife releases them in the morning from their pen, they waddle down to the pond and in just a few minutes, they bawling to go back- กลับ กลับ กลับ glap glap glap quack quack quack....

[colibra]

Get over it.

[dominique355]

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig?

You should see me reading Thai ... letter by letter, back and forth and back again.

[fred2007]

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig?

... I acutaly unedrstood the enitr paragarph

mi toe so what is your probs? how many languages do you speak ? one ?

Thai visa is not just for english speaking people it is for many other countries as well. Next time I post some thing I can post it in German,Dutch or what's so ever, you would not be able to read it and it also againts forum rules. Get a life.

[Slip]

Thai visa is not just for english speaking people it is for many other countries as well. Next time I post some thing I can post it in German,Dutch or what's so ever, you would not be able to read it and it also againts forum rules. Get a life.

Um, so Thai Visa is actually only for English speaking people then...

[fred2007]

most arrogant are those english native speakers who aren't able to communicate in any language other than their mother tongue.

well said

[neverdie]

Thai visa is not just for english speaking people it is for many other countries as well. Next time I post some thing I can post it in German,Dutch or what's so ever, you would not be able to read it and it also againts forum rules. Get a life.

Um, so Thai Visa is actually only for English speaking people then...

[Eff1n2ret]

Such rants as the OP are really a variation of the snobbery described in George Bernard Shaw's aphorism nearly 100 years ago that it is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.

It is generally accepted that English is developing and changing all the time, and doubtless what is regarded as correct spelling and grammar now were established by common usage and mistakes in former times. Schools should (in my opinion) teach a standard of English, but once beyond that stage, we can only set our own standard and accept that others have a different one.

I heard Stephen Fry saying on the telly the other evening that standard English throughout the world will eventually be based on Chinese pronounciation and phrases.

[Gravelrash]

After using the internet for many years now, I have noticed one common error that crops up in thousands of posts in English forums (fora) everywhere. That is the use of the word 'lose.' The number of people who use the word loose (= not tight) instead of lose drives me nuts every time I see it. The phrase 'I am loosing it' used instead of I am losing it is enough to push my blood pressure up. It is not simply a case of being anally retentive as I use US, with its more relaxed usage, or British English depending on which forum I am responding to, however, it seems that there are so many 'English teachers' in thaivisa you would think someone would have pointed this out before!

Does anyone else have any pet hates regarding common errors in English that crop up frequently here? Is this really something we should be careful of, in the case of native speakers, because the Thai members are obviously going to believe that we don't even know our native language?

I would expect many that post do so with English not as their first language, as such you should be very tolerant of the odd mistake. What I find amusing is those attacking others over their spelling with a post wading in shocking grammatical errors. They certainly have no excuse.

[Scalawag]

I used to have what I considered to be excellent english. After years on the internet now I find myself questioning how to spell and use the correct grammar. Worst of all, and this will really raise your blood pressure OP, I'm a qualified english teacher! Fortunately I do not and have never taught formally.

[/quo

English and Internet are always capitalized!

[Kan Win]

I used to have what I considered to be excellent english. After years on the internet now I find myself questioning how to spell and use the correct grammar. Worst of all, and this will really raise your blood pressure OP, I'm a qualified english teacher! Fortunately I do not and have never taught formally.

English and Internet are always capitalized!

Yes, very sad really "Scalawag" in-it when you profess to teach us on capitalisming, one has to teach you on quote-tisuming

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quote

verb (past and past participle quot·ed, present participle quot·ing, 3rd person present singular quotes)

1. vti repeat somebody's exact words: to repeat or copy the exact words spoken or written by somebody

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Eggsample is in this post, above. Close your quotes please, so that we Kan read them properly, thank you.

I see now we have three "woof"'s in the pack "Avatar's that is. on this thread

Yours truly,

Kan Win