Lose vs Loose

[61653 HTAFC]

The one that gets me is quite and quiet, as in, everyone in the house was quite, while we waited to surprise the birthday boy etc

That's probably an autocorrect more often than not, a bit like another one that comes up a lot on these fora:
Compliant and Complaint.

 

[Mag_seven]

That's probably an autocorrect more often than not, a bit like another one that comes up a lot on these fora:
Compliant and Complaint.

Another one is Definitely and Defiantly.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Another one is Definitely and Defiantly.

Off topic, but does anyone know where 50049 "Definiteness" is at the moment?

 

[Darandio]

Another one is Definitely and Defiantly.

Agreed. Add Brought and Bought to the list as well.

I've just brought a train ticket for £100, I hope I don't loose it.

 

[scotrail158713]

I actually edited my post within a minute to remove all mention of what you responded to!

It was only after posting that I noticed your username, which suggested that you might be in Scotland. And thus with a completely different curriculum to teach, it would not be fair to make a comparison. Apologies for any offence caused.

No bother. No offence caused at all.

 

[Mag_seven]

Agreed. Add Brought and Bought to the list as well.

Complimentary and Complementary is another confusion:

There were no first class complementary items available.

 

[transmanche]

To bring a vaguely railway-related flavour to the discussion, I'll add my bugbear. Referring to passengers in the third person and using overly-complex language in an attempt to sound 'formal'.

This sort of thing:

• "Passengers are requested to use the litter bins provided."
• "Passengers are reminded that smoking is prohibited at all stations and on all train services."
• "Customers are reminded to mind the gap between the train and the platform edge when boarding."
• "Customers are advised that closed-circuit television, and remote video monitoring is in use at this station for your personal safety and security.''

which could be improved/simplified to:

• "Please put your litter in a bin."
• "Please do not smoke or vape at stations or on-board trains."
• "Mind the gap between the train and the platform edge."
• "CCTV is in use at this station for your safety and security.''

 

[Merle Haggard]

To bring a vaguely railway-related flavour to the discussion, I'll add my bugbear. Referring to passengers in the third person and using overly-complex language in an attempt to sound 'formal'.

This sort of thing:

• "Passengers are requested to use the litter bins provided."
• "Passengers are reminded that smoking is prohibited at all stations and on all train services."
• "Customers are reminded to mind the gap between the train and the platform edge when boarding."
• "Customers are advised that closed-circuit television, and remote video monitoring is in use at this station for your personal safety and security.''

which could be improved/simplified to:

• "Please put your litter in a bin."
• "Please do not smoke or vape at stations or on-board trains."
• "Mind the gap between the train and the platform edge."
• "CCTV is in use at this station for your safety and security.''

Sort of related.
Some years ago, London Underground was (presumably) told to treat their passengers as their customers.
It, sadly, did not change their attitude to passengers but the word 'passenger' was replaced by 'customer'.

So, waiting at Paddington on my way home from work I was told to 'let the customers off first'.
I knew most of my customers by sight. I never saw any of them get off.

Pedantically, if none of my customers wanted to get off, did the announcement mean I could barge on in front of passengers waiting to get off?

 

[alxndr]

Complimentary and Complementary is another confusion:

There were no first class complementary items available.

You might pay your compliments to the TOC on how well the complimentary items complement the first class experience.

 

[DarloRich]

Another one is Definitely and Defiantly.

that is one on the struggle list

Agreed. Add Brought and Bought to the list as well.

But this one isnt! madness

 

[SteveP29]

The one that gets me is quite and quiet, as in, everyone in the house was quite, while we waited to surprise the birthday boy etc

Thought of another that really gets on my t*ts- Are, as in, this is are country.
I know that's being used in the context of how the word our is being said in speech, but by the same token, with the H being somewhat silent, we don't say 'there are 24 ares in a day' At least not in the North East of England, we'd say 'there are 24 owers in a day' (italics for emphasis)

I kind of get this error to be fair. If you take a break you stop what you're doing and if you brake in a car you come to a stop as well. Very similar in my humble opinion

The word brake though, is specific to slowing down of a vehicle or mode of transport, I can't think of any situation where that word is used for any other situation other than transportation (I stand to be corrected of course, and fully expect a few examples to prove me wrong )

Many language-precise folk are infuriated by the frequent messing-up of its / it's, as in "in the bitter winter of **/**, the state railway undertaking had difficulty keeping it's steam loco fleet in coal": should be "its". I personally have no trouble keeping this one straight -- "its" = "of it"; "it's" = contraction of "it is" -- but I think I can empathise with those for whom it's a problem -- "apostrophe-s is supposed to signify 'belonging to' -- only here, the apostrophe-s one doesn't , and the one without the apostrophe does -- what the **&%£**^* ?!" I've known people a lot sharper than me about many things, but who had a blind spot over "its / it's"

'Apostrophe Protection Society disbands because 'ignorance and laziness has won'
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...iety-john-richards-grammar-lazy-a9229106.html

I was actually talking with him about this the other day and he said a lot of kids genuinely couldn’t tell you, at 12 years old, what a noun and verb are.

I didn't then (at school) and still don't know what they are, one is a naming word, another a doing word, the rest, I haven't a clue what they relate to within a sentence.

I disagree - just because we can understand what a sentence means doesn't mean that we should dispel with correct grammar and spelling.

Agreed, and with reference to the quote before yours, you also don't need a degree in English Language to be right grammatically 99% of the time.

Would I be correct in thinking that the teaching of English in England was split in two - literature and grammar?

Yes, I was taught English in 2 separate subjects, by the same teacher, Literature and Language, Literature is pretty self explanatory, Language was all the other parts like Grammar, Comprehension etc

 

[SteveP29]

Another one is Definitely and Defiantly.

Oh god aye, I forgot that one too, a right p*ss boiler

 

[DaleCooper]

The word brake though, is specific to slowing down of a vehicle or mode of transport, I can't think of any situation where that word is used for any other situation other than transportation (I stand to be corrected of course, and fully expect a few examples to prove me wrong )

Google "brake definition" and you'll be surprised how many different meanings there are (at least six), I was.

 

[BanburyBlue]

To be honest, I get more concerned with people who write a large paragraph of text, and don't put in any punctuation.

There are lots of words people get wrong. My current bug bear is premise, as in "we need to get that to the customer premise". No, "you need to get that to the customer premises".

 

[70014IronDuke]

I've just spotted another one that really irks me in a recent post on this forum - "of" instead of "have" as in "I should have...".

You should of what, exactly?

I do agree with you that it's annoying. But in truth, these postings on these forae are exemplary when compared to a football forum (at least the one I view fairly regularly).

 

[swt_passenger]

To be honest, I get more concerned with people who write a large paragraph of text, and don't put in any punctuation.

There are lots of words people get wrong. My current bug bear is premise, as in "we need to get that to the customer premise". No, "you need to get that to the customer premises".

I saw a post a few minutes ago with no spaces wherever there was punctuation,like this,and wondered if that is something people do intentionally?

 

[DaleCooper]

I do agree with you that it's annoying. But in truth, these postings on these forae are exemplary when compared to a football forum (at least the one I view fairly regularly).

Football forum, nuff sed.

Incidentally, have you just invented a new word "forae"?

I saw a post a few minutes ago with no spaces wherever there was punctuation,like this,and wondered if that is something people do intentionally?

Sometimes it's a space where one isn't required, typically before a question mark, e.g. "Have you seen an example ?".

 

[Calthrop]

I saw a post a few minutes ago with no spaces wherever there was punctuation,like this,and wondered if that is something people do intentionally?

Sometimes it's a space where one isn't required, typically before a question mark, e.g. "Have you seen an example ?".

I choose to leave a space before typing an exclamation mark (with this punctuation mark, only). I acknowledge "with head" that "no space before exclamation mark" -- thus, "Poppycock!" -- is correct procedure; but when I type thus, to me it feels wonky and wrong: hence my personal idiosyncracy of leaving space before ! -- technically incorrect, I know.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

"Mind the gap between the train and the platform edge."

Fixed that one for you: the word "edge" is unnecessary because the train/platform interface is always going to involve the edge of the platform rather than the middle of it... if the middle is involved then the gap is the least of your problems! It's particularly unnecessary if it won't all fit on one line on your PIS screens, Northern!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There are lots of words people get wrong. My current bug bear is premise, as in "we need to get that to the customer premise". No, "you need to get that to the customer premises".

It isn't just me then!

A similar one is "goods" as in a goods train: referring to an individual item of cargo on said train as "a good"... come to think of it, that might be technically correct but it sounds ridiculous whenever I hear it!

 

[Calthrop]

A similar one is "goods" as in a goods train: referring to an individual item of cargo on said train as "a good"... come to think of it, that might be technically correct but it sounds ridiculous whenever I hear it!

I totally concur, re "gut feeling" about this one. Per the Shorter Oxford Dictionary: after "goods" = saleable commodities; merchandise, wares -- it adds "Also occas. in singular: a type of merchandise." So it's legitimate usage, and I often hear it said (most recent occasion was the other day, in conversation with a supermarket employee); but to me it always sounds daft / as though someone whose first language was not English, were coining a use of the word based on an incorrect assumption.

 

[SteveP29]

Just thought of another- 'you are bias' when they meant to type 'you are biased'
Sometimes that even gets mangled and it comes out 'you are biast'

I saw a post a few minutes ago with no spaces wherever there was punctuation,like this,and wondered if that is something people do intentionally?

To be honest, I didn't know that was a thing until I started typing over handwriting, which would be when I started working in offices in 1997

 

[BananaRepublic]

Incidentally, have you just invented a new word "forae”?

When I was at school, foraes was a kid who wore specs.

 

[BanburyBlue]

It isn't just me then!

A similar one is "goods" as in a goods train: referring to an individual item of cargo on said train as "a good"... come to think of it, that might be technically correct but it sounds ridiculous whenever I hear it!

Indeed, after all, you don't put your trouser on in the morning.

I'm always wince when I go out with my grown up sons. When I go the counter in a shop, I'll say "can I have a .... please". My boys says "can I get a .... please" - where did that come from?

 

[SteveP29]

When I go the counter in a shop, I'll say "can I have a .... please". My boys says "can I get a .... please" - where did that come from?

'You can, but you may not' was a popular (read every) answer from one of my teachers at Primary School to any question posed by any one of us about anything that started can I, eg, 'sir, can I go to the toilet please'

Yes, can I get is another head shaker.

 

[krus_aragon]

I'm always wince when I go out with my grown up sons. When I go the counter in a shop, I'll say "can I have a .... please". My boys says "can I get a .... please" - where did that come from?

Self-service (as opposed to counter service) shops?

 

[scotrail158713]

You should of what, exactly?

I do agree with you that it's annoying. But in truth, these postings on these forae are exemplary when compared to a football forum (at least the one I view fairly regularly).

Definitely. I’m on a certain Scottish football forum - named after a certain match day delicacy - and some of the posts are impossible to read. Although I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me when you look at the brightness of the average football fan anyway.

 

[swt_passenger]

It isn't just me then!

A similar one is "goods" as in a goods train: referring to an individual item of cargo on said train as "a good"... come to think of it, that might be technically correct but it sounds ridiculous whenever I hear it!

Something tangible for sale being a “good” is the usual term used in an economics text book, I think.

 

[Merle Haggard]

'Foreign' plurals and the BBC;
The BBC (at least R4), it seems, doesn't like them.
'Stadiums' is generally used for the plural on the BBC rather than 'stadia'. The -o and -i ending of Italian nouns is also used indiscriminately, with or without an 's'. ('paninis' but 'Pendlinos')
However, they always use 'media' which of course is the plural of 'medium' ... but I'm not even sure they realise that.
I sometimes listen to 'The Media Show' on R4, and can't understand why it isn't called 'The Mediums Show' for consistency.

Interestingly (to me, at least) the presenter of 'The Media Show' with the BBC job-title that includes the word 'media' (being the BBC, prob. on about half a million a year) does not, I think, appreciate that 'media' is the plural of 'medium' and I have heard him say 'a media such as...', for example. He may not even realise that 'medium' is the shortened form of, for example, 'the print medium'.
I've only heard it, of course, not seen how they spell it; maybe the word they are using is actually 'Meehja', with its own grammar...

 

[DaleCooper]

'Foreign' plurals and the BBC;
The BBC (at least R4), it seems, doesn't like them.
'Stadiums' is generally used for the plural on the BBC rather than 'stadia'. The -o and -i ending of Italian nouns is also used indiscriminately, with or without an 's'. ('paninis' but 'Pendlinos')
However, they always use 'media' which of course is the plural of 'medium' ... but I'm not even sure they realise that.
I sometimes listen to 'The Media Show' on R4, and can't understand why it isn't called 'The Mediums Show' for consistency.

Interestingly (to me, at least) the presenter of 'The Media Show' with the BBC job-title that includes the word 'media' (being the BBC, prob. on about half a million a year) does not, I think, appreciate that 'media' is the plural of 'medium' and I have heard him say 'a media such as...', for example. He may not even realise that 'medium' is the shortened form of, for example, 'the print medium'.
I've only heard it, of course, not seen how they spell it; maybe the word they are using is actually 'Meehja', with its own grammar...

I wonder what criteria they use when deciding which plurals are appropriate, perhaps it's a different criterion in each case.