Annoying terms used on television programmes

[ainsworth74]

What?? Colleague is a perfectly acceptable and correct word.....or would you prefer people to use that awful Americanism: co-worker?

What's wrong with co-worker?

 

[Bungle73]

What's wrong with co-worker?

It's clunky and redundant when there is already a perfectly acceptable word in the English language.

 

[ainsworth74]

It's clunky and redundant when there is already a perfectly acceptable word in the English language.

Fair enough, though I still don't see the problem with it personally. Then again I'm not particularly fussy about language and its use (beyond their, there and they're those get on my nerves when misused ).

 

[deltic1989]

Why

It's not necessarily the word colleague that annoys me. It's the context in which some companies insist on using it.
My understanding of the word colleague is someone who works alongside you in the same profession or employment.
Asda for example refer to all of their employees as colleagues, eg In store colleague, George colleague instead of In store assistant or George assistant.
In my opinion it is an out of context use of the word.
The way that Asda and similar companies phrase colleague seems to infer that they are my colleagues which they are not, I don't work for Asda and the only people working for Asda that I would consider my colleagues are the Truck drivers, as that is my profession.

It's just my opinion, it grates on me.

 

[SS4]

Fair enough, though I still don't see the problem with it personally. Then again I'm not particularly fussy about language and its use (beyond their, there and they're those get on my nerves when misused ).

Your a pretty laid back guy

I did wince whilst typing that!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Is this a joke thread? You honestly didn't know what "footprint" means in relation to a building

The thread, if you read in full, refers to annoying expressions that people react to when used in the media, of which a good number of examples have already been cited. I have no qualms in responding to specific criticisms upon any point that I made personally, which I tried to use to convey how an average viewer may well be at a loss to fully comprehend.

As for your comment about "a joke thread", I find that response to be somewhat supercilious and rather condescending to what I feel the reactions of the average viewer may find somewhat annoying to them. A rather good example has already been given on this thread of how an incorrect phrase in footballing terms caused annoyance to one of our forum members.

I hoped this thread would elicit some phrases used in the media that really annoy forum members, but we seem at times to have lost sight of this. You may well feel that you do not think that the personal examples that I have cited are those that would cause you annoyance, but you surely would not deny me the right to be affected by these in a particular way...or would you?

I am unsure of your age...I am 67 and do at times find it hard to come to terms with certain current phraseology used that were not in the full-sized Oxford Dictionary in the 1950's. Not everyone will have the same command and cognoscence of the English language as others, which is exactly the point that I hoped would apply when I first set up this thread. I note that you have used the word "clunky" in one of your posting responses, which did not enter into common English usage until the 1965-1970 period.

 

[ainsworth74]

Your a pretty laid back guy

*Twitch*

 

[PaxVobiscum]

I hoped this thread would elicit some phrases used in the media that really annoy forum members, but we seem at times to have lost sight of this.

Well I can suggest one which I've mentioned previously on another thread - "different to", or worse, "different than". I maintain that the correct usage is "different from".

A railway related one is the use of the expression "Clockwork Orange" to refer to the Glasgow Subway - no-one around here does that apart from TV reporters and some less challenging newspapers. The idea that the trite title has ever been adopted by Glaswegians is a myth.

A musical irritation would be the use of "rise to a crescendo"; crescendo being the actual process of getting louder, not the loudest point reached. "Rise to (a) fortissimo" would be correct.

One that seems curious and illogical to me is "hot temperatures", which I consider would have to be measured in degrees squared. Temperature is a numerical index of molecular agitation, but the number of degrees F or C does not itself get hot, it merely increases. Similarly "expensive prices", "fast speeds" and a few others I also find irritating, but there again I'm just an old age pensioner too.

 

[IanXC]

One that seems curious and illogical to me is "hot temperatures", which I consider would have to be measured in degrees squared. Temperature is a numerical index of molecular agitation, but the number of degrees F or C does not itself get hot, it merely increases. Similarly "expensive prices", "fast speeds" and a few others I also find irritating, but there again I'm just an old age pensioner too.

These, definitely! Just imagine, 'Fast Speed 1'...

My pet hate, which as far as I can see came from the media is "off of". Beyond sounding odd, its longer than "from" so its not even as if people using it can claim to be lazy!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

'definitely' surely? :P

One of the first things I was told in AS English Language was that there's no 'a' in 'definite'!

 

[HST Power]

I normally detest threads that talk about the finer rules in pronunciation and grammar, though I have to admit that 'definitely' is a word that I frequently misspell!

 

[IanXC]

'definitely' surely? :P

Arrrghhh! I'll get my coat!

 

[Johnuk123]

"This is my take on it"

"It’s not rocket science"

"it is what it is"

"Breaking News"

We have "Severe Weather warnings" when the weather is certainly not severe in the proper sense of the word.

 

[Eagle]

'definitely' surely? :P

One of the first things I was told in AS English Language was that there's no 'a' in 'definite'!

They've shifted the curriculum about a bit then, I was taught that in primary year 2 :P

 

[Oswyntail]

They've shifted the curriculum about a bit then, I was taught that in primary year 2 :P

No, spelling is definitely AS level, before you get on to simple sentences in A level, when anyone managing to get both a subject and a verb in a sentence gets an A*.:roll:

 

[devon_metro]

Because of course, it should be "carbon dioxide footprint". Carbon is the black stuff that's inside pencils or steam engines.

Carbon dioxide footprint is a considerably less accurate phrase.

Carbon is not just 'the black stuff in pencils' - thats Graphite, a form of carbon.

Carbon footprint refers to the use of fossil fuels e.g. coal, oil. - which are compounds composed of Carbon and various other elements. The common element is carbon.
More than CO2 is produced when you use carbon based fuels.

 

[Eagle]

Carbon is not just 'the black stuff in pencils' - thats Graphite, a form of carbon.

You're talking to someone with a master's degree in organic chemistry :P

 

[PaxVobiscum]

You're talking to someone with a master's degree in organic chemistry :P

And we're alkene to hear your opinion.

 

[transmanche]

And we're alkene to hear your opinion.

Reading that has just caused me to spit water all over my keyboard! Arf!

 

[RPM]

One that annoys me on news programmes, as well as in the papers, is the use of the word "chaos" to describe any sort of travel disruption. This tends to be applied regardless of how minor the problems actually are. Particularly annoying when it is used to describe planned alterations that have been advertised in advance with adequate alternatives in place.

 

[Oswyntail]

Alongside that, "fury" to convey mild irritation, really makes me mildly irritated.

 

[Railsigns]

Has anyone else heard of any other media expressions that annoy them, that are used these days that reveal the inability of a television presenter to use correct English expressions with which to express themselves ?

The double copula, for example starting a sentence with "The problem is is..." instead of "The problem is..."

Oh, and "train station".

 

[Mojo]

Seems many media outlets refer to anyone who travels by train as a 'commuter' too. So something along the lines of "commuter train chaos" or "commuters disrupted" on a rural branch line or during the middle of the day is probably an inaccurate title or description.

 

[Bevan Price]

I dislike superfluous words being added to sentences, often incorrectly. "Up" is a pet hate, as in "the organisation was headed up by Mr/Mrs X" (Up is unnecessary), or "The train slowed up" (Up is incorrect ).

I also dislike some bad language, particularly the word "United" used after place names beginning with the letter "M".

The terms "Coronation Street", "Eastenders", "Casualty" indicate times to change channels, as do the names of some other long-running series that have become tired, stale, and/or repetitive.

 

[Eagle]

I also dislike some bad language, particularly the word "United" used after place names beginning with the letter "M".

What did Maidenhead United ever do to you?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I also dislike some bad language, particularly the word "United" used after place names beginning with the letter "M".

I believe that there will be "wailing and gnashing of teeth" amongst the footballing supporters of Maidstone United FC of the Isthmian League Division One South, when they are made aware of this...:roll:

 

[tannedfrog]

The way that Asda and similar companies phrase colleague seems to infer that they are my colleagues which they are not, I don't work for Asda and the only people working for Asda that

I infer that you don't know the difference between "infer" and "imply".

 

[EM2]

I believe that there will be "wailing and gnashing of teeth" amongst the footballing supporters of Maidstone United FC of the Isthmian League Division One South, when they are made aware of this...:roll:

Beat me to it
But on a similar note, when reference to United is automatically taken to mean Manchester

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Beat me to it
But on a similar note, when reference to United is automatically taken to mean Manchester

From what I hear, it would not surprise me if there were many "Manchester United supporters" currently resident in both Maidstone and Maidenhead..:roll:

 

[transmanche]

But on a similar note, when reference to United is automatically taken to mean Manchester

Especially those commentators and pundits who refer to 'United' when it's a match between Manchester United and Newcastle United, or West Ham United...