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Comedic "things you would ban": minor things that irritate you

Richard Scott

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Ugh, can we add:
  • Legos
  • Tescos
  • Asdas
to that complaint?
Think Tescos and Asia's should be Tesco's and Asda's as that what people say, don't think it's pluralising it, more of a possessive term (someone will tell us who's better at English than me)?
Never heard of Legos, though.

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“Legos” appears to be the US English version of Lego, at least according to those I know who live over there.
Perhaps the opposite of Maths and Math.
Surely maths and math are just abbreviations of mathematics? Where do they get Legos from? Americans never cease to amaze me!!
 
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Bald Rick

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Surely maths and math are just abbreviations of mathematics? Where do they get Legos from? Americans never cease to amaze me!!

It was explained to me that one brick is Lego. More than one brick is Legos.

Obviously it’s a pretty dull experience playing with Lego in the US. “Here’s my model of a brick”
 

styles

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Think Tescos and Asia's should be Tesco's and Asda's as that what people say, don't think it's pluralising it, more of a possessive term (someone will tell us who's better at English than me)?
Possibly but I still think calling it Tesco's or Asda's can get in the sea :D

I tolerated Wilkos.
 

Richard Scott

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It was explained to me that one brick is Lego. More than one brick is Legos.

Obviously it’s a pretty dull experience playing with Lego in the US. “Here’s my model of a brick”
Ok, thanks. Never crossed my mind seeing as thought it was a brand name not a noun! Obviously the Americans know better.

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Possibly but I still think calling it Tesco's or Asda's can get in the sea :D

I tolerated Wilkos.
Possibly blame Sainsbury's for it as people said 'going to Sainsbury's' then just carried it on with Tesco, Asda etc?
 

AM9

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Ok, thanks. Never crossed my mind seeing as thought it was a brand name not a noun! Obviously the Americans know better.

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Possibly blame Sainsbury's for it as people said 'going to Sainsbury's' then just carried it on with Tesco, Asda etc?
Never hears Waitroses though. ;)

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Ugh, can we add:
  • Legos
  • Tescos
  • Asdas
to that complaint?
Never could understand Scalexelectric though, - it's not even a lazy shortcut. Probably the worst around is loose instead of lose, meaning to mislay. It's been mentioned many times here yet there are still plenty of posters who persist in mispelling it.
 

GusB

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Possibly but I still think calling it Tesco's or Asda's can get in the sea :D

I tolerated Wilkos.
It was originally Wilkinson, named after the founding family, so "Wilkinson's" would be appropriate; as Wilko is essentially a shortened form, "Wilko's" doesn't really bother me that much.

I'm with you on the Asda and Tesco front because there was no Mr Asda or Mr Tesco. Morrison's and Sainsbury's are quite safe! :)
 

Brightonboy

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Possibly but I still think calling it Tesco's or Asda's can get in the sea :D

I tolerated Wilkos.
Tesco's & Asda's are being used as the possessives - as in "I'm going to Tesco's shop" - The company is Tesco and it is their shop..... the "shop" is frequently omitted though....
Anyway......
 

brad465

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Walking more than two abreast along a pavement, and stopping in the middle of the pavement when it's crowded; likewise for railway platforms.
 

styles

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Walking more than two abreast along a pavement, and stopping in the middle of the pavement when it's crowded; likewise for railway platforms.
Walking down Oxford St/Regent St was always a nightmare for me. People walk out of a shop door, don't even look where they're going, stare down at their phone and just stop dead in the middle of the pavement. These people can also get in the sea. I bet they're the kind of people who call it Asdas.
 

Benters

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That was the point, - why can't everybody read the words that they speak?
When I was a youngster people always called it 'Scale ctric' as they obviously found the 'hard c' easier to say than the 'x' in the middle of the word.:)
 

styles

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When I was a youngster people always called it 'Scale ctric' as they obviously found the 'hard c' easier to say than the 'x' in the middle of the word.:)
This reminds me:
  • Expresso
No, it's espresso, with an s, not an x.

Relevant:
 

The exile

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Probably the worst around is loose instead of lose, meaning to mislay. It's been mentioned many times here yet there are still plenty of posters who persist in mispelling it.
I’d go for alternate / alternative since in the context they’re used in both are often plausible but can have very different results!
 

SargeNpton

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This reminds me:
  • Expresso
No, it's espresso, with an s, not an x.

Relevant:
In Britain, in the 1950s-60s, it was usually pronounced and spelled as Expresso. My Oxford English Dictionary includes it as a variation of the spelling.

Attached picture is of the credits of a 1959 film: Expresso Bongo, starring some bloke called Cliff Richard.
 

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Richard Scott

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Probably the worst around is loose instead of lose, meaning to mislay. It's been mentioned many times here yet there are still plenty of posters who persist in mispelling it.
Got to be honest, I really have to think about that one, to the point I often find another way of saying it as never 100% certain.
 

The exile

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Got to be honest, I really have to think about that one, to the point I often find another way of saying it as never 100% certain.
If it helps - think of “lost” - only 1 “o”. Yes - our delightful language doesn’t lend itself to simple logic - but in this case it works.
 

43096

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There should be a special place in Hell for people who confuse Diffuse and Defuse.
Two more that irritate that are regulars on forums like this...
Trail instead of Trial
Break (or breaking) instead of Brake (or braking)
 

jfollows

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Yes, but I think it’s missing the real point: I‘m a pedant on myself when it comes to grammar and spelling, but this is a forum for the exchange of information and I’d rather have the information than a poster decides not to provide it in case of criticism. Live with it! Getting these things wrong in a formal letter, on the other hand, or in a job application letter, these things matter to me. I’m perfectly uninterested in these things on forum contributions. Most of the time, anyway.
 
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styles

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Yes, but I think it’s missing the real point: I‘m a pedant on myself when it comes to grammar and spelling, but this is a forum for the exchange of information and I’d rather have the information than a poster decides not to provide it in case of criticism. Live with it! Geting these things wrong in a formal letter, on the other hand, or in a job application letter, these things matter to me. I’m perfectly uninterested in these things on forum contributions. Most of the time, anyway.
Yes, really I make such comments tongue-in-cheek. I don't pull people up on their spelling or grammar in most cases, as I feel it's a bit condescending. But bought vs brought is a comedic thing I'd ban :P
 

py_megapixel

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Geting these things wrong in a formal letter, on the other hand, or in a job application letter, these things matter to me. I’m perfectly uninterested in these things on forum contributions. Most of the time, anyway.
(my bold)

Not sure if this was deliberate, but I did find it a little amusing given the subject!
 

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