A point of order Mr Speaker, sir,
should not the title of the thread be " A question of English" ?

What about the perfumery who had a sign saying "Eau de Colon"

You all want to try living in sunny Wales....I have to read every sign twice before getting to the English... PS.  I am Welsh...stupid language !

Quote from: port perran on April 13, 2015, 04:08:04 PM
It's people adding an unnecessary apostrophe that annoy me.

Hear, hear! They used to be called 'greengrocer's apostrophes' but now they're so ubiquitous they could even be called 'regular'. Then there's the distinction between its and it's...

I blame the whole generation of schoolchildren and teachers who were not taught any grammar because it was thought to be stifling.

That said, the whole history English, indeed any language, is the codification of mistakes ;-}

(with my linguist's hat on)

Many many years ago, an American aircraft designer stated that his design  philosophy was one of 'Simplify then add lightness' in respect of the aircraft he was involved with.

In a way it sums up what has happened to our language doesn't it?

BTW, has anyone come up against the current curse inflicted upon formal ''English' - the mixing of 'text-speak'  and 'correct' words in the same sentence? it's appearing at university level now and causing  immense problems for the current ('non-texting')  generation of lecturers in respect of exam and assignment marking.  The students who use such things see absolutely nothing wrong with the practise and become somewhat aggrieved when their mistakes (which cost them marks) are pointed out to them.  They simply do not understand, and the practice will, if anything, increase as 'Generation Y' et al start to arrive at the doors of the institutions of higher learning - and then take up teaching positions within them.

Based-on this,  'Simplify then add lightness', would seem to be as good a summary of the situation as any I that have heard. 

Quote from: Malc on April 13, 2015, 05:04:14 PM"Eau de Colon"

I sure that's what their were advertising during that scene in Blazing Saddles!!! (the extra colons were for PP!!)

Quote from: PostModN66 on April 13, 2015, 04:19:34 PM
I Struggle with Spurious Capitalisation!

Cheers,  Jon!

This is a bit of an infuriating thing which we tend to see forums (fora?) - it must take longer to do!

At least it's not as bad as dropping a capital letter...

Imagine writing "I helped Uncle Jack off the horse" without the capitals...

Quote from: newportnobby on April 13, 2015, 02:41:18 PM
Whilst at Chorley Hospital this morning for my lung capacity test, I couldn't help but notice the signage for the department read "cardio-respitory"
Now I'm of the 'old school' and believe I was taught 'proper English' - so shouldn't that have been "cardio-respiratory"
Looking through a couple of dictionaries seemed to confirm my thoughts.
Anybody have any opinion?

Is it a bit of American medico terminology creeping in ?. Cheers John.

Why not just say heart  and lungs instead of a lot of jargon

Quote from: port perran on April 13, 2015, 04:49:13 PM

Quote from: railsquid on April 13, 2015, 04:28:47 PM
Spurious "quotation marks" annoy.

And spurious explanation marks !!   (sorry)
Just look at the cover of any railway magazine. I take Heritage Railway every month and we play the guess how many explanation marks on the cover this month game.
As an example - West Country Pacific to tackle Devon banks !

Especially as they are exclamation marks!!!

Quote from: Agrippa on April 13, 2015, 08:40:50 PM
Why not just say heart  and lungs instead of a lot of jargon

Quite so !
But it doesnt make them sound so important.
At our doctor's ( or is that doctors' , cos there is more than one of them ? ) surgery ( why do doctors have surgeries when they are not usually surgeons ? ) we now have Nurse Clinicians intead of nurses.

One day whilst waiting in the Waiting Area ( no longer do we have a room ) I was amused to hear " Tom Cobley to room 7 please ", presently Tom would shuffle off and moments later return to reception, much mutterings, then off he would go again. This happened a couple of times till it was my turn for room 7 whereupon all became clear -
the Nurse had turned into a Phlebotomist, according to the sign on the door, and nobody dared go in !
I took a prescription request form and wrote on the back of it "Dracula" and tucked it into the sign.
On my next visit I saw that the room had changed to "Blood Test" 

Quote from: Malc on April 13, 2015, 05:04:14 PM
What about the perfumery who had a sign saying "Eau de Colon"

Ugh! or Sniff !!
Would you consider me to be overly pedantic if I offered " perfumery which"  or "perfumerer who "

Quote from: MalcolmAL on April 13, 2015, 10:04:42 PM

Quote from: Malc on April 13, 2015, 05:04:14 PM
What about the perfumery who had a sign saying "Eau de Colon"

Ugh! or Sniff !!
Would you consider me to be overly pedantic if I offered " perfumery which"  or "perfumerer who "

Where's the question mark Malcolm?   

Cheers,  Jon 

Quote from: PostModN66 on April 13, 2015, 11:20:17 PM

Quote from: MalcolmAL on April 13, 2015, 10:04:42 PM

Quote from: Malc on April 13, 2015, 05:04:14 PM
What about the perfumery who had a sign saying "Eau de Colon"

Ugh! or Sniff !!
Would you consider me to be overly pedantic if I offered " perfumery which"  or "perfumerer who "

Where's the question mark Malcolm?   

Arrrgh ! Mea somfink !

Hehee, nice one Jon

I plead premature dementia, brought on by the goings on on the 'box'
can I claim back 1/12th of my TV fee cos it is unwatchable for the next month till they get over themselves ?

Quote from: MalcolmAL on April 13, 2015, 05:00:42 PM
A point of order Mr Speaker, sir,
should not the title of the thread be " A question of English" ?

"A turnout of English" for some, surely!!!

Our pub menu has omellets, roast beef with roast potatoes' and leek and potatoe soup. At least they spelt the leek right. I hope. Or is it spelled?