What grinds your gears?

PhilD said:
Always try to park next to something expensive and well-looked-after :)
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Or well away from the shop front door. I like a nice garden spot, that's an end one with a bit of shrubbery, that I can get close to the leaving plenty of space the other side. SWMBO once said why didn't I park closer, several trade ins later with comments like there's no door dings, she knows now.
 
UKRob said:
My lump hammer is 30 Lb not 30 pounds. You but something for 30 quid not quids - unless you're Greek.
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Different context though isn't it? Currency vs Weight? Still think cos its more than one pound it should have an 's' on the end!!

And on the subject of cars, the drivers who automatically expect you to let them out of a side road and jump out a few inches in front of you!
 
DPTC said:
Different context though isn't it? Currency vs Weight? Still think cos its more than one pound it should have an 's' on the end!!
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Yes, I agree. However it's not quite so simple - you buy a shirt for 30 pounds but end up with a 30 pound shirt. I think these different rules are what confuses people learning english as a second language. Spending 20 quid on a fifty pound shirt means you are quids in - even though the plural of quid is never used in terms of what you pay.
 
Evolution is one thing, not paying attention in English lessons quite another. Lazy speaking/writing is yet a further problem.

English is a beautiful language and not merely a lowest denominator communication tool.
 
Bechet said:
Thirty Pounds shirt. Lazy enunciation is no excuse for poor English - unless we invoke the 'English is changing' argument.
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I don't think it's simply down to enunciation - more to do with accepted usage. In the north of England especially the plural of 30 pound shirt would not be used - and I don't think that raises any eyebrows. It seems more natural to avoid plurals at times - the horse race is known as the 2 thousand guineas, but it's much easier to say I have a two thousand guinea suit than a two thousand guineas suit. I would argue that it's also just as acceptable - in the same way that the colloquial two thousand quid suit is more correct than two thousand quids.
 
But here were assessing written and spoken English, these are two very different things. Colloquialisms through speech I personally don't mind, as it is quicker (more lazy if you wish) and sometimes better understood...minus the constant use of the word 'like'.

Standard written English IMO is a must. In fact in our secondary school, if you could not write standard English you would never excel. I remember receiving 90+ percent in 12 out of 13 subjects 3 years running, but between 55%-60% in English. I was kept at a mid tier level, which meant at GCSE level, grade B was the highest you could achieve.

Along came my Jamaican tutor, who taught myself at 15 how to construct a proper sentence, as well as reading professional papers, the dictionary and thesaurus. After one year with her I was pushed up a group so I could sit the higher paper. Our English lesson at school involved watching the Euros with a coat hanger stuck in the back of the TV, or comprehension of the basic sort. I was shocked, as was my tutor when I didn't know the difference between an adverb, conjunction and noun.

Bit of an addition to show its not always down to the pupil; GCSE time, in a high tier group, still with my Jamaican boudica. I was receiving C and D grades for my examination coursework. My tutor who was now the inter relations between America and the UK for scholarships, decided this was not right so came to my school with several external examiners and journalists, sat down with the head of year and my English teacher. The next week my English teather quit amid reports of favouritism. I went on to get an A*/A in literature and written English respectively. Unfortunately my head of hear was my Geography teacher, following the previous investigation my Geography mark dropped from an expected A* to a B. I was expecting this as the ogar was quite peeved.

Geography coursework was undertaken in Aberystwyth counting and mapping every shop on the high street. So probably came across a few guys here albeit with bum fluff as a beard at 15.

Furthermore, when we receive prescriptions written by doctors without a basic understanding of standard English, it is extremely sad. I would expect this to be a necessity, unfortunately it is not you need a minimum of a grade C or pass in some cases, in English, to become a Doctor.
 
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Try Jury's Inn roundabout in Southampton - the chaos used to work sort of but then they added umprteen sets of traffic lights. Now you have to change lanes within a few meters. Three lanes, two lanes, three lanes ...
 
Bechet said:
Try Jury's Inn roundabout in Southampton - the chaos used to work sort of but then they added umprteen sets of traffic lights. Now you have to change lanes within a few meters. Three lanes, two lanes, three lanes ...
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One of the biggest c*#k ups of a roundabout going ! We are driving to Southampton later today for the weekend, hopefully I can avoid that one. SWMBO wants a quick visit to IKEA while we are there. Apart from that it's friends and relatives Christmas pressie drop. I was Southampton born and bred, but after seven years in North Devon I really dislike going back, too busy for me. We are staying with our friends in Curdridge, Curry and Beer, just the job.
 
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