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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to say it's not "ect"

579 replies

IceCreamWoes · 23/08/2024 21:21

I've seen about 8 threads in the last 2 days with posters writing ect when they obviously mean etc. I probably am being U but it really does irrationally fucking irritate me!

I need to get out more, yes. I've had two (big) glasses of wine 😂.

So, am I?

OP posts:
LiterallyOnFire · 24/08/2024 18:00

Toottooot · 24/08/2024 17:51

I saw a women - if it’s just 1 you are talking about she is a womAn not a womEn. Really fucking annoys me that one.

For some reason autocorrect tries to impose that one a lot.

I'd love a linguist to do an analysis of English as it is spoken by autocorrect.

Abitofalark · 24/08/2024 18:00

Zita60 · 24/08/2024 17:54

I've never heard attender used of someone attending a conference, either. But perhaps it might have been used about someone attending a person (serving them)?

Show quote history

I think I've seen it once! Attendant is more usual for attending a person.

BirthdayRainbow · 24/08/2024 17:57

No, I'm so sick of the dumbing down. There is language evolving and then nonsense like ect, somethink, of instead of have. Standards.

Abitofalark · 24/08/2024 17:57

Toottooot · 24/08/2024 17:51

I saw a women - if it’s just 1 you are talking about she is a womAn not a womEn. Really fucking annoys me that one.

And me. When I see it on threads arguing for women's rights or even discussions about what is a woman, I despair.

Zita60 · 24/08/2024 17:54

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:44

That’s interesting about the “ee” suffix and makes sense.

Therefore, I guess that “attendee” is just a word that should not exist at all (rather than one used in the wrong context), because you can’t attend somebody?

But I don’t think I have ever heard “attender” used.

Edited
Show quote history

I've never heard attender used of someone attending a conference, either. But perhaps it might have been used about someone attending a person (serving them)?

Zita60 · 24/08/2024 17:52

Abitofalark · 24/08/2024 16:36

There was a time when they used to have written in the bus "10 'standees' 20 seated." The horror! Mercifully they now write "10 standing..."

Show quote history

Oh yes, I remember that!

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 17:52

Abitofalark · 24/08/2024 17:48

Good one from the eight-year-old boy. From Cambridge dictionary:

(in part) "Persons (plural) is a very formal word. We only use it in rather legalistic contexts:
[notice in a lift]
Any person or persons found in possession of illegal substances will be prosecuted.
To refer to groups of human beings or humans in general, we use people:"

Show quote history

Thanks. The fact that he read it, questioned it and wanted to talk about it makes my heart leap with pride!

Toottooot · 24/08/2024 17:51

I saw a women - if it’s just 1 you are talking about she is a womAn not a womEn. Really fucking annoys me that one.

Abitofalark · 24/08/2024 17:48

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:49

My son (aged 8) asked me why, on buses they often have a sign that says

Seated: 10 persons
Standing: 5 persons

He said, “that’s wrong, the plural of person is people”.

I didn’t really have a good explanation as to why “persons” tends to be used in such contexts, other than to say that it is an acceptable alternative for “people”. Cf “missing persons”

Show quote history

Good one from the eight-year-old boy. From Cambridge dictionary:

(in part) "Persons (plural) is a very formal word. We only use it in rather legalistic contexts:
[notice in a lift]
Any person or persons found in possession of illegal substances will be prosecuted.
To refer to groups of human beings or humans in general, we use people:"

LiterallyOnFire · 24/08/2024 17:24

GreenDancingKitten · 24/08/2024 17:08

I’ve got a good level of SPAG (not perfect I’m sure) and I do notice these errors, but I don’t let them bother me. The content is almost always still easy to comprehend, being annoyed by SPAG errors on an online forum is wasting by your energy, scroll on by and relax.

We’re all educated/naturally skilled to different levels in different areas, and we all have areas where we’re lacking. There’s no need to be pointing out SPAG errors unless you’ve been specifically asked to help someone improve, or you’re proof reading an important document for them. Anything else is just being malicious.

Keep in mind, the reason reading older English literature, like Shakespeare, can be hard, is because language evolves continuously. We can’t stop that, it’s natural and a beautiful element of linguistics (though I’m hoping skibbidi toilet isn’t going to be standard “business speak” in a decade’s time….)

Yes I think those of us who feel irritated by mistakes were drilled ourselves. It's a learned aversion as much as it's a learned knowledge set. My dad had no sense of humour about poor English so you learnt to take it seriously.

OTOH, I was brought up surrounded by the (awful and short sighted) attitude that typing was for secretaries, not professionals and as a result I can't type for toffee, which causes me issues every week of my life.

In reality, all skills are good to have but very few are absolutely necessary.

Jacopo · 24/08/2024 17:14

BunnyLake · 24/08/2024 17:10

I saw “I have went” today and I can’t make sense of it. I’ve seen it before and I think it might be American. Does that sound right to people over saying I have gone?

”I have went” is simply wrong, but unfortunately in frequent use where I live (Scotland).

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 17:14

BunnyLake · 24/08/2024 17:10

I saw “I have went” today and I can’t make sense of it. I’ve seen it before and I think it might be American. Does that sound right to people over saying I have gone?

“I have went” is very common in Scotland. It’s not correct, but people say it a lot. Some argue it’s dialect but it’s just localised bad grammar in my opinion.

BunnyLake · 24/08/2024 17:10

I saw “I have went” today and I can’t make sense of it. I’ve seen it before and I think it might be American. Does that sound right to people over saying I have gone?

GreenDancingKitten · 24/08/2024 17:08

I’ve got a good level of SPAG (not perfect I’m sure) and I do notice these errors, but I don’t let them bother me. The content is almost always still easy to comprehend, being annoyed by SPAG errors on an online forum is wasting by your energy, scroll on by and relax.

We’re all educated/naturally skilled to different levels in different areas, and we all have areas where we’re lacking. There’s no need to be pointing out SPAG errors unless you’ve been specifically asked to help someone improve, or you’re proof reading an important document for them. Anything else is just being malicious.

Keep in mind, the reason reading older English literature, like Shakespeare, can be hard, is because language evolves continuously. We can’t stop that, it’s natural and a beautiful element of linguistics (though I’m hoping skibbidi toilet isn’t going to be standard “business speak” in a decade’s time….)

LiterallyOnFire · 24/08/2024 17:03

IceCreamWoes · 24/08/2024 16:50

My teacher used to have a tin that had "monies" written on it and I corrected her and said it should be money. The shame 😂 I was in Yr6

Grin
murasaki · 24/08/2024 16:59

DP knows better, as I have told him, but he's a wind up merchant and does it to annoy. Which it does, instinctively, and then I have to rein it in as that's what he wanted.

Or should I have said 'rain' or 'reign' 😂

Loving this thread, and I for one am glad @IceCreamWoes opened the wine.

murasaki · 24/08/2024 16:55

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:51

Oh my Mum used to say “lead on MacDuff”. Is it an incorrect quotation from Macbeth? I thought it was just a general Scottish thing! (We’re Scottish)

Show quote history

Yes, it's actually 'Lay on Macduff'. One of the most misquoted bits bar the Hamlet Yorick bit.

murasaki · 24/08/2024 16:53

But yes, I would have done it too.

murasaki · 24/08/2024 16:52

IceCreamWoes · 24/08/2024 16:50

My teacher used to have a tin that had "monies" written on it and I corrected her and said it should be money. The shame 😂 I was in Yr6

Technically it is the plural of money, maybe she was just optimistic re the financial contributions?

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:52

IceCreamWoes · 24/08/2024 16:50

My teacher used to have a tin that had "monies" written on it and I corrected her and said it should be money. The shame 😂 I was in Yr6

Ha ha that’s exactly the sort of thing I’d probably have done at that age!

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:51

murasaki · 24/08/2024 16:37

Mostly true with the feeling not acting, although DP did get an extended lecture on Ancient Greek grammar post 'the hoi polloi'. But that's in the privacy of my own house, and he won't be doing it again. Or rather he will, just to wind me up! I think I've made a major mistake by correcting him. His particular favourite is 'lead on Macduff' as he knows it drives me insane.

Edited

Oh my Mum used to say “lead on MacDuff”. Is it an incorrect quotation from Macbeth? I thought it was just a general Scottish thing! (We’re Scottish)

Original poster
IceCreamWoes · 24/08/2024 16:50

My teacher used to have a tin that had "monies" written on it and I corrected her and said it should be money. The shame 😂 I was in Yr6

OP posts:
HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:49

Abitofalark · 24/08/2024 16:36

There was a time when they used to have written in the bus "10 'standees' 20 seated." The horror! Mercifully they now write "10 standing..."

Show quote history

My son (aged 8) asked me why, on buses they often have a sign that says

Seated: 10 persons
Standing: 5 persons

He said, “that’s wrong, the plural of person is people”.

I didn’t really have a good explanation as to why “persons” tends to be used in such contexts, other than to say that it is an acceptable alternative for “people”. Cf “missing persons”

murasaki · 24/08/2024 16:46

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:44

That’s interesting about the “ee” suffix and makes sense.

Therefore, I guess that “attendee” is just a word that should not exist at all (rather than one used in the wrong context), because you can’t attend somebody?

But I don’t think I have ever heard “attender” used.

Edited
Show quote history

But you attend an event if you depersonalise it. I definitely felt some work events were happening to me.... 😅

HotCrossBunplease · 24/08/2024 16:44

Zita60 · 24/08/2024 16:24

"Off of" irritates me too.

Another one is "cover off on", when someone is saying that they are about to cover a topic. It's come from America, but it's getting more common in the UK now.

Also...

"alternate" being used instead of "alternative".

And...

"attendee" instead of "attender" for someone who attends something (e.g. a conference), "retiree" instead of "retirer" for someone who retires, and "escapee" instead of "escaper" for someone who escapes.

In each case " er" is the person doing the verb and " ee" is the person it's done to (e.g. an employer employs an employee).

But all of these are well and truly lost now.

Edited
Show quote history

That’s interesting about the “ee” suffix and makes sense.

Therefore, I guess that “attendee” is just a word that should not exist at all (rather than one used in the wrong context), because you can’t attend somebody?

But I don’t think I have ever heard “attender” used.