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AIBU?

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Original poster

to absolutely hate the how people are speaking English!

539 replies

exse24Londoner · 03/02/2026 16:35

I really hate how we have "suddenly" starting gifting presents rather than giving them as we did only a couple of years ago. Vacations - when did we start having vacations instead of holidays?????? The other day I saw an advert for pants - turned out to be trousers. Apparently when I speak to someone it is now liaising & if I call or text, I am reaching out..... the other day someone was talking about the front end, or as I prefer to call it - the beginning!!🙄

Dont get me wrong, I love the evolution of language & that generations make it their own but this isn't that this is not teenagers or cultures developing own language its...... weird management/pop psychology speak

is it just me??

OP posts:
Goldenbear · 03/02/2026 20:13

Abitofalark · 03/02/2026 20:02

You were right the first time. I am into music. I am not in to visitors after nine o'clock at night.

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Of course - in my defence, I am ill and grieving.

JoshLymanSwagger · 03/02/2026 20:12

There was an EE ad on TV over Christmas.

It referred to "Guesting". 🤬

Surely that's visiting?

Anmbord · 03/02/2026 20:11

ThejustbrothersCarlenaNSoul · 03/02/2026 20:02

My Gran wore slacks that she wore with her derry boots for outside or with baffies inside.
Derry boots was what she called her outdoor boots.
Ne Scotland 1970s oh and teamed up with a rain mate.😁

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Yes, I think that’s why I love hearing the word slacks. Or frocks.
They bring me memories of my lovely granny.

ETA I have never heard of derry boots or baffies though!

ThejustbrothersCarlenaNSoul · 03/02/2026 20:02

OchonAgusOchonOh · 03/02/2026 19:52

I haven't heard that word in a long time 😁

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My Gran wore slacks that she wore with her derry boots for outside or with baffies inside.
Derry boots was what she called her outdoor boots.
Ne Scotland 1970s oh and teamed up with a rain mate.😁

Abitofalark · 03/02/2026 20:02

Goldenbear · 03/02/2026 17:46

In to not "into".

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You were right the first time. I am into music. I am not in to visitors after nine o'clock at night.

Trifletree · 03/02/2026 20:00

The Internet is making everyone speak the same, and it's dominated by Americans, hence the American language coming through.

I don't like it either.

ChubbyPuffling · 03/02/2026 19:56

LiftAndCoast · 03/02/2026 18:50

My latest pet peeve is 'shop' as an imperative. Shop our new range! I don't know where it came from but I'm suddenly seeing it everywhere online and it looks very wrong to me.

God yes... I keep getting emails...

We (who?)
invite you (have emailed me, the invitation is implied)
to shop (or is that to buy from?)
the Spring edit (I know the words, but ...)

"Buy some of our new spring clothing range."

OchonAgusOchonOh · 03/02/2026 19:52

Anmbord · 03/02/2026 19:50

Im in Ireland too and our school uniform list still calls them slacks 😁
Two pairs of grey slacks.
I love it 💕

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I haven't heard that word in a long time 😁

JoshLymanSwagger · 03/02/2026 19:51

TheTortiePuffinNeedsHerBreakfast · 03/02/2026 16:57

I don't like talk of things "dropping", like the latest episode of X TV programme has dropped, or our new season jackets have dropped. Always makes me think of a sack of potatoes or a turd! 😂

Ah, I always think of "dropped" as in abandoned or ended.

marilyntaylor · 03/02/2026 19:50

I’m 65 and from Lancashire. It’s always been pants here meaning trousers.

Anmbord · 03/02/2026 19:50

OchonAgusOchonOh · 03/02/2026 16:44

Do you only get one leg in the pant?

Interestingly enough, we would use pants here for trousers but a women's suit would be a trouser suit rather than a pants suit. If using trousers, it would be a pair of trousers but pants would be just pants.

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Im in Ireland too and our school uniform list still calls them slacks 😁
Two pairs of grey slacks.
I love it 💕

LizzybugMeeting · 03/02/2026 19:42

@persephonia Thanks for that background . That's interesting. And good to see it laid out like that. Really weird when Americans believe we must have affirmative action, no idea why so many think we have it..

Perchedinthedark · 03/02/2026 19:41

RedToothBrush · 03/02/2026 16:58

NW where? England?!

Never ever heard that! Ever!

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Central Lancashire born and bred and all generations of my family have said pants instead of trousers! Going back to at least my Great Grandma who was a teen in WW2

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 03/02/2026 19:40

DuchessofStaffordshire · 03/02/2026 18:31

Not entirely sure of the origin, but I'm sick of hearing about people being on journeys that aren't, in fact, journeys.

Absolutely, that was the first thing which occurred to me when I read the OP.

PistachioTiramisu · 03/02/2026 19:39

And what is 'fumming' instead of 'fuming'? Don't people realise it is wrong?

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/02/2026 19:31

Lion1618 · 03/02/2026 19:07

Hair Instagram/tik tok seems to have replaced a good old fashioned fringe with 'bangs'. Drives me mad.

I hate bangs, too, and wedding ‘band’ instead of ring - it always used to be a wedding ring!

When I’m a dictator, anyone saying either of those will be thrown into a rat infested dungeon for a week. That’ll larn ‘em!

Ialwaysthoughtitwasadojo · 03/02/2026 19:27

Echobelly · 03/02/2026 16:38

The worst thing is when fashion editors describe a pair of trousers as 'a pant' . Seriously.

Or in fashion it's a 'colourway' instead of just.... a colour.

PopstarPoppy · 03/02/2026 19:25

The one that drives me absolutely bonkers is ‘step foot in’, it doesn’t even make sense!

Bowies · 03/02/2026 19:24

honeylulu · 03/02/2026 18:04

Spelling is dying out everywhere. I read a TV review on the website of a national newspaper last night which referred to "an illusive stranger".

Edited to say that I know illusive is a word but it means something that isn't real rather than it just can't be pinned down (elusive). I might find out next week's episode of Industry that the illusive stranger was imaginary rather than someone who suddenly left the premises once the police were on the way. If so I shall feel very foolish.

Edited

A lot of news is poorly written and full of errors due to dim witted over reliance on AI.

Bowies · 03/02/2026 19:21

Badsox · 03/02/2026 18:21

"Can I get..." when ordering food or drink is my pet hate.

Surely it should be "Please can I have....."

Agree “Can I get” - can get to fuck! Rude and entitled sounding.

“May I have” …

Or just “A cappuccino, please”

Ireallycantthinkofagoodone · 03/02/2026 19:20

Clafoutie · 03/02/2026 19:05

Yes. We are suddenly ‘envisioning’ instead of envisaging, we find things ‘comfy’ where before they were comfortable, we are ‘grabbing’ instead of merely having.

I agree - I detest the use of the word ‘envision’.
Don’t get me started on ‘grabbing’ either. It sounds awful.
Ditto ‘can I get’. I much prefer ‘may I have’

WingingItSince1973 · 03/02/2026 19:19

AncoraAmarena · 03/02/2026 17:27

Everythink

Nothink

I spend so much time screaming at the radio or TV.

Came here to say the same. Absolutely winds me up and I'm not really that precious. They have an ing ending not ink!!!! Even those who I thought had a better grasp of the English language pronounce these words that way 😭😭😭

PoliteBee · 03/02/2026 19:18

Lots of people don't use past tense to describe events from the past. For example:

the man stands up, walks to the stage and sings a song.

Instead of:

the man stood up, walked to the stage and sang a song.

Abitofalark · 03/02/2026 19:17

Allywill · 03/02/2026 17:11

where do you stand on “get yer kecks on”? Now that the proper phrase in Lancs if you ask me.

It's also Scottish.

Ireallycantthinkofagoodone · 03/02/2026 19:16

JamesClyman · 03/02/2026 16:45

YANBU. There is no such word in English as "gotten". It's "got"!

I was taught at school to never say ‘got’ at all. It’s actually quite a meaningless word, which can easily be left out of a sentence.