People using the wrong words for things - does it drive anyone else up the wall?

[LanisHouseLot]

I was recently staying with relatives and one kept offering and making Welsh rarebit. Lovely! Except that it was just cheese on toast. I like cheese on toast too but it is definitely not Welsh rarebit. I had to bite my tongue from saying anything because despite feeling enraged i have no desire to make anyone feel stupid or corrected. But it was bubbling up inside nonetheless!

Today I saw a 'High Tea' event advertised. Little sandwiches and cakes, cups and saucers etc - clearly afternoon tea rather than high tea. Why does it bug me so much that I'm still thinking about it and wanting to tell the organiser, and all the women looking forward to their high tea, that they've made a terrible mistake and that high tea isn't what they think it is?! Does anyone else find it unbearable?

I am similar about apostrophe misuse and spelling mistakes (despite not seeing my own mistakes half the time ). These errors are even more infuriating because it is entirely the wrong thing being described.

Sleeping policeman is a common term in Ireland too. I'd say it's pretty widespread.

Thanks for the thread OP, I have learned something today.

I may not always get it right, but I am trying to improve my spelling and grammar. Perhaps I will lurk in pedant's corner.

I suspect the trend for describing everyday activities as an 'experience' may contribute to the misappropriation of words in an attempt to make things appear more 'exclusive'.

I also think that corporate jargon has a habit of mangling or spawning words and phrases. Increased internet use means that these now cross over in to mainstream usage much faster (space instead of area, for example).

Sorry, tone gets lost online sometimes. Plus I got woken up very early and I'm grumpy.

We used to call speed bumps sleeping policemen as children. Or maybe I just read it in a book, I can't remember now.

Well the Ritz advertise it as high tea….

I suspect this is one of the north/ south things. A cooked tea is just called tea in the north.

'accidently' instead of accidentally.

We also called them sleeping policemen when I was young and I'm not from anywhere near Bristol.

Also sleeping policemen for me. 58, Nottinghamshire.

I suspect this is one of the north/ south things. A cooked tea is just called tea in the north.

This

No they don't. Not on their website anyway

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow , where does The Ritz advertise High Tea? I can only find afternoon tea.

I'm from the North and 'Tea' was a sandwich and a cake after school.
Dinner was at lunchtime. My parents were self-employed and WFH.

Friends would have a cooked meal called 'Tea' after their father came home from work.

Afternoon tea would be a more formal version of sandwiches and a cake.

High tea would be usually a sit down meal - usually a ham or chicken salad eaten with a knife and fork, followed by cakes.

Where do they do that? This says Afternoon Tea

https://www.theritzlondon.com/dine-with-us/afternoon-tea/

I use staycation to mean a holiday in your own country, as does everyone I know.

Why is doing something in your home town or city likened to a ‘vacation’ in any way? Surely it’s just enjoying where you live. You’d have to call every weekend a staycation if you’re going to use it in that way!

Ha ha@PedantScorner I think this may be the third time we have posted the same thing at exactly the same time! Jinx!

@TimeandMotion is correct about the Oxford comma incidentally.
The poster who said she was using one, wasn't. Both her examples just had "normal" comma usage.

You didn't use an Oxford comma? That's when you use it in a list, before the 'and', not just before 'and'.

Thank you, to both @StMarieforme and @ASighMadeOfStone 😀

We call speed bumps, "bloody bumps". They give me the hump.

I can't see it on their website, what do you get to eat if you order that?

I make lazy mistakes but my grammar is generally pretty good.

When I see mistakes like misuse of their, there etc, I would never want to humiliate someone by bringing it to their attention. We all know what they mean. It's unnecessary and bitchy.

A staycation is staying at home but with no work or school, and doing day trips and meals out. A holiday without the travel or accommodation costs.

A holiday in your own country is called a holiday.

... really want some Welsh rarebit now.

I have a Glaswegian friend who uses 'carmel' rather than 'caramel' and refers to school dinners as 'dinner school'. Is the 'dinner school' thing a localisation? I'd never heard it before and I grew up in South West Scotland, so not too far from Glasgow.

I did ' cold water swimming ' till my OH pointed out it was just 'swimming.' 😄

And then my friend pointed out we weren't doing that much swimming. So now I do 'dipping '.

Inconsistent use of the Oxford comma is more confusing than either using or not using it consistently.

@TimeandMotion . I wish these threads would stay in Pedants' corner. It's really annoying when non-pedants post nonsense.

@Pantaloons99 , it's not always unnecessary or bitchy.

That winds me up. It was always macaroni cheese to me and I don't even like it!