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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Borrowing and lending dh can't ever get it right.

55 replies

Gorjuss · 09/04/2013 19:11

My dh continues to use the expression borrow and lend the wrong way round, claiming in front of dds that it doesn't make a difference and I am being awkward by pointing it out.

OP posts:
ILikeBirds · 09/04/2013 20:23

The OH (not native English speaker) always says "I've seen that more times"

Five years of me replying "More times than what?" and he still hasn't grasped that the word he needs is many :-)

greenandcabbagelooking · 09/04/2013 20:32

I hate it when people say "my sister got it me". That makes no sense.

I also hate "I'm going toilet".

Chiponshouldermom · 09/04/2013 20:51

Never a borrower nor a lender be! Gorjuss YABUR! Only joking! You are a wordsmith he is clearly not the brains of your relationship. Enjoy WOMAN MUMMY POWER

Chiponshouldermom · 09/04/2013 20:52

It's like T U R T L E power but M U M M Y power

Hopasholic · 09/04/2013 20:59

Dare I say it's a man thing?

My DH can't get it right and neither could my Ddb. On the other hand my two DS's have had it drilled into them so they get it right!

Viviennemary · 09/04/2013 21:06

Remember me to one who lives there. She once was a true love of mine.

EggsEggSplat · 09/04/2013 21:09

Borrow/lend, teach/learn, 'I was sat', 'I was laying' - all make me twitch. But I think some of it is regional usage as well as just bad grammar.

(sidetrack: Uptoapointlordcopper - there are $no articles at all - definite or indefinite- in Japanese, or Chinese, or Korean etc, so it is very hard for them to get the hang of usage. Also no plurals as we know them in any of those languages, and no verbs with tenses in Chinese. Makes it easier for Europeans to learn those languages, though there are other difficulties...)

UptoapointLordCopper · 09/04/2013 21:12

What do you call the "this" and "that"? We have them in Japanese and Chinese. But definitely no "a" and "the".

ImpatientOne · 09/04/2013 21:16

Yes Snorbs I completely agree on the itch/scratch one it drives me nuts Grin

My poor DH really gets a tough ride as English is his second language but I don't let him get away with much! Blush

EggsEggSplat · 09/04/2013 21:38

Uptoapointlordcopper - I think this and that are demonstrative adjectives. Much more similar, except that in Japanese there is that third one, ano/are etc = 'that one over there' etc.

UptoapointLordCopper · 09/04/2013 21:50

Thank you eggs. Isn't it marvellous? Further display of language trivia: in Malay/indonesian you have two "we" - one including the listener and one excluding.

EggsEggSplat · 09/04/2013 21:54

I can see that would be quite a useful distinction. I definitely think the you singular v you plural thing (a la French & German) could be handy too, though having said that, the ability to be vague also has its attractions, as I have learnt from Japanese.

When I rule the world, I might have to invent a new world language, way better than Esperanto, incorporating all these interesting/quirky/useful things.

drjohnsonscat · 09/04/2013 22:00

Smile at "remember me to the one who lives there"...takes me back to the 80s in my teenage bedroom listening to S&G - all in all a very 80s themed day.

English doesn't need a tu/vous thing - I struggle with it in French. But we do need a he/she/it word.

UptoapointLordCopper · 09/04/2013 22:02

Apparently there is a language which doesn't do left and right - just north south east west! Then you can be very specific about directions. "There are some Lego pieces south of the east-facing sofa". Grin

Hechan · 09/04/2013 22:03

I am learning Irish. Apparently there are 2 different verbs for "to be", one for normal use and one for habitual use. The teacher explained the latter was the equivalent of the English "do you be", as in, "do you be going running every Friday?".

Can't say I remember learning that construction at school.

UptoapointLordCopper · 09/04/2013 22:03

You can use "they" for he/she, according to my dictionary, but it calls it "slang".

Hechan · 09/04/2013 22:04

My kids have learned at school that you plural in English is yous.

UptoapointLordCopper · 09/04/2013 22:06

"yous" Shock

Hechan · 09/04/2013 22:08

I know. Tbf it's not taught as part of English, but as the English translation of the Irish, if you see what I mean.

TooManyDicksOnTheDancefloor · 09/04/2013 22:15

Where I live, also up North, kids seem to think the past tense of beat is bet. They'll say things like 'remember last season when Leeds bet Sheffield Wednesday'. They also think the past tense of treat is tret, as in ' last night I tret missen to fish and chips'. Apparently missen means myself. It doesn't make me angry though, I love the local dialect.

steppemum · 09/04/2013 22:22

how about rent and let?

I am renting my house, no you aren't if you were renting it you would be paying a LL money per month. You are LETTING it.

Or even bring and take.
At home child says 'I will bring it to school tomorrow'

No you won't, you will TAKE it to school and then BRING it home again.
dh cannot get this one right, but to be fair English is one of 5 languages he speaks, and it is pretty good, he can correct my grammar!

Apileofballyhoo · 09/04/2013 22:22

There really isn't any equivalent in English for the Irish habitual present tense - it is the present tense of 'I used to' or 'I would have' as opposed to the present tense of 'I was'. Hard to explain!

There is no word for 'yes' or 'no' in Irish.

steppemum · 09/04/2013 22:24

In Indonesian the word for no is hardly ever used.

If possible you use another phrase like

yes - but mean no
that's nice - means no
maybe tomorrow - means no
etc etc

but my favourite, used in pretty much every context is - Not Yet!

Bunbaker · 10/04/2013 07:37

When I first moved to Leeds I was confused when people said "while" instead of "until" - he won't be back while 3.

AnyoneforTurps · 10/04/2013 08:16

"Remember me to" is perfectly correct, just slightly old-fashioned.

OP YANBU though - infuriating.