Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find “off of” so incredibly annoying

111 replies

Tonylepony · 03/04/2021 11:31

I keep hearing this all the time at the moment, “she got off of the bus” , “it’s off of the path”. I know in the scheme of things this is completely unimportant, but does anyone else find this as annoying and baffling as me?

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 03/04/2021 22:18

See, errors everywhere... I meant - "Do you believe..."

EarringsandLipstick · 03/04/2021 22:23

Jumping on to say 'off of' is commonly used in Ireland, and not as an Americanism that's been adopted!

Once again, the English language has many variations in usage - some in America, others Hiberno-English. It may not be what's used in England, but it isn't necessarily incorrect.

EarringsandLipstick · 03/04/2021 22:28

It's 'myriad colours' not 'a myriad of colours.'
Myriad is a collective in its own right and doesn't need 'a' or 'of.'

You're incorrect here. 'Myriad' is both a noun & and an adjective. When used as a noun, of is correct; of is not needed when it's used as a adjective eg

'He had a myriad of ideas to share'

'They remembered the myriad lights at Christmas'.

Both correct.

Helps to check these things before getting riled about them!

justjuggling · 03/04/2021 22:32

Drives me batshit.

1Morewineplease · 03/04/2021 22:35

You are correct now. 'Myriad' has been used incorrectly for so long that it now has a new evolved way of using it. So language evolves.
Doesn't stop me from getting tetchy though.
It won't be long before 'would of' becomes accepted, either.

EarringsandLipstick · 03/04/2021 22:48

@1Morewineplease

You are correct now. 'Myriad' has been used incorrectly for so long that it now has a new evolved way of using it. So language evolves. Doesn't stop me from getting tetchy though. It won't be long before 'would of' becomes accepted, either.
No, sorry, you're still incorrect:

'The Merriam-Webster Dictionaryy^ notes that confusion over the use of myriad as a noun "seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective ... however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century'

The usage as a noun is longer established than its usage as an adjective - 16th century, so your point doesn't hold at all.

Not singling you out, MoreWine, but it's frustrating when people decide that a usage is definitely wrong, without evidence.

Geamhradh · 03/04/2021 22:56

@1Morewineplease

I agree but we are in danger of being seen to be language pedants with the usual mantra of " language evolves." My bug bears are 'disoriented' which Americans say correctly but British folk say 'disorientated' ... sets my teeth on edge , particularly when google tries to correct this. Also 'myriad' It's 'myriad colours' not 'a myriad of colours.' Myriad is a collective in its own right and doesn't need 'a' or 'of.' Don't even get me started on would/could/should have/'of.'
Your "bug bears" did you say? Interesting that perfectly correct usage of certain words "sets your teeth on edge" yet you don't seem to have a problem with incorrect spelling. I certainly wouldn't call you a language pedant with that kind of mistake.
EarringsandLipstick · 03/04/2021 23:00

you don't seem to have a problem with incorrect spelling.

Your post is a bit unnecessary Geamhradh

But also ... what incorrect spelling did MoreWine use??

Is it the space in 'bug bear' you object to? As in, it should be 'bugbear'? Otherwise I I'm confused!

Frogartist · 03/04/2021 23:04

@ViciousJackdaw

Plenty is another Americanism I cannot abide. As in 'He's plenty old enough to make his own bed'. Again, a superfluous word.

Use of such words/phrases make me wonder if the speaker just sits there, letting the media infiltrate their brains.

I agree, and now businesses have starting "hiring" people instead of recruiting or employing them. You can't hire people, sounds awful.
littlepattilou · 03/04/2021 23:06

@WorraLiberty

This subject comes up at least once a week on MN

I can only assume lockdown is getting to people for them to be so 'infuriated', 'incredibly annoyed' and 'baffled' by how others choose to speak.

Yeah this is getting irksome now.

Not so much this thread, but a few others lately have basically slagged off regional accents/regional dialects. And ya know what, it's always northern accents or Midlands accents that are berated.

Someone said recently on a thread 'anyone who says we go for a walk of an evening, is a thick, uneducated twat' ...

That's basically midlands and northern dialect.

Also, there is much sneering around people who say they are going to have their tea at 6pm. Only COMMON people call it tea !!!

Such snobbery.

Coulddowithanap · 03/04/2021 23:09

I've never heard anyone say off of. Is it a regional thing?

littlepattilou · 03/04/2021 23:11

@Coulddowithanap

I've never heard anyone say off of. Is it a regional thing?
I think it's an Americanism. Doesn't bother me much to be honest.
Coulddowithanap · 03/04/2021 23:12

I don't get why people get so worked up over things like this.

Elsiebear90 · 03/04/2021 23:13

I’ve only ever heard Americans say this, I don’t like it either, sounds very clunky. Also, intensely dislike “could have cared less” because that makes no sense (they clearly mean they couldn’t have cared less), and “addicting” instead of addictive.

littlepattilou · 03/04/2021 23:19

And sorry to the pedants, but language DOES evolve.

Words like selfie, app, metrosexual, bromance, emoji, meme, jeggings, freemiums, mwah, sharent, and all sorts of weird and wonderful words were not in existence 2 decades ago. Now they are. Officially.

So if I want to say 'I best be gone' or 'she was sat there,' or 'I am shook.' I will say it. Anyone who doesn't like it can kiss my fat ass.

Ninkanink · 03/04/2021 23:19

Disorientated is perfectly fine - ‘UK folks’ aren’t saying it incorrectly.

LemonMeringueThreePointOneFour · 03/04/2021 23:25

@FrankButchersDickieBow

Off of is grating. Is it a southern thing? I don't really hear it where I'm from (NW), but hear it alot from national radio presenters/TV presenters
So is "alot".
littlepattilou · 04/04/2021 00:32

@Ninkanink

Disorientated is perfectly fine - ‘UK folks’ aren’t saying it incorrectly.
Yes, 'disorientated' is fine. 'Disoriented' is NOT.
Stichintime · 04/04/2021 00:43

No thanks littlepat

42isthemeaning · 04/04/2021 00:44

My current irksome phrase is: search up the internet.
Arghhh please say search or look up; but not search up...

jessstan2 · 04/04/2021 00:56

I've never heard that one, 42. Surfing the internet is what is usually said.

AlCalavicci · 04/04/2021 01:17

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

“From off of” is worse though!

“It was taken by a person from off of the street”

Now I’m smug!

If it was taken off of frank from off of the farmers field of fruit Grin

Just trying to see how many of's off's and f's I can get in a short sentence Grin Grin

I will fuck off go away now

ViciousJackdaw · 04/04/2021 03:09

@42isthemeaning

My current irksome phrase is: search up the internet. Arghhh please say search or look up; but not search up...
You have reminded me of something else...'change up' or 'swap out'. Why on earth is the up or out needed?
CherATaleOrTwo · 04/04/2021 03:24

Gosh, I've always thought that 'off Amazon' was the slang way and 'off of Amazon' was the proper way Blush. I have definitely may have even corrected children in the past to 'off of'. I think that I thought of it as saying "I'm going to t'shop' as opposed to "I'm going to the shop" - I thought people saying "off" were just dropping the 'of'! Oh dear. Every day is a school day!

LongTimeMammaBear · 04/04/2021 04:12

It actually makes me cringe all the time this misuse of “off”. I’m try to break my children of this habit by continuously explaining it is -

to/from

on/off

in/out

So if you are are on the bus, then you leave, you are off the bus.

If someone has something and they give it to you, it is from them to you. Not off. You only get something off someone if they are wearing it. If you got a jumper off someone, it means they were wearing it, took it off their body to hand it to you. Otherwise, it is from them. A gift is from someone, you bu one thing from someone - it is not off someone.

Swipe left for the next trending thread