Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I the only one who wound up by this!

182 replies

Mummytotwogirls01 · 03/03/2022 20:57

I know I probably am BU but it really winds me up how people use 'brought' instead of 'bought' -the verb to bring and to buy are completely different and have different meanings it's not hard to use the right one!!
The other one that really winds me up is how a lot of people use' I should of' instead of 'I should have' -of is not a replacement for have it's just wrong!
Is it just me? What other common errors annoy you?

OP posts:
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 04/03/2022 10:52

@MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers

As a retired Primary teacher, I don't get annoyed by grammar and spelling mistakes on social media but it really irks me when I see those mistakes on menus or shop signs etc. One thing that really used I annoy me was when I went to Slimming World and several members referred to it as Slimmers World.
You’d have loved my local Asda, where I once saw printed signs saying ‘New Zeeland Chedder’ ’ and ‘Rasers are now in the shampoo aisle’ - both on the same day!

TBH I was amazed that they’d spelt ‘aisle’ correctly - I’ve seen ‘isle’ often enough in that context.

Since I was vaguely interested, I once picked up a leaflet from our local university, which was advertising a taught MA in English.

There were two very basic spelling mistakes in the blurb. 😱
I didn’t pursue it.

LindaEllen · 04/03/2022 11:07

That one winds me up.

The other one is when people use why instead of while. 'Babysitting why Mummy is at work'. NO.

I just can't understand how people can never have seen these things written down before - at the very least on social media elsewhere.

I can understand things that sound similar, but the second you see them written down there should be a moment of clarity and then you never get them wrong again.

Snoozer11 · 04/03/2022 11:07

When people use "generally" instead on "genuinely".

MamaBearBoo · 04/03/2022 11:16

It's quite common in Yorkshire in for people to use 'while' instead of 'until', for example: 'I'm working 9 while 5' I don't say this, I use 'until' but I have heard it quite a lot!

I also have a friend who says irregardless which isn't a word! It's irrespective or regardless!

Howshouldibehave · 04/03/2022 11:17

@LindaEllen

That one winds me up.

The other one is when people use why instead of while. 'Babysitting why Mummy is at work'. NO.

I just can't understand how people can never have seen these things written down before - at the very least on social media elsewhere.

I can understand things that sound similar, but the second you see them written down there should be a moment of clarity and then you never get them wrong again.

That’s up there with using ‘we’re’ instead of ‘we’ll’, eg We’re have to go out for dinner on Saturday!

‘You was’ instead of ‘you were’ is something that a TA at my daughter’s school used to say loads. ‘You was such a good girl in the assembly this morning, wasn’t you?!’

Snoozer11 · 04/03/2022 11:18

I once had an English teacher who would confuse "their" and "there".

I can only imagine it's gotten worse since I left school.

Vitani · 04/03/2022 13:20

("our souls" and "arseholes").

If I'm speaking casually, these do sound the same because I say "ah-soles" for "arseholes" with a dropped H, and then "ah soles" for "our souls" with a dropped R.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/03/2022 13:43

‘You was’ instead of ‘you were’ is something that a TA at my daughter’s school used to say loads. ‘You was such a good girl in the assembly this morning, wasn’t you?!’

When I was growing up, our church minister used to to this quite a bit. He was from the east side of London and it was really more like a dialect usage.

PAFMO · 04/03/2022 13:54

@Snoozer11

I once had an English teacher who would confuse "their" and "there".

I can only imagine it's gotten worse since I left school.

I see what you did there...Wink
MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers · 04/03/2022 13:57

One phrase I can't bear is 'hating on'. Where did the 'on' come from? Also, 'waiting on' instead of 'waiting for' as in 'I'm waiting on the results'.

PAFMO · 04/03/2022 14:00

@MyCatEatsPrawnCrackers

One phrase I can't bear is 'hating on'. Where did the 'on' come from? Also, 'waiting on' instead of 'waiting for' as in 'I'm waiting on the results'.
Multi-word verb neologisms, that's all. The particle adds something to the meaning. I hate Putin I hate on Putin The second would involve me bullying him in some way. Heading over there to pull his pigtails or the chair from under him. Etc.
RubyRedBerry · 04/03/2022 14:51

lots of people in my area put 'carn't instead of can't.
what's all that about then?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 04/03/2022 14:57

@MamaBearBoo

It's quite common in Yorkshire in for people to use 'while' instead of 'until', for example: 'I'm working 9 while 5' I don't say this, I use 'until' but I have heard it quite a lot!

I also have a friend who says irregardless which isn't a word! It's irrespective or regardless!

That confused the heck out of me when I first moved to Sheffield.
CustardySergeant · 04/03/2022 15:08

Have you noticed the number of reporters saying "nukular" instead of "nuclear" on the news lately? They must've seen the word written so why mispronounce it?

ErrolTheDragon · 04/03/2022 15:16

@CustardySergeant

Have you noticed the number of reporters saying "nukular" instead of "nuclear" on the news lately? They must've seen the word written so why mispronounce it?
I can never understand this one. Would they also mangle the word it's derived from, 'nucleus'?Confused
September29th · 04/03/2022 15:38

Bare with me.

ErrolTheDragon · 04/03/2022 15:44

Eek it out. Grin

RowanAlong · 04/03/2022 15:52

‘too’ instead of ‘to’ is a new one that I’ve noticed on here…

MintyFreshBreath · 04/03/2022 16:16

@CeleriacOfTheNight Can I point out the irony of misspelling Murphy 😂

I hate it when people get they’re/there/their wrong

MintyFreshBreath · 04/03/2022 16:20

@HundredMilesAnHour

She borrowed me money rather than she lent me money. Argh!!

And of course "my bad". Angry

I was watching a lady talking about how poor she was on the news and she kept saying ‘I can’t afford to lend anymore money’ 😤 I thought, well stop lending people money then!!
YvanEhtNiojYvanEhtNioj · 04/03/2022 16:26

not supposed to be able to leave school until you are passed your GCSE year!

Is you passed?

ErrolTheDragon · 04/03/2022 16:30

Can I point out the irony of misspelling Murphy 😂**

You certainly can, it's a perfect demonstration of Muphry's Law.GrinGrin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law

SugarDatesandPistachios · 04/03/2022 16:30

Loose for lose and Isle for aisle.

Howshouldibehave · 04/03/2022 16:32

[quote MintyFreshBreath]@CeleriacOfTheNight Can I point out the irony of misspelling Murphy 😂

I hate it when people get they’re/there/their wrong[/quote]
You do know that was deliberate, and that Muphry’s Law is a thing?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry%27s_law

PAFMO · 04/03/2022 17:51

[quote MintyFreshBreath]@CeleriacOfTheNight Can I point out the irony of misspelling Murphy 😂

I hate it when people get they’re/there/their wrong[/quote]
Ouch.