To invite the grammar and language pedants to share their pet peeves?

[AlertCat]

AIBU to feel annoyed when I see people say Slither instead of sliver? It was even in a book I read recently. A slither of cake. No! That makes no sense, unless the cake’s been trodden into the carpet!

Also see: step foot in instead of set foot in

There’s plenty of others but those will do for now.

"I woke up at 2 AM in the morning". No. Either the '2 AM' or the 'in the morning' are superfluous here. Pick one.

One thing I've started to notice is people saying "they" instead of "he" or "she" even when there is no issue about gender identity.

I'm a bit worried that "they" is going to become the default way of saying "he"/"she" by people vaguely thinking it's more "correct" ... like those who always say "I" instead of "me" (e.g. "He gave them to my sister and I").

Using ‘they’ as an alternative to ‘he or she’ way predates any gender identity politics, though.

In a similar vein I hate "one of the only...", it's either the only one or it isn't.

Or the American "this is by far one of the best...", it's by far the best or it's one of the best, but not both.

And the usuals, haitch, should/could/would of, continue on, barter when they mean haggle, saying chaise lounge instead of chaise longue. Upmost seems to have replaced utmost.

I know, but we used to use it when not knowing who we were referring to, e.g. "The next shopkeeper might open earlier; we won't know until they move in."

It'd odd to see people using it referring to their husband, wife, daughter or son, which I've seen a few times lately and the poster has clarified that there is no gender confusion involved.

Boarders when meaning borders.

People on Facebook selling a chest of draws

Curb when they mean kerb and vice versa.

Infer v imply. This thread is awakening irrational prejudices I didn't know I have. What might you infer from that? What are the implications for my future on this thread?

videos demonstrating making things, eg baking, crafts, decorating, DIY, dressmaking, saying ‘I went ahead and………’ about the next step.

Dislike it. Think traditional use is to use that phrase when proceeding is in doubt (‘I wasn’t sure whether to open the message, but went ahead’) or another person’s opinion is sought (‘yes do, go ahead’).

Presenters of history/archaeology programmes for whom everything is ‘incredible’ get on my nerves.
’should of’ instead of ‘should have’ - so common it may have become normal

Those that use who instead of whom.

I was caned at school for this, so it enrages me still.

I think it might be a US thing. I remember video calls with US clients who often said "You go right ahead and...", which sounded like a rather sweet way of making an instruction emphatic but friendly!

this!! I too hear it on radio, in podcasts, it's ubiquitous

I hate when people try to quantify the word unique.

I remember my mother's annoyance with the then, Light Programme, now Radio 4, when the announcer informed us that 'it is almost exactly 4 o'clock.' Disclaimer: the time varied, I've used 4 o'clock for illustrative purposes.

'It's either exactly or almost, it can't be both' was her argument; of course she was right.

Language evolves.

Well, yes, but usually in the interests of clarify and simplification.

"He" and "she" are very simple and useful words to become obsolete in the interests of universal deference to gender confusion 😬

Nobody always says 'I' instead of 'me' though. Nobody would say 'He gave I a birthday present'!

Shrug

usage is the final arbiter. Whatever you or I may think.

Not sure I agree with this. Almost exactly 4 is at most a minute from 4. Almost 4 could be 5 to 4, 3.45 or whatever depending on your frame of reference.

People need to get off they're hi horse. They should of been looking at the changes and accepting then.

😀

Surely people would expect precision from the BBC, so if it were 5 to 4 then the announcer would say that it's 3.55 or 3.45 if it's 15 minutes before 4, as in your example.

Listeners might be setting their clocks by these announcements 3.45 is not almost 4, it's 15 minutes before 4.

That sort of vagueness is fine if you're asking your friend what the time is. From the BBC, particularly many years ago when people didn't have mobile phones to consult and watches were often less reliable in their time keeping than they are now, the BBC would be expected to give the correct time.

'It's coming up to 4 o'clock' would be a far better way to express the fact that the big hand is not quite on 12 rather than saying it's almost exactly 4; almost exactly being a contradiction in terms.

No, "almost exactly" is not a contradiction in terms. 3.99 is almost exactly 4. 03:59:55 is almost exactly 4 o'clock.

We thought similar in my A-Level chemistry class when we read experiment instructions to weigh out "exactly about" a nominal quantity of whatever ingredient. The lecturer pointed out that it meant the amount needed wasn't precisely specified, but it was important that we knew with precision how much we'd used.

My dc relatives on her dad’s side use ‘her’ as a direct object pronoun instead of ‘she’: “Her’s gone up Nan’s”, “Her looks like her dad” and also ‘have’ instead of ‘has’: “He’ve got on the bus”

They don’t use ‘him’ in this way though.

@AlertCat is that not down to bed education though? surely that is even a local way of talking?

Love old dialects! My granny moved to the country with us in the 80s and told some local children to behave. Apparently one said to the other 'why is her telling we what to do? Us don't belong to she...'