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.

Advisor in British English contexts. It is adviser.

I know, I know. But in everyday (note the correct use of everyday there!) domestic recipes in English (the language) recipe books, biscuits are not cooked twice. Cookies are slightly 'cakey' in texture but that isn't because they're only cooked once.

Mixing up effect and affect - eg it really effected me.

mixing up singular and plural eg we was at home.

People saying fulsome praise without understanding that is is not a synonym of lots. Fulsome means excessive to the point of obsequiousness. It indicates that the person giving praise is insincere.

Is that an official distinction? You can use either in either case when using as a conjunction AFAIK but happy to be corrected! I would only distinguish when using it as a noun e.g 'It's been a while' can't be subbed with 'It's been a whilst'. 😁

Doh!! Got me.

I've just thought of one that makes me chuckle - when an estate agent refers to a house as "deceptively spacious" 😆

Yes. Biscuit in English is used to describe a broader range of baked goods than the original French word referenced.

A good indication as to what qualifies as a biscuit is to look at HMRC VAT guidance.

Do you feel the same about more and greater?

And now we come to Jaffa cakes...

People who think you can never say "me" but always say "I" even when the object, not the subject, of the statement, e.g. "She told Benny and I to go home" (you'd never say "She told I to go home") or "She gave them to my children and I" (you'd never say "She gave them to I"). It sounds so pretentious, like "I" is somehow posher.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the Jaffa Cake controversy. I think they decided biscuit in the end?

Oh god!!!! and people thinking that "-ize" ending are American. The Oxford UK dictionary uses -ize endings.

The history of -ise versus -ize endings in British English is a bit of headfuck, something to do with wanting to distance ourselves from the French at some point.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_spelling#Language_tag_comparison

I'd argue that I'm unique, like we all are, because nobody has my particular sequence of DNA, but my friend, who was born with half her hair blonde and half dark d two different coloured eyes is more unique than me. 🤷

From AI;

"Though packaged and marketed like biscuits, Jaffa Cakes are legally considered cakes in the UK."

'Please may you...'

I can't help but think 'I may not'

Draws instead of drawers. I cannot get over how many people genuinely do not know the difference.

This is my ultimate pet hate. I mean, they have 2 totally different meanings...

Indeed. This property gives the impression of spaciousness, but is actually a pokey little hovel.

There's a relatively minor one that gets on my nerves especially when it's used by people who should know better.

"He's ran off down the road" instead of "he's run off down the road".

It's "He ran off" or "He's run off", don't mix them up.

Sorry haven’t read the thread, but people mistaking brought for bought makes me want to scream. Also, “yay or nay”. It’s YEA.

Pet peeves

there/they're/their used incorrectly. There holiday. Their coming round later.
being/been confused - What's the best thing about been a mum?
Greengrocer's apostrophe - orange's, holiday's.

On route. Arrghhh.....I think we have to accept its use now, though, unfortunately, it's become so commonplace.

People who apparently ‘weight’ themselves.

You're welcome to learn anything you want to.

Correcting other people without invitation or a teaching relationship is rude.

You must be aware of how most people feel about pedants?!