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Original poster

Pedants: What "Facts" Have Annoyed You Lately?

181 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 12/11/2006 20:35

I keep going into a nice baker, which has sourdough breads, with a big sign saying they're "yeast free". They're not bloody well yeast free, they just don't have added yeast.

I'm also unduly annoyed by things that are chemical-free, when that expression just doesn't make any sense ...

Make me feel like less of a freak! Share your pedanty annoyances. (No greengrocer's apostrophe stories, please ...)

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 20/11/2006 14:38

frieswiththat, you made me hoot at 'still water'!

speedymama · 20/11/2006 14:42

From Mrs Badger Link
"From the HPLC analysis, it was observed that the L-ascorbic acid in an appropriate system showed high molecular stability for a long time. Moreover, in the measurement of in vitro skin permeation, the L-ascorbic acid stabilized in this study showed considerable skin permeation ability, indicating its potential applicability in pharmaceutics and cosmetics.

Well, knock me down with a feather. My first question is just how exactly did they arrive at the conclusion that L-ascorbic acid (i.e Vitamin C) showed high molecular stability for a long time (please define) by just using HPLC which is a separation technique? TBH, I could have told them that without carrying out such an experiment, particularly as it has a melting point of 193 deg C and is known to be highly stable as well as water soluble.

Also, would like to know how they define skin permeability because if what they say is true, I think there is something wrong with the skin they are using. If there are any cosmetic scientists out there, please enlighten me!

hatwoman · 20/11/2006 17:12

estate agents do provide the best ones: we looked ruond a house once that was originally a former post office; and the other day we saw an ad for one that was "within the catchment area of local primary schools" - what a relief; as well as one that was "situated on arguably North Kingston's most premier road" what manner of language is that, I ask you?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 20/11/2006 17:15

Presumably "arguably North Kingston" is a special new town, separate and distinct from "North Kingston"?

OP posts:
hatwoman · 20/11/2006 17:18

well estate agents do have a tendency to invent towns don't they. I pmsl the other day - dd's school is called X school, it's on x street, which is part of area y - so much part of Y that Y station is less than 2 minutes walk away. guess what the estate agents have christened it? "x village". (all of which is off the point of the op but seeing as estate agents cropped up...)

wheresthehamster · 20/11/2006 17:49

While we are on estate agents ...
Do they really think we fall for that '3 reception rooms' rubbish i.e. lounge, dining room and 5' x 5' study?

MrsBadger · 20/11/2006 17:51

I still like '1/2 bedrooms'

and generally they do have about half a bedroom...

moondog · 20/11/2006 18:24

I'm not a scientist but have read a lot about the spurious claims they make with their products.
Trouble is that trading standards are David to the Goliathos of Lancome,Procter Gamble et al

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 20/11/2006 18:32

I don't think I've seen half-bedrooms ... are they single bedrooms? Or box rooms?

In Montreal, almost all flats are described as 3 1/2 rooms, 6 1/2 rooms, or whatever. The half a room is the loo.

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 20/11/2006 18:37

here '1/2' means one-to-two bedrooms ie two bedrooms - one big enough for a double bed and one not.

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 20/11/2006 18:39

Ah, right, yes, I've seen 3/4 bedrooms etc. Always assumed the semi-bedroom wasn't enclosed, or was a study now or something ...

(The Montreal counting is very random, I've seen a medium-sized L-shaped room counted as three rooms ...)

OP posts:
3andnomore · 20/11/2006 20:20

Oh Hatwoman, I hope you weren't one of those "Timewasters" that looked round my friends house...which used to be Post Office...she ain't happy, lol...People come to look round her house and then say, oh nice, but it hasn't got any Parking...duh....it does say that on the specifics (or whatever the pieces of papers that you get from Estate agents with all the Info on are called)...

3andnomore · 20/11/2006 20:23

Oh, when we were looking around houses one claimed blatantly that it was a 4 bedroom house...the 4th bedroom was to small to even have a cot in it (and it was used as a small Junkroom)...surely that can not be counted aas a full bedroom...grrr...what a waste of our time that was!

amicissima · 20/11/2006 20:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

doyouwantfrieswiththat · 20/11/2006 20:31

oh god yes amicissima

when did reporting the news turn in to peddling speculation as fact?

tubismybub · 20/11/2006 20:51

Our local antique shops sign that says 'We buy your junk, we sell antiques' so basically they give a few quid your old crap, mark it up to a ridiculous price and suddenly it becomes an antique.

hatwoman · 20/11/2006 21:10

tubismybub - that's priceless - surely they're taking the piss

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 20/11/2006 21:43

Hmm, that's lovely, though, at least it's honest

OP posts:
welliemum · 20/11/2006 22:24

You lot are being so rude about "science", when the reality is that we have a huge amount to learn from the cosmetics industry.

Like where they get their lab coats. Have you noticed how their "scientists" always wear immaculately ironed, beautifully tailored white coats?

I've worn many, many white coats in my career and they've always been grey, covered in odd stains (well cooked in by the autoclave or boil wash or whatever), hopelessly creased, and tailored for orangutans.

They may be peddling rubbish but they have lovely white coats

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 20/11/2006 22:26

All the lab coats worn by the Evil Cosmetics Vampires in department stores are pure white, too.

Maybe, to have a really nice lab coat, you just need to be Evil?

OP posts:
Eulalia · 20/11/2006 22:32

dh once went for a pub lunch which advertised "Vegetable legumes" for one of the dishes.

doyouwantfrieswiththat · 20/11/2006 22:34

as opposd to those cute fluffy legumes that you can keep as pets I suppose

hatwoman · 20/11/2006 22:39

when we stayed in a god awful "chalet" (I use the term loosely) in France once we were informed by our Essex boy holiday rep that we had a "genuine French chef". hip hip hurrah. said genuine french chef couldn't quite cope with our vegetarian contingent (nothing new there I know) but it did result in rather amusing attempts by Essex boy to make the veggie meals sound good by saying them in "french" (another term used loosely) - one night it was "pasta au buerre". another night it was "pasta with puttie po iss"

hairymclary · 20/11/2006 22:47

haven't read entire thread so sorry if this one has been done

but "best ever" on anything.
so that means they can never improve it. why isn't it "best yet"?

hairymclary · 20/11/2006 22:49

also like the conditioner ads (think pantene is guilty of this) that claim to leave your hair "5 times shinier"

then in tiny letters at the bottom of the screen "than not using conditioner"

well, what a surprise

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