To ask where this stupid phrase has come from?

[Bluesheep8]

"Swap out"
Why the addition of the word 'out' ?
I was in a restaurant last week and heard someone say "can I swap out the chips for new potatoes?"
The word swap says all that's needed surely? It just makes no sense

@frasersmummy

OMG.. I work in IT and I say swap out all the time and I have no idea why (and to be honest I never thought about it till you post this thread)

I'll swap out a hard drive, memory etc.. I don't use it in any other part of my life

So thanks @Bluesheep8 I will be questioning myself every time I say it now

Its origins are in IT so it's really not you who needs to be questioning yourself.

I'm wanting instead of I want. I blame this on the Scottish as that's where I first heard it.

I'm going to NZ ... So why is everyone else coming to NZ?

What's going on with the yyyyyyyyyeah, or nnnnnnooooo 🤔. I want to ask how long have they had this stammer. They ain't kids either!

@YouJustFoldItIn

'Reach out to'. What's wrong with 'contact' ?

Goodness knows, but it's even invading businesses, customer services functions and professional websites in the UK now. It makes me want to hurl.

Part of my job involves proofreading and editing memos and e-mails written in English by non-native speakers at a large consultancy firm. The client's styleguide specifies British English and includes a list of phrases to avoid - which thankfully includes the abomination that is "reach out to". So I always take great pleasure in swapping it out for "contact" or "get in touch with". And I would still do it even if it were not on the list... And it feels so good...

And emails that start "Hey Roses". Usually from the under 30s. It irks.

I did have to stop my younger sibling the other day from sending an email that started with ‘Hello John!’. It took them a while to understand why addressing a university professor - your potential personal tutor next year and 40 years your senior - with ‘Dear Mr Smith’ or ‘Dear John’ at a push, would be more appropriate.

I do say ‘needs cleaning’ and I hate ‘I’ve went’. Mainly because when I was taught English at school, it was drummed into us that you could only use ‘I have __’ with a participle (third column), not the simple past tense (second column). It’s go - went - gone. ‘I have’ cannot be used with a second column. It makes me physically uncomfortable

Don’t get me started on “would of”. I’ve only noticed this in the last three or four years, I’m sure. Aren’t people taught the basics of grammar anymore?

On last night’s edition of The Hit List, the presenter commented that “ABBA would’ve went down well at Glastonbury”. Grrrrr.

@BlackCountryWench2

Don’t get me started on “would of”. I’ve only noticed this in the last three or four years, I’m sure. Aren’t people taught the basics of grammar anymore?

It's pronunciation affecting spelling. Obviously, it's wrong, but there's a very simple explanation as to why it's so common. You also have to remember that for swathes of the 1980s, grammar wasn't "taught" in schools. I was at secondary school from 1977-84 and our English lessons were reading and creative writing.

Reach out comes from old Norse.

Well they've been hiding that well for almost a millenia then. I've not heard it said at all in any culture until roughly 5-7 years ago, where it started popping up all over the place in American corporate jargon and customer services.

@Tilltheend99

It’s people watching too many American tv shows.

It makes me think people sit in front of them all day and blindly repeat the things they hear. It's the same with 'plenty' - for example, 'He's plenty old enough'. Why bother adding the extra word?

and the same with 'my people'.

As with most annoying things, it's American.

Ooh flame me, go on.

Melvyn Bragg's book The Adventure of English is a fascinating read, for anyone getting upset about those pesky Americans polluting our beautiful, superior language

Reach out comes from old Norse.

Reach out meaning contact (as opposed to physically reaching out an arm) comes from old Norse??

@YouJustFoldItIn

Reach out comes from old Norse.

Well they've been hiding that well for almost a millenia then. I've not heard it said at all in any culture until roughly 5-7 years ago, where it started popping up all over the place in American corporate jargon and customer services.

How many languages do you speak?

I think "in hospital" is a stupid phrase. It's in the hospital.

@BlackCountryWench2

Don’t get me started on “would of”. I’ve only noticed this in the last three or four years, I’m sure. Aren’t people taught the basics of grammar anymore?

It's been in common usage for decades. Perhaps it's somewhat regional, it was certainly in use in Essex in the 60s and 70s.

@FortunesFave

People on MN keep saying "I was pissed because DH was late" and the like.

Pissed? NO YOU WERE PISSED OFF!

Yes, it's no good taking to alcohol at the first sign of a problem!

@RAFHercules

The "going in with" is so Jamie Oliver, it's like he's going in to war with the big guns instead of sprinkling a bit of salt.

Jamie Oliver's choice of words never fail to make me laugh.

I've never quite got over one of his programs when he said he was going "wazz in his blender"

@steff13

I think "in hospital" is a stupid phrase. It's in the hospital.

No, as I said upthread, there's a nuance of meaning. In hospital- you're in a bed. In your pyjamas. Focus is on the medical situation. In the hospital- Focus is on the building itself. You can be in the hospital because that's where you work. It describes physical location. So you can be in bed "in the hospital" but not necessarily.

My favourite is "new" baby. Whoever heard of an "old" baby. It should be "congratulations on the birth of your baby".

"It's been in common usage for decades. Perhaps it's somewhat regional, it was certainly in use in Essex in the 60s and 70s."

Isn't it "would've"?

Which can sound like would of so that is what is now being written?

The superiority and irritation that the British love to show when faced with American English is especially funny when you know the history of the differences.

When America was very young, differences like "colour" and "color" weren't differences at all. Spelling wasn't really set in stone yet - some people did it one way, some the other, sometimes people switched between both in the same document. It was the same on both sides of the Atlantic. Along came Webster, who wrote a dictionary which codified the use of simpler spellings (like leaving out the aforementioned "U"s, and going for "program" instead of "programme", that sort of thing). Then, and ONLY then, did the British decide to go the opposite way and codify the more complicated spellings- not out of a sense of tradition, because there was no tradition, words were spelled both ways (and many other ways) in all English speaking countries before Webster wrote his dictionary. Instead, the British and by extension their colonies codified the other spellings for no other reason than to be contrary and petty (and nationalistic).

The superiority and irritation that the British love to show when faced with American English is especially funny when you know the history of the differences.

I’d be interested to know if that’s actually a uniquely British trait. I’m sure all countries have people who don’t want words/phrases from other languages becoming common. The Académie Française has pushed back against some anglicisms in French, although I’ll admit I have no idea how in step they are with the opinion of the French public in general, or whether their views are seen as irrelevant.

@diddl

"It's been in common usage for decades. Perhaps it's somewhat regional, it was certainly in use in Essex in the 60s and 70s."

Isn't it "would've"?

Which can sound like would of so that is what is now being written?

It originates from the contraction to 'would've' but I can remember it being quite clearly said as 'I would of' . And DM who was a primary teacher would come across it in written work. It's not new.

I'm quite happy to blame the Canadians. The folks that brought you Justin Bieber!!! (& isnt that German for beaver?? Appropriate!)

Nope never will forgive Tescos for losing the noun. You've got to remember that lots of people come to the UK having learned what is considered (somewhere and for some reason) proper English so when they hear phrases that "aren't right" it's confusing. I was lucky as the Brit next door to me in the uni residence told me to ask her about anything that didn't make sense. So asked her what a bap was, what's a "one off", courgette, and a number of others!!