Examples of errors that have been normalised?

[spicedsoup]

Language evolves and I assume there are words or expressions that exist that developed from common misunderstandings or variations in usage. I don’t know of any examples though! Do you have any examples or know where I can find out more about how the English language has evolved?

I’ll also share that part of the reason I am curious is because I am irrationally concerned that one day ‘of’ in place of ‘ ‘ve’ as the contracted ‘have’ will become accepted as correct due to common usage. I’ll be an old lady ranting at young ones, “In my day it was HAVE! HAVE, I tell you!”. So I’m wondering what the precedent is

@sanityisamyth

The 'flu. It's just 'flu!!! You don't say "the arthritis" or "the cancer" or "the athlete's foot". So why THE 'flu?!

Also, why are the supermarkets plural? Tescos, Asdas, Lidls etc.

Apostrophes also need to be in every word ending in -s these days. No idea why!

Surely you know the purpose of an apostrophe is to indicate there is an s coming along?

Similarly, in written English: discrete in the place of discreet.

@Helenahandkart

The incorrect use of yourself/myself makes me wince but, having never personally studied grammar, please could someone tell me if I should be saying ‘me and Johnny’ or ‘Johnny and me’?

Perhaps not quite what you asked, but related - I read somewhere that the way to remember whether to use 'I' or 'me' is to take away the other person and see if the sentence still makes sense.

Eg. 'The house belongs to Johnny and me' vs 'the house belongs to Johnny and I'.

If Johnny wasn't mentioned, you would say 'the house belongs to me' therefore in this example 'me' is correct.

'Johnny and I own the house' vs 'Johnny and me own the house' only works with 'I'

I have no idea whether this is correct, btw, but I've found it useful and at least I know I am consistent!

I hate when I see someone use “of” instead of have, literally makes me cringe.

Also I hate that everyone adds an “ ‘s” to make a word plural instead of just an “s”. Also not changing “y” to “ies” to make a word plural, eg instead of “babies” or “cries” it’s “babys” and “crys”. Irks the piss outta me.

Also “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less “.

I've been a pedant about incorrect use of ignorant since 1991.

(They'll use it as arrogant.)

@OchonAgusOchonOh
@NancyDrawed
Thank you!
I knew the rule about determining whether me or I should be used, but hadn’t considered until tonight whether there was a correct order to ‘Johnny and me’

@Helenahandkart

The incorrect use of yourself/myself makes me wince but, having never personally studied grammar, please could someone tell me if I should be saying ‘me and Johnny’ or ‘Johnny and me’?

'Philip and myself will be popping into classes today...'

Drives me nuts. Especially as they're teachers

/////Eg. 'The house belongs to Johnny and me' vs 'the house belongs to Johnny and I'.

If Johnny wasn't mentioned, you would say 'the house belongs to me' therefore in this example 'me' is correct.

'Johnny and I own the house' vs 'Johnny and me own the house' only works with 'I'////

Sorry bold isn't working - this is exactly how I was taught to do it at school.

Pretty much the entire language.

At some point, young people started saying "an apron" and "an adder" instead of "a napron" and "a nadder" and I bet it drove old people nuts. I like to imagine conversations like "You want me to pass you what? The 'apron'? I can't see any 'aprons'! There's only this napron here!"

Bring instead of take and the usagevof myself are accurate in Hiberno-English.

I dislike
He was sat/stood there.
Off instead of from. I really dislike this.
She's took/ she's wrote/ he's went/he's came is another one I hate.
Can I lend?
Ou
Out the door/car/window instead of out of.

All of these seem acceptable in casual colloquial spoken English, but increasingly in informal written English too.

Everyone seems to think it's 'bare with me' instead of the correct term 'bear with me'.

Don't even get me started on "entitled", which seems to have undergone a 180 degree change of direction in meaning 🙄. Surely you mean "that person arguing with the manager has a misplaced sense of entitlement "?

Invite, used instead of invitation.
I sent out the invites/the invite said
It drives me mad.

Recommend me, instead of recommend an x to me.

Helena, it can be tricky sometimes. I would say:
‘Johnny and I went to the cinema’ but
‘she gave the tickets to Johnny and me’.

It often comes naturally if you leave Johny out of it. Most people would say ‘I went to the cinema’ and ‘she gave the tickets to me’.

It’s customary to put the other person’s name first in both sentences. That’s definitely the case in the first sentence. However, I think, depending on the circumstances, you might sometimes use ‘me and Johny’ in the second sentence. Another mums net pendant might take a different view.

Bought and brought will become two interchangeable words.

@sanityisamyth

The 'flu. It's just 'flu!!! You don't say "the arthritis" or "the cancer" or "the athlete's foot". So why THE 'flu?!

Also, why are the supermarkets plural? Tescos, Asdas, Lidls etc.

Apostrophes also need to be in every word ending in -s these days. No idea why!

Oh, I don't know, my mother gives me a daily update on who has "the covid".

[quote Helenahandkart]@OchonAgusOchonOh
@NancyDrawed
Thank you!
I knew the rule about determining whether me or I should be used, but hadn’t considered until tonight whether there was a correct order to ‘Johnny and me’[/quote]
The other person is always mentioned first.

I can't stand the use of "purposefully" for "deliberately".

There's a Lola Young song, So Sorry, which uses 'shouldn't of'. The official lyrics say 'shouldn't have' but that's not what she sings. It's very jarring when I hear it on the radio.

Super, as in "I was super tired, we were super late, she is super kind".
Aaaaaaaarrrgghhhhh

The word “apron” comes from a mistake. It was originally “a napron” (like nappy and napkin) but gradually people stopped saying “a napron” and started saying “an apron”.

@Luckyelephant1

Everyone seems to think it's 'bare with me' instead of the correct term 'bear with me'.

I'm not getting naked with anyone who says that to me!!!

Pedant not pendant

Gotten is sneaking in.