Snow on the way

[Dave Mann]

What about disassemble?

[Tony Griffiths]

And when did "increase" become the idiotic "ramping up"?

...and in "in the future" and "next" become "going forward"?

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Correct, Bob. The term Norman comes from old French/English which means the "Men from the North" or "Northmen", meaning Vikings. They even got as far south as the Cevennes in France as there are traces of Viking history in this area.

...and further than that, even to Constantinople, apparently. They must have been there flogging off their surplus stock of (non-existent) horned helmets. Oh, dear; do we use just "flogging off" as a term redolent with meaning that the parts are indeed surplus, or is it a tautology to say "flogging off surplus stock"? Grammar pedants welcome here and going forward.

[Robert Foreman]

Don't get me started Dave, 
   disassemble is a word I despise, almost as much fettling. Unless it's about cleaning up castings!

[Anne Griffiths]

The intentional addition of a foreign word where one is lacking in our own language is perfectly acceptable. However, what sticks in the craw is the bastardisation of our own English language by those who have borrowed it for their own use..... or would that be usage?

[Duncan Grimmond]

Can we start a new thread entitled "Pedants Corner" (or should that be Pedants' or Pedant's)
There is a NYCC roadsign not 5 miles from me marked TRACTOR'S TURNING.
Now, if it were a specially designated spot I could just about live with it but it's just a gateway...

[David Stepney]

Can we start a new thread entitled "Pedants Corner" (or should that  be Pedants' or Pedant's)
There is a NYCC roadsign not 5 miles from me marked TRACTOR'S TURNING.
Now, if it were a specially designated spot I could just about live with it but it's just a gateway...

Duncan, its only "Pedant's" if there is one of them, "Pedants' " if there are more than one.

I speak as a true pedant. Incidentally, I came across two pedants killed on the road this morning. Sorry PHEASANTS.

[Steve Jones]

Glad it's not just me!!

A1 Roundabout at Boston Spa/Wetherby exit has a VOSA/DVLA testing station in the middle of it. The place where they pull lorries etc. off the A1 and check them over, weigh them etc. As you come round the roundabout there's a large red and white sign warning you that lorries might be exiting the place. It says 'HGV's Emerging 100 yds' 

Steve

[Reckless Rat]

Are we still talking about the weather? The Mem'Sahib's car was frosted over this morning. That's the first time this winter.

[David Stepney]

Are we still talking about the weather? The Mem'Sahib's car was frosted over this morning. That's the first time this winter.

I though we still were! Whether we have an attack of pedants or not.

however if we talking about the white stuff that falls, I was debating whether to post my latest diatribe on this thread or on Bruce's excellent thread 'What have you done today with your Austin Seven?' I have chosen the latter as being more appropriate.

David (arch-pedant, peasant but not, so far as I am aware, pheasant.)

[andrew34ruby]

Well done- Finger Fault corrected - no comment about French words commonly now used in English compared to American words now used in English ?

Not sure how this fits under the heading of Snow on the way

from SNOW TO LANGUAGE.

Snowy weather and windy weather can break electricity cables. We call it a power cut, but now it seems to be a power outage.

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Glad it's not just me!!

A1 Roundabout at Boston Spa/Wetherby exit has a VOSA/DVLA testing station in the middle of it. The place where they pull lorries etc. off the A1 and check them over, weigh them etc. As you come round the roundabout there's a large red and white sign warning you that lorries might be exiting the place. It says 'HGV's Emerging 100 yds' 

Steve

Yes I saw that one as Boston Spa, Steve. Eventually I figured it was correct. HGV is an abbreviation and I believe it is correct to make the abbreviation into a plural by adding the apostrophe s.

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It is clearly more important to make sure that a UK based, UK paid for, drama can be understood by an American than by someone in the UK

Rant over

Often the TV programme producers don't seem to care whether we can even hear the spoken words, never mind understand them. Many words are drowned by the continuous plinky plonk that some might call background music.