Pedants' Corner

[Nick Lettington]

...in the 1990's....

AARRGGHH!

[Mike Costigan]

Thank you, Duncan, for reviving 'whilst'!

[Reckless Rat]

I joined the police in 1971 at a time when it was "Force" and not a "Service". We had Policemen and Policewomen, and did as we were told.

On my first week at training centre I had to learn the definition of a pedlar ( not a pedaller). It reads as follows:

A pedlar is a man ( gender specific) who, without horse or other beast drawing or bearing burden, goes from town to town or to other men's houses ( again gender specific) offering to sell, or exposing for sale any goods, wares or merchandise, or offers for sale his skill in handicraft.

A constable may demand, on sight, the production of a pedlar's certificate, failure to do so may result in him being arrested without warrant.

There used to be a bloke in Attercliffe, Sheffield that had such an occupation. He was easily identifiable as he was of the Sikh religion. His pedlar's certificate was known to all and sundry. Never ever seen another one.

[Steve kay]

What a relaxed Pedants’ Corner, not quite the refuge for rivet counters that Lord Gnome offers. And here we have widespread cultural references. Graham, do you suggest that one should say Elizabeth Taylor IS Cleopatra, or that Richard Burton WAS Mark Anthony? And Duncan, surely for that costume drama the script should say “ I were stood as he were sat by there.” Mr Hobday, the people using roadmap cannot be trusted further than you could throw a Scammel gearbox. Roadmap, road map, gradient profile or circuit diagram, believe not a word, or indeed anything at all. As for the greengrocer’s apostrophe, there used to be an electrical person in Suffolk whose sign outside the workshop said “magnetoe’s” Are we all hiding from our workshops until it gets a little warmer?

[Mike Costigan]

... Are we all hiding from our workshops until it gets a little warmer?

We certainly are...  I've just checked the number of users on-line - at 8.30 in the morning there are 18 registered users and 124 guests logged-on to the Forum!

[Andy Bennett]

Every time someone on the telly says 'less than 15', or anything specific, my wife shouts 'it's fewer than...'.
Same applies to the 'less than 10 items' queue, Only Waitrose seem to maintain standards with a 'fewer than 10 items' sign.

There is a long standing sign in Essex to Antique's. I do wonder if sometimes it is done on purpose to attract attention.

Andy

ps: how many others are now carefully checking through their post before pressing go...

[Mike Costigan]

Another 'numbers' one that I find amusing rather than irritating: how many times to you see, say, the production run of some obscure car being quoted as something like 'approximately 349 were built'. 349 is a very specific number - either say that was 'probably' the number produced, or say 'approximately 350'!

[Dave Wortley]

I didn't learn Latin at school but one of my friends at work went to Firth Park Grammar in Sheffield ( for Reckless's information) where he was taught Latin ( he said)
One of his Latin utterances was "Dominus est nobis twysass bigas myniss".

[Russlin]

Our English teacher taught us "Fewer in number, less in amount. Example, "There is less coal in that stack and fewer people to shovel it". (Note the use of a noun "shovel" as a verb).
Also, my dictionary does not include the new word "neucula", as used by presidents and ministers seemingly as a replacement for "nuclear".
Have I spelt it correctly?

Russell.

[Nick Salmon]

I cannot abide the use of the word 'Hey' as the opening in a business email from a stranger. Whatever happened to 'Hello'?

This is followed by, 'Hope you're well', or, worse, 'Hope your well'. (My reactions are: a) I do indeed hope that I am well; b) You don't care a jot if I am or not, so why say it?)

Then comes: 'I am reaching out...' 

Whatever happened to 'I am writing...' or, 'I am contacting you because...'?

Should I be feeling particularly grumpy at the time I tend to reply with this:


  Reach out.JPG (Size: 24.16 KB / Downloads: 134)