Let's start a blitz on bad grammar - nationwide

What bugs me are the two 'expressions' if one can call them that which I find repeatedly in cafes/restaurants (1) you place an order and the waiter replies 'no problem' and (2) you ask for a glass of water or similar and the reply is 'no worries'. I know they mean to be polite and helpful but I do find it irritating.

Also when I worked with people who claimed 'We ain't done nuffink' they seemed puzzled when I assumed that they had, in fact, 'done something'. An explanation of double negatives was lost on them.

Dobbie, your "How about the word "really" being overused and repeated, (as in something is really really brill etc.)." reminded me of the concept of reduplication in Bahasa Indonesia. To stress a word or make it a superlative they simply repeat the word (usually an adjective), so a tikus is a mouse, tikus besar is a big mouse, and tikus besar besar is a rat. The standard reposnse to "how are you" (Apa kabar - literally "what news") is "Saya baik baik saja" which is "I'm really really good/well".

I have a few myself that I notice a lot, one I am unsure of is the use of yesterdee and Wednesdee instead of yesterday and Wednesday...did I miss something, are these word meant to be pronounced this way?

When I read an hospital I feel annoyed. I believe it is correct to use an before an unsounded h, such as honerable or honest and a before words such as hotel.

The other is using I instead of me.

Hi Faye: We were taught - more than half a century ago that we should say 'an hotel' with a silent h. but even then that sounded a bit affected and I don't think my Victorian grannies used it. I never in my life heard anyone say 'an hospital'.

Another thing: 'criteria' is plural - not that I need to tell my fellow pedants that. I cheer when I hear (quite rarely now) someone on the media saying 'criterion' correctly. Likewise 'phenomenon' and 'phenomena'. You don't need to have studied the classics to know about these plurals, but you do need to be taught about them. I've given up on 'medium' and 'media'. The latter seems to be used as singular or plural interchangeably.

Neatly put, Annobel. A few years ago, while I was still teaching, I had to bite my tongue when a depute head teacher used the term criterias!
How do you feel about the use of itinerary instead of agenda. The same DHT was discussing the itinerary for the day. Believe me we were not planning a journey but were facing the awful prospect of a dreary inset day.

Ooh! Cringe! The Scottish education system was evidently going downhill then. I'm assuming it was Scotland because of your use of the word 'depute'; in England we have deputies.
I can't remember hearing or seeing itinerary used in place of agenda but that's just ridiculous. To be completely frivolous, agenda is so much easier to pronounce!
I have heard misnomer being used completely out of context. The people who use it just to mean a mistake presumably think they are being clever.

The one that really makes me extra grumpy is "d'ya know what I mean".
I tell them every time that yes I do know what they mean, they don't have to keep asking me. Less and fewer also get my goat especially in supermarkets - with all their money they can afford to take English lessons! Also the dreaded apostrophe. My grandaughter's Brownie pack has the names of the sixes on the wall as follows: Badger's, Weasel's, Stoat's, Otter's, Beaver's and yes .... Foxe's. AAAHHH.

Being from Lancashire, I was quite offended when I was given a lesson on how to speak today at work from a Liverpudlian (or is that Scouser, not sure?)... I didn't even realise I did it.. but quite often, if not always forget to use the word "the" as in "take your phone off't hook" (CAN YOU TAKE YOUR PHONE OFF THE HOOK!! or "can you come tet door" CAN YOU COME TO THE DOOR! - I can't even speak proper English! Oh well suppose I better go tet garden now, and dig upt weeds!

Wouldn't it be awful if everyone spoke same as what I do? It's our differences that make us who we are, and I talk like my parents, is that so bad?

I agree with so much of this discussion, particularly using 'myself' in the wrong context. I have just been listening to Tony Blair being interviewed on Radio 4 Today programme. In nearly every sentence he used 'look', 'I mean', 'you see' and called the Government 'the Govermernt'. I always maintain that respect went out of the window when he became PM, took off his jacket and tie and said 'Call me Tony'! My youngest daughter has just told me that I am becoming a grumpy old granny - I know I am but isn't it fun!

I am saddened by the use, by intelligent, educated young people, of "would of", instead of "would've" or "would have". They haven't been taught the difference between verbs and prepositions. Teachers should of known better.

Dialogue in shop:
Self: "I'd like to pay for this please."
Shop assistant: "No problem!"
Self (silently) PROBLEM? OF COURSE IT'S NOT A PROBLEM! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR, TO TAKE MY MONEY! WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY NOW IS 'THANK YOU'!
Grrrr.....

gally, I once listened to a debate between Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens. Blair used all those irritating speech mannerisms right through the speech, essentially, I thought, because his arguments were weak. Also, because half of what he's always trying to achieve in public is to say: Look at me! I'm really such a nice guy! Hitchens' use of language was strong and forceful, with no padding, as were his arguments. No prizes for guessing who won the debate.

Just looking at the post about the "itinerary" for the day reminds me of the meeting where we were all asked to make sure we were "singing from the same menu"...

A question for the pedants: when one uses quotation marks and the bit one is quoting finishes the sentence, should the full stop come inside the end quote marks or outside?

Outside.

Outside. But what if it is a full sentence that is being quoted, and there is a full stop at the end of what is being quoted?

Outside is what I thought but it's nice to have it comfirmed by fellow pedants.

Another question for the pedants: if you can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, can you be whelmed?

twizzle - your question prompted me to look up 'the big dictionary' and WHELM certainly does exist as a verb (i) to overturn or capsize and as a verb (t) to place a hollow vessel over something as a cover, to throw something over something else, also overpower emotionally. It's also a noun - a hollowed out tree trunk used as a drainpipe!

Really think your question was more interesting than the answer! Don't see much opportunity to use this newly-acquired knowledge, do you?

So, 'overwhelm' is a tautology - it means to over-overpower! However, I don't see us going back in time to say, 'I'm feeling completely whelmed.' Underwhelm doesn't make sense etymologically, but that won't stop us using it. Isn't English wonderful!

Thanks em I now have to try to think of how to place the word whelm into a sentence.

Am amazed at whelm, did not know of it's existence. I hate at all, as in"can I help you at all" or is there anything else you want at all". Thanks Em and helshea for the full stop information, I'm ashamed to say I think I have been putting it in the wrong place.

Whelm is a w(h)onderful word! Now, if a hollowed out tree that is used as a drainpipe is called a whelm, what is an old chimney that is used as a brolley holder called?

A useful thingymajig?