Slovenly speech, incorrect grammar etc.

I was just going to mention Beth Rigby acanthus! It does grate on me, especially in one so educated and knowledgeable. There was a Twitter stream about it once, but no-one has told her to change.

My 6 year old GD always said she loved banilla ice cream. We had to tell her it was called vanilla.

When I was an office junior I was sent to get some manilla envelopes. Unfortunately I misheard and asked for vanilla envelopes! Vanilla is one of those words that seem to confuse our family.

It annoys me when I hear incorrect grammar but having taught all levels of ability I remember that there were some children who would never get things right however many times they were told! So it's not fair to blame school or parents. Also a lot of words and phrases are picked up from others in today's culture. What does annoy me is hearing TV presenters (especially the BBC) using words incorrectly or misprounouncing. These people are supposedly educated and editors should make sure they know!
However, even my DS and DD use words and phrases that grate on me and were definitely not learned from us or from school eg 'I'm good', 'can I get' in a restaurant etc.

Am I alone in liking Steve Wright's Serious Jockin' on Friday afternoons

I haven't listened to Steve Wright in years, but my daughter and I used to love his afternoon programme.
"I need an ambliance!"

'F' for 'th' is immature speech and most children grow out of it. Those that don't usually have parents who have immature speech and so, to them, it sounds normal.

Another pet hate of mine is when people drop their aitches then replace the letter 'a' with 'an'

A house would become an'ouse!

Thinkin’, thankin’ wantin’...
When asked by a barista what the person would like responding “Can I get a coffee?”. I could go on and on.

Totally agree Lj about immature speech.

Another one I've just seen, 'excited for'. Why? On whose behalf are you being excited?

What happened to 'excited about'?

And 'pissed' for 'pissed off'. I always read it as 'drunk'...

Mahdah for murder?

Quite unique, annoys me.

My father was rather particular about the English used by my brothers and myself when we were growing up, and he had wonderful 'use of English' himself. However, I now believe that language evolves just like other things otherwise we would still be using the English of Chaucer or other former times.
Having said that, I remember being horrified when I went to the open day at the local selective school, to find that the headmistress used a split infinitive in her speech! I was not impressed!

When we were in primary school we were asked to write sentences to illustrate the difference between "uninterested" and "disinterested" or "imply" and "infer".

That was not considered a difficult exercise for a nine year old. Yet now these words, and many others, are abused and misused on TV by people who should surely know better.

I agree that language can change. I use the word "bin" as a verb these days, whereas it used to be a noun and never a verb, but the evolution of language should not sacrifice subtle distinctions of meaning.

I am not implying that language is cast in stone so please don't infer that is what I mean.

Azie09 I totally agree with you. I am always correcting my family when they say LESS rather than FEWER! I don't feel able to correct people other than my family but often shout at the radio!

My bug bear is the use of an adverb as an adjective ( I think or the other way around ) someone put me right please.

As in 'I eat healthy' when it should be ' I eat healthily '.

" The lad done good" used to be a joke about ignorant football commentators but I'm sure there are now far too many folk who don't see the joke.

Saying 'the floor' when it should be 'the ground' and vice versa. So annoying.

^ but the evolution of language should not sacrifice subtle distinctions of meaning.^

I completely agree with you, varian. What annoys me is that by losing these subtle distinctions our language becomes impoverished, not enriched (as many of the 'language changes' brigade would have us believe).

And, I think that it hinders precise communication because you've lost the vocabulary with which to express shades of meaning.

grandetanteJE65

Older not elder

I hate people,often presenters using the word was in a sentence when it should be were. It really grates, if I'm in a bad mood I shout at the telly!

'I'm sat here' or 'he was sat on the beach' - misuse of tense. Also bored 'of ' and starting every sentence with 'so'
'So' I'll say no more.

grandtanteJE65
^A century ago the person who said "If you was..." would have been thought to be using the language correctly!
"If you was" being the subjunctive (used in a hypothetical sentence) where "If you were" is the indicative (used for making ordinary statements.)^

Really? I never knew that ”if you was” was once the correct subjunctive. Can you give examples of this? Also, ”If you were” is not the indicative; it is the subjunctive. Just as ”If I were” is the subjunctive. I find your statement interesting but surprising. Can you please elaborate.

*Acanthus - thank you! I watch Sky News often and then sit there shoutin' when Beth Rigby starts talkin'. She is always introduced as "Sky's Senior Political Reporter" !!!! If she didnt try so hard to speak with a plum in her mouth, it wouldn't be quite so annoying - sorry annoyin' . Grr!!

My latest rant concerns those who say, "I was stood at the front" or "I was sat at the back".

I know this is my uber-pedantry at work, but I wince to see bags of frozen 'Petit (sic) Pois in Asda.
Not quite as bad as what I've seen on printed Asda notices in the past, though - e.g. New Zeeland Chedder, Rasers are now in the shampoo aisle, etc.
Oh, and instructions on a butternut squash, telling you to 'half' it.
It's no use saying anything (I have done so in the past) - they just don't care.