Pet peeve: imprecise language
Kasia June 18th, 2007
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect anyone to be perfect. Heaven knows I’m not. We’re all going to slip up from time to time, and really, that’s not a big deal.
What bothers me is the sort of broader sloppiness through which words and phrases lose their meaning and/or take on a new meaning that is completely different from the original. Take, for example, “bad” – depending on the context, one now has to try to discern whether the person speaking means that someone or something is actually bad, or whether it’s meant as a compliment.
Yesterday I was on the phone with someone who told me “No offense, but you’re a terrible liar,” meaning that I cannot lie convincingly. I didn’t take offense per se at that. After all, how bad can it be to not be adept at lying? The Gestapo isn’t at my door and there aren’t any refugees hiding in my basement.
So I said, “Yes, I have many wonderful qualities…” I planned to end the sentence with “…but the ability to lie is not one of them,” but caught myself – just how wonderful IS the ability to lie, after all? Instead I finished the sentence with “…and one of them is that I am extremely honest.”
The person on the other end of the phone cut in with “You’re honest to a fault, actually.” Which is probably true. But then the next words I heard were “Not that there’s anything wrong with that…“
My reply: “Actually, that’s exactly what ‘to a fault’ means. It means that there’s something wrong with that.”
I realize that the person didn’t mean the statement literally. It’s just one of those phrases that has lost some context over time (perhaps as our society has sought to minimize concepts like virtue and vice).
I’m still mildly annoyed though. Chalk that up as another of my faults. 
Like last night at dinner when my husband said that the grilled rolls were, perhaps, a little too buttery…”not that I’m going to complain.”
“You just did,” I reminded him.
I was raised by a dad who would call us on our exact language all the time. Saying exactly what you mean becomes a habit.
Exactly!!
I had a dad who would call us on exact language, and a mom who would correct the smallest grammatical point (she’s where I learned the phrase “subjunctive mood”). It may annoy other people, but at least they know I mean what I say.
Of course, I also find myself echoing my maternal grandmother; whenever I hear a child saying “Can I…” I immediately correct him or her with “MAY I PLEASE…”
My pet peeve is when adults use “disinterested” (having no vested interest/being impartial) instead of “uninterested”. And just to be REALLY picky, I must add that “hopefully” doesn’t mean the same thing as “I hope”, but no one uses it properly anymore. (Then again, my grandparents and I were annoyed when Heinz changed “catsup” to “ketchup”. )
Ooh, or “irregardless” – that isn’t a word! You can say “irrespective” or you can say “regardless” – but you can’t merge the two!
Here are my two pet peeves:
1. Nauseated vs. nauseous. If you feel as if you are going to vomit, you are nauseated. When someone says, “I’m nauseous”, it means they are producing nausea in others. As an example, “Those pickled beets are nauseous.” (Yes, I HATE pickled beets)
2. Magic bullet vs. silver bullet. A wonderful and expedient cure for what ails you is a magic bullet, thanks to the metaphor by Dr. Erlich whne he discovered that peniciilin would cure STDs. A silver bullet is either (a) a means of dispatching a werewolf, or (b) a delightful beverage from the Coors Company in Golden, CO.
Oh, I have lots of these…
I actually correct the spelling on signs. Apostrophes are a particular pet peeve of mine. No one seems able to use them correctly anymore.
The other one is “familiar.” There’s a battery commercial on TV, with this guy doing voiceover:
“In this (piece of equipment – usually something medical and lifesaving) is something furmiliar.”
WHERE THE HELL IS THE “R” IN THE WORD FAMILIAR??????
I think it’s for Duracell. Drives me UP A WALL!!!
TBS
Ah, I just read something today and thought of you, the Clamster! I keep reading British websites and even good writers confuse the words “its” (possessive adjective) and “it’s” (contraction). However, Canadians don’t seem to have any problem keeping them straight.
Perhaps I’m part Canadian, and that’s why I can keep those straight? I can also differentiate between “you’re” and “your”…and completely know the difference between “their”, “they’re” and “there”.
I didn’t know the Brits had succumbed to Homonym Differentiation Deficit Disorder. That’s a pity. At least Canada is still standing firm…I wouldn’t mind if they took us over, provided they promised to beat us into shape about that…
What really bugs me is when I see, in writing, someone saying ‘could of’ instead of ‘could have’. I don’t mind it when it’s spoken, because I’ve always heard it as a contraction, ‘could’ve’. But when I see ‘could of’ like that… I want to slap somebody.
I now see why Katie goes a little green when a talk. You mean there’s supposed to be specificity in language usage??? Who knew?
There’s a display at the Detroit Science Center you would love to hate, Kasia. The sign on it, explaining what is showcased by the display, shows signs of Homonym Differentiation Deficit Disorder in whoever wrote it.
“You supply the energy by peddling.”
Really? What do I sell, and why is there this exercice-bike looking contraption here, then?
Ooh, that’s a good one! (I see you’ve changed your handle, btw!)
Just today I was entering information onto a spreadsheet from various letters our office received. One priest said his parish had “a full compliment of” ministries.
What, you mean I should compliment you on how many ministries you have? Or did you perhaps mean complement?
Apparently I need a life. :-p
Yeah, I decided to use my real name on blog comments. It’s a result of a comment at Dale’s blog from a while back.
And while you may need a life (I have the same need, apparently), at least you can spell. “exercice-bike”? I plead extreme exhaustion for such a transgression.
I’m now off to say five Hail Marys and get a spell checker