WTF english and false synonyms

[Free]

Did Katherine just say something?

/me runs!

 

[Ashiri]

arguing about whether y is a vowel is, to my way of thinking, very silly.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Did Katherine just say something?

/me runs!

 

[Kaimi Kyomoon]

I'm old. in the '50's I was taught that thing about y sometimes being a vowel. Yeah okay whatever. Anyway I've seen some language fads come and go. I think "I could care less" started in the '70's. I still hear it and it still rubs me the wrong way.

What to me are recent fads are:
using potential when they mean possible.
Saying literally when there is no chance that what they're saying could be mistaken for a metaphor. As well as saying it when it obviously isn't true.
Saying myself when they mean I or me

 

[Robert Jung]

I just started reading this. Has anyword mentioned that infer does not not mean imply?

 

[Robert Jung]

Time Independence

"We gladly dance on the graves of our enemies"
(Morticia Adams)

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I just started reading this. Has anyword mentioned that infer does not not mean imply?

And "comprise" does not mean "compose," so "comprised of" really grates on me (it's almost as bad as "tow the line"!).

 

[Dillon Levenque]

Okay I got one for you guys.

A long time ago, I remember watching some Saturday-afternoon kid-ucational short from before I was born, something like Schoolhouse Rock but maybe not Schoolhouse Rock exactly. Anyways, this thing was talking about vowels, and it listed them as "A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y". I don't remember it ever giving an example of a word in which Y functioned as a vowel....or even what exactly made Y a "vowel" in some cases but not in others. I also never heard about this rule in school, that's for sure.

SO! Older people who grew up with this weird rule - please explain it to me.

"Idyllic" was the first thing that came to mind. I guess it is based on whether the 'y' mimics a vowel sound; in this case 'i'.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Also, "bimonthly," as in "The magazine is published bimonthly."

Generally it means "once every two months", but it's sufficiently frequently used to mean "twice a month" to be confusing, so I wish publishers would simply say "every two months" or "twice a month."

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

And "comprise" does not mean "compose," so "comprised of" really grates on me (it's almost as bad as "tow the line"!).

"Red, green and blue comprises the additive primary colors." bugs me a lot more than
"The subtractive primary colors are comprised of red, yellow and blue." Personally I try to avoid the word entirely.

Unrelatedly, I love that the market near me has an obnoxious hand painted "12 items or FEWER" sign over their express lane.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Also, "bimonthly," as in "The magazine is published bimonthly."

Generally it means "once every two months", but it's sufficiently frequently used to mean "twice a month" to be confusing, so I wish publishers would simply say "every two months" or "twice a month."

I think the correct way to refer to every two weeks is "semi-monthly".

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

Also, "bimonthly," as in "The magazine is published bimonthly."

Generally it means "once every two months", but it's sufficiently frequently used to mean "twice a month" to be confusing, so I wish publishers would simply say "every two months" or "twice a month."

Wouldn't that be semi-monthly for twice a month? Though, I'd prefer 'Fortnightly' tbh.

 

[Free]

I use "every other week" and hope I don't get quizzed.

 

[Kara Spengler]

Wouldn't that be semi-monthly for twice a month? Though, I'd prefer 'Fortnightly' tbh.

Now we will have to explain what a score is.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

A score is the musical composition used in a live or recorded performance to add emotional cues. Simple.

 

[Free]

A score is the musical composition used in a live or recorded performance to add emotional cues. Simple.

Score!

 

[Govi]

Score a scratch to make a mark.
Score to make a point.
Score it differently, if you don't like the music.

.​

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

Now we will have to explain what a score is.

Isn't that one of those "cubit" or "span" type measuring units in antiquity?
Like: 1 score is the standard complement of toes and fingers (including thumbs).

 

[Kara Spengler]

Isn't that one of those "cubit" or "span" type measuring units in antiquity?

Yep, just like fortnight.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I use "every other week" and hope I don't get quizzed.

But a "fortnight" or "every two weeks" is 14 days. While that is semimonthly in February, the other months have 30-31 days. If you publish every two weeks, about twice a year there will be three issues in the same month. That's what happens when you take the Moon out of Month.