Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

I believe Peregrine Worsthornes like red herrings. I mean Peregrine Falcons.

I say, Serial, do stick to the topic.

[Serial_Apologist]

I say, Serial, do stick to the topic.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Is it my imagination or are we now more likely to be 'obligated' rather than 'obliged'?

I was signing up to a new phone plan and the former term was used a number of times when I was read the 'T&Cs'.

From what I can see they both mean the same thing but 'obligated' strikes me as rather clunky language.

[amateur51]

Newspapers usually have a House Style rather than Take Your Pick Style.

Is this a reference to the extremely popular (well there was bugger all else on!) ITV Quiz Show hosted by your Quiz Inquisitor Michael Miles?

Yes!

BONG

No!

BONG

ahhhh nostalgia

[french frank]

Is it my imagination or are we now more likely to be 'obligated' rather than 'obliged'?

I was signing up to a new phone plan and the former term was used a number of times when I was read the 'T&Cs'.

From what I can see they both mean the same thing but 'obligated' strikes me as rather clunky language.

I feel there is a difference: does 'obligated' imply something more formal, being tied down to something?

[Stillhomewardbound]

I feel there is a difference: does 'obligated' imply something more formal, being tied down to something?

This is a quite old thread from a website called 'pain in the english' which covers the topic very well.

There may be some difference but there's little agreement on here and I'm inclined to look upon as an americanism.

http://painintheenglish.com/case/1669/

[french frank]

I'm inclined to look upon as an americanism.

It may be an Americanism, but that doesn't make it wrong. It's not unusual for languages to develop 'doublets', particularly when it's felt that the earlier one has developed a common meaning which isn't quite what is needed (think 'abridge' and 'abbreviate', both from L. abbreviare, but the first through French abréger, the second borrowed directly from Latin).

OED says 'obligate' is 'chiefly N. American', but it's use in English dates back to at least the 17th c. So it's a meaning that has died out rather than a new usage.

Or: obligated refers to something which is obligatory, being obliged to do something has the weaker notion of necessity, to have to something, to be forced to do something.

Perhaps?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I notice Boots (though I prefer Boot's) are trying to sell products by telling us to "breathe easy". I was in the aforementioned pharmacy this afternoon and mentioned the grammatical howler. To my great surprise, I was greeted by the person who served me with a list of several other errors in the promotion of their wares. Clearly the staff are brighter than their bosses.

However, my main concern is misinformation, advising hay fever sufferers to keep house and car windows shut to keep the pollen out. Think about it. (They obviously haven't).

[vinteuil]

I think the usage is not Boots's's's - it comes from a more august foundation -

http://www.blf.org.uk/breatheeasy

My advice to Alpie is - take it easy.

Or if he prefers, - take it easily...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think the usage is not Boots's's's - it comes from a more august foundation -

http://www.blf.org.uk/breatheeasy

My advice to Alpie is - take it easy.

Or if he prefers, - take it easily...

[gurnemanz]

"breathe easy" seems wrong but is maybe not the worst instance of adjective instead of adverb. It is to some extent forgiveable and understandable by analogy with generally acceptable usage like "go easy", "stand easy" "She bid me take life easy" (Yeats, Salley Gardens).

[visualnickmos]

Arguments of this nature have a beginning, but never an ending..... there is NO definitive "correct" version to express many things. Language is a liquid; ever-flowing, but never freezing solid. and this if you get this far......

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Arguments of this nature have a beginning, but never an ending..... there is NO definitive "correct" version to express many things. Language is a liquid; ever-flowing, but never freezing solid. and this if you get this far......

That's a well rehearsed argument that is used time and again as an excuse for sloppy grammar.

[french frank]

That's a well rehearsed argument that is used time and again as an excuse for sloppy grammar.

The OED says it can be an adverb, a usage dating back to 1400. Whereas some uses are now regarded as colloquial, others aren't. There's no reason why a word can't be an adjective and an adverb (hard work or work hard).

Where there is a fixed expression (breathe easy, stand easy, take it easy, easy-going), I don't know how it could be described as 'sloppy' to use it. It's idiomatic (OED: 'Relating to or exhibiting the forms of expression, grammatical constructions, phrases, etc. used in a distinctive way in a particular language, dialect, or language variety, formerly especially those considered nonstandard or colloquial. Now usually spec.: established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from the meanings of the individual words.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The OED is rapidly going the way of Radio 3.
It tries to justify all sorts to justify the speech and writing of those who couldn't be bothered to listen when they were as school. 10 years ago Kevin Keegan achieved notoriety for his use of the word "literally". Suddenly, the OED RogerWrighted the meaning of the word, leaving those who understood its meaning as the outsiders and those who had been misusing the Language as the friends of CB-H et al.