Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[John Wright]

I am sick of football pundit Andy Townsend, every time a striker runs with the ball into his opponent's half Townsend says ... he's asking questions of the defence

[MrGongGong]

football pundit

nuff said

[teamsaint]

I am sick of football pundit Andy Townsend, every time a striker runs with the ball into his opponent's half Townsend says ... he's asking questions of the defence

More detail than was needed after the first eight words.
(Impressed with Phil Neville as a "pundit" though.)

[Nick Armstrong]

well its a good thing that the Four Tops didn't think like that, or we would have missed out on a classic tune !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDm3qr1Knk

I don't mind it used literally....

It's when it's used metaphorically for 'contacting'... I actually heard a lawyer say the other day that his strategy was to 'reach out to' his opponent (not to try and resolve a case, just to put a series of demands).

That was shortly before I reached out and garotted him

[amateur51]

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.

We appreciate your taking the time to get in touch.

[Now go away...]

I regret that this service is "not fit for purpose"

[teamsaint]

I don't mind it used literally....

It's when it's used metaphorically for 'contacting'... I actually heard a lawyer say the other day that his strategy was to 'reach out to' his opponent (not to try and resolve a case, just to put a series of demands).

That was shortly before I reached out and garotted him

that works for me .

oh dear.....

[french frank]

I regret that this service is "not fit for purpose"

Oh, dear. That was actually my response to the two preceding ones

[teamsaint]

Oh, dear. That was actually my response to the two preceding ones

For pedants corner......can you have" two preceding ones?"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

For pedants corner......can you have" two preceding ones?"

It's a bit like "Mrs Antonio had two pairs of twins. How many children did she have?" Two possible answers: 4 or 8.

[LHC]

Probably brought up several times already - policemen, social work managers etc - "I can't comment on individual cases" (to avoid having to defend the indefensible). The interviewer then asks the same question in a more general way, equally unsuccessfully.

Irritatingly, because of things like the Data Protection Act, they are telling the truth. Of course, that's not to say that it isn't also often convenient.

[EdgeleyRob]

More detail than was needed after the first eight words.
(Impressed with Phil Neville as a "pundit" though.)

"Football on ITV" and anything that Adrian Chiles says.

[Flosshilde]

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.

We appreciate your taking the time to get in touch.

Are you quoting from the responses you get from R3 bigwigs?

[french frank]

For pedants corner......can you have" two preceding ones?"

Well, I could have said 'The two preceding comments' but I don't think there's anything ungrammatical about what I wrote . After all, ones is a perfectly acceptable plural of one e.g. "Which ones do you mean?"

[Nick Armstrong]

"Politicians have put foam on the runway in order to safely land the plane of banking reform"

[Flosshilde]

I would have thought that foam was only put on the runway during an emergency landing, or a landing that was not going to plan or where the pilot had lost control of the plane, & there was a risk of the plane crashing. Surely that's the opposite of the image politicians would want to project - ie one of being in perfect control with everything going to plan. Do they really want to suggest that banking reform is out of control, liable to crash & go up in smoke?