Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Bryn]

Still don’t buy it - perhaps we need a forum referendum!

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/referendums-or-referenda.292946/

[Pulcinella]

Some decades ago, I worked as a technical editor for a company called Technical Indexes.

But wouldn't that be right if they produced lots of printed material at the backs of their books?
Or were they doing lots of stock market index analyses?

[cloughie]

https://forum.wordreference.com/thre...erenda.292946/

Well that looks decisive - not!

I say referenda
And you say referendums
Referenda, referendums, referenda, referendums
Let’s call the whole thing votes!

[Bryn]

But wouldn't that be right if they produced lots of printed material at the backs of their books?
Or were they doing lots of stock market index analyses?

Part of "IHS Markit", they did neither. In those days, they published regularly updated catalogues of a wide range of equipment and other products used in various industries. They were slowly moving from printed copy to CDROM and thence to online subscription. As an aside, when I started, their product was required to be written in American English. After a few months, they decided to launch a new product, this time in British English. Oh, what fun! In the latter product, one role I had was that of correcting others' use of American spelling.

[LMcD]

...and I bet the agenda for the day is, not are!

Caesar adsum iam forte sed Brutus passus sum.

Was it Pompey or Brutus who aderat?

[gurnemanz]

Plebiscite: ask the plebs. Referendum: ask the ref?

[cloughie]

Plebiscite: ask the plebs. Referendum: ask the ref?

But the plebs will not be offered VAR!

[french frank]

Still don’t buy it - perhaps we need a forum referendum!

I know there are those who refer to fora, but I agree with the quote in the link Bryn gave: people who know these are 'Latin words' insist on giving them a Latin plural. Just as they will use "Brava!" and "Bravi!" which shows they know the Italian plurals.

It may be a matter of personality? I "prefer" the explanation that words which have passed into common usage in English become English words, and if there is a frequently used English form, that is what I use. I say forums, referendums, agendas, 'bravo girls!'. I would consciously avoid fora, Bravi!, and would say 'an agenda'. But others may choose whichever forms suit them. I shall judge them, just as I'm sure they will judge me
Not something to argue about, but all right to ask if one is unsure …

[Pulcinella]

I know there are those who refer to fora, but I agree with the quote in the link Bryn gave: people who know these are 'Latin words' insist on giving them a Latin plural. Just as they will use "Brava!" and "Bravi!" which shows they know the Italian plurals.

It may be a matter of personality? I "prefer" the explanation that words which have passed into common usage in English become English words, and if there is a frequently used English form, that is what I use. I say forums, referendums, agendas, 'bravo girls!'. I would consciously avoid fora, Bravi!, and would say 'an agenda'. But others may choose whichever forms suit them. I shall judge them, just as I'm sure they will judge me
Not something to argue about, but all right to ask if one is unsure …

And I've just learned (or learnt) something: I would have written alright, but apparently that would have been all wrong!
I found this:
The form alright is a one-word spelling of the phrase all right that made its first appearance in the 1880s. Alright is commonly used in written dialogue and informal writing, but all right is the only acceptable form in edited writing. Basically, it is not all right to use alright in standard English.

(Apologies again for hijacking the thread: this time, this should be on Pedants' Paradise, I suppose. )

[gurnemanz]

Your answers were all right. (100% correct).
Your answers were alright. (Adequate, ie not 100% correct).

Hope that's all right, alright?

[Pulcinella]

Your answers were all right. (100% correct).
Your answers were alright. (Adequate, ie not 100% correct).

Hope that's all right, alright?

That's perhaps a nice distinction that I've been (subliminally?) aware of.
It's certainly OK by me.

[LezLee]

Completely agree.

[LMcD]

While I understand and share the anger and frustration felt by many students, I'm not too keen on 'classist' - an adjective, new to me, applied to the now-infamous Ofqual logarithm.

[oddoneout]

While I understand and share the anger and frustration felt by many students, I'm not too keen on 'classist' - an adjective, new to me, applied to the now-infamous Ofqual logarithm.

I suppose 'inequitable' is too long a word (and harder to pronounce and spell...) but since it could be used as a blanket term to cover all the criticisms of the exam results fudge that shouldn't be a reason not to use it.

[Serial_Apologist]

I suppose 'inequitable' is too long a word (and harder to pronounce and spell...) but since it could be used as a blanket term to cover all the criticisms of the exam results fudge that shouldn't be a reason not to use it.

Whereas equanimitous - a word difficult to pronounce which I often use, and which, to me, means feeling even-minded about things that others may get upset over - apparently doesn't exist as a word, according to whichever dictionary one looks in!