Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[french frank]

Where is this bus station that opened in 2006? Surely the bus station was on the bit of the extension of Lower Park Row that curved to the right after passing the hospital and just before the Stokes Croft roundabout - or is it now a Wetherspoons?!

There was a building just about there from 1958 (says Wikipedia) but it was redeveloped as the present bus terminus which opened in 2006. As I remember from schooldays, most of the bus services started at or passed through the "Tramways Centre", now just "The Centre" (though what it's the centre of, I dont know).

[Roger Webb]

There was a building just about there from 1958 (says Wikipedia) but it was redeveloped as the present bus terminus which opened in 2006. As I remember from schooldays, most of the bus services started at or passed through the "Tramways Centre", now just "The Centre" (though what it's the centre of, I dont know).

It was the centre of Bristol when such geography was measured by the importance of its 'facilities'. 'The Centre' was actually once an extension of the harbour which went right up to what was the Electric Company HQ, flats I think now. I think it was filled-in in the 1930s. Nice to see the bus station where it always was though. I remember when one could drive down Park St and then drive straight across The Centre and enter Queen's Sq...a shortcut to the Railway/Train Station - I trust no one has dared to knock down Brunel's masterpiece (the old engine shed) make a good Wetherspoon's though.

[Pulcinella]

I don't remember that there was such a thing as a 'bus station' in the sense it has now: somewhere where passengers go to start their journey. The depot was where the buses were parked overnight. Bristol's 'bus station' in the sense of the general terminus for buses, with waiting room, cafés, information, ticket office, opened in 2006. Before that "the station" meant the railway station.

You're right in that in the olden days buses used to end up at the Depot (which always looked odd as the destination); nowadays they just say 'Not in service'!

[french frank]

I trust no one has dared to knock down Brunel's masterpiece (the old engine shed) make a good Wetherspoon's though.

No, it briefly housed an Empire & Commonwealth Museum. It now seems to be owned by the university and acts as an ....... innovations hub.

[Roger Webb]

No, it briefly housed an Empire & Commonwealth Museum. It now seems to be owned by the university and acts as an ....... innovations hub.

I'm glad about that, although 'Innovations' could mean anything. The three most famous 'Bristolians': Brunel, Derren Brown and Banksy (all 'B's, and leaving aside any 'C's who may have fallen out of favour!) two of them, at least, weren't from Bristol, but all 'innovative' in some way.

[smittims]

I think 'train station' and 'train track' are simply pseudo-child-speak, like 'gee-gee' . Not for intelligent adults

Going back to 'somethink' , I am hearing 'apsolutely' (sic) instead of 'absolutely' quite often these days, usually from politicians. On Radio 4 they tend to say 'apsutly'.

I remember when Cliff Michelmore used to say 'the Fith of Febyouary' (sic).

[Pulcinella]

I think 'train station' and 'train track' are simply pseudo-child-speak, like 'gee-gee' . Not for intelligent adults

Going back to 'somethink' , I am hearing 'apsolutely' (sic) instead of 'absolutely' quite often these days, usually from politicians. On Radio 4 they tend to say 'apsutly'.

I remember when Cliff Michelmore used to say 'the Fith of Febyouary' (sic).

That's put me in my place then.



I've just looked at an Ordnance Survey map to see how they describe their symbols, but they call it simply a station (though admittedly the section itself is Railways).

I shall try to remember on Sunday then, when I take my partner to catch his train, that I'm heading to the (railway) station.

[Roger Webb]

Perhaps the most irritating habit now becoming ubiquitous among those under the age of , say, forty (fifty?) is more the delivery rather than specific words. I'm talking about the rising inflection at the end of a rhetorical statement, as if the speaker is looking for confirmation that the interlocutor has understood. I believe this is called the antipodean interrogative.

[french frank]

I shall try to remember on Sunday then, when I take my partner to catch his train, that I'm heading to the (railway) station.

If it doesn't irritate you and doesn't irritate him, why bother? Language will evolve no matter who that irritates. One can objectively notice these changes; one may find explanations for them; but at some point during our (long) lives we have all unconsciously adopted neologisms. Interesting or irritating? We can refuse to adopt the coinages that we don't like, but - King Canute and all that.

[smittims]

You're right, Roger. It's the result of a whole generation learning to speak by watching Australian soaps. I find many younger people are saying 'bik, kik, and lik' instead of 'book, cook, and look'.

[Sir Velo]

Language will evolve no matter who that irritates. One can objectively notice these changes; one may find explanations for them; but at some point during our (long) lives we have all unconsciously adopted neologisms. Interesting or irritating? .

There is something in that. My grandmother always used to refer to "listening to the wireless" and "watching ITA " (or not watching ITA as that was for the "common" people) which I found hopelessly old fashioned as a child in the 70s.

[gurnemanz]

If it doesn't irritate you and doesn't irritate him, why bother? Language will evolve no matter who that irritates. One can objectively notice these changes; one may find explanations for them; but at some point during our (long) lives we have all unconsciously adopted neologisms. Interesting or irritating? We can refuse to adopt the coinages that we don't like, but - King Canute and all that.

Agreed.

Language is infectious - that is how we acquire it in the first place and how languages evolve. As a language teacher, I paid a lot of attention to our children during this process (especially since they were growing up bilingually). Aged about three, our daughter addressed me with "Oi, you!", to which I commented something like: "That's not a nice way to talk. "She replied: "You say that." If you had asked me if I said that I would probably have said that I didn't.

I had a similar case when working at university in Germany. The professor asked me one day about a particular piece of English: "Can you say this?". I replied that you couldn't. A short time later I was talking to him and he pointed out that I had just said that thing which you couldn't say.

[french frank]

You're right, Roger. It's the result of a whole generation learning to speak by watching Australian soaps. I find many younger people are saying 'bik, kik, and lik' instead of '.

And why is the vowel sound of 'book, cook, and look' not the same as in 'boot, coot and loot'? (it is, of course, if you come from that part of the country). Whether of our parents, our region or an Australian soap, our accents reflect the pervading influences, including our education.

[smittims]

My mother, who was from what was then North-east Cheshire (Tameside since 1974) did pronounce the 'oo' in those words as it is in 'boot'. And older TV viewers will remember Sergeant Twentyman in Z-cars, whose catch -phrase was pronounced in that way: 'Put it in the book ,Sweet' (i.e Police Constable Sweet, often the butt of his humour).

[Serial_Apologist]

My mother, who was from what was then North-east Cheshire (Tameside since 1974) did pronounce the 'oo' in those words as it is in 'boot'. And older TV viewers will remember Sergeant Twentyman in Z-cars, whose catch -phrase was pronounced in that way: 'Put it in the book ,Sweet' (i.e Police Constable Sweet, often the butt of his humour).

It's very interesting where that distinction begins geographically in Cheshire but does not transfer across the Pennines until one reaches north Yorkshire. It is ubiquitous in Scotland, of course. My father used to tease my mother, born in the Teeside area, asking had she checked her recipe in a cewkery bewk?