Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[french frank]

Have we had 'for free'?

Either 'free' or 'for nothing'. [More emphatically: 'free, gratis and for nothing']

[MrGongGong]

On the contrary, all years in the 21st century should be described in this way.

SHOULD ?

"Just because people say things doesn't make it right"

You can have a different way of saying the same thing you know, without that poetry would be pretty crap

[amateur51]

I'm putting it down to an aberration which I think we'll disregard ...


For some reason, I don't like the much-used here 'spot on' which is a quid pro quo for the 'absolutely' suggestion which I do tend to use. However, I've been muttering it to myself, sort of role-playing, and think I usually say, Yes, absolutely; or Absolutely, yes. But 'spot on' ...

Pardon my dust!

[3rd Viennese School]

Ahinton

It was a choice between Hereford and Abergavenny. So I chose Abergavenny.

But I wanted to do the railway line between the places as well!

Great Railway Journeys by 3VS.

[french frank]

Phrases that provoke Retail Rage in me

Retail therapy
Must have
Shop till you drop
Take the waiting out of wanting

[teamsaint]

buy now while stocks last.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Football commentators:

"It's important that the team gets a result this afternoon."
Has anyone ever seen a match without a result (except for abandoned matches)?

[EdgeleyRob]

"Goals win football matches."
"He's got that in his locker."

[Flosshilde]

yes I like some

some is better than about (IMO)

I think 'some' - as in "some 2,300 avoidance schemes were disclosed" - is not the same as 'approximately' or 'about'; I think it means exactly 2,300 etc.

[MrGongGong]

I think 'some' - as in "some 2,300 avoidance schemes were disclosed" - is not the same as 'approximately' or 'about'; I think it means exactly 2,300 etc.

or even "almost exactly"

which is a bit like the Christmas dilemma

It's either a "Royal David's City" or a "little town" it can't be BOTH

[Pabmusic]

I think 'some' - as in "some 2,300 avoidance schemes were disclosed" - is not the same as 'approximately' or 'about'; I think it means exactly 2,300 etc.

Yes, I see what you mean. I'd not considered that before. I think there is a sense of 'at least' about it, too, so it's not quite exact, but it's much stronger than 'about'.

[Boilk]

ReMUNeration ...

Wouldn't reNUMeration make more sense, since it's about money and numbers?

[kernelbogey]

Enjoy!
No worries

[vinteuil]

I think 'some' - as in "some 2,300 avoidance schemes were disclosed" - is not the same as 'approximately' or 'about'; I think it means exactly 2,300 etc.

"Some - used with numbers to indicate an approximate amount or estimate, and passing into an adverb with the sense of 'about, nearly, approximately'. "

c 888 King Ælfred 'Tha wæron hi sume ten year on tham gewinne' ; c 900 Old English Chronicle 'Thær wurdon ... sume feower cyninges thegnas ofslægene' ; 1567 Maplet ' The floud Ganges hath eles some 30 Foote long' ; 1668 Dryden 'I have some three hundred pistoles by me' ; 1787 Burns 'It's now some nine-an'-twenty year'; 1865 Ruskin 'This collection would probably have been some thousand or twelve hundred pounds.'

[OED]

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

ReMUNeration ...

Wouldn't reNUMeration make more sense, since it's about money and numbers?

Which is, IIRC, from the same root as "remuneration": "money" is involved, not "nomey".


I've just discovered my own particular bugbear: "Tympani" instead of "Timpani": nothing wrong or illogical about the former, just a residue of my percussion lessons ("No letter 'y' in Italian!" I was firmly told. A lovely chap and excellent teacher otherwise, I've adopted his prejudice in his memory!)