"A taught chassis","a flair of revs","a heard of cows", ...

[InitialDave]

tomic said:

I've seen more than one car for sale on ebay where the seller has said "MOT not jew until next year"

Those inspectors always find rust with their little hammer, they're not very gentile.

[swisstoni]

Tyre Smoke said:

coppice said:

swisstoni said:

What a great party us thread contributors could have.

' We ' contributors surely ?

Not sure you are right but I’d rather not have the discussion.

[gareth_r]

High school students who studied remotely during the pandemic suffered more depression, struggled to learn and felt more isolated than those who attended school in person, damming study finds

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-97...

[tomic]

InitialDave said:

tomic said:

I've seen more than one car for sale on ebay where the seller has said "MOT not jew until next year"

Those inspectors always find rust with their little hammer, they're not very gentile.

Really? I've seen them Passover loads of obvious faults before.

[swisstoni]

Here one that’s been getting on my wick recently; misuse of the word ‘visibility’.

It is meant to be used to describe something’s ability to be seen, as far as I am aware. But it is being used by (presumably degree educated copywriters) to describe the ability to see something.

For instance a bank ad offers me ‘full financial visibility’.
Do you mean everyone can see my bank account?
No, you don’t really.

[oop north]

Have read the thread to see if my pet hate was mentioned and not seen it so…

When someone says their car is discrete, and they are not commenting on its connectedness to another object…

[LuS1fer]

When people say things like "Hyundai are on a role". Is it a dramatic role?

[coppice]

oop north said:

Have read the thread to see if my pet hate was mentioned and not seen it so…

When someone says their car is discrete, and they are not commenting on its connectedness to another object…

' Discrete 'is one of those daft words which some self important IT folk started using in the Nineties . Nowt wrong with 'separate '.

See also 'impact' - 'this impacted our sales figures' . Nowt wrong with 'affect ' either..

[swisstoni]

coppice said:

oop north said:

Have read the thread to see if my pet hate was mentioned and not seen it so…

When someone says their car is discrete, and they are not commenting on its connectedness to another object…

' Discrete 'is one of those daft words which some self important IT folk started using in the Nineties . Nowt wrong with 'separate '.

See also 'impact' - 'this impacted our sales figures' . Nowt wrong with 'affect ' either..

Discrete is used to describe an arrangement of electronic components. That’s most likely to be the IT connection.

[Sticks.]

LuS1fer said:

When people say things like "Hyundai are on a role". Is it a dramatic role?

Or is it 'Hyundai is'? Single things referred to as a plural is my gripe. And then you get to sports teams, 'England is winning/losing...' doesn't sound right.

I probably ought to know.

[Mr Squarekins]

swisstoni said:

coppice said:

oop north said:

Have read the thread to see if my pet hate was mentioned and not seen it so…

When someone says their car is discrete, and they are not commenting on its connectedness to another object…

' Discrete 'is one of those daft words which some self important IT folk started using in the Nineties . Nowt wrong with 'separate '.

See also 'impact' - 'this impacted our sales figures' . Nowt wrong with 'affect ' either..

Discrete is used to describe an arrangement of electronic components. That’s most likely to be the IT connection.

It's also correct for sets of numbers that have discrete or 'agreed' values. e.g. uk shoe sizes, 9, 10 etc.

- I'm fun at parties too!

[coppice]

It can sound awkward. 'Team ' is obviously singular , but the team 'are winning ' does sound more natural , if wrong.

Plurals- how few folk seem to know that the singular of 'criteria' is 'criterion' and that saying 'these criterias ' is nonsense.

I heard some half wit on the Today programme the other week saying he was 'an alumni ' of some apology for a university . It's bloody 'alumnus' , dolt !

[Chubbyross]

coppice said:

It can sound awkward. 'Team ' is obviously singular , but the team 'are winning ' does sound more natural , if wrong.

Plurals- how few folk seem to know that the singular of 'criteria' is 'criterion' and that saying 'these criterias ' is nonsense.

I heard some half wit on the Today programme the other week saying he was 'an alumni ' of some apology for a university . It's bloody 'alumnus' , dolt !

Indeed. Plurals are tricky. My partner is an epidemiologist (she’s been busy for the last eighteen months!) and goes mad every time someone on the radio or TV says ‘the data suggests’ or ‘the data is clear’. As data is plural for datum it should, strictly speaking, be ‘the data suggest’ or ‘the data are clear’. I’ve argued that it’s rather archaic to insist on the plural usage but she won’t have it. Epidemiologists are a funny bunch.

I point out to her that no-one says ‘stadia’ anymore for the plural of stadiums.

We don’t go to parties at all.

[coppice]

You'd be welcome at ours. My wife's a classicist and makes my pedantry look amateur level. And I say 'stadia' and was gratified to hear the estimable Anthony Fauci referring to 'datum'.

[Lily the Pink]

Don't suggest taking her to an opera; she'll explode.

[gareth_r]

How could we have forgotten "baited" breath?

[coppice]

Or people who say 'a fine toothcomb' , rather than 'a fine- tooth comb '.

[swisstoni]

coppice said:

Or people who say 'a fine toothcomb' , rather than 'a fine- tooth comb '.

How do you know?

[M4cruiser]

swisstoni said:

coppice said:

Or people who say 'a fine toothcomb' , rather than 'a fine- tooth comb '.

How do you know?

I don't comb my teeth, no matter how good the comb is.

[IR35]

Given the extensive, often derisory, coverage of the new BMW M3 and M4 it surprises me that many on PH are critical of the new grills. Now I have been on the BMW configurator and I cannot find the option to customise my build with a BBQ?

Edited by IR35 on Sunday 18th July 22:36