Election Year or Fear!

[Geoff Parkstone]

Often there is little difference between the (far) right and "football lads", IMO. Yes, there are also centrists and left leaners (Swale for one) who butcher our language but not, in my experience, in the numbers of those from the right.

Americanisms. With you there. "From the get go" and "bla, bla, bla... if you will" and many more are annoying to say the least.

Ones that have crept into English are things like "A thought you might like..." "A don't agree" instead of I and as I said earlier "Are house, are country". Language pedant? Guilty as charged, m'lud.

On your editing lark, I'll PM you with a slightly personal question, the answer to which may, or may not, help and editor friend of mine over here. If you find it too intrusive then, "sorry, I don't wish to answer" would be an acceptable reply.

Agree totally about butchery of both the English language and style of pronunciation (the latter seemingly linked to our diversity / sub cultures)

Americanisms I personally don't like but the English language has constantly evolved by absorbing elements of other languages, so maybe we will just have to accept it for what it is.

However one thing I will never do is "reach out" to anyone. I once responded to an email using this phrase by saying I was reaching back - the sender wanted to know what I meant!

[Ramshank72]

Agree totally about butchery of both the English language and style of pronunciation (the latter seemingly linked to our diversity / sub cultures)

Americanisms I personally don't like but the English language has constantly evolved by absorbing elements of other languages, so maybe we will just have to accept it for what it is.

However one thing I will never do is "reach out" to anyone. I once responded to an email using this phrase by saying I was reaching back - the sender wanted to know what I meant!

May I "lean in"?

[Andy_Faber]

May I "lean in"?

You've just made me feel slightly ill. One of the best things about my departing the 9 to 5 was leaving such phrases behind.

One fairly senior colleague of mine started to misuse the word 'erstwhile' to mean something like 'an upstanding one of the boys, nudge nudge wink wink he's on our side lads' rather than 'former', and it spread in a few weeks through the senior management team and, much to my amusement, in meetings with outside concerns

[Andy_Faber]

Agree totally about butchery of both the English language and style of pronunciation (the latter seemingly linked to our diversity / sub cultures)

Careful, you'll upset someone. But try impressing a PE client when your colleague inserts 'init' at random into the convesation

Not all about subcultures though, our local pub was graced on sunday with three chaps in hi-viz gear, one of which used the F word (I wasn't counting but the bar staff did) over 70 times, and he only had one pint!

[MadAmster]

Careful, you'll upset someone. But try impressing a PE client when your colleague inserts 'init' at random into the convesation

Not all about subcultures though, our local pub was graced on sunday with three chaps in hi-viz gear, one of which used the F word (I wasn't counting but the bar staff did) over 70 times, and he only had one pint!

IMO, the F word has lost its power to shock except those who simply can't wait to be "offended" by the slightest thing. It's extremely common in its use here in NL from junior schools and upwards. Hardly a talk show goes by or a radio programme without at least one person using it as a verb or noun or pronoun or adjective. You'll hear it in every UK school playground. Every pub, although one didn't used to 40 years ago. Time to stop being offended by its use. As was said in a previous conversation, language evolves...

[Andy_Faber]

IMO, the F word has lost its power to shock except those who simply can't wait to be "offended" by the slightest thing. It's extremely common in its use here in NL from junior schools and upwards. Hardly a talk show goes by or a radio programme without at least one person using it as a verb or noun or pronoun or adjective. You'll hear it in every UK school playground. Every pub, although one didn't used to 40 years ago. Time to stop being offended by its use. As was said in a previous conversation, language evolves...

Respectfully totally disagree on the offence thing, in my example (note for Swale: made up example) just about everyone in the room was offended, although I now recall it was a sunday and the pub was more 'grandparents and kids having a drink with a meal' than dedicated drinkers.

I don't actually know anyone, even my property renovating contractors, who use the F word, apart from one (evidenced last night!) who swears at the footy.