Election Year or Fear!

[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.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Having two American granddaughters I have become used to their ‘linguistic eccentricities’. They’re from a different country and a different culture so who am I/are we to criticise?
Having a mastery of one’s own language is an undeniably useful tool however I can’t help thinking that too much is made of it sometimes. Surely what someone says is more important than how it is said. At least two of the brightest people I know aren’t tremendous masters of the English language, whereas Rees-Mogg and Johnson have, via upbringing, Eton and Oxford, developed literacy skills that might put all of us to shame. Doesn’t stop them spouting divisive and disingenuous, albeit grammatically correct, bollux.

P.S. Can’t help but agree with GP about the ‘reaching out’ thing. Only came across it for the first time earlier this year and I think it sounds genuinely pitiful, but I am informed by my younger relatives that it is totally acceptable.

I'm also informed by younger relatives that vaping is cool. Doesn't mean to say I have to do it. Each to their own 😄

[swaledale]

I'm also informed by younger relatives that vaping is cool. Doesn't mean to say I have to do it. Each to their own ��

Except rA didn't say he was told it was cool, but acceptable! But of course one can choose to speak as one wishes! My mangling of the language tends to be due my fat fingers not hitting the keys in the right order and not being able to type as fast as I can think!! Plus I do lower myself so that some of those who are less literate on here don't feel intimidated.

[Andy_Faber]

Plus I do lower myself so that some of those who are less literate on here don't feel intimidated.

…which comment just adds arrogance to the list of unpleasant things about you

[ramAnag]

…which comment just adds arrogance to the list of unpleasant things about you

Lighten up, AF. We all know you two aren’t exactly ‘besties’ but I suspect he was ‘only joshing’.

Anyway, back on topic, prior to retirement…that quotation marks thing with two fingers like rabbit ears was one of the more annoying features to spread through meetings I attended.

Very irritating, along with the fact that we still can’t be considered grown up enough to use words like v*tal, s*x, t*en and p*edophile on here.

[Andy_Faber]

Lighten up, AF. We all know you two aren’t exactly ‘besties’ but I suspect he was ‘only joshing’.

Anyway, back on topic, prior to retirement…that quotation marks thing with two fingers like rabbit ears was one of the more annoying features to spread through meetings I attended.

Very irritating, along with the fact that we still can’t be considered grown up enough to use words like v*tal, s*x, t*en and p*edophile on here.

Nice to see you sticking up for the boss again

The ***** thing is a bit daft and well past its sell by date, the others however have a reason if I recall my modship elsewhere, and that's that they prevent sickos/perverts/scammers and the like from identifying potential conversations that they can infiltrate and influence. In these strange days it also has the unintended impact of keeping away those from totally the other end of the spectrum who seek to find offence in what (in our case for instance) are such words used innocently and pertinently in general discussion.

[swaledale]

…which comment just adds arrogance to the list of unpleasant things about you

Says the Forum's closet racist, openly bigot and bull ****ter, but then you have proven time and time again to be rather more dumb the you think your are.

[Andy_Faber]

Says the Forum's closet racist, openly bigot and bull ****ter, but then you have proven time and time again to be rather more dumb the you think your are.

'...THAN you think you are'. If you're going to be nasty at least make a bit of sense

[ramAnag]

I'm also informed by younger relatives that vaping is cool. Doesn't mean to say I have to do it. Each to their own 😄

Not entirely comparable in so much as one is behavioural and the other is a figure of speech. By ‘younger relatives’ I was referring to children and their spouses who, in the business world, find ‘reaching out’ quite a commonplace expression whereas I thought it sounded like begging.

Fortunately I have no (much) younger relatives who think vaping is remotely cool, but I suppose that seeing as my eldest grandchild is only 14 this is something that may still have to be faced. At the same age I think I was probably smoking 5-10 fags a day so it seems the grandkids have more sense.

[Andy_Faber]

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.

Happy to answer (later when I can do it justice) but I won’t be much help