The superfluous use of the word "like" in the popular vernacular

A more recent one is an interviewee (more apparent on, radio) is beginning a reply to each question with “So …” Ithink it gives the respondant a tad more thinking time, whilst conveying a greater sense of being informed or authoritative than if the respnse begins with “Er…” Call me suspicious (and I am) but I think the use of ‘So’ in this context is a result of training in dealing with the media.

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I am more irritated by American imports, for example Skedule and ‘can I get’.
I was waiting for a take away coffe yesterday when a young woman said "Can I get a coffee’.
It took everything I had to stop myself saying that the man behind the counter would get it for her!

Why do people say somethink, when they must know it is spelled with a g at the end?

I think you may be overestimating the popular level of literacy, Jane. My experience suggests otherwise, and that seems true of note-writers and on-line commentators here in France too who seem quite surprisingly prone to spelling mistakes.

In popular parlance the terminal g in something is not voiced. The g in wrong is not a hard consonant except in Birmingham. When I went to live in Hackney in 1956 I was teased for my pronunciation of words like cominG and goinG with a hard g. I quickly subdued it!

IME those who insist on generating a “k” at the end of “something” usually mangle the “th” to an “f” as well (probably the pronunciation habit which does most to lower perceived social class and intelligence in my opinion).

That said, although I can’t help the “f” thing we should really avoid judging someone by their accent and pronunciation habits just as assiduously as we avoid doing so by the colour of their skin, sex, or religion.

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Brummies are also known for sounding the z in buzz as in ‘I’m waiting for the buzz’.

how do you pronounce buzz without sounding the z?

Bus! :wink:

Bus thats a form of transport
Where I come from the word is buzz sounding the z ,not far from EMA.

It doesn’t mean that I have to like it though. Or is that not allowed nowadays?

I think it’s quite permissible to find it annoying. It certainly annoys me :slight_smile:

Vide (or perhaps audite) Priti Patel :rage: :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

I haven’t seen ‘definate’ mentioned here yet. So, so commonly misspelled. I wonder if the majority of Brits would spell it this way.

I don’t like the intonation when an interviewee responds with " Look !.."

I’m fed up with people “mitigating against” whatever it is that is getting their goat. Even well-educated people fall into this error, so much so that it is now in common if improper usage, appears in newspapers etc.

I suppose nothing can be done to “mitigate against” another deplorable trend in the use of our language and l should bow to the inevitable. :confused:

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@Peter_Goble
What do you think they mean? Militate? Very irritating, like ‘irregardless’ and ‘pacific’ when one means specific.
My teeth are set on edge by people saying ‘comprising of’ when they mean ‘consisting of’.
‘This bedroom suite comprises of a chester draws’ etc. (see what I did there😉).

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That’s almost certainly it, perhaps an easy trap to fall into but it always jars with me, l can’t help myself. It’s an irritant l should have outlived, though. “Comprised of” is so commonplace l can shrug it off more readily.

“Thank you for having me” seems to be de rigueur for broadcast interviewees at the end of, and - increasingly - at the beginning of an interview these days.

I find it excruciatingly ingratiating, even infantile, and surely wholely redundant? As is the “Thank you very much indeed” bestowed by the interviewer. What’s wrong with a simple “Thank you”? It’s genteel flourishes and curlicues gone mad in my opinion. :thinking::rage:

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Has anyone on here become aware of the increasing use of the phrase ‘reach out’ displacing ‘contact’? Another irritating American import IMO.

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Yup - really really HATE that one!