বিষয়ের পেজ: [1 2 3 4 5] > | Off topic: Clichés, anyone? (1) "I shall not rest" (2) "tireless/tirelessly" থ্রেড পোস্টার: Mervyn Henderson (X)
| Mervyn Henderson (X) স্পেন Local time: 16:07 স্প্যানিশ থেকে ইংরেজি + ...
It's a political thang, of course. I heard it again today on some news item or other, "we shall not rest until all women have gained the respect they so richly deserve". What IS this mismanaged verbal diarrhoea? If they never rest, they'll never get anywhere. What's their problem with rest? Is rest bad? I know Gerald Ford said "eating and sleeping are a waste of time" in an interview, for instance. Rest is bad? No, rest is bed. Obama said the "I shall not rest until ..." thing months ago about s... See more It's a political thang, of course. I heard it again today on some news item or other, "we shall not rest until all women have gained the respect they so richly deserve". What IS this mismanaged verbal diarrhoea? If they never rest, they'll never get anywhere. What's their problem with rest? Is rest bad? I know Gerald Ford said "eating and sleeping are a waste of time" in an interview, for instance. Rest is bad? No, rest is bed. Obama said the "I shall not rest until ..." thing months ago about something or other, but I'm 100% sure he's been to bed every night since. But not just him - I've heard loads of statesmen saying this recently, and it's such a load of messy goat's do.
Then there's the "tireless" syndrome: "X worked tirelessly for bla-bla" (usually after X has just kicked it), "I will be tireless in my efforts to ..."
There again, maybe you won't rest, like Barack and the other Supermen out there, but I can guarantee you won't do it tirelessly. Tired you will get, for sure. "I will be tired but undaunted" might be better. Tired but happy, tired but content, tired but resolute. If these people want me to rewrite their speeches for them, I could consider the sideline.
Any other clichés you're sick of hearing?
Mervyn
[Edited at 2014-05-06 12:46 GMT] ▲ Collapse | | | Kay Denney ফ্রান্স Local time: 16:07 ফেঞ্চ/ফরাসি থেকে ইংরেজি thinking outside the box | May 6, 2014 |
moving forward
basically all statements that have been PR'ed to pomposity | | | Tom in London যুক্তরাজ্য Local time: 15:07 2008 থেকে সদস্য ইটালিয়ান থেকে ইংরেজি
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
Any other clichés you're sick of hearing?
"I for one...."
"To be honest..."
oh.... and far too many more to list. There seem to be many people, especially when speaking in public, whose speech consists almost entirely of stock expressions, platitudes, clichés, and hackneyed turns of phrase that give the impression they are not being spontaneous or sincere, and are instead speaking like robots in accordance with pre-defined modes, carefully researched by their "advisers" to trigger specific reactions in whoever is listening. It is very unusual these days to hear any politician speaking from the heart.
Despite decades of patient work by Noam Chomsky and others into investigating how language is used to manipulate the truth, the politicians still seem to think we don't notice that they're constantly trying to trick us.
[Edited at 2014-05-06 13:29 GMT] | | | Suzan Hamer নেদারল্যান্ড Local time: 16:07 ইংরেজি + ... "From the get-go" | May 6, 2014 |
And even worse, "from the git-go."
AND "on a daily basis." What is wrong with just plain old "daily"?
[Edited at 2014-05-06 14:18 GMT] | |
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Tom in London যুক্তরাজ্য Local time: 15:07 2008 থেকে সদস্য ইটালিয়ান থেকে ইংরেজি "Going forward" | May 6, 2014 |
and "basically".
Plus
"the bottom line is" and even more so when it's shortened to "bottom line..."
"as far as ...." without "....is concerned", for example "As far as Russia, I don't think Putin will negotiate". Doesn't that sound silly? It should of course be "As far as Russia is concerned, I don't think Putin will negotiate".
"Everyday" when what is really meant is "every day".
"Criteria" when what is really meant is "c... See more and "basically".
Plus
"the bottom line is" and even more so when it's shortened to "bottom line..."
"as far as ...." without "....is concerned", for example "As far as Russia, I don't think Putin will negotiate". Doesn't that sound silly? It should of course be "As far as Russia is concerned, I don't think Putin will negotiate".
"Everyday" when what is really meant is "every day".
"Criteria" when what is really meant is "criterion". I've even heard semi-illiterates saying "criterias"!
"Phenomena" when what is really meant is "phenomenon".
"Momentarily" when what is really meant is "in a moment".
AND
Can I also add: people who make "inverted comma signs" in the air to show that the word they're using is intended ironically?
[Edited at 2014-05-06 16:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse | | | Mervyn Henderson (X) স্পেন Local time: 16:07 স্প্যানিশ থেকে ইংরেজি + ... TOPIC STARTER Sorry, Suzan ... | May 6, 2014 |
... maybe I'm talking to the wrong people or reading the wrong stuff (or the right people or stuff, maybe!) but this is the first time in my life I've ever read "from the get-go". I assume it means "from the very outset", something like that. In that case I can imagine "from the git-go" coming up on Walker Texas Ranger, CSI Las Vegas or the like. | | | Tom in London যুক্তরাজ্য Local time: 15:07 2008 থেকে সদস্য ইটালিয়ান থেকে ইংরেজি
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
... maybe I'm talking to the wrong people or reading the wrong stuff (or the right people or stuff, maybe!) but this is the first time in my life I've ever read "from the get-go". I assume it means "from the very outset", something like that. In that case I can imagine "from the git-go" coming up on Walker Texas Ranger, CSI Las Vegas or the like.
I have indeed heard the American expression "from the get-go" but probably only about 3 times in my life ! | | | Giles Watson ইটালি Local time: 16:07 ইটালিয়ান থেকে ইংরেজি স্মরণে
Suzan Hamer wrote:
And even worse, "from the git-go."
That's annoyed me from day one.... | |
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Tom in London যুক্তরাজ্য Local time: 15:07 2008 থেকে সদস্য ইটালিয়ান থেকে ইংরেজি
As in
"I was like OMG look what he's doing and he was like oh really and I was like green with envy and like.....etc."
Sometimes, here in London, I find myself walking along behind a group of (usually but not always American) young women (yes, usually women) and all I can hear is "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" - endlessly !
Here's an example: ... See more As in
"I was like OMG look what he's doing and he was like oh really and I was like green with envy and like.....etc."
Sometimes, here in London, I find myself walking along behind a group of (usually but not always American) young women (yes, usually women) and all I can hear is "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" "like" - endlessly !
Here's an example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUbphZCjR3w
[Edited at 2014-05-06 16:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse | | | Trudy Peters যুক্তরাষ্ট্র Local time: 10:07 জার্মান থেকে ইংরেজি + ...
surely interspersed with "you know" and "I mean"
I have noticed that the Williams sisters (tennis) rarely use any of the above fillers. Someone taught them well. | | | Henry Hinds যুক্তরাষ্ট্র Local time: 08:07 ইংরেজি থেকে স্প্যানিশ + ... স্মরণে One of the Only | May 6, 2014 |
It is either one of the few or the only one. It makes me sick to hear "one of the only", and I have seen it in mainstream media. Shame.
BTW, "media" is plural, and the singular is "medium". | | |
I've just finished a round of interviewing for teachers for my language school. Rare was the candidate who didn't use the expression. What DO they mean? That they have been lying up until that moment? | |
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We are working hard to blah blah blah | May 6, 2014 |
Never mind they are probably sitting in a government office somewhere, strictly 9 to 5, biding time until they can start collecting on the pensions most of us will never see. | | | Suzan Hamer নেদারল্যান্ড Local time: 16:07 ইংরেজি + ... Very funny, Giles. | May 6, 2014 |
Giles Watson wrote:
Suzan Hamer wrote:
And even worse, "from the git-go."
That's annoyed me from day one....
I hear it ALL the time (and from people who are not and have never been, and probably never will be, on a horse), Mervyn and Tom... Even on the BBC. Drives me absolutely nuts. | | | Oliver Walter যুক্তরাজ্য Local time: 15:07 জার্মান থেকে ইংরেজি + ... Clichés, ignorance, bad grammar | May 6, 2014 |
This is now rather close to what is, I suggest, an overlap area between over-used clichés, bad grammar and ignorance.
Tom in London wrote:
and "basically".
Plus
"the bottom line is" and even more so when it's shortened to "bottom line..."
"as far as ...." without "....is concerned", for example "As far as Russia, I don't think Putin will negotiate". Doesn't that sound silly? It should of course be "As far as Russia is concerned, I don't think Putin will negotiate".
"Everyday" when what is really meant is "every day". Yes, I often see that one in signs over shops and businesses.
"Criteria" when what is really meant is "criterion". I've even heard semi-illiterates saying "criterias"!
"Phenomena" when what is really meant is "phenomenon".
"Momentarily" when what is really meant is "in a moment".
... and the roughly similar "presently". I remember when I was flying from USA to England (more than 20 years ago) the pilot announced "we shall presently be landing at Gatwick". To me, "presently" means "now, at the present time", and he meant "in a few minutes".
AND
Can I also add: people who make "inverted comma signs" in the air to show that the word they're using is intended ironically?
Another one (ignorance in this case) is the use of "on behalf of" when the real meaning is "on the part of".
Some fast-food premises and cafés in England offer "paninis" (filled, Italian-style bread rolls), in ignorance of the fact that a bread roll is a "panino" and "panini" is already plural.
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