Words we cannot abide.

[Trev]

So tell them to bloody well stop it.

 

[prpr]

Does "So what?" count?

 

[EEPhil]

I deal with a lot of people from California (or who live there now) and on chat systems almost all of their sentences start with "So". It's slightly less annoying when written than when said.

It's so [ ] common that I've had to stop myself from starting sentences with "So" on this forum. I'm not sure I've always succeeded.

 

[Black Hole]

I do it, when appropriate - I refuse to be denied the right. However, grammatically, it would be better preceded by a comma than a full stop.

 

[Trev]

However, grammatically, it would be better preceded by a comma than a full stop.

I feel that a comma should come after the "So", not before it.

 

[Black Hole]

...by which I meant not at the start of a sentence. I did not preclude a comma after it. (KO)

 

[emdubya77]

[removed]

 

[Black Hole]

Ditto Strictly. What's the alternative?

 

[EEPhil]

What's the alternative?

Round 1, Round 2....Penultimate Round, Final (or Final Round).

 

[MikeSh]

Penultimate Round

I'm not sure what % of average TV viewers would know what that meant

 

[Black Hole]

I'm not sure what % of average TV viewers would know what that meant

I'm not sure much of this forum doesn't go over the heads of some "readers" (using the term in its loosest sense) - I suspect they don't even know what a dictionary is, let alone have the gumption to open one.

 

[EEPhil]

I'm not sure what % of average TV viewers would know what that meant

I thought that myself as I wrote it. Er, semi-final?

 

[EEPhil]

I'm not sure much of this forum doesn't go over the heads of some "readers" (using the term in its loosest sense) - I suspect they don't even know what a dictionary is.

I'm sure. Most of the forum goes over the heads of many readers. If some (most) of the technical stuff goes over my head - and it does - I suspect the casual reader will be stumped. As for language topics, ejucashun aint wot it uzed to be innit? Dictionary? Is that the book in the bookcase next to the bible? Two of the least thumbed books on the bookshelf.

 

[Trev]

...by which I meant not at the start of a sentence. I did not preclude a comma after it. (KO)

A sentence never has a full stop at its start. A full stop is a sentence terminator.


(Or was it the "So" to which you referred?)

 

[gomezz]

"Quarter-final" and "Semi-final" in linear elimination competitions, when there is only one of each, as used in this series of The Great British Sewing Bee.

What about athletics were it is typical to have three semi-finals to determine eight runners for the final (first and second from each semi plus two fastest losers).?

 

[emdubya77]

[removed]

 

[Black Hole]

Another Americanism: adaption. Why do they insist on leaving letters out (when the rest of the time they try to find ever longer ways of saying the same thing)?

 

[EEPhil]

Why do they insist on leaving letters out

Laziness.

when the rest of the time they try to find ever longer ways of saying the same thing

I can't think of an example of this - at the moment.

 

[prpr]

Simples.

 

[prpr]

I can't think of an example of this - at the moment.

At the moment - Now?

Waste disposal operatives - bin-men.