9:27 a.m. - 2013-06-03
Needs...
HAhahahahaaaaaaaaaa...

You all know that I regularly mangle the language, possibly more than anyone else these days even. Yet still, I find things in daily language that truly annoy me. Not a big thing, just a little niggle of annoyance whenever I hear them. Which seems to be always.

1. Anymore. It seems that no one uses it correctly anymore. (That was a correct usage...) Here are a few examples of incorrect usage that I have recently heard. Heard at a parade --- "Oh, they used to give you bottles anymore". Heard at a park --- "Hey! How you doon anymore? Haven't seen much of ya"! Random overheard remark ---"Oh, they're putting them over there anymore..."

My internal response? "Gaaaaaack..."

2. "Covered in". Now if you live in GB or thereabouts, you are exempt from this as that seems to have been standard for quite some years. (Ned always reminds me that language is ever evolving. To which I reply with one of his grammatical peeves. Because I am horrible.)

The correct use of "covered in" is that in which a location is being referenced. That topic is covered in chapter 58. Where? There! But saying that I am covered in chocolate is completely incorrect. I am covered WITH chocolate. (Don't I wish that I were! No, wait, I don't really like chocolate anymore. HAH! ANYMORE!)

HAhahahahaaaaa, this reads as if a lunatic wrote it. No, don't tell me, I know. And yes, I know that it used to be "any more". Now it is just debatable. Another is another. Huh huh huh. Used to be "an other". I'll never make peace with "alot", though.

Back to the rant, though. So if I am covered in chocolate, then I am also writing in an ink pen. I am clearing snow from the walks in a shovel. See? I do remind myself that language has very little logic,at least the English language. It is because it is a mish mosh of so many other languages.

3. Needs. The "needs to" language. It is not really incorrect, it is just that it is very passive-aggressive. Maybe just aggressive, but without claiming responsibility. Like this. "That guy? He needs to go away!" That really means "I want that guy to go away!" Why not just admit it? Or "Oh those rules really need to change." Really means "I want those rules to change" Probably because one is not benefiting from them as they are written. "You need to do this or that." Well, that one is on the edge. it might be a situation where someone has asked "What do I need to do to XYZ"? But if it is a random direction, unsolicited (e.g. "You need to read this book") then it really means "I want you to read this book" or "I think you should read this book".

So there you have it. Or not. What do you think, do you have any pet grammatical peeves?

Cavalry - Apache