Language & Grammar discussion

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Grammar Central > Euphemisms, Doublespeak, Jargon, Etc.

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message 151: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments A math class at 8:00 am with an instructor who has a thick foreign accent and spits when he talks.

Reason 23 for dropping out of college and getting a job.


message 152: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments My winner for most irritating misuse of 2008 is "literally" to mean...well, honestly, I don't know what it's being used to mean, but it's being used a lot. Here's an example, heard on NPR yesterday "The neighborhoods of Gaza are very crowded. People live on top of each other. Literally." All day I've been trying to conjure an image of people literally living on top of each other, but so far I've had no success.


message 153: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 16546 comments Mod
A pileup of readers?




message 154: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments "Literally" means "figuratively."


message 155: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
War means peace -- literally.


message 156: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments Now it all makes sense!


message 158: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments "Social networking." Is this redundant? Is there such a thing as anti-social networking? If so maybe I should sign up....


message 159: by Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness (new)

Debbie (sardonicprincessofcheerfulness) | 6389 comments Mod
Anti-social networking Lea? How old are your kids?


message 160: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments LOL!!!!

Debbie wrote: "Anti-social networking Lea? How old are your kids?"




message 161: by [deleted user] (new)

I am so tired of the term "tweaked". I had to turn in a list of students for some reason and it HAD to be by 3 pm TODAY. When I handed it in, I was told "don't worry, this list can be tweaked later." So ... why not just let me turn it in LATER?


message 162: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
It IS all the rage, esp. in schools. "Let's tweak this piece." I've already complained about "piece," too. Everything's a piece now (and I don't mean pie).


message 163: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments Quitcher bellyachin. It's part of her narrative.

A few years agao it would have been a "puppy." "Let's finish this puppy and go hava a beer." "She's a sick puppy."

This, too, shall pass.


message 164: by Savvy (new)

Savvy  (savvysuzdolcefarniente) | 1458 comments "GOOD TO GO" is over staying it's welcome...

it needs to be GOOD n' GONE!


message 165: by Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness (new)

Debbie (sardonicprincessofcheerfulness) | 6389 comments Mod
In England, thanks to the HORRIFIC Trinny and Susannah, puppies now mean breasts...."Just look at the size of THOSE puppies"!


message 166: by [deleted user] (new)

Are those the ladies who do "What Not to Wear"? (so sorry if I slaughtered the laguage with that question!)


message 167: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments I had an English friend who called them "snoobies." Rather better, it seems to me.


message 168: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
It gives the old song "Puppy Love" a whole new meaning!


message 169: by Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness (new)

Debbie (sardonicprincessofcheerfulness) | 6389 comments Mod
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!Heeheeheee,.....snort! Puppy Love! Snoobies! Maybe he meant 'Snoopys' David!).
Yes Sarah....those ones....some of their advice is Ok ....I just can't bear them!


message 170: by Mikki (new)

Mikki (aussietwins99) | 27 comments OK! Tweak!
War means Peace?
Puppies are big and provide sufficient breastmilk?
Anti-social networking.
Living on top of each other , probably right and don't forget all the ammunitions covering them instead of blanket!! Well I just joined and Im enriching my vocabulary already, actually its providing me with much needed light entertainment



message 171: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments Welcome, Mikki, to the land of creative procrastination!!!!


message 172: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
Dare I ask what a kitty is? (Oh, never mind. It's curled up in the middle of the poker game.)


message 173: by [deleted user] (new)

I'll see your Tolstoy and I'll raise you a Janet Evanovich, NE!

Mikki, I find this to be one of the best ways to brighten any day! Welcome and enjoy!


message 174: by Mikki (new)

Mikki (aussietwins99) | 27 comments Sarah wrote: "I'll see your Tolstoy and I'll raise you a Janet Evanovich, NE!

Mikki, I find this to be one of the best ways to brighten any day! Welcome and enjoy!"

Will do, Heres to better days!



message 175: by Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness (new)

Debbie (sardonicprincessofcheerfulness) | 6389 comments Mod
Nice save NE!!!!!!


message 176: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments I know I'm beating the proverbial dead horse, here, but the usage of "literally" is really starting to get to me.

Case in point: on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night, someone said that Eric Holder's first task will be "to put the soul back into the Justice Department. Literally."

Anyone who can tell me what that activity might look like wins a prize!


message 177: by Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness (new)

Debbie (sardonicprincessofcheerfulness) | 6389 comments Mod
Perhaps it would look like a kick in the ass!


message 178: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments Debbie, that would be "sole" into the Justice Department.

"Literally," of course, means "figuratively."



message 179: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
Is this like samsara (putting the soul back in the Justice-is-literally-Blind Dept.)?


message 180: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments Maybe Debbie's right. Since the word was spoken, not written, I might have misheard. Maybe the suggestion WAS to put "the sole back into the justice department!"

Debbie wrote: "Perhaps it would look like a kick in the ass!"




message 181: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments Of course, your analysis is a posteriori (not that there's anything wrong with that).


message 182: by Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness (new)

Debbie (sardonicprincessofcheerfulness) | 6389 comments Mod
I was just riffing on the old chestnut that....'The law, sir, is an ass'


message 183: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments oof! Some impressive punning everyone!


message 184: by Lea (new)

Lea | 18 comments Here's another pet peeve: stakeholder. When did this become a mandatory word for anyone discussion decision-making?


message 185: by [deleted user] (new)

I'll be a steakholder any day!


message 186: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments The bottom line is that steak is low-hanging fruit.


message 187: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
Is meat fruit of the loom now?


message 188: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments Our vegetable love shall grow
Vaster than empires and more slow.


message 189: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 28 comments Carpe diem! . . . btw, I HATE that poem!


message 190: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 28 comments Ha! Egg-zacly . . .


message 191: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments Do ya mean, "Poetry, schmoetry. At least buy the poor girl dinner"?


message 192: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 28 comments ANYTHING would get him further than: if not me, the worms . . . and other ill-conceived (albeit, as BunWat pointed out, annoyingly well-written) forms of persuasion: did an idiotic maiden actually fall for this? It's embarrassing: couldn't he even PRETEND to the nobler stuff? Hold on . . . maybe the object of his attention was a brilliant, sassy lady, meant to appreciate style and laugh at substance? That I could live with.


message 193: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 28 comments :) I wrote mine before I saw yours, BunWat: succinctly put! Maybe there's a reason we live 1/2 hour apart . . .


message 194: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
(sheepishly) I've no clue WHO you're talking about... nor do I recognize any of the "poetry." (/sheepishly)


message 195: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
Oh. I do know that poem. The word "vegetable" threw me. Guess I shouldn't take David on his word (especially if it's in a valued spot on the food pyramid).

Love it or hate it, the poem's message is spot-on. It's why Hawthorne wrote "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" and why DeLeon comma Ponce wandered around Florida's swamps.


message 196: by Ken, Moderator (new)

Ken | 18714 comments Mod
Egad, it's been so long since I read it that I had to look it up. What's this? David wasn't kidding about Marvell eating his vegetables?

I'm posting it over in the Poesy Thread for dissection (or dessert, whatever).


message 197: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments Actually, Marvell wrote the poem in a seedy inn, The Carping Dime. It was originally "To His Grey Mattress."

Then his publisher told him to sex it up. You know how that is.


message 198: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 28 comments That's odd: I heard he was out at sea for Carp Day and wrote, "To His Quoi Fishes".

Go figure.


message 199: by David (new)

David | 4568 comments That was in Japan. Don't want to be X-rated, but it was to his "Koi Mistress."


message 200: by Natalie (new)

Natalie | 28 comments Correct: & since koi (misspelled above) also means love or affection in Japanese, you're safely PG. Furthermore, koi is simply fancy carp, so - whew! - everything parses.


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