SE23 Forum

Thanks, Rachael. A very interesting article with which I find myself much in sympathy.

With regret, I agree with him that we must now concede on the 'film'/'movie' battle. I think however he is being a bit defeatist on 'goods train'/'freight train' and 'flat'/'apartment' (what a pretentious-sounding word!): I think it is worth continuing to fight on these. And I am glad he shares my concern (or 'outrage') about 'power outage' (Britannice 'power cut'), which I remember commenting about on in this forum a year or so ago.

He says:

But 'hike' in the latter sense is American too, as the OED confirms. The British word is 'walk' ('hill walking') or (north of England?) 'ramble'.

He is interesting on divergences between British and American technology words. There are other examples, I think: 'text'/'SMS', 'mobile'/'cellphone'?

But I said I had resolved to stop posting on this topic. Please stop tempting me to backslide.

I don't think that this has been mentioned yet - but the one that irritates me is "snuck" - e.g. "I snuck in through the back door". Whatever happened to sneaked?

Envisioned instead of envisaged is irritating.

(As is 'transportation' for 'transport' and 'rendition' - of a piece of music, etc. - for 'rendering'. When I was a boy 'rendition' was a sort of joke word, used as an example of pompous American diction - now it seems to be used totally unironically by British English speakers. However....)

I held a door open for a young man in the swimming baths this afternoon. He replied 'thanks, cheers, nice one.' I was rather taken aback by 'nice one', but then I wondered whether I hadn't heard it before as an alternative to 'thanks' (which seems to be a word - not a sentiment - which people nowadays seem to try to avoid; don't know why). Can anyone cast light?

'Snuck', like 'dove' (for 'dived') is American. The OED seems to suggest that they are both modern formations, rather than older forms preserved in the US and not here.

My opponent on online Scrabble has just said 'nice one' to congratulate me on a 7 letter word. I think it just means generic approval or pleasure, so could easily include 'thanks'.

'Nice one' to express congratulation is, I think, well-established - older readers may remember 'Nice one, Cyril'. But I think my friend in the baths may have been using it to express thanks - I hope I'm not yet quite so decrepit looking that people would feel it appropriate to congratulate me on having successfully opened a door!

Although use of the word 'baths' to refer to a public swimming pool might mark one out as no longer being one of the bright, young things.

Must admit to not being happy with the phrase To Go , rather than Take Away.
I always say To Go where.

Does not apply to me as always eat on the premises

Well spotted, Rachael - I hoped someone would pick that up, and I could have guessed it might be you!

I've always known them to be public baths and also tend to think of them as a covered area. I think of a pool as more likely to be open to the elements. A Lido.

Using the word leverage as a verb. Aaaaargh!

Can anyone else remember the days when business-people could speak for more than a minute without using the (usually redundant) phrase "going forward"?

I was listening to Radio 4 yesterday and heard some captain of industry (who should be demoted) explaining that, 'going forward', his company plans to focus on its core business in the UK. All he really needed to say was "we're going to focus on our core business in the UK" but if he really felt it necessary to emphasize that he was speaking about the future, he could surely have said "in future, we're going to focus...." etc?

Presumably, the phrase is used in an attempt to persuade the listener that the speaker and / or their company is dynamic and go-ahead, even when the evidence suggests otherwise. In this case, el capitano was admitting that an attempted expansion into Europe had been a disaster and that his company is now getting out of the Euro-zone as quickly as possible. Sounds more like a disorderly retreat than 'going forward' to me.

And pronouncing it 'levveridge'. Aaaaaaaaaargh!
On 'going forward', there's an entertaining correspondence currently going on in The Independent about this sort of cliché. This one's certainly passed its sell-by date.

Going forward. This reminds me of "At this point in time" - when "At this point" would suffice.

Or even now

Things continue to improve.

Rebekah Brooks was arrested today on corruption allegations.

Any offers on which suspect with the surname Murdoch will be arrested first.

Is this a bit of subject old chap?

If she is guilty then I agree with your sentiments.

Where are they going to find a jury who are ignorant of this matter. May be not possible to try them.

Strictly in line with earlier posts debating English Usage.

"....will be arrested later."

"....has been arrested today."

"....was arrested today."

Guilt can only be arrived at via due processes using evidence and facts.

You can get the perjorative version in Phone Hack Scandal Reaches FH.

"old" - moi ?

I think she could claim that any juror would already have made their decision prior to the case.
Hence no case to answer.