The Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation Thread [Merged] | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

The Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation Thread [Merged]

Michael

Tiger Champion
Nov 30, 2004
4,375
51
easy said:
I had a dish called 'lapdog attack' in vietnam.

I was expecting a whole, battered, deepfried chihuahua.

I got something pretty different.

I reckon I've had a 'lapdog attack' in a bar in Bangkok
 
E

easy_tiger

Guest
Michael said:
I reckon I've had a 'lapdog attack' in a bar in Bangkok

did it taste like you were licking the floor of a shearing shed, where a border collie had died?
 

22nd Man

Tiger Legend
Aug 29, 2011
9,185
3,597
Essex Heights
Loose instead of lose.

Saw it in an Age article the other day.

It's so commonplace now I wouldn't be surprised if the Macquarie Dictionary rules either spelling is acceptable.
 

evo

Tiger Legend
Nov 25, 2003
22,192
52
22nd Man said:
Loose instead of lose.

Saw it in an Age article the other day.

It's so commonplace now I wouldn't be surprised if the Macquarie Dictionary rules either spelling is acceptable.
Yeah, I'm always really surprised by that too.It's a real under 30s thing, like "verse".

It's so common now I sometimes suspect it's a troll.
 
E

easy_tiger

Guest
one of the most misused word in the english language

Decimated.

comes from Nazis executing every tenth human in a line.

Its certainly not pleasant, but the odds are 90% in your favour.

so to say the opponent/enemy was decimated, is to say things could have been heaps worse, rather than they were absolutely catastrophic, as is the prevailing usage.
 

Rosy

Tiger Legend
Mar 27, 2003
54,348
31
easy said:
one of the most misused word in the english language

Decimated.

comes from Nazis executing every tenth human in a line.

......

Interesting. The dictionary I read says it originated from the Romans not the Nazis.
 

tigertim

something funny is written here
Mar 6, 2004
29,895
12,164
easy said:
one of the most misused word in the english language

Decimated.

comes from Nazis executing every tenth human in a line.

Its certainly not pleasant, but the odds are 90% in your favour.

so to say the opponent/enemy was decimated, is to say things could have been heaps worse, rather than they were absolutely catastrophic, as is the prevailing usage.
I assume that over time the meaning of the word has evolved, as frequently happens with language.
 

Willo

Tiger Legend
Oct 13, 2007
18,256
6,131
Aldinga Beach
easy said:
one of the most misused word in the english language

Decimated.

comes from Nazis executing every tenth human in a line.

Its certainly not pleasant, but the odds are 90% in your favour.

so to say the opponent/enemy was decimated, is to say things could have been heaps worse, rather than they were absolutely catastrophic, as is the prevailing usage.

Derived from Latin in Ancient Roman times, when it was used as punishment to a large group of soldiers. Usually selected by lot, then the other 9 would beat their comrade to death
 

Baloo

Delisted Free Agent
Nov 8, 2005
44,113
18,925
Yeah, been around too long to be a word derived from the Nazis. If it did it would probably be something like "wirwerdeneinsinzehnauswählenunddannbiertrinkenbisdierussenankommen."
 

poppa x

Tiger Legend
May 28, 2004
5,552
0
Mt Waverley
Baloo said:
Yeah, been around too long to be a word derived from the Nazis. If it did it would probably be something like "wirwerdeneinsinzehnauswählenunddannbiertrinkenbisdierussenankommen."

With mustard please.
 
E

easy_tiger

Guest
rosy3 said:
Interesting. The dictionary I read says it originated from the Romans not the Nazis.

Im sure the dictionary is right.

My point still stands. Decimated is only a 10% chance of a very bad outcome.

If your Adelaide, and you're given the choice between being decimated, or getting what we did to 'em.

you take Decimated every time. ;D

chronically misunderstood term, irregardless of which nasty mob thunk it up
 

YinnarTiger

Tiger Legend
May 2, 2007
7,521
727
75
Gippsland
I would never try to correct the following mistake in person because I suffer a disability that makes me mis-pronounce the word "phenomenon" 75% of the the time I try and say it. This error occurred recently in the Global Warming thread in an otherwise excellent post.

The word phenomenon is a singular noun. Phenomena is the plural of phenomenon. Phenomenons is also an acceptable plural of phenomenon. But if there is just one of them, it's only phenomenon.
 

TT33

Yellow & Black Member
Feb 17, 2004
6,816
5,802
Melbourne
YinnarTiger said:
I would never try to correct the following mistake in person because I suffer a disability that makes me mis-pronounce the word "phenomenon" 75% of the the time I try and say it. This error occurred recently in the Global Warming thread in an otherwise excellent post.

The word phenomenon is a singular noun. Phenomena is the plural of phenomenon. Phenomenons is also an acceptable plural of phenomenon. But if there is just one of them, it's only phenomenon.


Thanks YT that's phenonemous