[Closed] Reflexive pronoun abuse

I used to work with a woman who would do the reflexive pronoun thing whenever she got hoity toity with someone on the phone.

We once had to endure a full five minute, full volume diatribe......

“Well, we sent an invoice to yourselves. What do you mean you haven’t received it? We need payment by yourselves to ourselves by the end of the week.”

On and on and on, thinking she was sounding clever. I’ll wager the other firm had her on speaker and were winding her up deliberately and pissing themselves at how ****ing stupid she was sounding.

****ing idiot!

myself. most overused word in the workplace!

Oh I don't know. Literally would give it a good run for that title in my workplace.

I heard a work colleague say (in a phone conversation)
"Oh you can literally just send that straight to myself"

How I didn't just wrap the phone cord round her neck I'll never know.

A couple that often crop up on here....

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/what-brake-set#post-8706132 ]Really rather good[/url] and adjustable

That's the bloody pits! Just never do it, not those three words together. Adding "and adjustable" is the icing on the cake.

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/front-tyre-hr2-or-dhr2#post-8923515 ]Sublime[/url]

It's a ****ing bike tyre you cretin!!!!!! Argh!!! I'm always absolutely seething when I see this written on here.

People who send things 'on' emails.

Can I add my rant about the use of "for free" to this thread. Absolutely boils my liquid excrement. As bad as not using indicators. Die painfully criminal!

headed / heading 👿

Can I describe a 'red big bus' or does it have to be a 'big red bus'? I know what sounds correct , and I assume there's a rule that even the dimmest halfwit can follow, but what's this called?

Don't know what it is called but I believe the correct order is "opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose noun"

I think this explains it.

"So,..." as the first word in an answer to a question.
"...almost unique..." at any time, either it's unique or it isn't

I, myself, believe this thread has literally gone off of it's track and were just splitting heirs now.

As a product of English language education during the 1970's, this was very much the way. We were taught very little grammar. Which I found very confusing when the foreign languages department chose to start our French and German education with nothing but grammar.

Me too.

Thanks for the Weird Al video gnusmas (-:

In my experience those fond of using [i]super[/i] when [i]really [/i]would do ("Jane is super lovely"), also like to question a statement, when simple agreement or disagreement would do. E.g.
ME "Blimey it's cold out."
THEM "I know, right?"
ME [In my head, "Yes, I just gave you my opinion."]

Super is used as an informal adverb and is one of the most annoying americanisms.

It super annoys oneself.

It all started going wrong in pre-/ infant school when teachers allowed children to sound out words and write down what they thought was the correct spelling ..deeming this to be acceptable !
I was horrified to see this going on in a class visit when my son was 4/ 5 years old (10 years ago)..its just wrong !
Admittedly I'm a bit of a dinosaur..but learning to spell by repetition is surely the only way ..like wot I wos teached when I was a lad.

It isn't about spelling from age 5, it's about learning language. It is well established now in educational science that phonics at the early stages leads to better results aged 10+. Yes it looks well weird, but it is the right path to a good grasp of language later in life.

The school my kids are at does two years of phonics, bringing in spelling of key words in the second year. In their third year they start learning spelling by rote. It seems to be working pretty well.

I agree with all the above. What also bugs me is the over-use of "today" and "at this time" in public announcements. Example: " Thank you for choosing Garbage Airlines for your flight today, the seatbelt signs have now been illuminated meaning the toilets are out of use at this time".

Where on Earth do flight attendants learn to speak in those stupid voices anyway?

People who send things 'on' emails.

Inbox me.

I think flight attendants have to speak in a way that is going to be heard clearly across the address system. They might have a specific script to say for all the standard safety talks in which case blame the script writer.

Super is a word much favoured in the pro-peleton. "I'm super happy to have won". In this case I think it's the Germans fault.

Where on Earth do flight attendants learn to speak in those stupid voices anyway?

No idea about flight attendants but I read somewhere that the affected drawl that pilots used to speak in over the radio is all based on the way that Chuck Yeager spoke.

Super is a word much favoured in the pro-peleton. "I'm super happy to have won". In this case I think it's the Germans fault.

I've wondered if it had something to do with translation from their language - super being the closest word to the one they'd normally use.

If they are German then surely it is zuper?

Where do the police learn their language? They seem to excel in using half a dozen overblown words where three simple ones would do e.g. "we proceeded to that location" when "we went there" would have covered it.

The next train to arrive will be formed of three coaches.

AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

"The plane will be taking off momentarily"

I was hoping that it would be in the air for a bit longer than that 🙂

That's another Americanism I think.

Creeping in on this forum is "it needs sorted/finished/swapped" etc.
No. It's "it needs sorting/finishing/swapping" or "it needs to be sorted/finished/swapped"
Please.

Creeping in on this forum is "it needs sorted/finished/swapped" etc.
No. It's "it needs sorting/finishing/swapping" or "it needs to be sorted/finished/swapped"
Please.

That's a Scottishism

The next train to arrive will be formed of three coaches.

What's your objection to this? You'd prefer 'formed from'?

Describing trains as being “formed of” coaches sounds pompous. Why can’t they just say the train will have three coaches or will be made up of three coaches?

I've wondered if it had something to do with translation from their language - super being the closest word to the one they'd normally use.

super /hyper as emphasis sound like 90s/ 2000s french colloquialisms.

I counted 'myself's myself this week. Since typing that it's the most misused word; I've heard it three times. Each time it should have been 'I'. 100% incorrect!

Mrs TH is from Yorkshire and finds it hilarious that over in here in the North-West we habitually use the double past tense for certain actions:
"I was sat on my bike" instead of the correct "I was sitting on my bike" or "I sat on my bike"
"I was stood in the shop" instead of "I was standing in the shop"... etc
Is she right? Is this a Manc thing? Sounds fine to me but now she's pointed it out...

Myself and trailhound101 were sat there in a train formed of three carriages feeling super-happy with our grammar.

That train reminds me of a pet hate - "comprising of".

Why can’t they just say the train will have three coaches or will be made up of three coaches?

I think the word you seek here is "comprise."

Is she right? Is this a Manc thing? Sounds fine to me but now she's pointed it out...

I'd say that verbally all the time. Written, I'm not so sure. Like you say, now it's been pointed out...!

(East Lancs, for context.)

"I was stood in the shop"

Thinking about it, I'd probably say "I were stood in't shop."

Stood in the shop alone? Or by yourself?

I was thinking about this the other day. You can speak a language without having any idea how it works

I've been living in Germany andspeaking German for ten years now and only recently have I developed a feel for the language... When to use den instead of der, etc...

No longer use Facebook as I've pissed off all my friends and relatives after correcting their grammar....