Olympic grammar
vermin
Posts: 1,739
A memo needs to be circulated around the entire BBC sports team; presenters, athletes, coaches and all:
An event has competitors. A competitor has opponents. A competitor does not have competitors. :evil: :evil: :evil:
An event has competitors. A competitor has opponents. A competitor does not have competitors. :evil: :evil: :evil:
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Also, "medal" is a noun, not a verb. OK, I accept that language evolves, but it just seems so wrong. I don't like people who use "invite" as a noun, either, mind you, so maybe that's part of why it grates upon me so much.0
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Not even if you got an invite to a medal race?Agent57 wrote:Also, "medal" is a noun, not a verb. OK, I accept that language evolves, but it just seems so wrong. I don't like people who use "invite" as a noun, either, mind you, so maybe that's part of why it grates upon me so much.
None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
Same with podium - another noun. One does not 'podium'0
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Agent57 wrote:Also, "medal" is a noun, not a verb. OK, I accept that language evolves, but it just seems so wrong. I don't like people who use "invite" as a noun, either, mind you, so maybe that's part of why it grates upon me so much.
How about "podiumed" instead?
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In modern idiom (especially American) there is no noun that cannot be verbed and vice versa. I had a US colleague tell me straight faced recently that a project was through the concepting group phase.FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0 -
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Thanks to twitter the difference between one and won.
GB have just won gold.
Australia have just one gold.--
Chris
Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/50 -
Time to ban the word amazing too. Come on chaps. Dig deep; find that adjective. You can do it.0
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Well, in the strictest sense, "Medal" can be a transitive verb. Someone can be medalled (given a medal), or can medal someone else. Medal definitely isn't a verb in the sense it's being used by commentators, though, as a synonym for "finish in the top three places".0
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Beyond the Olympic stadium, the grammatical tick which winds me up the most is improper use of the reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself), in the best traditions of estate agent/insurance salesmen:
"You can fill out the form send it to myself"
No you can't! You can fill out the form and send it to ME!
In the world of computers, nothing is ever superseded, it is obsoleted.0 -
Well if we're being picky we fill forms in, not out. See those blank boxes? That's where we write the words, IN the boxes. Forms are filled in, not out.MichaelW wrote:Beyond the Olympic stadium, the grammatical tick which winds me up the most is improper use of the reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself), in the best traditions of estate agent/insurance salesmen:
"You can fill out the form send it to myself"
No you can't! You can fill out the form and send it to ME!
In the world of computers, nothing is ever superseded, it is obsoleted.
This has been getting up my nose for nigh on 30 years now. I still dislike it.0 -
CiB wrote:
Well if we're being picky we fill forms in, not out. See those blank boxes? That's where we write the words, IN the boxes. Forms are filled in, not out.MichaelW wrote:Beyond the Olympic stadium, the grammatical tick which winds me up the most is improper use of the reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself), in the best traditions of estate agent/insurance salesmen:
"You can fill out the form send it to myself"
No you can't! You can fill out the form and send it to ME!
In the world of computers, nothing is ever superseded, it is obsoleted.
This has been getting up my nose for nigh on 30 years now. I still dislike it.
If it's in regular use for 30 years then it can be considered a new grammatical rule.
Language is a fluid, evolving thing.0 -
What's this 'Team GB' guff all about?
Surely it's Great Britain and Northern Ireland.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
TailWindHome wrote:What's this 'Team GB' guff all about?
Surely it's Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
viewtopic.php?f=30005&t=128693770 -
What really winds me up is people's insistence on pronouncing Beijing with a French-style 'j'. It's Bei Jing. With a 'j' as in, you know, jingle.0
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I don't expect people to come on here and be right about things, you're supposed to nod your head in sage agreement. Tssk.Rick Chasey wrote:If it's in regular use for 30 years then it can be considered a new grammatical rule.
Language is a fluid, evolving thing.
It sounds wrong, and technically is too. Still.
<miniature smiley then>0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:TailWindHome wrote:What's this 'Team GB' guff all about?
Surely it's Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
viewtopic.php?f=30005&t=12869377
I think it's the 'Team' bit which irritates more that the ommission of Northern Ireland.
It's marketing pish, straight from the same handbook as Sky's Blue Line.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:If it's in regular use for 30 years then it can be considered a new grammatical rule.
Language is a fluid, evolving thing.
Fluidity of language is acceptable, so long as it still makes sense: Forms are filled in; female Belarussian athletes are filled out...
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Mind you, it would have mucked up the Wimbledon crowd's attempt to drown out chants of "Bel-a-rus, Bel-a-rus" yesterday, "Team-GBNI, Team-GBNI" doesn't quite scan the same........TailWindHome wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:TailWindHome wrote:What's this 'Team GB' guff all about?
Surely it's Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
viewtopic.php?f=30005&t=12869377
I think it's the 'Team' bit which irritates more that the ommission of Northern Ireland.
It's marketing pish, straight from the same handbook as Sky's Blue Line. "Get a bicycle. You won't regret it if you live"
Mark Twain0 -
Urghhh.... pass the mind-bleach please.....vermin wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:If it's in regular use for 30 years then it can be considered a new grammatical rule.
Language is a fluid, evolving thing.
Fluidity of language is acceptable, so long as it still makes sense: Forms are filled in; female Belarussian athletes are filled out..."Get a bicycle. You won't regret it if you live"
Mark Twain0 -
Blacktemplar wrote:
Urghhh.... pass the mind-bleach please.....vermin wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:If it's in regular use for 30 years then it can be considered a new grammatical rule.
Language is a fluid, evolving thing.
Fluidity of language is acceptable, so long as it still makes sense: Forms are filled in; female Belarussian athletes are filled out...
Are you sure that Belarussian athletes cannot be filled in?0
