Why do people say my bad?

[bigrob]

Out of curiosity I wondered why people say "my bad" on this forum when they haven't read a post properly.

Surely it should be "my mistake"?

Is this term is common use in the USA as I have never heard it in the UK?

What I hear in the UK that I don't understand is when people (including my own children - much to my annoyance) say "It's way good." :cry:

[zelseman]

"my bad" is a slang way of saying "my mistake". Just different countries. Different slang.

[puzzle]

Don't worry, it's a young Person thing :p The expression probably does originate from the states but Ive also heard it used in the UK and I rekon its used all around Europe as well.

[asysin2leads]

My Bad (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/my-bad.html)

[hairy_moth]

It's because they don't know how to spell misteak.

[CliffordPhotography]

I would have to say it originated in the U.S. its been around for 10+ years now.

[sparkin]

It's because they don't know how to spell misteak.

:lol::lol:

[Dunedan]

Why do people say:

What's up?

Rockin!

Yo!

Hey Dude!

Uhhh Like YEAH!

Or any other colloquialism?

[bigrob]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

[Gatorboy]

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

That's a problem with our public school system.

[advaitin]

Goes with rapper riffs
And youth trying to keep you mystified
My mother okspay igpay atinlay
I saw you later alligator
Now some dude here says of a sharp shot
That lens is sick
Slang changes that quick

[buddy4344]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

That's(not "thats") just bad english.

[kauffman v36]

id like to know how much of it is lack of education and how much is lazyness. i for one will write your for you are and you're just because its less letters, lol. i know, almost meaningless but that combined with a whole bunch of other words i scrunch up it saves time. for professional matters and school i do use your, you are, and you're correctly tho.

[birdfromboat]

local high school puts up messages on the reader board in text slang now. whrs ths gona end?:(

[SwitchBlade]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

Then there are people who can't spell words like colour, honour, favour, etc.


/me ducks and runs ;)

On a serious note lots of people come out of school in this country unable to use the right you're and they're for a situation. Then you have the rogue apostrophe problem.

[tkbslc]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

I don't find it odd at all when people misspell or misuse words. Pretty common, even before the internet. Some people struggle with spelling and grammar more than others. I struggled with math, myself. Who am I to judge? If I can tell what they mean, then why make an issue out of it.

Now you Brits have some weird slang! What's that storage area at the back of your car? The "boot"? That makes no sense. :)

[puzzle]

TBH I don't know the difference situations to use your n you're/thats n that's ...(in fact, im not even sure that "thats" even exists ... I should probably look it up but spent too long reading photog articles to find the time.
I generally find it hard to not use txt message language and was raised in a world engulfed by slang, so now that's pretty much all I know as some bad habits are hard to break, even in the office.

haha because the "trunk" is very logical ?!?

[JeffreyG]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

That's a common one, coming from the possesive not taking the apostrophe.

Even more common is to use "its" and "it's" incorrectly as the possesive again does not take the apostrophe, counter to normal convention.

Keep in mind that people are typing off the cuff here, so some minor grammer and spelling errors are best overlooked. I'm not going to wade through a post that is devoid of punctuation and capitalization, or full of texting abbreviations. But if someone writes clearly and just has a few errors in their post then I simply overlook it.

[tkbslc]

haha because the "trunk" is very logical ?!?

I was mostly just joking, but when was the last time you stored items in a boot? A boot is footwear. A trunk is a large storage box. Makes perfect sense. :)

[bigrob]

I think I'm just a grumpy old fool (at 44 !!!) but while I'm on a roll.....

I find it hard to read posts that are about 20 lines long and have no gaps (as in paragraphs in them).

Now - time for bed as it's 11:36pm in the Uk & I have to be at work at 6am.

[argyle]

id like to know how much of it is lack of education and how much is lazyness. i for one will write your for you are and you're just because its less letters, lol. i know, almost meaningless but that combined with a whole bunch of other words i scrunch up it saves time. for professional matters and school i do use your, you are, and you're correctly tho.

Don't you mean "laziness" ?

[DStanic]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

I don't care when people are in a hurry and do minor spelling mistakes, but "your" and "you're" are 2 different words with different meanings (I hope most people realize that!:rolleyes:), and it bothers me too!

What REALLY bothers me is when I hear people using internet lingo in real life situations. My wife and I (we are 26) were eating at a pub and a bunch of college/university age people were talking, I heard one girl use the word "ubber". I thought that was invented by and used exclusively by internet geeks (like 5yrs ago!). Wish I could record them and show them how stupid they look 5yrs from now..

[JeffreyG]

I heard one girl use the word "ubber". I thought that was invented by and used exclusively by internet geeks (like 5yrs ago!).

What is the context of 'ubber'?

Are you sure this is not the German word 'uber' (umlaut on the 'u')? If so then it is not an 'internet' word at all.

One can scoff at Wikipedia, but their take on the crossover of this work to English seems to pre-date the internet by over 100 years.

The crossover of the term "über" from German into English goes back to the work of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In 1883, Nietzsche coined the term "übermensch" to describe the higher state to which he felt men might aspire. The term was brought into English by George Bernard Shaw in the title to his 1903 play Man and Superman. During his rise to power, Adolf Hitler bastardized Nietzsche's term, using it in his descriptions of an Aryan master race. It was in this context that American Jewish comic book creator Jerry Siegel encountered the term and conceived the 1933 story "The Reign of Superman," in which "Superman" is "an evil mastermind with advanced mental powers"[1]. Throughout the following decade, Seigel recast Superman into the iconic American hero he subsequently became. It is through this association with Superman the hero that the term "über" carries much of its English sense implying irresistibility or invincibility.

[nicksan]

Can you imagine correcting people in person?

Him: "Yeah, yeah...my bad".
Me: "Excuse me, but did you mean 'my mistake'? I don't speak that way. I am not from the ghetto".
Him: (Say hello to my fist)
Me: Zzzzzzzzzz...

[monty28428]

Because.

[yogestee]

Keep in mind that people are typing off the cuff here, so some minor grammer and spelling errors are best overlooked. I'm not going to wade through a post that is devoid of punctuation and capitalization, or full of texting abbreviations. But if someone writes clearly and just has a few errors in their post then I simply overlook it.

Heheheeeeee........

[yogestee]

Being a teacher at an English language college here in Vientiane we teach English.. Colour, favourite, maths, honour etc are the only accepted spellings of these words and others..

We have a few American teachers who also have to live buy the rules.. The principal is quite firm on this.. We teach English,,not American English.. There is another school here that teaches American English and any teacher that doesn't want to teach English can find re-employment at this school..

BTW,,we in Australia also use "boot".. So do Kiwis, South Africans and all British origin countries except Canada and the US..

[katodog]

It's just another sign of stupid people doing stupid things and following what stupid rap and hip-hop idiots do. It's crippling the language the way those idiots talk, and everyone thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread to sound like a jackass. People think these guys are the thing to emulate, and it's pathetic. Just like people who use the word "sick" to indicate something good. Mindless stupid idiots following a mindless stupid idiot. If I have to base what I say on the ramblings of a moron who builds mechanical calamities I'd rather kill myself.

Just proves the quality of education in America.


It drives me absolutely insane when people don't use the right word for the right situation. Example...


They're going there with their friends.

You're going to be with your friends.

It's time to give the dog its dinner.




There's also a difference between English and American. English people need to figure this out. While I can easily understand when someone writes "color" as "colour", I don't try to push my spelling of it on them. But, explain why most spell-check systems mark the word "colour" as spelled wrong? What about "favour"?? Same thing. Apparently some fairly smart people, the people who design and implement computer software that's used the world over, know how to spell.




If I'm out of line, or wrong, please correct me.

[neilwood32]

Then there are people who can't spell words like colour, honour, favour, etc.


/me ducks and runs ;)

On a serious note lots of people come out of school in this country unable to use the right you're and they're for a situation. Then you have the rogue apostrophe problem.

Them damn yankees - take a beautiful language and ruin it!:p

It's just another sign of stupid people doing stupid things and following what stupid rap and hip-hop idiots do. It's crippling the language the way those idiots talk, and everyone thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread to sound like a jackass. People think these guys are the thing to emulate, and it's pathetic. Just like people who use the word "sick" to indicate something good. Mindless stupid idiots following a mindless stupid idiot. If I have to base what I say on the ramblings of a moron who builds mechanical calamities I'd rather kill myself.

Just proves the quality of education in America.


It drives me absolutely insane when people don't use the right word for the right situation. Example...


They're going there with their friends.

You're going to be with your friends.

It's time to give the dog its dinner.

There's also a difference between English and American. English people need to figure this out. While I can easily understand when someone writes "color" as "colour", I don't try to push my spelling of it on them. But, explain why most spell-check systems mark the word "colour" as spelled wrong? What about "favour"?? Same thing. Apparently some fairly smart people, the people who design and implement computer software that's used the world over, know how to spell.

If I'm out of line, or wrong, please correct me.

They are jumping on the bandwagon that says there must be 2 English languages: International and American.

Never mind in a few years the English language will cease to exist and be replaced universally by internet slang

[argyle]

It's just another sign of stupid people doing stupid things and following what stupid rap and hip-hop idiots do. It's crippling the language the way those idiots talk, and everyone thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread to sound like a jackass. People think these guys are the thing to emulate, and it's pathetic. Just like people who use the word "sick" to indicate something good. Mindless stupid idiots following a mindless stupid idiot. If I have to base what I say on the ramblings of a moron who builds mechanical calamities I'd rather kill myself.

Just proves the quality of education in America.


It drives me absolutely insane when people don't use the right word for the right situation. Example...


They're going there with their friends.

You're going to be with your friends.

It's time to give the dog its dinner.




There's also a difference between English and American. English people need to figure this out. While I can easily understand when someone writes "color" as "colour", I don't try to push my spelling of it on them. But, explain why most spell-check systems mark the word "colour" as spelled wrong? What about "favour"?? Same thing. Apparently some fairly smart people, the people who design and implement computer software that's used the world over, know how to spell.




If I'm out of line, or wrong, please correct me.


Yep...and all because we are no longer allowed to reward achievement because doing so just may inflict further damage to the already low self-esteem of the underachievers. Pathetic...

[kauffman v36]

Don't you mean "laziness" ?

lol you got me.

i have to say, i think the older generations are starting to really look down upon all this new lingo. i bet when they were kids using certain words the elders at the time found it extremely improper and delinquent-like. thats how a language evolves.

color, colour, i understand both and im sure most everybody understands what you're trying to say when you use either spelling. however, i must add that i found it very odd at first when i was in the International Baccalaureate program that they spelled everything in "proper non-american english" because i was in the u.s.a

[yogestee]

Are you sure this is not the German word 'uber' (umlaut on the 'u')? If so then it is not an 'internet' word at all.


German is my mother tongue.. Uber (with umlaut) means upper or over..

[iAMB]

I blame it on text messaging, e-mails, and forums. I will admit that I am not necessarily a solution to the problem either.

[nicksan]

It's just another sign of stupid people doing stupid things and following what stupid rap and hip-hop idiots do. It's crippling the language the way those idiots talk, and everyone thinks it's the greatest thing since sliced bread to sound like a jackass. People think these guys are the thing to emulate, and it's pathetic. Just like people who use the word "sick" to indicate something good. Mindless stupid idiots following a mindless stupid idiot. If I have to base what I say on the ramblings of a moron who builds mechanical calamities I'd rather kill myself.

As much as I don't like rap and hip-hop music, I believe your anger is misguided and borderline discriminatory. In fact, I have called something "sick" instead of "great"...so you are in fact calling me a mindless stupid idiot. Pretty silly IMO. (Does the fact that I use IMO offend you too?)



Just proves the quality of education in America.

Agreed...Education in many parts of this country is in a sad state.

[PhotosGuy]

Being a teacher at an English language college here in Vientiane we teach English.. Colour, favourite, maths, honour etc are the only accepted spellings of these words and others..

We have a few American teachers who also have to live buy the rules.. The principal is quite firm on this.. We teach English,,not American English.. There is another school here that teaches American English and any teacher that doesn't want to teach English can find re-employment at this school..

BTW,,we in Australia also use "boot".. So do Kiwis, South Africans and all British origin countries except Canada and the US.. And which rule would that use of "buy" be? :D

[swampler]

We have a few American teachers who also have to live buy the rules..
That's "live by the rules." Buy is used when purchasing something, i.e. I'm going to buy a new lens.

[yogestee]

And which rule would that use of "buy" be?


That's "live by the rules." Buy is used when purchasing something, i.e. I'm going to buy a new lens

This is a really bad typo coming from a teacher of ESL :o:o

[nphsbuckeye]

What is the context of 'ubber'?

Are you sure this is not the German word 'uber' (umlaut on the 'u')? If so then it is not an 'internet' word at all.

One can scoff at Wikipedia, but their take on the crossover of this work to English seems to pre-date the internet by over 100 years.
Richtig.

[BOSS]

This is a really bad typo coming from a teacher of ESL :o:o

Consider yourself severly reprimanded..tsk..tsk. The English language is evolving all the time,what is acceptable now will be absorbed and melded into something else in a few years down the track.
Consider the way it has evolved since it was first spoken till now. For example look at the way it was used in England back in Shakespeares time and now.
As an aside but still relevant is the way the English colonies,upon or perhaps before gaining independance,have evolved their own variance of the language e.g. America and Australia. Was this done to annoy the hell out of their masters?
As for punctuation and capitalisation one rule I was told is..'if you can't use it properly then don't use it all.'
Example....I helped my uncle jack off his horse. or I helped my Uncle Jack,off his horse.
Hope I got that right.

[bigrob]

Example....I helped my uncle jack off his horse. or I helped my Uncle Jack,off his horse.

bw!

I think that there is a big difference between a language evolving and not knowing how to use a word in context -

e.g. I can't decide weather the whether is nice enough not to wear a sweater? (n.b. I put it that way on purpose).

Slightly off topic - but can someone explain why so many teenagers want to wear their trousers so that their bottom is showing? :cry:

[fungry]

Consider yourself severly reprimanded..tsk..tsk. The English language is evolving all the time,what is acceptable now will be absorbed and melded into something else in a few years down the track.
Consider the way it has evolved since it was first spoken till now. For example look at the way it was used in England back in Shakespeares time and now.
As an aside but still relevant is the way the English colonies,upon or perhaps before gaining independance,have evolved their own variance of the language e.g. America and Australia. Was this done to annoy the hell out of their masters?
As for punctuation and capitalisation one rule I was told is..'if you can't use it properly then don't use it all.'
Example....I helped my uncle jack off his horse. or I helped my Uncle Jack,off his horse.
Hope I got that right.
lololol classic.

[Boomerbsg]

I often times (as I am now) post to forums from my blackberry. And sometimes I slip in an sms slang term from time to time. But that's my bad:)

But we have a country that's basically comprised of such a variety of cultures, that our language is constantly evolving (or de-evolving as some would see it). And I'm sure that's not limited just to the US.

I too misuse your and you're a lot when typing, grammar was never my strong suit, but I certainly don't care either way about it either.

And yeah I have to agree our education system sucks.

Cheers

[SwitchBlade]

Just like people who use the word "sick" to indicate something good. Mindless stupid idiots following a mindless stupid idiot. If I have to base what I say on the ramblings of a moron who builds mechanical calamities I'd rather kill myself.

I'm sure people were using the same moans when people started using why to replace wherefore. One assumes you'd never describe anything as cool?

As for internet slang, I really don't see what people gripe about. Ok using abbreviations like LOL in conversation makes me cringe, but the internet is just another form of communication, like writing a letter or using the telephone. You can't say that certain slang words are acceptable in one medium and then deny another.

[BOSS]

bw!

I think that there is a big difference between a language evolving and not knowing how to use a word in context -

e.g. I can't decide weather the whether is nice enough not to wear a sweater? (n.b. I put it that way on purpose).

Slightly off topic - but can someone explain why so many teenagers want to wear their trousers so that their bottom is showing? :cry:
Interesting use of words in your example.
As for the trouser fad,I think its just that a fad that was probably brought about by some non descript musical group(I use musical loosely)
I often times (as I am now) post to forums from my blackberry. And sometimes I slip in an sms slang term from time to time. But that's my bad:)

But we have a country that's basically comprised of such a variety of cultures, that our language is constantly evolving (or de-evolving as some would see it). And I'm sure that's not limited just to the US.

I too misuse your and you're a lot when typing, grammar was never my strong suit, but I certainly don't care either way about it either.

And yeah I have to agree our education system sucks.

Cheers
Not just your education system but a lot of others as well,maybe its all part of the dumbing down theory.
I'm sure people were using the same moans when people started using why to replace wherefore. One assumes you'd never describe anything as cool?

As for internet slang, I really don't see what people gripe about. Ok using abbreviations like LOL in conversation makes me cringe, but the internet is just another form of communication, like writing a letter or using the telephone. You can't say that certain slang words are acceptable in one medium and then deny another.

True.

[cdifoto]

haha because the "trunk" is very logical ?!?
It originates from the old days when people literally tied or strapped a steamer trunk to their buggy and, later on, car - before they were integrated.

[cdifoto]

This is a really bad typo coming from a teacher of ESL :o:o
You're fired.

[SwitchBlade]

Going back to the internet slang thing. I think it's because slang generally starts as a community thing, someone coins a phrase and others use it but it's use would be held to a small community. With the advent of television if a slang phrase were used there it would see a wide audience and would gain wider use (I'd never have heard tattybojangles if not for Mock The Week). A good example would be minger, never really heard of it outside small groups locally then it's mentioned on Big Brother and it's a word used everywhere, same with chav. Wouldn't have heard them much anywhere else 15 years ago.

Similarly the internet is another enabler in that use of a slang phrase can gain a wider audience and use from it's smaller community beginnings.

[cdifoto]

If I stuck with 100% Proper English in my emails, I'd seldom be hired because they'd think I was a snob.

So, I type the same way I speak...and when I speak, I end my sentences with prepositions every now and again. I haven't figured out how to spell my laugh though so I'm still using "LOL" and "Haha"

It may not be Oxford but it's me.

[jdizzle]

If I stuck with 100% Proper English in my emails, I'd seldom be hired because they'd think I was a snob.

So, I type the same way I speak...and when I speak, I end my sentences with prepositions every now and again. I haven't figured out how to spell my laugh though so I'm still using "LOL" and "Haha"

It may not be Oxford but it's me.
WERD!! :):lol:

[cdifoto]

For the record, I do leave the "umm"s out of my emails...

[katodog]

As much as I don't like rap and hip-hop music, I believe your anger is misguided and borderline discriminatory. In fact, I have called something "sick" instead of "great"...so you are in fact calling me a mindless stupid idiot. Pretty silly IMO. (Does the fact that I use IMO offend you too?)



If I were trying to be discriminatory, I'd use the terminology that goes through my head to describe rap and hip hop morons. I like some of the music, but I absolutely do not like the way they are shaping the language. Their laziness and ignorance is affecting everyone else, and it's pathetic.

It's not anger, it's disgust. If it comes off as anger, that was not the intent. I'm merely trying to show my utter disgust for how the language has been changed to suit the needs of the lazy.

If you use the word "sick" to describe something good, instead of using it as it should be, then yes, I am calling you a mindless stupid idiot. That's my opinion, it doesn't necessarily mean you are a mindless stupid idiot, but...if you follow the leader, that makes you mindless. If you destroy the language by using it to suit your needs, then you're stupid (or lazy). If you get offended by what I say, instead of getting offended at yourself for continuing the chain, then you are an idiot.

I do use the word "cool" to describe something interesting. I nowhere in my post said I was not immune to the effects of how the language is shaped. And I can openly admit that I am a mindless stupid idiot. I use words against their meaning for my own purpose, that makes me stupid (or lazy), I must be following the first guy to do it, so that makes me mindless, as for being an idiot, I think if you read through all of my posts on the website, you will see numerous times where I openly refer to myself as an idiot. I don't hide the fact that I'm an idiot.

I, however, choose to use proper language when speaking to people. Whether it's typing, texting (which I don't do), in person, etc., I try to use my brain and not my lazy ass to formulate my words.


No, your use of "IMO" does not offend me, you are using it as it was meant to be used. And it does not apply to what I'm talking about because it is not slang, it is an abbreviation. Now, if you were to be talking to me face-to-face, and you said things like "IMO", "OMG", "TTYL", then you would offend me, and our conversation would not last very long.

[breal101]

I find slang interesting, it's just an opportunity to learn something new to me. Different cultures, different words, nothing surprising about that. Trunk, boot, it's the place we fill with junk or keep meticulously clean, different things for different people. The British also call the hood of a car the bonnet, no big deal as long as they don't use lens bonnet, that would be weird. :lol: I actually use lens shade because that's what I learned a long time ago but I'm not going on a campaign to change it around here.

[Hot Bob]

Going back to the OP. I have a theory on the "My bad" thing. I am retired from the Army and I believe it came from there. There used to be a saying; "yes sir, no sir...three bags full". During my early days as a private, it was common to hear the old timers say "My bag" when they made a mistake. It was a reference to the original saying. Through the years I noticed many soldiers mis-quote the old term by saying "My bad". I occasionally corrected them and gave a lesson on the orgin of the term but mostly I found it futile and gave up.

Bob

[advaitin]

Going back to the OP. I have a theory on the "My bad" thing. I am retired from the Army and I believe it came from there. There used to be a saying; "yes sir, no sir...three bags full". During my early days as a private, it was common to hear the old timers say "My bag" when they made a mistake. It was a reference to the original saying. Through the years I noticed many soldiers mis-quote the old term by saying "My bad". I occasionally corrected them and gave a lesson on the orgin of the term but mostly I found it futile and gave up.

Bob


Let's see how your memory holds. When did you first hear the "Hoo-ah" used? And where do you think it came from?

[Jon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8fbrUjjivw&feature=player_embedded#

[yogestee]

I've been thinking,, I know some of you believe this is impossible;);)

Every generation adds language to the English language in the way of vocabulary and slang..

I often wonder if the learned in the hallowed halls of Oxford 200 or 300 years ago had the same discussion we are having now and wondered what is happening to the English language??

The English language expands as much from technology, medical sciences and development as it does from popular culture and slang..

[hughes_57]

German is my mother tongue.. Uber (with umlaut) means upper or over..
"Deutschland über alles" Hitlers national anthem

[yogestee]

"Deutschland über alles" Hitlers national anthem

It was used as Germany's national anthem before Hitler..

The title is actually "Deutschlandlied"..

"Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles" are the opening words..

[swampler]

bw!

I think that there is a big difference between a language evolving and not knowing how to use a word in context -

e.g. I can't decide weather the whether is nice enough not to wear a sweater? (n.b. I put it that way on purpose).That example is a classic use of a double negative, which you aren't supposed to do.

[Hot Bob]

Let's see how your memory holds. When did you first hear the "Hoo-ah" used? And where do you think it came from?

My first duty station was Ft. Richardson, Alaska and it was like a totally different Army up there. There was a Corporal in my platoon who used say hooah. He was really the only one. He was from the real Army at the 101st. I know the story of the Abn origin and that it was an acronym for "heard, understood and acknowleged". That may be true but, I went to Abn school before I went to Alaska, and I never heard it there and I never heard it in Infantry OSUT. My last assignment before retiring was as a First Sergeant of a Infantry OSUT Company and my drill instructors couldn't complete a sentence without saying it.

Bob

[advaitin]

My first duty station was Ft. Richardson, Alaska and it was like a totally different Army up there. There was a Corporal in my platoon who used say hooah. He was really the only one. He was from the real Army at the 101st. I know the story of the Abn origin and that it was an acronym for "heard, understood and acknowleged". That may be true but, I went to Abn school before I went to Alaska, and I never heard it there and I never heard it in Infantry OSUT. My last assignment before retiring was as a First Sergeant of a Infantry OSUT Company and my drill instructors couldn't complete a sentence without saying it.

Bob

I was working as a civilian Public Affairs Specialist (writing, photographing and editing for the Paraglide newspaper) at Ft. Bragg in the 70s. We had a West Pointer, a Major, assigned to the office who was forever coming up with stuff to make the Airborne units stand out. At that time, we were using a lot of Marine Corps phraseology: Uh-Rah, Gung-Ho, etc. He was always griping that the Army should not use anything adopted by the Marines. He was on a speed track to the Pentagon PA and I often wondered if he had something to do creating the sound and the myth. I wouldn't put it past him. The first time I ever heard it was when the movie "Scent of a Woman" in 1992. In 1980 I went from the Army realm to the USAF and, even though I spent time at a joint services base, I never heard the phrase until the movie came out.

Personally, I find it a very wimpy cry for warriors. No way comparable to the Marines grunt of Uh-Rah!

[Kendoway]

I think we need to bring proper English back to this community:


It was nary a fortnight since I had dallied upon the beleaguered but venerable missives to be found upon the ivy draped academy that I knew and loved to be POTN. To my dismay, I discovered that great contention had fomented during my absence, and that turmoil had broken out over the dispensation of new photographic machine called the “Seven D”.

Indeed rumors abounded and a great hue and cry was heard across my beloved hamlet of online reading…With a surfeit of melancholy, I clicked the red X and recessed myself from the looming battle.

[BOSS]

@kendoway,beautiful,love it.

[cdifoto]

I think we need to bring proper English back to this community:


It was nary a fortnight since I had dallied upon the beleaguered but venerable missives to be found upon the ivy draped academy that I knew and loved to be POTN. To my dismay, I discovered that great contention had fomented during my absence, and that turmoil had broken out over the dispensation of new photographic machine called the “Seven D”.

Indeed rumors abounded and a great hue and cry was heard across my beloved hamlet of online reading…With a surfeit of melancholy, I clicked the red X and recessed myself from the looming battle.



Ahh dammit! The 1779 to 2009 translation app on my blackberry can't connect to its server right now! :mad:

[katodog]

Enough with the mushy crap, this isn't the Oprah show.

[birdfromboat]

Personally, I tried to keep the use of "my bad" to a minimum in our house while the kids were in the formative years. It wasn't because it was improper or slang or lazy or a degeneration of a language or any of that. It was because it was being used as a shortcut to an apology. If you have done something that had an adverse effect on another person, I beleive you should say "I am sorry for my actions and regret any negative effects they have caused for you". Slang is fine, I work in a shop environment and we use slang for all manner of things, commonly replacing nouns with verbs and like that there, but I do beleive that an apology should be an apology, not a "my bad".

[BOSS]

Thats a long winded apology,I think just saying,'I'm sorry' is enough.

[birdfromboat]

Thats a long winded apology,I think just saying,'I'm sorry' is enough.
yeah, I was making a point, probably not very well. My bad.

[BillwYellowstone]

Well, he was just axting a question.

[rklepper]

As an Eagle Scout we would store lots of things in our boots while we slept. That way we did not have to search for them in the mornning.

I was mostly just joking, but when was the last time you stored items in a boot? A boot is footwear. A trunk is a large storage box. Makes perfect sense. :)

[rklepper]

Probably mostly laziness, just like not using the caps key.

:)

id like to know how much of it is lack of education and how much is lazyness. i for one will write your for you are and you're just because its less letters, lol. i know, almost meaningless but that combined with a whole bunch of other words i scrunch up it saves time. for professional matters and school i do use your, you are, and you're correctly tho.

[BOSS]

yeah, I was making a point, probably not very well. My bad.

Well, he was just axting a question.

Fair enough:lol::lol:

[bigrob]

e.g. I can't decide weather the whether is nice enough not to wear a sweater? (n.b. I put it that way on purpose).

That example is a classic use of a double negative, which you aren't supposed to do.

I did realise that when I typed it.

Double negatives are extremely common on this side of the pond.

For example "I aint got no money".

Or the one my youngest son uses which drives me mad - the use of the word them. e.g. "them biscuits" :cry:

[hairy_moth]

There is a brand new change in language that my kids have picked up in school. Recently I have heard there swim coach using it too. The word is: "versus," e.g. Army versus Navy.

My kids come to me and say: can I verse you in ping-pong.

Now I hear my kids' swim coach saying it. "We will verse the XXtown YMCA on Saturday."

[BillwYellowstone]

Sounds like the coach's misuse is becoming accepted. Hold his head underwater while you recite verse.

[cdifoto]

"verse" and "versus" aren't the same thing.

"Verse" is like "school" and "teach"

verse
tr.v. versed, vers·ing, vers·es
To familiarize by study or experience: He versed himself in philosophy.

[hairy_moth]

Sounds like the coach's misuse is becoming accepted. Hold his head underwater while you recite verse.

It didn't start with the coach (at least not for my kids) This has become very common in (at least) Northern NJ among kids for about 2 years. My kids first picked it up at school last year. But I have heard it at their little league games and now, with the Swim Coach, I have hear it from an adult.

For me, hearing that is like finger nails on a chalkboard. My kids get reprimanded every time I hear them use it; but I fear I am fighting a losing battle.

[hairy_moth]

"verse" and "versus" aren't the same thing.

"Verse" is like "school" and "teach" - "I can school you in ping pong!" - a legitimate transitive verb

They aren't using it as a synonym for "teach". They are using it instead of "play against." Yes, it is an aberration on multiple levels. The correct word is versus, but it has mutated to verse.

[swampler]

Double negatives are extremely common on this side of the pond.

For example "I aint got no money".

Or the one my youngest son uses which drives me mad - the use of the word them. e.g. "them biscuits" :cry:
LOL! They are common here too, but that doesn't make it not wrong. Doh, you got me doing it now! :lol:

[bigrob]

LOL! They are common here too, but that doesn't make it not wrong. Doh, you got me doing it now! :lol:

:D:D

The one that drives me to despair is the word "issue".

Why do people say the Mk III had AF issues?

No it didn't have issues it had a problem.

It seems to me that this has come about because of this namby pamby world we live in.

No one has problems - they have issues.

No one is short - they are vertically challenged.

No one is bald - they are follically challenged.

Rant rant rant

[hairy_moth]

LOL.. At the reply that was deleted in the name of political correctness!

I had never heard that before! Thank you!

[Gatorboy]

Why am I seeing many people start their posts with the word "So ... ?"

[tonylong]

Why am I seeing many people start their posts with the word "So ... ?"

So, I'll take a stab at that:)!

Casual conversations are full of constructions that wouldn't be considered "proper" if you are, say, writing an essay.

Say you are chatting with a friend. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't find it strange to have statements like these common:

"So, today I actually went out and took some pictures!"

"Well, good for you!"

"OK, do you want to see some?"

"Well, sure, I've got some time"

"So, what do you think?"

"Wow, man, those are sick! I mean, bad! I mean cool! I mean groovy! Oh, drat, I give up -- those are very nice!"

And, when chatting on the InterWebs, some people would rather chat the way they do in person. I for example would never dream of saying "LOL" when I'm chatting with someone (actually I've done it as a teasing way to say I'm not laughing). I'm more likely to make a sound like "heh!" when I'm a bit amused, and, gee, in chatting on the internet that is actually for me a common expression, like a chuckle:)!

But I have to admit there is one expression that at one time drove me crazy, because I had a friend who was hopelessly habituated to it:

"I went, you know, to the store, you know, and found some shoes, you know, and I, you know, decided to buy them, you know"...drove me nuts.

[cdifoto]

So, I'll take a stab at that:)!

Casual conversations are full of constructions that wouldn't be considered "proper" if you are, say, writing an essay.

Say you are chatting with a friend. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't find it strange to have statements like these common:

"So, today I actually went out and took some pictures!"

"Well, good for you!"

"OK, do you want to see some?"

"Well, sure, I've got some time"

"So, what do you think?"

"Wow, man, those are sick! I mean, bad! I mean cool! I mean groovy! Oh, drat, I give up -- those are very nice!"

And, when chatting on the InterWebs, some people would rather chat the way they do in person. I for example would never dream of saying "LOL" when I'm chatting with someone (actually I've done it as a teasing way to say I'm not laughing). I'm more likely to make a sound like "heh!" when I'm a bit amused, and, gee, in chatting on the internet that is actually for me a common expression, like a chuckle:)!

But I have to admit there is one expression that at one time drove me crazy, because I had a friend who was hopelessly habituated to it:

"I went, you know, to the store, you know, and found some shoes, you know, and I, you know, decided to buy them, you know"...drove me nuts.

Ell Oh Ell! So that's like, totally why like, I you know, like said this earlier:

If I stuck with 100% Proper English in my emails, I'd seldom be hired because they'd think I was a snob.

So, I type the same way I speak...and when I speak, I end my sentences with prepositions every now and again. I haven't figured out how to spell my laugh though so I'm still using "LOL" and "Haha"

It may not be Oxford but it's me.

You feel me, dawg?

[tonylong]

Heh! Word! LOL!

[hairy_moth]

Heh! Word! LOL!

Yeah, "Word"....... NOT!

[cdifoto]

Werd to your maternal parent.

[birdfromboat]

Starting sentences with 'so' has been around forever in the midwest. I always crack up when I hear it used in what has been called the midwestern question statement, as in: "So, I see ya got your worms there", instead of "going fishing?"
Garrison Keilor on NPR's prairie home companion is the master of the midwestern question statement.

[BOSS]

With regard to the 'verse' instead of verses,there was a discussion on a local radio station here,where the blame for this was laid at the feet of the sporting media.

[swampler]

With regard to the 'verse' instead of verses,there was a discussion on a local radio station here,where the blame for this was laid at the feet of the sporting media.
It's actually versus, not verses...as long as we're in an English thread. :cool:

[BOSS]

It's actually versus, not verses...as long as we're in an English thread. :cool:

Oops my bad, still on 1st coffee. Sorry couldn't resist.

[swampler]

Oops my bad, still on 1st coffee. Sorry couldn't resist.
LMAO! Good one.:lol:

[bigrob]

Basically I hate it when basically gets used all the time.

[Fade2]

Okay here's another one.

I also find it odd that people write "your" when they mean "you're" as in "you are"?

Now I know why they do this..............
It's because most don't know the difference between Your and you're
I really hate seeing that too.
As far as "my bad"..........get over it lol:lol:

[Crimzon]

http://lukeusmaximus.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/microsoft_werd.jpg

[bigrob]

bw!

[neilwood32]

bw! +1