People who say "PIN number"

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This has happened a lot to me recently with the whole "Chip and Pin" thing happening. I go to a checkout to buy stuff and the checkout person asks "do you know your pin number?" It is really begining to annoy me. almost as much as the people who qualify the word unique. Jesus something is either unique or it is not. It can't be so unique, or really unique, it just is or it isn't.

― Davel (Davel), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone else get annoyed by people mis using words or abbreviations?

― Davel (Davel), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

def.

― king of the eyesores (papa november), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

what were you buying at the store - one life? ahahahaha (sorry)

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I was a bit put out the other day when someone used it correctly.

I thought the Franz Ferdinand guy's self correction regarding 'unique' at the Brits or something seemed well-rehearsed, a very cheap form of one-upmanship.

So no, it doesn't annoy me. Everything else does though.

One thing though, I find myself wanting to use my card more since I've got a PIN number. So I'm skint.

If you like this kind of nit-picking, The Economist Style Guide is a good source. I am always dying for people to mis-use 'epicentre' so that I can correct them, and then get my head kicked in.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

But if people said "Do you know your PI Number?" people would say "3.14159" (Or even more digits in Ned's case...)

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

it used to bug me when people said they were going to "tap MAC" for some reason. I don't know why. Sometimes it just bugs me when people all agree upon the same cutesy expression. okay, continue with the thread. I've obviously been carrying that around with me for years and it was nice to unload.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

i used to really hate the expression "same difference" when i was a kid. i used to overuse and misuse the word "basically" alot too.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread is reminding me of chuck eddy asking why sun ra was called sun ra and if it meant that he was really sun sun god.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

For the ATM Machine?

― Does John Coltrane Dream of a Merry-go-round? (ex machina), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

i hated same difference too. i never understood how everyone just up and agreed that "same thing" was old hat.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

some people DO just say PIN and leave out the "number". these same people say HIV and leave out the extra virus.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"Unique" can be modified sensibly:

1. "surprisingly unique": you'd think there'd be more than one, but it's unique.

2. "nearly unique": there's more than one, but not many more than one.

3. "actually unique": not merely rare or unusual; there REALLY IS only one.

et cetera, et cetera.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

but something can't be MORE unique than something else, or can it?

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Jon stole my response.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate it when people call it the GPS system, when the S stands for system already. I am sure their are more of these

― lukey (Lukey G), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

"SAT Test"

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

DAT tapes

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to work at the place where the area that held patrons was referred to as "The queue line."

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't get annoyed by people doing this. I feel it just reflects the counter-intuitive nature of many acronyms in the first place, leading to us attempting to integrate them back into normal speech.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree that "more unique" is meaningless.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

ISBN Number

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

HIV virus and SAT test don't bug me. I probably got used to them before i really thought about them. "same difference" on the other hand, still bugs me after all this time.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I say all these bad things.

― Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

It's drives me mad when people say SPECTRE Extortion or NAD dinucleotide or IT Technology.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know why but I love the idiom, 'same difference'.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

yeh me too, because it tends to be expressed as a recognition that 'alright i made a mistake/joke here'

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe they are Belgian. We, the Belgian salespeople, say:"Use your god damn pin code." Or sth similar. What's so wrong with saying that?

― stevie nixed (stevie nixed), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

CBGB (not plural)

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

You can say "really unique" if by 'really' you mean 'truly', but there is no uniquer, uniquest. I think you'd get away with "quite unique" if you were being very British about it.

― Madchen (Madchen), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

and added "guvnor" to the end of your sentence.

― Emilymv (Emilymv), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

"I don't know why but I love the idiom, 'same difference'. "

you should go to Thailand where they have the expression (in English)

"same same (but different)"

― Porkpie (porkpie), Monday, 15 November 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

the more it changes, the more it's the same thing, as they say in France.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Monday, 15 November 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

JE T'AIME (non plus)

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Monday, 15 November 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

oops! i always thought the S in GPS stands for "Satellite"

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

re: unique

poncey words that you hate

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Safeways ABC (Added Bonus Card) - the cashiers always asked if you had an 'ABC Card'. Aargh....!!!!

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Life is way too short to be pedantic about all this cobblers

― Porkpie (porkpie), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.acronymfinder.com/

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:12 (twenty-one years ago)

'It makes no odds to me whether people use "same difference" or not. It is neither here nor there.'

'Would you like to watch me spread Marmite on this panini?'

'I send a lot of messages using my SMS service.' (Perhaps that one is OK.)

'Wing-Commader, would you take this faulty drill back to the hardware shop for me?
'Wilco!'
'Here's the receipt then.'

'My dad used to go spare when the Channel 4 commentators started saying 'Meeeeeeeeeeeeelan' instead of AC Milan.'

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

porkpie OTM.

"have you got an AB card?"

"have you got an ABC?"

which would you prefer?

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Either way, the answer is, 'I'm sorry? Have I got a what?'

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

no points, for you.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Meeeelan is correct, though. AC Milan aren't called AC Milano, as one might expect, as they were founded by Britishers.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I would argue that it is incorrect when spoken by an English speaker, which puts me firmly in the Archel camp on this thread.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

so why is it not Milan FC?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

how do you pronounce "kraftwerk"?

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Craft Work

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

With a silent 't'. So Craff Work.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

actually it's athletics isn't it? Milan Athletics

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

How do you pronounce Amon Düül II?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm on dool 2

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

(xposts) ABC meant Already Been Chewed in my schoolyard, as in, 'Who wants some ABC gum?'

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I have only noticed English people refer to Meeelan when they're omitting the AC bit so that people don't get them confused with Inter which, interestingly, is correctly monikered FC Internazionale Milano.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

See Suzy at least that makes sense. Safeway couldn't get their lousy scheme right, maybe that's why it got pulled. Folk like me refusing to pander to it.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

what actually does ABC stand for in the safeways loyalty card?

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I feel it just reflects the counter-intuitive nature of many acronyms in the first place, leading to us attempting to integrate them back into normal speech.

Life is way too short to be pedantic about all this cobblers

I agree w/the above 2 statements from upthread!

(this may be b/c I am always asking people for their "pin numbers" when they pay w/a chip&pin card, & now I feel all self-concious about it though)

Another one I believe is "the Ukraine". IIRC, the "U" in Ukraine means "the".

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

A funny name for a football team is Grasshoppers.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Safeways ABC (Added Bonus Card) - the cashiers always asked if you had an 'ABC Card'. Aargh....!!!!

-- Rumpy Pumpkin (the24hrsleepe...), November 15th, 2004 5:06 PM. (rumpypumpkin) (later)

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

oh added bonus! sorry

yeah xpost

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, if Safeway didn't do schoolyard due diligence on their product names you can hardly be surprised at their out-of-business status.

Shopkeeper dilemma solved: ask them to punch in their 'card number'.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

My main shopkeepers dilemma is how to stop people from reeling off their PINs when you ask them, as in:

me: (whilst handing pin ~~number~~ code reader to customer) Do you know your pin code, plz?

customer: yes! 4217 (or whatever)

me: YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL ME IT, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TYPE IT INTO THE MACHINE!!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

"No, if you say it out loud we enrol you in the Brain Donor programme."

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha ha, you're going to get a lot of that Pashmina!

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Pashmina, perhaps you should ask them to, "Please enter your pin code."

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:53 (twenty-one years ago)

i DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A ROBOT, THOUGH! (oops caps lock off haha)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, quit using a vocoder at work then.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

plus, the "do you know" thing is b/c plenty of people don't know theirs, so I have to a/press bypass button b/swipe supervisor card & get a signature. This technology is currently at the "slightly tiresome" phase, TBH, though things will get better no doubt. (bored yet? Haha)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 15 November 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Card Not Authorised.

I have not had a chance to chip and pin yet.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 15 November 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

If you don't like having to ask people for their PIN number, tell them you only accept cash money.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

q. how do you catch a unique bird?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Ask Wile E Coyote.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

a. UNIQUE UP ON IT

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

won't it just fly away?

birds aren't stupid.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

q. how do you catch a tame bird?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Q: how do you catch a stupid bird?
A: impersonate a worm

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 15 November 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"something can't be MORE unique than something else, or can it?"

I think so. A kakapo is more unique than a black robin because its genes are more different to anything else while there are other robin species which (presumably) have much the same genes as the black robin.

― isadora (isadora), Monday, 15 November 2004 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Kakapos! The best bird ever.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 15 November 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

It was sort of alluded to upthread, but the main reason people say PIN number is because if you said just "PIN" they wouldn't know what the fuck you were on about.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 15 November 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

File the annoyance this phrase illicits in the "ways I make myself feel smarter than others" folder.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 15 November 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

oops hits the nail on the head there

― Porkpie (porkpie), Monday, 15 November 2004 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost file that post in the "way I make myself feel more objective than others" folder

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

file that post in the "look what I'm doing here! I'm turning that shit back on you, how do ya like THEM apples, baby!" folder

― oops (Oops), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

also, i don't know what the fuck objectivity has to do with not being a intellectual snob.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)

it was more the feeling the need to be like "oooh i'm so above these petty annoyances!! yay me!"

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

nice one. btw.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

no it's not yay me, just boo them.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

that's fine then if that's the case.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 15 November 2004 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

acronyms are a dehumanising and alienating, so people like to qualify them with a word that has more meaning.

if this sort of phrase is annoying, then i dont see why pin code is any better.

the 'u' in 'ukraine' stands for 'on', or 'at'. "On the edge, on the border".

― ambrose (ambrose), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to find it quite annoying when English speakers used the 'proper' pronunciation of place names when there is a well-used English pronunciation, but recently I have caught myself saying "Cheee-lay" for Chile, and I think it is only the beginning.

― Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:24 (twenty-one years ago)

you never know what's gonna bug ya. (i also hate when people say "shits & giggles" but i'll leave that for another thread that is more laughter & poop appropriate.)

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 15 November 2004 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

for a long time i pronounced "chile" as like "child" but without the D sound.. i felt silly when i found out it's actually like "chilli"

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

haha, I remember hearing a discussion, on a radio, in which posh-sounding people discussed jimi hendrix. one fella sez "I have to say, though, that my favourite track, of his, must be 'voodoo chilly'." there was a pause and, then, the discussion continued.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:36 (twenty-one years ago)

or 'voodoo chilli', yes, I suppose, is funnier.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 00:36 (twenty-one years ago)

i always cringe when people say: "i could care less" instead of "i couldn't care less".

it's a pretty silly peeve, but damn it really bugs me sometimes.

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Before I went to Portugal I thought there was just one football team called Sporting Lisbon. So after a few weeks I was puzzled when a barman in response to me asking who was playing on the TV said 'Benfica'. Now I could clearly see that the name of the team that wasn't Porto had been abbreviated to SLB, so when a couple of minutes later another guy came in and asked who was playing, I said, 'Sporting', which made sense to me.

Hence a confused look look from the customer and one of contempt from the barman. Soon after I found out that SLB stands for Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

― rwillmsen (rwillmsen), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

acronyms are a dehumanising and alienating

oh barf.

― skowly (skowly), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread gives Andy Rooney a boner

http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2004/2004-02/24-rooney-inside.jpg

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"pizza pie"

"the hoi polloi"

[yawn]

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Taking it back a bit:

how do you pronounce "kraftwerk"?

Crafft-Verk

How do you pronounce Amon Düül II?

Amon Dool zvi

But that's probably because my girlfriend speaks German (I mean Deutsch) as a second language and will laugh at me if I pisspronounce them.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't get annoyed by people doing this. I feel it just reflects the counter-intuitive nature of many acronyms in the first place, leading to us attempting to integrate them back into normal speech.

-- Archel

Archel wins my vote.

― Anna (Anna), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:05 (twenty-one years ago)

a german girl once told me that ayingerbrau is pronounced like not "aye ing a brow" which i do.. but something else which i've forgotten, so i have to make do with aye ing a brow, or "fat man".

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

oh god what about "litovel"? "little vel"? "lie toe vel"?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, brau (with an umlaut on the a) should be pronounced "broy", no?

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:29 (twenty-one years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAS_syndrome

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 12:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"live gigs"

― debden, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

what about hoegaarden?

i think this should be pronounced "hoo[*]aarh-den" but bar staff look at you funny if you don't say "hoe-garden"

*gutteral throat clearing noise the dutch use for g

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm coming to terms with the fact that I get highly annoyed when people say almost anything.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

haha otm!

Koi carp, that gets me every time.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

why does Koi carp make you laugh, it's a good way of differentiating the ones known as Koi from others such as shubunkins, ghosties, leathers, mirrors, commons, fantails, comets, grass and crucians.

perfectly viable

― Porkpie (porkpie), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:26 (twenty-one years ago)

*points and laughs at Porkpie*

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"can i have your social"?

― amateur!!st, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

or just soc, which makes me think of the outsiders.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i think i'm going to go to bars and ask girls for their social

― amateur!!st, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:31 (twenty-one years ago)

it sounds almost courtly

― amateur!!st, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

"Fat Man" can be confusing for non-Cockneys such as myself.

Surely it is a made-up beer anyway, so you can pronounce it how you like.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"eyeing a brow" sounds like some crazy expression (one that would sure to annoy people)

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

is saying "touché" annoying? when not fencing?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

It's OK if you're a turtle.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

but the turtle is fencing!

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

ten months pass...

actually i can see "very unique" to mean that a thing/person is unique on many different aspects. (i guess similar to the gene thing), like, not only does she like books that nobody else in the world likes, but she also can ride a unicycle with just one hand. or something? i.e. less likely the possibility of there being a duplicate.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

Argh, that perfume called Very Irresistable. You're either irresistable or you're not fffs, argh.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

is there a word that means "hard to resist but not impossibly hard"? it should be called that

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

Like Robert Plamer said, it's "simply" irresistable.

― Old School (sexyDancer), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

It's a full life, isn't it?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

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