Words, usages, and phrases that annoy the shit out of you...

mattkkkkk otm, I can't make soup without a voice in my head saying "with a smack of ham to it! "

To me, smacks of means than resembles. If something smacks of hypocrisy it means it stinks of it.

worry not!

A few of the pubs/restaurants I follow on social media use this sort of style and it really sets my teeth on edge. "Rejoice! our spring menu has returned...behold its wondrous delights" etc. Guaranteed someone will reply with a "Hurrah!"

Or worse, “huzzah”

On the suspenders side of things I give “wax” or “waxes” a pass, I kinda enjoy it tbh, I wax enthusiastic about wax

Somebody told me they hated “myriad” once and I have a subroutine in place to avoid its usage, too bad, it’s a useful word

If people wish to use "myriad," I prefer when they use it as an adjective. I know it also is accepted as a noun but I am not reconciled to that usage.

Best: I have myriad iguanas.

Not so great: I have a myriad of iguanas.

I didn't even know it could be used as a noun in place of multitude or suchlike. It's too similar to pyramid for me to take it seriously - "I have a pyramid of iguanas".

most nouns

I've got a myriad of pyramids, kid

Myriad as noun goes back further than myriad as adjective, I believe.

second on learnings

what’s with all these ppl suddenly using thou thee thy second/fam again? it’s v fucked up and distracting. can barely get a ye in edgewise.

(xp) I would have thought so.

I have myriad iguanas.

One for the "shocking old" thread: I was unaware that this word is also an adjective and have never seen it used this way.

*shockingly

same!

I specifically remember in my degree tutorials my friend getting "a myriad of" corrected to "myriad" by the professor.

prof otm

totally. non-adjectival use of "myriad" isn't technically wrong, but it always raises an eyebrow when a writer chooses this word, presumably to sound highbrow, but then fumbles the application

I have a plethora of piñatas

myriad as a noun was around for centuries before it was used an as adjective, so "isn't technically wrong" is kind of an understatement

You're right, of course, and I am usually on that side of usage disputes (verbing, for example). But one can have preferences, and be sensitive to the preferences of one's target audience.

myriad as a noun was around for centuries before it was used an as adjective, so "isn't technically wrong" is kind of an understatement

― the absence of bikes (f. hazel), Monday, March 4, 2024 2:22 PM (thirty-three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

guess what, lots of things that make people sound stupid have been established practice for centuries

Today I learned that the use of "myriad" as a noun annoys people. Don't really know why though. Might be an 'American thing'.

it always raises an eyebrow when a writer chooses this word, presumably to sound highbrow, but then fumbles the application

so you know this is the origin of myriad used as an adjective, right

if we try real hard, we might just recreate this thread

Taking Sides: Another Think Coming v Another Thing Coming

viking as a gerund

today i vike
yesterday I viked
I has have had been viked
many times before

It's necessary that you be viking

its viking sleep?

Motorviking

https://y.yarn.co/c827194a-05a1-4a56-af47-c9d064d0013e_text.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPbG8aBhfDE

i'm a viking girl, in a viking world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO_VONrCJQE

so you know this is the origin of myriad used as an adjective, right

― the absence of bikes (f. hazel), Monday, March 4, 2024 3:08 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

yup! i am really talking about a style choice, and an awareness of readers' perceptions. you could make the same argument about "self-depreciating," which emerged long before "self-deprecating" and is technically correct, but if a writer used it i would question their judgment for sure. sometimes writers make subtle choices that i appreciate, not because the writer is 100% correct, but because they've managed to avoid awkward or unwelcome associations etc etc

I'm one-upping the haters and using myriad as a pronoun

myriad, meriad, mineriad

Shibboleths are kind of gross.

if you're referring to how Minnesotans pronounce "boat," i agree

i am really talking about a style choice, and an awareness of readers' perceptions

show me a sound linguistic basis for this perception and maybe I'll pay attention.

I've read the recent posts and have concluded that "myriad" is a cool word

As I have said, I write and edit for a living. Of course I have opinions but the audience that matters is the person approving my timesheet or signing my paycheck. If they don't like something, I don't argue.

Going against the grain here - I have only ever used myriad as an adjective and didn't know it could be used as a noun.

i use myriad as an adverb

Hard to say how often we'll need to cover this ground, but in the world I inhabit both usages are understood and accepted by ordinary readers or listeners, so both are acceptable in informal prose or speech. If you're working in an academic or professional capacity that is more strictly rule-bound than informal prose or speech, then you'd better follow the rules or be seen as being in error.

such a pleasant sounding word

how do we feel about howard cosell mentioning 'a veritable cornucopia of [noun]'

it's fine either way; he's dead

Aimless is right. I would never correct someone speaking or writing in a casual context. But at work I have to adhere to the standards of my profession, even though they are somewhat arbitrary.

Why did everyone online start saying "my brother in christ" all the time. Yer not religious, wtf is going on.