How do languages change over time? As one metro reader says, it’s likely some of us aren’t even aware of the cultural influences that enter our day to day communication.
Nonetheless, some of us take pride in being pedantic about language, but as another reader sarcastically points out, similar debates over the evolution of language have been going on way before the argument was ignited in our ‘Letters’ page.
Regardless, it’s a subject matter Metro readers still have a lot to say on – and maybe you do too? let us know your thoughts.
■ There is always some sense of irony to read people arguing over how our language changes (MetroTalk, Thu).
I’m sure if many readers were around in the 19th century, they would also bemoan words such as ‘fuzzled’ being replaced by ‘drunk’, or replacing ‘lumming’ with ‘pouring’ when describing the rain.
There is also some hilarity in there, seeing people complain about Americanisms entering our language while using more Americanisms such as ‘cringe’ to bemoan them.
In an age where so many of us are connected online, it’s hardly a surprise that lots of us would adopt these Americanisms that then seep into many other people’s day-to-day use, probably unaware of where they even came from.
Matthew, Birmingham
■ As a founder of the Pedants Revolt, I’m enjoying the current correspondence. I agree with Ann (MetroTalk, Wed) about ‘brekkie’ for breakfast being ‘infantile’. Similarly, I hate ‘hubbie’ for husband. Even the spellcheck hates it and changes it to ‘hubble’.
My pet hate is the unnecessary emphasis on the word ‘until’. It was bad when people started saying ‘up until’ – and ‘right up until’ was even worse. I’m bracing myself for the first time I hear somebody say ‘literally right up until’. I may run amok.
Des, Rainhill
■ Ann is irritated at improper English usage but herself contributes to it by saying ‘fully grown’ adults. Were they grown in a farm, like in The Matrix, perhaps in test tubes? How does one know when they are ripe and ready to pick? Adults are grown ‘up’; vegetables are ‘grown’.
AG, Orpington
■ With his breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, teatime, dinner and supper, B Lawrance, 78, (MetroTalk, Wed) is clearly a strapping young Hobbit.
G Allen, West Sussex
■ I once heard someone on a bus ask their friend ‘Can you borrow me a tenner?’. Now, I’m no financial expert but I have no idea how that type of transaction would be possible in practice.
Frank, Birmingham
■ Why on earth do most politicians say ‘what I would say’ before answering any question. Every time I hear this it grinds my gears.
M Varley, Walthamstow
■ No doubt Metro readers complaining about modern usage use phrases their parents didn’t like. Indeed, the grammar pedant’s favourite of ‘less’ versus ‘fewer’ was adopted after 1770 simply because a guy named Robert Baker decided he liked the sound of ‘fewer’ and had the influence to make it a ‘rule’ of English. Lewis Gibson, Birmingham
■ When did it become the norm among some people to introduce an ‘aitch’ into words such as strong or straight, making them ‘shtrong’ and ‘shtraight’?
Vince, Coventry
■ The thing that really annoys me is using ‘there’s’ with plurals – ‘there’s three things,’ ‘there’s too many’. It should be ‘there’re’. I hear this everywhere now.
Andrew, Essex
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