Touchy, Touchy Terms

[Pete J.]

Aren't there two b's in "dagnabbit?"

Main Entry: dagnabbit

Part of Speech: interj

Example: Dagnabbit, where's my cell phone?

Etymology: based on "dang rabbit," said by the character Elmer Fudd in Bugs Bunny cartoons

Usage: euphemism

Drun strate buger!

[kurth]

How about the overuse of apostrophe's (sic)?

I predict there could be a world shortage in 2013 because writer's (sic) are using them in the wrong place's (sic).

And how about New Year's that I see so often at this time of year? New Year's Eve? New Year's Day? New Year's Resolution to not misuse the apostrophe??

The misuse of apostrophes is the one thing that drives me crazy. When in doubt, leave it out.

The other one I do not like, which was mentioned earlier in this thread is 1:1, which implies a full scale replica, but is used to describe the actual vehicle. However, it is a lost cause, it is already in such common use, like motor/engine.

[dodgefever]

"Then" where what's meant is "Than"

Oh yes.

Another bugbear of mine is ellipses in place of proper punctuation... where did that come from... I mean... why use a full stop (period) when you can use all these dots... or worse,,, how about when people use commas as universal punctuation,,, man, that really winds me up,,, thanx

Edited December 29, 2012 by dodgefever

[James2]

What about foreign words?

Like bonnet for the hood, or Boot for a drop top.

[peekay]

I'm like generally you know like pretty tolerant of the evolution of you know the english language but like you know......

[lordairgtar]

What about foreign words?

Like bonnet for the hood, or Boot for a drop top.

The boot is the trunk.

[James2]

The boot is the trunk.

Is the Bonnet the top then? Europeans are confusing!

[Craig Irwin]

The bonnet is the hood. As far sa I know the top is the top or roof.

[lordairgtar]

Is the Bonnet the top then? Europeans are confusing!

Nope! It's the hood. In older Euro cars, it was cabriolet or a Drop head coupe.

[dodgefever]

US - hood, UK - bonnet

US - top, UK - hood

US - trunk, UK - boot

Confused yet?

[Danno]

Oh yes.

Another bugbear of mine is ellipses in place of proper punctuation... where did that come from... I mean... why use a full stop (period) when you can use all these dots... or worse,,, how about when people use commas as universal punctuation,,, man, that really winds me up,,, thanx

Actually, the word is ellipsis not ellipses or ellipse.

Also, there should be a space between the end of a word and the ellipsis. As such, a phrase should not be typed thusly... but should be typed thusly ... in order to be a proper use of the ellipsis.

The ellipsis is a form of proper punctuation ... used properly.

[Scale-Master]

US - hood, UK - bonnet

US - top, UK - hood

US - trunk, UK - boot

Confused yet?

How about:

U.S. - Fenders = U.K. - Wings

U.S. - Sway Bar = U.K. - Roll Bar

U.S. - Roll Bar = U.K. - Anti Rollover Bar

[Craig Irwin]

U.S. - Electrical system = U.K. - Lucas

[dodgefever]

Actually, the word is ellipsis not ellipses or ellipse.

Also, there should be a space between the end of a word and the ellipsis. As such, a phrase should not be typed thusly... but should be typed thusly ... in order to be a proper use of the ellipsis.

The ellipsis is a form of proper punctuation ... used properly.

Ellipses is the plural.

[Danno]

Ellipses is the plural.

Ahh, you are correct. I stand corrected, although I was not thinking of plurals when responding to Dodgefever. If he was referring to punctuation in the plural sense, he was accurate.

Thanks for cleaning that up.

[blunc]

How about:

U.S. - Fenders = U.K. - Wings

U.S. - Sway Bar = U.K. - Roll Bar

U.S. - Roll Bar = U.K. - Anti Rollover Bar

oh, the English are just silly, the U.S.-Roll Bar should be a U.K.- Anti Crush Bar, because I've never seen any anti rollover bars except on bicycles, they look a lot like "training wheels" ... which I'm sure the U.K. have a totally different name for.

(and don't try to tell me they call them "trainers" because I already know that U.S. - Tennis Shoes = U.K. - Trainers)

[dodgefever]

oh, the English are just silly, the U.S.-Roll Bar should be a U.K.- Anti Crush Bar, because I've never seen any anti rollover bars except on bicycles, they look a lot like "training wheels" ... which I'm sure the U.K. have a totally different name for.

(and don't try to tell me they call them "trainers" because I already know that U.S. - Tennis Shoes = U.K. - Trainers)

Roll bars are sometimes called rollover bars in circuit racing circles, but I've never heard them referred to as anti-rollover bars. They've always been roll bars to me anyway. Sway bars however, are called anti-roll bars in the UK.

Training wheels are known as "stabilisers" in the UK.

[Pete J.]

Good old mother England!

US- wrench = UK -spanner

US- color = UK colour

US- Gas Truck = UK Petrol Browser

etc., etc.....

[Ace-Garageguy]

Oh my. Such impressive ... multiculturalism.

[sjordan2]

Oh my. Such impressive ... multiculturalism.

Also, some excellent polysyllabic discourse.

[Funkster]

Mich. Madman, you are not totally right. as I see it. Chrysler Jeep would be correct as the vehicle is made by Chrysler LLC there for Chrysler Jeep correct? And so on and so Like the car made by Ford Motor car Co.
Linclon & Mercury.
But
I do agree with Chevy GMC, it would be GM Chevy and GM GMC

And yes Nascar did race stock cars at one time, Like the Road Runners, SuperBirds, Daytona, Ford Torinos were all stock cars taken from the production line and made into stock cars by Ray Nicoles, The Pettys and Holmen & Moody were the car builders. Had to change to what we have now because the car couldn't take the crash damage and save the drivers.

[Harry P.]

Mich. Madman, you are not totally right. as I see it. Chrysler Jeep would be correct as the vehicle is made by Chrysler LLC there for Chrysler Jeep correct?

Chrysler markets their divisions as their own brands, so the correct term would be "Jeep Wrangler" or "Jeep Whatever," not "Chrysler Jeep Whatever." After all, you don't call a Dodge Charger a "Chrysler Dodge Charger."

[Jordan White]

Sure you could call them "Chrysler Jeeps" and "GM Chevy/GM GMC". However, it would be similar to someone calling cotton swabs "Unilever Q-tips". People generally don't say the parent company, just the brand. (Dunno what post you're referring to, so I may be on the wrong page with what you're trying to say.)

[dpride]

It's ironic that some of the posts in this thread contain eggcorns.

[sjordan2]

It's ironic that some of the posts in this thread contain eggcorns.

For those, like me, who had no idea what that means...

"In linguistics, an eggcorn is an idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the speaker's dialect. The new phrase introduces a meaning that is different from the original, but plausible in the same context, such as "old-timers' disease" for "Alzheimer's disease".^[1] This is as opposed to a malapropism, where the substitution creates a nonsensical phrase. Classical malapropisms generally derive their comic effect from the fault of the user, while eggcorns are errors that exhibit creativity or logic.^[2] Eggcorns often involve replacing an unfamiliar, archaic, or obscure word with a more common or modern word ("baited breath" for "bated breath").^[3]

The term eggcorn was coined by a professor of linguistics, Geoffrey Pullum, in September 2003, in response to an article by Mark Liberman on the website Language Log, a blog for linguists.^[4] Liberman discussed the case of a woman who substitutes the phrase egg corn for the word acorn, arguing that the precise phenomenon lacked a name; Pullum suggested using "eggcorn" itself. The phenomenon is very similar to the form of wordplay known as the pun, except that, by definition, the speaker (or writer) intends the pun to have some effect on the recipient, whereas one who speaks or writes an eggcorn is unaware of the mistake."