Vent – please ignore

[JellyParticipant @jelly]

This might be me living in sheffield too long… but I have my own linguistic bugbear.

​

"Knifemaker" and "Bladesmith"…

NO!, Bad american hobbyists and pretentious blacksmithing youtubers who don't want to make anything big or difficult, Bad!

The term for a person who makes knives and bladed instruments is a "Cutler", and I'll die on that lexical / dictional hill if I have to*.

​

*Hope it doesn't come to that though, it's only words!

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Jelly on 12/01/2023 14:30:14:

This might be me living in sheffield too long… but I have my own linguistic bugbear.

​

"Knifemaker" and "Bladesmith"…

NO!, Bad american hobbyists and pretentious blacksmithing youtubers who don't want to make anything big or difficult, Bad!

The term for a person who makes knives and bladed instruments is a "Cutler", and I'll die on that lexical / dictional hill if I have to*.

​

*Hope it doesn't come to that though, it's only words!

What makes you think Americans would what a Cutler is? Or Cutlery? Or what a table knife is for other than cutting things up.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

They call cutlery 'flatware' over there, don't they?

Rob

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

My linguistic bête noire is the term "Maker" (which my son uses just to wind me up), which may be even worse than the misuse of "Enormity" (I have even heard it used to describe size on the BBC – perhaps their transmitters are powered by the subterranean rotation of Lord Reith), a word that seems to be on the same trajectory from pejorative to praise that "Sophisticated" has already taken.

Brian G

(This may however just have been replaced as an annoyance by the near impossibility of typing a circumflex with a tenkeyless keyboard that doesn't have a numlock button).

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Posted by Grindstone Cowboy on 12/01/2023 15:14:52:

They call cutlery 'flatware' over there, don't they?

Rob

Yep and over here worked in the trade the other stuff they call 'hollware'

H

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Harry Wilkes on 12/01/2023 14:20:00:

"Reach out, come on girl, reach on out for me

Reach out, reach out for me

I'll be there,"

Four Tops 1967

H

.

Yes, Harry … I even posted the video

We are evidently “not on the same page”

MichaelG.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I keep running into signs saying "footway closed" but as I am on the pavement I ignore them. No doubt they are preparing us for when they start using the American meaning for the latter.

We could invent a few and see if they catch on. Shoesmith is at least flagged as not in the dictionary, for now. So off to use my toothedcutter to de-unify a resistant material for use in my roundifier before finishing off in my rotary-flatifier.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Going forward

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Quantum leap to describe a “big” change ?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Brian G on 12/01/2023 15:41:41:

My linguistic bête noire is the term "Maker" (which my son uses just to wind me up) …

.

I can never understand why this upsets people

My father was a Scientific Instrument Maker

Some of my ancestors were Candlestick Makers, others were Furniture Makers and Cabinet Makers

What is so offensive about making things ? … it seems an honest occupation.

Your [presumably] preferred term ‘Engineer’ has become so ambiguous that it is almost worthless.

MichaelG.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Glitch when not talking electronics

Up and running when not talking computing

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, talking about cutlery, my late bother called them "fighting irons" something that I've adopted some times. (hope that doesn't offend you Jelly)

Regards Nick.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Bazyle on 12/01/2023 17:32:37:

I keep running into signs saying "footway closed" but as I am on the pavement I ignore them. No doubt they are preparing us for when they start using the American meaning for the latter.

…

Footway has been valid British English since 1526. That was when Henry VIII delivered proper old-fashioned royal scandals. No messing, off with their heads!

A pavement is only a pavement if it is paved, which the footway outside my house isn't. No such thing as a 'Pavement Closed' sign.

Anyone know the difference between a Bridle Path and a Horseway? Or between tramways, tramroads, tramlines, and railway lines? Oh, and a footway isn't the same as a footpath…

Dave

[John BeresfordParticipant @johnberesford27902]

Don't get me started on “ can I get…?

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

This discussion seems to be "Unprecedented"

Howard

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 12/01/2023 17:28:49:

Posted by Harry Wilkes on 12/01/2023 14:20:00:

"Reach out, come on girl, reach on out for me

Reach out, reach out for me

I'll be there,"

Four Tops 1967

H

.

Yes, Harry … I even posted the video

We are evidently “not on the same page”

MichaelG.

Sorry Michael I missed that (senior moment ) but proves great minds think alike

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

No problem, Harry … I was just teasing

MichaelG.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I have posted this before, it has amused me for many years. Flying into Newark, New Jersey in a Peoples Express 747 many years ago, the announcement came out "we will be landing momentarily", " better get ready to jump", I thought.

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 12/01/2023 17:38:09:

Posted by Brian G on 12/01/2023 15:41:41:

My linguistic bête noire is the term "Maker" (which my son uses just to wind me up) …

.

I can never understand why this upsets people

My father was a Scientific Instrument Maker

Some of my ancestors were Candlestick Makers, others were Furniture Makers and Cabinet Makers

What is so offensive about making things ? … it seems an honest occupation.

Your [presumably] preferred term ‘Engineer’ has become so ambiguous that it is almost worthless.

MichaelG.

I suppose it is because, like smith, wright or fitter, I associate the term maker with particular crafts and skills that its use as a general term for hobbyists like myself annoys me.

Brian G

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

We have to remember that a lot of what we deride as Americanisms are actually English as it was spoken in England a few hundred years ago, it's us that have drifted off. As for the rest, I blame estate agents, management consultants and other self important twits.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Martin Kyte on 12/01/2023 17:36:45:

Quantum leap to describe a “big” change ?

Would one of those come before, after or be messily squished in the middle of a paradigm shift?

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Posted by Nicholas Wheeler 1 on 12/01/2023 22:27:56:

Posted by Martin Kyte on 12/01/2023 17:36:45:

Quantum leap to describe a “big” change ?

Would one of those come before, after or be messily squished in the middle of a paradigm shift?

Oh paradigm shift is perfectly O K as it is the correct expression to refer to a complete change of terms of reference.
I admit it can get a little irritating when it’s employed as a verbal token of showing off but in general it’s OK by me

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Martin Kyte on 12/01/2023 17:36:45:

Quantum leap to describe a “big” change ?

.

Was it Clive Sinclair that first ‘coined’ that nonsensical usage ?
… or was he just [dare I use such an expression] “on trend”

MichaelG.

.

Ref. __ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_QL

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 12/01/2023 22:49:12

[Anonymous]

My real hate is/was is "There's no I in team". When it came out years ago in the early days of corporate speak I got the instructor at a refresher course I was on spluttering for an answer when I piped up "But there is me in it". Had to use that a few more times since then.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I have noticed that the word “Gotten” is being used in the U.K.media now.

Edited By V8Eng on 12/01/2023 23:28:27

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