Stuff that makes you disproportionately cross

You can always tell a British tourist in a cycling friendly country because they’ll be the ones ambling side by side along a bike path or lane.

Doing an online order and got to click to pay and wouldn’t go past…problem was had to add and save credit card…now I don’t like leaving my credit card details with retail sites very much so after completed order go off to account section to delete…of course as soon as I get there a pop up ad blocks me and then another…old established co’

Recycling collections…

I’ve requested a new recycling bag for paper/card several times as mine went missing, so I gave up and just put my paper into amazon paper bags as I get grocery delivery from them…never been a problem untill it was.. I went aaway for a few weeks and came back to find it still there…neighbour helpfully told me it has to go to the tip…eh what?

Anyway, I put it out again today and it’s been taken away, at last.

I went through this.

This is a five-bedroom house.  We have an oversized wheelie bin for general waste, but the recycling is a sack for paper and a plastic box for glass/plastic/cans.  Collection is fortnightly and I can fill that poxy box in an afternoon.

In any case, both were stolen in short order.  Imagine my disappointment.  I checked with the council, it turns out that they’ll happily collect any amount of recycling so long as it’s in clear plastic sacks so that they can see that it’s recycling.

Items on the internet with a description that states we’re cheaper than the more famous Brand ABC product.

But then when you dig into the differences and they are not directly comparable so the price is irrelevant.

My own inability to set and stick to boundaries, especially when it comes to women.

My own inability to set and stick to boundaries, especially when it comes to women.

One at a time is a good boundary set….

Depends whether you’re talking about on rotation or simultaneously.

Sewing machines.

Repaired a pair of riding trousers. Not neatly but they are now fully operational and less likely to have my bum hanging out.

Prepares tent. Starts sewing. Not stitching. Faff ensues. Get fed up. Faff. Get very fed up. Try a spare bit of cloth. Sews perfectly. Tries other bit of cloth, perfect. Back to tent. Refuses to stitch. Asks wife ( significantly more sewing machine capable than me ) she can:t see aby problem.

Gives up tries my wife’s swing machine ( mine was a gift before I met her). It sews for 2cm then stops sewing

Tent still has hole. I’m in a right huff.

Grrrrrrr

There’s a reason my wife’s over locker is called a Pfaff…

Coffee cups that hurt your fingers as the handle is to small, so you can only get two fingers in and the weight of the cup then rests entirely on your third finger.

I broke ‘old faithfull’ the other day so I’m using a ‘nice’ one from the matching set I have but never use, its awfull, and too small… new ‘proper’ cup should be arriving soon.

• Abit
• Alot
• Incase

They are not words!

Aswell, also not a word.

Outwith word. I had a stand up argument about it when I worked down south smartarse stormed off to get a dictionary to prove me wrong. Humble pie sir.

Especially as we were talking about things that fell outwith the accepted data set. Makes perfect sense there.

Outwith

Used frequently in Scotland. It causes confusion south of the border.

Insulated flask/mugs/cups that fail to keep my brew warm for more than 1 hour.

Absolutely shithousery.

Aswell, also not a word.

The name of a street where I grew up

People living in the most advanced civilization the universe has ever witnessed (far as anyone can tell) who get disproportionately cross about inconsequential  things.

I’m kidding. Complacency is death.

Abit
Alot
Incase

For me it’s phrases misdelivered, often in an attempt to use clever language and instead showing you don’t know what you mean.

There was one on here recently that i didn’t correct but could have done – someone having to ‘tow the line’

It’s toe the line, as in line up exactly (eg: follow the rules, do as you’re told)

And then from a political commentator on the radio ‘going at it full board’ – no, idiot, it’s full bore!

(unless you really did mean their strong commitment to it will have breakfast and dinner included?)

Or the blog post I read the other day where it said something “peaked his interest”. Arghhhh!

Old slow people in the Supermarket. Go shopping some other time and not when I’m on my lunch break, you’ve got all bloody week – why go when it will be full of people from work – i.e. lunch or early evening.

My FIL used to go to the local supermarket (in the car all 800 yards) at the same time as school kicking out, so would have to battle all the pavement parker school run mums.

Complacency is death.

My guy.

Coffee cups that hurt your fingers as the handle is to small, so you can only get two fingers in and the weight of the cup then rests entirely on your third finger.

It’s arrived!!!!!

We decided to start using our wedding present cutlery

I bet the knife gedges are sharp.

Outwith word.

I had this self same argument with someone over “herewith” after I sent an email reading “please find attached herewith the report as requested.”

“Alot” is really common, I’m not quite sure why.  I’m with you on the disproportionately cross, not directly out of grammar pedantry but because it’s a ‘speed bump’ word – I read it and it catches me out so I’ve to go back and read it again, my Lancashire inner monologue parses it as “allut.”

I bet the knife gedges are sharp.

I expected someone to make a joke about it sooner, but this boy can wait.

I had this self same argument with someone over “herewith” after I sent an email reading “please find attached herewith the report as requested.”

Technically correct, but I’d say it’s arcane use of language.. It would be better and more succinct to simply say ‘please see attached (document name)’.

‘outside the remit’  would be a better use of words in some other situations.

No one appreciates a word salad, especially if it’s a transparent attempt to sound profound.

It’s only arcane if no-one uses it. 😁

I take your point, but reductio ad absurdum every blockbuster novel would read like a Dick and Jane book.  Expanding your vocabulary cannot be a bad thing.

I take your point, but reductio ad absurdum every blockbuster novel would read like a Dick and Jane book.

I reckon there’s a great thread in that idea

He’s moved onto Latin now, the show-off. Stone him! 🙂

I reckon there’s a great thread in that idea

XKCD sort of did this with Thing Explainer.

I think it’s really interesting… I mean, where does the line get drawn for polite conversation?

“The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes.”

Some ‘olde’ insulsts are really cutting and brilliant.

Also,

https://xkcd.com/1133/

Except outwith is used regularly in Scotland, not an attempt to sound superior merely using a common word.

Yeah I agree, actually…there’s always going to be different dialacts in different places, it’s natural.

Strange thing in Spain where I go…you don’t ask for a coffee in propper spanish… you just say:

Cafe con por

Which means ”coffee with milk please”…but massivley contracted. It’s basically local slang

Except outwith is used regularly in Scotland, not an attempt to sound superior merely using a common word.

Wait till they discover things like missives are used, let alone Scots words and phrases….how dare you use forrin languages in England the United Kingdom.

And while I’m in that subject, folk who do not understand the difference between England, Great Britain and United Kingdom – and don’t care it’s quite rude to Welsh, Scots and Northern Ireland folk….

I take your point, but reductio ad absurdum every blockbuster novel would read like a Dick and Jane book. Expanding your vocabulary cannot be a bad thing.

My wife does proofreading for non native English speakers. They regularly use words she (or I) have never heard before. When looking the word up not only does it exist, it means the exact thing they want to convey. It’s a tough choice whether to leave the words in as it is technically the right word, but it’ll be a word 99% of people have never heard of.

I take your point, but reductio ad absurdum every blockbuster novel would read like a Dick and Jane book.  Expanding your vocabulary cannot be a bad thing.

Time and a place. If you’re writing a novel, or a sonnet, fill your boots. If you’re submitting a Nature paper on Dipolar skyrmions and antiskyrmions of arbitrary topological charge at room temperature then of course you’re going to struggle to keep it to basic language. But if you’re writing an email reminding people to get their Christmas meal choices in, it doesn’t need to be either of the above.

So you’ve never read a forum post on STW and thought “ooh, I just learned a new word!”  That happened on a thread like last week.

folk who do not understand the difference between England, Great Britain and United Kingdom

It’s kinda forgivable if the speaker is from (say) the US.  But half the people who live here don’t understand it either.

It’s kinda forgivable if the speaker is from (say) the US. But half the people who live here don’t understand it either

Currently I’m on 100% being English, and usually in a professional context where they should know better because of devolved matters. I include a Westminster Parliamentary advisor in people I’ve had to correct….