| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7] > | Coronavirus is wrecking the English language Thread poster: Tom in London
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
In my everyday experience, more and more people are appearing who don't know that "everyday" is an adjective that means "commonplace, usual, typical of ordinary days." I come across it every day. Every day, "everyday" is being mangled.
| | | | TonyTK
German to English
+ ...
Tom in London wrote:
In my everyday experience, more and more people are appearing who ....
Where's this appearing happening? Aren't you social(-)distancing?
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 06:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| I really liked this topic! | Apr 15, 2020 |
It put a smile on my face
Someone famous said "First you find it strange, then you can't get enough of it" ("Primeiro estranha-se, depois entranha-se", Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet and also a translator).
I agree with you, Tom! While I am not an English speaker, I don't like the expression too much, but languages evolve, and we learn to live with them.
[Edited at 2020-04-15 18:05 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | Too much, Man | Apr 16, 2020 |
expressisverbis wrote:
It put a smile on my face
Someone famous said "First you find it strange, then you can't get enough of it" ("Primeiro estranha-se, depois entranha-se", Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet and also a translator).
I agree with you, Tom! While I am not an English speaker, I don't like the expression too much, but languages evolve, and we learn to live with them. [Edited at 2020-04-15 18:05 GMT]
The expression "too much" used to be common in the 1960s and 1970s. It perfectly expressed a positive reaction to anything that was overwhelmingly good. "Far out" (great, fantastic, wonderful) was another.
[Edited at 2020-04-16 08:00 GMT]
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expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 06:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Something new :) | Apr 16, 2020 |
Tom in London wrote:
expressisverbis wrote:
It put a smile on my face
Someone famous said "First you find it strange, then you can't get enough of it" ("Primeiro estranha-se, depois entranha-se", Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet and also a translator).
I agree with you, Tom! While I am not an English speaker, I don't like the expression too much, but languages evolve, and we learn to live with them. [Edited at 2020-04-15 18:05 GMT]
The expression "too much" used to be common in the 1960s and 1970s. It perfectly expressed a positive reaction to anything that was overwhelmingly good. "Far out" (great, fantastic, wonderful) was another. [Edited at 2020-04-16 08:00 GMT]
I like the 60s, and I love the 70s "too much"
Thanks, Tom. This was new for me.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
Examples:
Q. Hey Man, do you dig my new tie-dye T-shirt?
A. Too much!
Q. Shall we go to Kensington Gardens and swim in the pond?
A. Far out!
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 06:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Many thanks for these examples! | Apr 16, 2020 |
Tom in London wrote:
Examples:
Q. Hey Man, do you dig my new tie-dye T-shirt?
A. Too much!
Q. Shall we go to Kensington Gardens and swim in the pond?
A. Far out!
Excellent
I said languages evolve, and it seems the 60s/70s took me back in time.
This proves I am getting older.
| | | | MollyRose 
United States
Local time: 00:26
English to Spanish
+ ...
I hated that word, "groovy," but some people in the '60s and '70s used it a lot, along with "far out, man!" and "cool!" I don't remember so much "too much," though. I think that might have come later.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
MollyRose wrote:
I hated that word, "groovy," but some people in the '60s and '70s used it a lot, along with "far out, man!" and "cool!" I don't remember so much "too much," though. I think that might have come later.
Yeah - "groovy" was uncool. Only straights said it.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 07:26
French to English
I remember an American shouting at a poor photocopying machine to "get real, man!". When she saw my quizzical look she apologised for using such a "70s hippie expression" - the fact that she was talking to a machine that couldn't fill itself with paper being perfectly normal, of course.
| | | | | Talking to machines | Apr 17, 2020 |
Kay Denney wrote:
I remember an American shouting at a poor photocopying machine to "get real, man!". When she saw my quizzical look she apologised for using such a "70s hippie expression" - the fact that she was talking to a machine that couldn't fill itself with paper being perfectly normal, of course.
This reminds me of former French colleague when I worked as a developer with the SNCF in Paris. He was on the phone with a female colleague in an application planning group and was having some trouble with his computer. Then suddenly he exclaimed 'stupid animal'. He was quickly prompted to explain himself and had to reassure her that he was talking to his computer. Unfortunately I don't remember if the incident reached management level.
| | | | MollyRose
United States
Local time: 00:26
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Tom, not in the U.S. | Apr 17, 2020 |
I have always been "straight" and never said groovy. It was the hippies who mostly said it, and others who smoked and did things they shouldn't. But that isn't why i didn't like the word; it just seemed weird. I also didn't say "Cool." Some of my words have been: wow, neat, neat-oh, and man. But the latter only in a context such as, "Man, don't they know any better?"
"Weird" is another word that has been used to mean more than the dictionary definition.
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Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 07:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
Is it too late to mention the hyper-annoying "awesome"? Well, it's hyper-annoying to me, anyway. In fact, I can feel a curious rage rising up inside me already just looking at it or writing it. I don't think it's a product of the 60/70s, though, but it sounds like it should have been.
I have no quarrel with the word when it's used to mean what it means, but I do get riled when I hear the like of the following:
Do you have any such-and-such?
Yes, here you are, th... See more Is it too late to mention the hyper-annoying "awesome"? Well, it's hyper-annoying to me, anyway. In fact, I can feel a curious rage rising up inside me already just looking at it or writing it. I don't think it's a product of the 60/70s, though, but it sounds like it should have been.
I have no quarrel with the word when it's used to mean what it means, but I do get riled when I hear the like of the following:
Do you have any such-and-such?
Yes, here you are, that'll be twenty dollars.
Awesome, thanks!
Can you give me a lift to work?
Yes, I can. Jump in.
That's awesome!
Is it OK if we have toast and marmalade for breakfast?
Awesome, sure. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 07:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
| On the other hand ... | Apr 17, 2020 |
... something along the same lines, i.e. using a hugely disproportionate adjective to describe distinctly run-of-the-mill concepts, which I admit hadn't struck me until now, is the English-speaking habit of saying "Great!". In Ireland they ratchet it up a notch further and say "Grand!":
Do you fancy a beer?
Great!
I've finished that job.
That's great!
So, how are you?
I'm grand!
But I still hate "awesome". Look, ... See more ... something along the same lines, i.e. using a hugely disproportionate adjective to describe distinctly run-of-the-mill concepts, which I admit hadn't struck me until now, is the English-speaking habit of saying "Great!". In Ireland they ratchet it up a notch further and say "Grand!":
Do you fancy a beer?
Great!
I've finished that job.
That's great!
So, how are you?
I'm grand!
But I still hate "awesome". Look, I wrote it again. That's it, somebody's gonna get their head kicked in tonight. Oh, I forgot, can't go out. But I have the next best thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8hDw6mS2pI ▲ Collapse
| | | | | What would be too much... | Apr 17, 2020 |
... would be for Tom to post a groovy pic of himself from the 60s in his far-out kaftan calling out all the straights.
That would be most awesome. It would also be lush, peng and totally sick.
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