break - brake
advise - advice
See wrong use all over this forum. No biggie...
Yeah I see those all the time too. If I'm not sure which one
is proper to use I just axe my wife.
break - brake
advise - advice
See wrong use all over this forum. No biggie...
Maybe I’m just getting old and can’t change with the times, but when did the noun “gift” become a verb?
The verb form is “to give”.
I will give a xxx.
I gave a xxx.
I was given a xxx.
I do not gift a xxx nor was I gifted a xxx...it’s just wrong.
Every time I read “I was recently gifted a new bike”, for example, it’s like nails on a chalkboard.
I’m guessing Seinfeld is to blame with his “regifting “ episode, but that was so long ago. It really seems like in the last year or two this change in use has really taken over.
And yes, I’m sure my grandmother had a similar issue with the shortening of the word luncheon...
Maybe I’m just getting old and can’t change with the times, but when did the noun “gift” become a verb?
First things first: there are some among you who are asking, "Is the verb gift even a word?"
It's a good question, and we have a good answer for you, which is, sorry, YES. Gift has been used to mean "to present someone with a gift" for 400 years.
Similar but different....What is all this "I reached out" stuff instead of "I called", or texted, or e-mailed??
'Let's reach out to our community". "We need to reach out to people to evaluate their needs". "I am reaching out to discuss this issue with you."
I need to "recoil back and gag" when I hear it. That....and whenever someone starts a sentence with "So...…...." . Ick.
I am equally offended. I must note, however, that it was not until I studied French that I really understood English grammar.^^^^ I recently reluctantly accepted the use of "gift" as a verb. And it is in the dictionary, even if you don't like it.
But, but, but the word "it's" is still a contraction of the two words "it is" or "it has".
For example, instead of saying "it is hot", we say "it's hot". Or we say "it's got to be done today", instead of "it has got to be done today".
But when one writes "the dog licks it's paw", does he mean to say "the dog licks it is paw", or "the dog licks it has paw"?
In the above case, one has to write "the dog licks its paw".
This mistake is so common, yet I learned the difference when I was 12. And I was learning English as a foreign language.
What has gotten worse lately is the misuse of the apostrophe in plural word's (as an example of the error). An apostrophe is for a contraction or possession, not for plural.
In special cases, such as when forming a plural of a word that is not normally a noun, some writers add an apostrophe for clarity.
Example: Here are some do's and don'ts.
In that sentence, the verb do is used as a plural noun, and the apostrophe was added because the writer felt that dos was confusing. Not all writers agree; some see no problem with dos and don'ts.
However, with single lowercase letters, it is advisable to use apostrophes.
Example: My a's look like u's.
Imagine the confusion if you wrote that sentence without apostrophes. Readers would see as and us, and feel lost.
My pet peeve of the day: We're using a large pump container for body wash right now. It's getting down towards the bottom, and it won't pump any more out. There's still about 1 inch of product in the container.
Who designs these things? Yes, I can drain it into another smaller, more 'user friendly' container.......but I shouldn't have to !!
Here's my solution:
I filled these up about ten years ago, and I've never had to add more soap. One is a degreaser, the other is regular hand soap.
My pet peeve of the day: We're using a large pump container for body wash right now. It's getting down towards the bottom, and it won't pump any more out. There's still about 1 inch of product in the container.
Who designs these things? Yes, I can drain it into another smaller, more 'user friendly' container.......but I shouldn't have to !!
A local radio station often has one particular woman reading the news......she has the ideal voice for sign language.
My pet peeve of the day: We're using a large pump container for body wash right now. It's getting down towards the bottom, and it won't pump any more out. There's still about 1 inch of product in the container.
Who designs these things? Yes, I can drain it into another smaller, more 'user friendly' container.......but I shouldn't have to !!
1. Pennsylvania language quirks. I moved from California 20 years ago. There we spoke standard English. In PA, the words “to be” do not exist. In newborn nursery, no one said, “the baby needs to be bathed”. It was always, “the baby needs bathed”.?
Today's micro-peeve: Where did the frozen French toast go? For decades it was right there in the lazy-parent-weekend-food freezer case, between the frozen waffles and the frozen pancakes. That was, until about 2 years ago when every supermarket near me eliminated the frozen French toast and replaced it with "French toast stix."
Now, I recognize that neither of these choices will appeal to the discerning palate, but trust me, these new "stix" are far worse. They appear to be some sort of extruded dough that is then deep fried and frozen. At least the old French toast was actually discernible bread slices that had been battered and grilled.
Don't wag your finger at me! I know I should be cooking actual French toast for my grandson, but he's 4. He's not even making retrievable episodic memories yet. I'll be darned if I'll mess up all those mixing bowls, pans, countertop and utensils and then not get "wonderful Grandfather" credit a few decades down the line. But, as low as my standards are, I can't feed him those "stix."
Thanks, that's probably the best approach. "Better to light one candle than to curse the supermarket"You could make a big batch of French toast and freeze the extra. That’s what DH always does.
Maybe look to see if they've now got it locked up behind the checkstand with the Marlboros and heroin.Yes, to make decent whole wheat bread, it helps to add gluten. This is now an apparent criminal act.
Today's micro-peeve: Where did the frozen French toast go? For decades it was right there in the lazy-parent-weekend-food freezer case, between the frozen waffles and the frozen pancakes. That was, until about 2 years ago when every supermarket near me eliminated the frozen French toast and replaced it with "French toast stix."
You could make a big batch of French toast and freeze the extra. That’s what DH always does.
Oh yeah, don't wag your finger at me either! I can't find Vital Wheat Gluten anymore. Yes, to make decent whole wheat bread, it helps to add gluten. This is now an apparent criminal act.
So, yeah Samclem. We apparently have both been put in the "bad food prison", albeit at different ends of the spectrum.
Good suggestion, I should try that as well.You could make a big batch of French toast and freeze the extra. That’s what DH always does.
Your problem, which I share, is you have failed to develop a taste for the dozens of varieties of alternative grain / gluten free frozen breakfast toaster products. Actually, the problem isn't even taste, because most of that stuff tastes like cardboard doesn't even toast well. The prices and margins are much higher, though, and that's a siren call for the low margin grocery business.T
Maybe look to see if they've now got it locked up behind the checkstand with the Marlboros and heroin.
The expurgation of the frozen French toast has been a wake-up call. I've trusted the processed food industry for decades, with the loss of this staple I need to re-examine that. I'm heartened that this change to "stix" is at least in the direction of further progress through greater processing, not some retrograde backlash. But what does my angst say about me? If I'm resisting the further processing of food-like consumables, will I be left behind as progress continues? The warning signs were there when I didn't hop on the Honey-nut Cheerios train.
This is just like what happened with my flip-phone . . .
Today's micro-peeve: Where did the frozen French toast go? For decades it was right there in the lazy-parent-weekend-food freezer case, between the frozen waffles and the frozen pancakes. That was, until about 2 years ago when every supermarket near me eliminated the frozen French toast and replaced it with "French toast stix."