Changing language, for the better ?

[MontyVeda]

The BBC seems to be using the word 'less' far fewer times than they used to do... probably since far too many people contacted the BBC to complain that no one at the BBC seems to know the difference between less and fewer

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The BBC seems to be using the word 'less' far fewer times than they used to do... probably since far too many people contacted the BBC to complain that no one at the BBC seems to know the difference between less and fewer

The overly-sensitive distinction between the two is unnecessary since ‘less’ was around a long time before ‘few’ came along and ‘less’ had always been used with countable nouns. At least, until one man in the 18th century took the view that saying ‘fewer’ was more elegant.

If we reverted to using less for everything, that would give us one fewer thing to worry about.

 

[matticus]

If any of you think you are passionate about writing style issues, you probably have some catching-up to do on this guy:

A single editor has removed the phrase "comprised of" from Wikipedia - 47,000 times.

 

[matticus]

If we reverted to using less for everything, that would give us one fewer thing to worry about.

Oh I say. and chapeau.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I do note that Americans tend to have uniform use of words and phrases in a sentence. When new words and phrases become fashionable, its application becomes universal very quickly amongst them.

The rest of the English speaking countries tend to operate around age bands. Words and phrases tend to remain with a particular age cohort longer like shoes' and pants' styles

 

[SpokeyDokey]

The increasing use of superlatives that depend on >100% values.

Irritates the nuts off of me. ☹️

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Language evolves perpetually. My suspicion is that two times has come into British English from the US where immigrants of German origin translated directly from the German zweimal to give two times in English, where a Briton would have used twice. The point of entry was perhaps expressions such as two-time champion, two-time killer or simply two-timer where the theoretical British equivalents of twice champion, twice killer and twicer do not really sit happily in English phonology (the oral sound system). A similar thing may have happened with form filling. Britons have traditionally filled in a form. US usage has long been fill out a form; which would be a direct translation of the German ausfüllen, fill out. Around 50 million US citizens claim German ancestry and German was widely spoken there in areas of heavy German immigration up until the First World War, following which its popularity as a public spoken language declined. These linguistic curiosities may well be traces of that era.
Having said all that, go to the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) website if you really want to know — etymology (word origins) is a notoriously nuanced subject and what is apparently obvious often proves to be completely wrong.

 

[alicat]

A single editor has removed the phrase "comprised of" from Wikipedia - 47,000 times.

Hurrah! I want to marry that person!!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I do try to use thrice when appropriate.

I think thrice has been mentioned three times

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The increasing use of superlatives that depend on >100% values.

Irritates the nuts off of me. ☹️

But what magnificent nuts 🥜 they are

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'm not too good at these kind of topics. Does using 'summat' instead of something count?🤔

 

[Venod]

I'm not too good at these kind of topics. Does using 'summat' instead of something count?🤔

Owt I'll do.

 

[Brandane]

English people:
The thing you put your socks in is a DRAWER, not a "DRAW".
The past tense of the verb buy is BOUGHT, there is no R in it, "BROUGHT" has a totally different meaning.

Learn to roll your RRRRRRRs like us proper English speaking Scots, and the spelling will follow!

 

[DRM]

fish and chips two times with scraps please,thank you.no i dont think so.

Now there lies a tale, round these here parts it’s fish and chips twice, round Thirsk way I’ve noticed you ask for two of each, anyhow never mind two, can we have a brace please

 

[postman]

English people:
The thing you put your socks in is a DRAWER, not a "DRAW".
The past tense of the verb buy is BOUGHT, there is no R in it, "BROUGHT" has a totally different meaning.

Learn to roll your RRRRRRRs like us proper English speaking Scots, and the spelling will follow!

you only roll your R's if you are from Blackburn,and they do.