We all know that the English language is a pretty vexing thing at times. Even so, there are always things about it that are particularly vexing. What really bugs you about English?
Here’s mine: A guy with a mustache is mustachioed. Where the hell did the ‘i’ and the ‘o’ come from?!
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My only real problem with the English language is how badly most native-born English speakers torture it.
Have you ever watched The Story of English? It explains where all of the weirdness comes from.
Will be writing about it, but it's lie/lay.
I have to agree with SK. English is fascinating and often entertaining. How could one not love everything about it? However, there was one thing I was thinking about the other day. It greatly bothers me that "mandoline" and "mandolin" are pronounced the same. Or at least they are on the cooking shows. I would be thrilled to learn that they are pronouncing the first one wrong.
Its/it's. They should both be it's, if only to keep me from screwing it up constantly and having to go back to correct.
The fact that "flammable" and "inflammable" actually mean the same thing.
However, in a broader sense, I get annoyed when people can't use there/their/they're properly, or your/you're. Or who randomly use apostrophes where they don't belong.
I'm also bugged by people using "Decimated" to mean "totally destroyed" rather than "reduced by 10%" but I recognize I'm on the losing side of history on that one.