gordontd Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 Another one comes from "actually", misstranslated to "actualmente" wich means right now.We have the word "momentarily" which in British English means "for a moment" but in US English means "in a moment". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 A spannish person would have a tough time understanding the US word, the british looks so obvious to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_20686 Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 People interchanging "affect" and "effect" at random e.g. I have effected* a poor affect**. http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/effect_an_effect.png *Although normally affect is the verb and effect is the noun, effect is also a verb which means to "bring about" or accomplish. **Similarly affect as a noun means approximately the same as mood, or humour". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 The damned misstranslation of "remove" makes me crazy. In Spannish "remover" means to move repeatedly, used mainly on context where "stir" is used in english. It has nothing to do with "remove", yet I see it misstranslated everywhere. Device's manuals, tv programs, even on newspapers. How does it sound to you? remove the mixture until it gets homogeneous stir the safety band form the top Another one comes from "actually", misstranslated to "actualmente" wich means right now.Constipado is another old favourite (means you've got a cold). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 what does constipado sound like in english? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 what does constipado sound like in english?It sounds like an irregular verb* *Most English speakers, told they suffer from constipado, will reach for a laxative to 'restore regularity'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgoetze Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 In the same vein, people interchanging "insure" and "ensure." I find split infinitives grating also, but am getting more tolerant with age.Speaking of grating, people who write "greatful". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 Heard on "Fresh Air" today. The AP Stylebook has eliminated its rule against using the word "hopefully" as a floating sentence adverb, as in "Hopefully, the Red Sox will win the World Series again some day." http://www.npr.org/2012/05/30/153709651/the-word-hopefully-is-here-to-stay-hopefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampyr Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Once my father told some Russian friends that he had prepared a meal that didn't contain "preservativni". They were pleased to know that their food had no condoms in it. Words like these are called "false friends". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampyr Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Speaking of grating, people who write "greatful". and "loose" for "lose", "lead" for "led", "arguement" for "argument", any combination of letters for "definite"... I think that as English has become the linga franca for this forum and in many other contexts, those of use who are native or fluent speakers ought to have a little patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenberg Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Once my father told some Russian friends that he had prepared a meal that didn't contain "preservativni". They were pleased to know that their food had no condoms in it. Words like these are called "false friends". Many years back my older daughter (she is now 50) went to Madrid for her junior year in college. She wasn't, and isn't, all that much of a drinker but you have to celebrate the start of a new adventure so she and her friend Ann headed over to the cafe and ordered a pitcher of sangre. She says the waiter looked at them a little oddly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellSpyder Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 I think that as English has become the linga franca for this forum and in many other contexts, those of use who are native or fluent speakers ought to have a little patience.I agree. And before any native Latin speakers complain about Vampyr's spelling of lingua franca, perhaps they could extend the same courtesy in reverse.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycroft Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 In military wargaming, frequently loss is taken as "morale checks". Often in discussion of military wargaming, failing a moral check causes a unit to loose strength. I never realized that loose morals were such a big thing in combat (not counting the great "VD prevention drives" in WWI and II). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vampyr Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 I agree. And before any native Latin speakers complain about Vampyr's spelling of lingua franca, perhaps they could extend the same courtesy in reverse.... LOL yes. It's funny, I just opened this thread wondering if I had misspelt that word! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyberyeti Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 what does constipado sound like in english?Constipated = estren~ido (how do you get an n tilde on an English KB) Edited, OK, found out, ñ hold down alt, hit 164 on the numpad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USViking Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 In military wargaming, frequently loss is taken as "morale checks"... The WWII Japanese army substituted the phrase "Turn around and advance" for the word "retreat". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 "alot" I have no idea where this came from and I see it way too often. A. LOT. Two words, people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillybean Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2002/alotr.jpg http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5210/carealot.jpg http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8526/alot1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 "alot" I have no idea where this came from and I see it way too often. A. LOT. Two words, people.I'm generally a good speller and grammarian, but that one has always given me trouble. For some reason it "feels" like a single word. I predict that it will make it into dictionaries in 20-30 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffy Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Constipated = estren~ido (how do you get an n tilde on an English KB) Edited, OK, found out, ñ hold down alt, hit 164 on the numpad It is very hard, because ascii characters don't work on all applications (BBO for example). I have an amercan laptop and it was a hell for me. I had to install some keyboard setting called "international english" wich is basically english with quick access to áéíóúñ¿¡ ² ³ € and probably the french c+s but I don't know where it is, I am quite happy about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenberg Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 I'm generally a good speller and grammarian, but that one has always given me trouble. For some reason it "feels" like a single word. I predict that it will make it into dictionaries in 20-30 years. We all find some of these forms troubling. I cannot even recall seeing alot as one word, and I don't think I have ever said hopefully in my life. I always wonder who is hoping when I hear it. On the other hand, something like "The data are" rather than "The data is" seems wrong. Yes I know that it's one datum and two data but I suppose it is also one agendum and two agenda (the Online Dictionary recognizes agendum) but I can't recall anyone ever being corrected for for saying "The agenda for today is". Mostly I learned my grammar by imitation of those around me. For a while, when I was in high school, I practiced saying ain't and tried to work at least one f*** or f***ing into every sentence, but I grew out of that. I think that now my sentences are usually fairly coherent and acceptable to most ears. Some listeners are fussier than other, I have noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwnn Posted June 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 WTF, you can follow colons with capital letters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 "The data are" doesn't seem wrong to me, but "the data is" is so widespread that it rarely bothers me. An agenda is a list, so singular (in English, if not in Latin). An agendum is an item on a list, so also singular. According to the Free Dictionary online, the plural of "agendum" is "'agenda', also 'agendums'" so I suppose either is acceptable, though it could lead to "these agenda comprise an agenda", which certainly sounds a little weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycroft Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Yeah, "The data are" come from grammarian IT techs, because it suits their kind of precision."The agenda is" comes from those same IT techs, because they're really hoping the meeting really only *has* one item on it, so they can get back to work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted June 2, 2012 Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 ROFL! Good point. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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