What are Your Pet Peeves?

[TobyC]

We pronounce the h in historic, but not in herbs, so it's "an historic" and "a herb".

I did it backwards!!! "a historic" and "an herb" That's what I meant to say.

 

[TobyC]

I thought it was because all that old news about phones frying your brains was gradually filtering through to the masses.

They do fry your brains but in a different way, folks use them instead of their brains, and they have become dependent on them. Many would curl up in a ball in the corner if all the cellular systems went down permanently.

 

[TobyC]

The rule is that you use "an" when the word is pronounced with a vowel at the beginning, "a" when it's a consonant. It is the pronunciation that matters hence "an honest man" because the "h" is silent.

I have never heard anyone pronounce "history" as "istory" except in regional dialect. I had however been baffled by Americans dropping the "h" from "herbs" so it's nice to know that that's just something that they do, because reasons.

Correct, it's what you say, not what you type.

Herb with the h pronounced is a man's name over here, I'm still amused when watching a brit flick and hear herbs with an h.

 

[slapo]

According to a thread I found on Mumsnet, which is a surprisingly good source of information on how the common person thinks, these are the three reasons given in descending order of numbers of respondents: (slightly paraphrased)

- "I'm deaf, I can't hear the phone otherwise, how dare you not respect my disability." (Very large majority of respondents, 75% maybe)
- "My phone's broken, I can't afford to get it fixed, how dare you judge me for being poor." (Almost all of the rest)
- "The radiation from my phone will fry my brain." (One person)

So there we have it.

I think there might be one more case - phone doesn't apply enough gain to the mic unless using the loudspeaker function, or they can't grok increasing microphone levels manually (if they can).
I'd still say they could probably use it normally if they'd just turn output volume down, though.

 

[Chris]

I think there might be one more case - phone doesn't apply enough gain to the mic unless using the loudspeaker function, or they can't grok increasing microphone levels manually (if they can).
I'd still say they could probably use it normally if they'd just turn output volume down, though.

I posit a flaw in your suggestion, it is based on an understanding of the effect of mic gain rather than having seen Kim do it on an episode of The Kardashians.

 

[Paper Plane]

With my Bluetooth enabled hearing aids, I don’t need the phone anywhere near my face. The mics on the aids pick up my speech automatically, not the mic on the phone.

steve

 

[Vacumatic]

My town is a contrast between the haves and the have nots, I appreciate that it is not unique.

It makes me very sad when I see young mothers carrying their babies, perhaps without the means to buy a pushchair.

I then go the the Recycling, I see a huge number of pushchairs thrown away into metal recycling. They look serviceable.

It would not take too much effort or thought for a special area to be established, 'Perfectly Good Stuff', recycling at its best.

 

[slapo]

My town is a contrast between the haves and the have nots, I appreciate that it is not unique.

It makes me very sad when I see young mothers carrying their babies, perhaps without the means to buy a pushchair.

I then go the the Recycling, I see a huge number of pushchairs thrown away into metal recycling. They look serviceable.

It would not take too much effort or thought for a special area to be established, 'Perfectly Good Stuff', recycling at its best.

People tend to use websites like Freecycle for this, but most don't seem to bother putting thing up, aren't even aware such websites exist or don't even want other to have when they're getting rid of anyway.

There are probably projects where people take used stuff, refurbish it and offer it on, but I don't think there are many, and they are likely understaffed.

 

[Vacumatic]

Years ago I knew a man who used to go to recycling centres, he used to pull out children's bicycles, made sure they were safe and cleaned up, it was his hobby and his reward was to give the bikes to organisations there were looking after children. The rules changed and the recycling employees said that this was basically theft and the local authority made money from scrap metal, sad day.

 

[TobyC]

I posit a flaw in your suggestion, it is based on an understanding of the effect of mic gain rather than having seen Kim do it on an episode of The Kardashians.

You can actually name someone in the Kardashians?

 

[Shaun2]

I had to look into this, I was feeling guilty because I would write an historic event and I would pronounce the h on an historic event as opposed to saying anistoric event, perhaps I would say either.

So I looked at the online dictionaries to see if there was a definitive answer

An American dictionary said

In America, we say a historic perspective. In England, they say: an historic perspective. The difference is one of pronunciation. We Americans usually pronounce the h, calling for the indefinite article "a." In England, the "h" is treated as if it were silent (as in hour) and thus the "an" is appropriate.

If that is correct then I need to mend my ways and drop the h

Yep; the aspiraed h is an affectation.

 

[Vacumatic]

Yep; the aspiraed h is an affectation.

That is your opinion, not fact

I think it is simply a practice of mine and many others that has continued since childhood.

 

[Chris]

Yep; the aspiraed h is an affectation.

I disagree, "history" is pronounced with an audible "h". Preceding it with "an" is an affectation.

 

[Chris]

You can actually name someone in the Kardashians?

I've heard of Kim, I don't live under a rock. Doesn't mean that I've ever watched the show.

 

[TobyC]

I've heard of Kim, I don't live under a rock. Doesn't mean that I've ever watched the show.