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Here's another one from the world of pro sports. Yesterday I heard a bobble head (the sports version of a talking head) say that Eric Tillman is about to "take ownership" of the Edmonton Eskimos.
This "ownership" term is dumb enough, beyond its implications of possessive individualism, but whoever owns the Eskimos has "ownership." Tillman is merely going to be the manager.
The CBC, which lately has taken to butchering some six or seven dozen words at a breakfast, has this bit of good news on its website today:
Loonie homes in on parity
Shouldn't that be "Loonie hones in on parity"?
Get a horse, Mike; you don't know the meaning of suffering.
"Tinfoil hat" and "conspiracy theorist": esp. when they're used by people who themselves can't seem to provide any evidence for their argument, possibly don't understand what it is, and almost always have contributed nothing of any substance to the debate.
Ironically enough, these terms are used most by people who claim to use the scientific approach and claim to understand what "evidence-based" means.
Did you notice how I was able to post in a closed thread? Through my nefarious use of fluoride, not to mention my trusty black helicopter, I flew straight into the thread, typed in some thermite-laced letters, and snuck out without being seen.
Explain that one, science-boy.
My theory would be that you clicked "Post comment" at the same time Maysie did. But hey, your theory is much more colourful. You have a very fanciful imagination. Would you like to tell us about how the far right has infiltrated anti-fluoridationist cells?
Hi friends. Let's leave this thread to word abusage, malapropisms and grammar gaffes. Please don't use it to run flanking maneuvers on battles taking place in other threads.
I'm glad you said it. I was concerned that babble's 9-11 disease was about to take over this thread. By the way, does it drive anyone else nuts when someone says "nine-one-one" when referring to the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre?
I think the word proof and even the phrase, 'proof beyond a doubt' could be used a lot more often by investigative news journalists and sometime before or hopefully not very long after sovereign countries are attacked and occupied militarily without an official exit plan in place. And come to think of it, investigative news journalism seems to have gone to the dogs since approximately nine years ago. They say the number nine in English sounds a lot like the German word for no.
Okay, al-Q, it's your personal thread and sanctuary from 9/11 truth talk from here on out. We won't counter razz you anymore. At least not here.
It is not so much the shorthand reference that annoys me as it is the creeping Americanism of the form this shorthand date reference employs.
With the possible exception of whatever company got the sweetheart deal with the Canadian federal government who insist references be in the order of year, month, date (something really, really annoying when you (or me, as a volunteer Financial Agent during election campaings) are trying to enter data for Elections Canada reports) practically everyone uses the ascending order (smallest to largest) of date, month, year - which would make the the correct form of the reference: eleven-nine. Damn 'mericans!
Nope.
What is babble's "9-11 disease"? You seem to be the first one to mention this, and the first one to bring up 9/11 in this thread. If you don't want it discussed, why would you bring it up? It's kind of like you're obsessed with it.
Sorry, but if you're going to derail your own thread, I'm not going to stay politely away.
al-Q, just because you start a thread doesn't mean you get to troll in it while others don't. Of course, I could be wrong about that. Maybe check with the mods.
Oh yeah, M. Spector? Next you're gonna tell us that "honing pigeons" is a howler?
jas and Fidel, you're trolling this thread and using it to score points in another thread. That's not allowed. Don't post in this thread again unless it's on topic.
Um, actually, it was al-Q who started the trolling. He also makes it a habit to troll in every thread where he thinks there might be "conspiracy theorists". But glad you're on it, Catchfire.
jas, don't be obtuse. Your comment #65 is a clear attempt at trolling. al-Q obliged. Don't do it again.
It was an on-topic post that also allowed me to express my frustration with Babble reactionaries. It was absolutely on topic, and is also a fairly serious problem here, one that warrants comment, and this was a very effective way of making that comment.
The terms "tinfoil hat" and "conspiracy theorist" tend to be used most by people who have the least to offer intelligently in a discussion. When used pejoratively, they are terms of last resort for someone who either can't argue on credible terms or who has run out of arguments, or is refusing to acknowledge information that is being shown to them.
This is a very good thread in which to draw attention to where such terms are being used incorrectly and inappropriately.
The OED begs to slightly differ, or is it that I'm begging the question?
So "cat" is a verb? Who kmew!
- loonies hone in on those who dare question Official Narratives ....
I think the verb is to "cat and mouse," which isn't really any better.
The World Juniors are on now, so we're exposed to a lot of Pierre McGuire, who has elevated his discourse in terms of the use of trite phrases such as "he gets it."
These would be good examples for Catchfire's 2010 word/expressions list, but I disremember where that is:
Don Taylor grates but in a Canuckian, good kinda way.
Moen faucets one.
In Moen-ian fashion?
Bwaha! Priceless
While he's parodying Danny Gallivan's "Savardian Spin-a-rama," Taylor is nevertheless a scintillating commentator, cannonading out those verbal gems in rapier-like fashion.
I recall "perfect storm" being on the 2008 (if not earlier) kill list for words. Sadly, it's a survivor.
(Oh, and here's the 2010 thread)