The Argus: destroying the English language, one heading at a time

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

"more easier"? When I grew up I was taught that the comparative/superlative form of "easy" would generally be "easier" ("more easy" would also be considered acceptable, although probably less common).

"more easier" is therefore redundant, just like the Argus proof-readers (we'll ignore the fact that the sentence doesn't even make sense).

When I read that headline it just sounded WRONG.


But perhaps I'm mistaken. Perhaps I grew up in more simpler times and the world has moved on. Maybe I even just wanted to show off my education and learning in a "my dad is more bigger than your dad" fashion.

No you are absolutely correct. It just didn't feature on my radar. Maybe I'm just used to reading much worse . . .

That said. when I was at school (in the science stream) my English teacher, so disgusted with my spelling, would write out all my foibles and then add 'Bunsen burner, test tube, litmus paper' etc at the end, to mock me. Mr Lawrence, you were a *******

 

[Hampster Gull]

Were loose

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

View attachment 69917

Quite, and there's some fact somewhere that children in other countries learn to read and write their own language at a younger age, which means they can get onto foreign lanbguages earlier, and get better at them.

Meanwhile our kids have to learn that friend is spelt with an 'i', but none of its rhymes do, about the 4 or 5 ways of pronoucing the letters 'ough', words with silent 'b's and so on and so forth through reams of illogical spellings.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

I wonder how many of this thread's contributors are much under 40?

The answer could be quite depressing. Though unsurprising.

 

[drew]

Quite, and there's some fact somewhere that children in other countries learn to read and write their own language at a younger age, which means they can get onto foreign lanbguages earlier, and get better at them.

Meanwhile our kids have to learn that friend is spelt with an 'i', but none of its rhymes do, about the 4 or 5 ways of pronoucing the letters 'ough', words with silent 'b's and so on and so forth through reams of illogical spellings.

It could be made more complicated; we could decide everything is either masculine or feminine!!!

 

[Gwylan]

about the 4 or 5 ways of pronoucing the letters 'ough.

It's worse than that: I can think of at least six: bough, cough, thorough, thought, enough, dough,

 

[AZ Gull]

Quite, and there's some fact somewhere that children in other countries learn to read and write their own language at a younger age, which means they can get onto foreign lanbguages earlier, and get better at them.

Meanwhile our kids have to learn that friend is spelt with an 'i', but none of its rhymes do, about the 4 or 5 ways of pronoucing the letters 'ough', words with silent 'b's and so on and so forth through reams of illogical spellings.

Bl***y hell, I haven't seen you on here for ages! Welcome back.

 

[rippleman]

The Argus has gone so far downhill it is unrecognisable from the paper I grew up with.

Used to have geographical editions covering the county, and several editions a day. This was when most of the type-setting was still being done by hand.

Now the lazy over-paid twunks can't even be bothered to check spelling or grammar before pushing the PRINT button.

But then times change.

Back then we had the late, great John Vinicombe. Now we have Andy "Zamora will never return to BHAFC" Naylor.

I rest my case (and save my 65p)

 

[Trufflehound]

It's worse than that: I can think of at least six: bough, cough, thorough, thought, enough, dough,

Through
Hiccough (admittedly, most people just spell it hiccup these days)
and you could add the Irish way of spelling loch: lough

 

[Gwylan]

Through
Hiccough (admittedly, most people just spell it hiccup these days)
and you could add the Irish way of spelling loch: lough

Through! I knew there was a seventh.

Isn't lough pronounced as cough? And I think hiccough is stretching it a bit

 

[Trufflehound]

Through! I knew there was a seventh.

Isn't lough pronounced as cough? And I think hiccough is stretching it a bit

Lough is pronounced precisely the same way as the Scottish "loch" as I understand it.