Joined: Dec 02 2009 Posts: 1672 Location: The Owlery
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 5:23 am Post subject: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
Can we do a thread for all the poor English usages we come across? Some of them can be pretty funny.
I'll start. I just read this today in a frum novel (I won't say which one, for obvious reasons):
"Time was sucked into a vacuum"
Someone has been spending too much time cleaning their carpets! The author was probably trying to say something like "time stood still, as though she were in a vacuum."
(The rest of the sentence goes "and all those around her ceased to exist." Fun, no? They must have gotten sucked into the vacuum, too!) _________________ "Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."
- G.K. Chesterton
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 8:12 am Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
There's a banner hanging in front of a house - Congratulations [graduate's name]. Were so proud of you!
Every time I pass it I think, wow, what did she do that they're no longer proud? _________________ The righteous praise and honor people for every good quality that is found in them while the wicked seek out faults in others to pull them down, even if they repented those deeds. (Rabbeinu Yonah, from Partners in Kindness)
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 1:07 pm Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
OK you asked for it Enneamom! thanx for the platform!
In Avraham Frieds new CD keep climbing....
The lyrics go:
"Keep climbing, Don't let nothing stand in your way!"
I keep wondering how nothing can get in your way!! It's so hard for me to enjoy this uplifting song when he keeps telling me not to let nothing get in my way! It's not nothing getting in my way! It's everything getting in my way!!!!
Does he have poetic license?? Does this drive anyone else insane? or is it just me who's the insane one?
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 1:51 pm Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
Well, this is not a specific incident, but I see "illicit" and "elicit" swapped SO often in frum publications that when I recently read one used correctly, I did a double take. I mean, my eyes started to tell me "Wait, something's not right" and then I realized that what wasn't right was that it WAS right, for once! Because I'm THAT used to "tsk tsk"ing at the constant misuses.
Except most of the time this stuff isn't even funny. To me, mistakes are just sad and painful, unless they change the meaning in a particularly ironic way.
Joined: Mar 09 2008 Posts: 2566 Location: Jerusalem, Israel
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 2:32 pm Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
All the Chinese instructions translated into English...lol
Take care to not sever the package. Place in mouth not. Ingest can lead to cause choke and death. Beware! _________________ For every minute of anger, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunde
seeker wrote:
Well, this is not a specific incident, but I see "illicit" and "elicit" swapped SO often in frum publications that when I recently read one used correctly, I did a double take. I mean, my eyes started to tell me "Wait, something's not right" and then I realized that what wasn't right was that it WAS right, for once! Because I'm THAT used to "tsk tsk"ing at the constant misuses.
Except most of the time this stuff isn't even funny. To me, mistakes are just sad and painful, unless they change the meaning in a particularly ironic way.
Another thing frum publications ALWAYS do: "free reign" instead of "free rein." I see where they're coming from, but it's just wrong!
Joined: Dec 02 2009 Posts: 1672 Location: The Owlery
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 5:16 pm Post subject: Re: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunde
seeker wrote:
Well, this is not a specific incident, but I see "illicit" and "elicit" swapped SO often in frum publications that when I recently read one used correctly, I did a double take. I mean, my eyes started to tell me "Wait, something's not right" and then I realized that what wasn't right was that it WAS right, for once! Because I'm THAT used to "tsk tsk"ing at the constant misuses.
Except most of the time this stuff isn't even funny. To me, mistakes are just sad and painful, unless they change the meaning in a particularly ironic way.
I know, I have that with "flaunt" and "flout". I so often see people "flaunting" the rules in magazine articles (do they go around wearing a sandwich board with the rules listed on it?) that when they actually write "she flouted the rules" I feel like it's a mistake!
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 7:19 pm Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
My six year old who knows about 10 words of english came home on Motzei Shabbos, worried about the power outages in my neighborhood - he hopes our house won't be infected by the power outage.
Joined: Dec 02 2009 Posts: 1672 Location: The Owlery
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunde
Mama Bear wrote:
My six year old who knows about 10 words of english came home on Motzei Shabbos, worried about the power outages in my neighborhood - he hopes our house won't be infected by the power outage.
Haaaa!!!
(affected, that is)
Cute!
If we're discussing verbal mistakes too... I love when people say they were getting such-and-such magazine/newspaper but their "prescription" ran out.
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 9:42 pm Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
I got this in an office letter or memo a while ago, but I think it's pretty common. I don't remember word for word, but something like this: "Please contact Mrs. X or myself if you have any questions..."
Posted: Sun, Jun 24 2012, 11:02 pm Post subject: re: Bad Metaphors and Cliches, and Other Writing Blunders
My 7 year old is great at using non-existant words. Like last week, she said, "It was like the country there, because it was very treezy." (There were a lot of trees.)
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The author was probably trying to say something like "time stood still, as though she were in a vacuum."
.)
