I don't think it helps to get snooty about language. What is 'correct' is always a matter of debate anyway. The language we speak now is different to the language spoken by our grandparents in their youth, which was different to their

John Dean typed thus: Am I alone in disliking "invite" as a noun? It right sets me off, it does. Alright, I'll stop using it for awhile. I had thought this was one of the awfuler Americanisms, but not so. Both Merriam-Webster and the

I'll address those as quickly as possible! Yes, I'm Welsh. I completed my first degree in England but now I'm back in Wales for my Doctorate. (Sounds very grand, but as you know it's only like crossing State Lines in the US). The only place

"Leave" is substandard for "let", so "leave it be" means the same as "let it remain". Would you say "Let it remain" doesn't fit Donna's pattern? * RHWUD = Random House Webster's

A bit late. Sorry. Sean O'Leathlobhair wrote on 14 Jul 2004: It's quite common in the lower registers of AmE. It ... confirm that "stolen on me" is common enough in left-pondia. I have a sense that 'x on me' is not

A bit late. Sorry. Sean O'Leathlobhair wrote on 14 Jul 2004: I have never heard a native say: "I can't drive ... that is because of the "on me" at the end. It's quite common in the lower registers of AmE. It may not be

Donna Richoux redled: Donna, are you claiming that there are ... I'm not aware of ever hearing any examples of this. Yes. For example, the first four hits in Google Groups (a better place for colloquialisms than the Web) under "I could

Donna, are you claiming that there are people who say ... I'm not aware of ever hearing any examples of this. Yes. For example, the first four hits in Google Groups (a better place for colloquialisms than the Web) under "I could give a

Donna Richoux redled: If you must have a parallel to "I could care ... mild sarcasm? (Or, from a missing "like" or "as if.") Donna, are you claiming that there are people who say "I could give a damn" when they

Someone not long ago claimed that we should use 'ask FOR directions' rather than 'ask directions'. What do you think? "Ask for directions" is ordinary proper English. "Ask directions" is a fairly common