South Africa is not the only country in the world where English is spoken, but it certainly must be the one that brings the most diversity to its style and dialect. Eleven languages, each with their own variety of dialects and sub-cultures, add great flavour to the language that the Bard used to call his own (or did he?).
My problem today, however, is not with the unique pronunciations, adaptations and even the lekker distortions of the local dialect, but with some truly irritating abuses of the language in its simplest form. Here are some of my most annoying pet hates:
My problem today, however, is not with the unique pronunciations, adaptations and even the lekker distortions of the local dialect, but with some truly irritating abuses of the language in its simplest form. Here are some of my most annoying pet hates:
- Basically No word in the entire English dictionary contributes less to meaning, understanding, and, alas, misunderstanding than this creature of sheer habit. The bloody word has no meaning! In 99% of cases where basically is used in a sentence, it means basically nothing and adds basically zilch to the intended meaning. My advice: delete it from your memory and tear its pages from your dictionaries. If you really need a word to express its original intention, rather use essentially or fundamentally.
- Couple If your friend had a couple of tots and got himself into trouble for drunken driving, he probably had a few too many and not a couple. In English, plain and simple, a couple means two. One. Two. That’s it. It does not mean a few, some, several or numerous at all. Not by a long shot.
- Unique Now here is another misnomer for you. If something is unique there is nothing like it to be found anywhere. Very few skills are really unique. Very few culinary delights are truly unique. Hardly any plans, strategies or activities are unique in the true sense of the word. My advice to you is first to determine if what you attach the word to is really, really a one and only rarity. Then by all means call it unique. This piece of advice, however, certainly is not unique.
- Literally Why is it that so many people use literally when they just want to add emphasis? “He literally worked all night” means “he worked all night”. Nothing more and nothing less. “She literally blew a gasket” calls for a mechanic to rectify; not a doctor. And why the hell she would blow on the damn thing in the first place is beyond me. Literally undoes the metaphor and therein lies its greatest danger for writers. If she literally lived her life like a candle in the wind, she must have been hot – literally!
- Further No, Durban is not further from Johannesburg than Bloemfontein and people living along a river do not live further from its banks for fear of flooding. The right word is farther whenever distance is referred to; not further. Further means in addition to; like in furthermore. And please note the ‘r’ in farther to avoid confusing your father.
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