Thread: What your pet aversion?

Originally Posted by soundman

"Port" is in fact a shortening of a much longer word that escapes me at the moment.

"Portmanteau" - it's French! For handbag!

Moving away from the language debate for a moment - my current pet aversion:

Dickhead drivers who tailgate (is that an Americanism? ) at 100 kph-plus on the freeways in heavy rain. No kidding - driving to work this week at 5.30 am - pitch black, p1ssing down, and I was overtaken by a small convoy of about 10 nitwits travelling less than a car length apart at something like 120 kph. If the bloke in front had coughed, the whole bloody crew would have wiped themselves out.

Originally Posted by soundman

"Port" is in fact a shortening of a much longer word that escapes me at the moment.

Portmantau, or something similar.............

"Port" is in fact a shortening of a much longer word that escapes me at the moment.

I think it is "portmanteau" or similar.

I wonder what the poms think about our bastardisation of 'their' language?"

Who cares they probaly don't...... the fact is english as spoken in australia is probaly closer to the real thing than that spoken in many parts of the UK.

English always evolves and that was kind of my point. It can't really evolve in a wrong direction because there has never been a right one. It has always reflected major influences, whether they be war or modern media.

......What realy annoys me is that our media exectutives are so unemaginative, short sighted and lazy...... oH tight too.

You left a lot of the bad stuff out but I agree Vain, self absorbed people in positions of influence have rarely done any good.


It gets so bad some nights that it is imposible to find a localy produced programe in prime time except for the news.

You still watch TV?

Don't get me started on the narrowness of the style of content thats another thing all together.

Ayup

An old friend of mine told me about a state/region in the USA where the inhabitants still speak English as they did in the days of early settlement(Mayflower etc), I can't recall where it is but it is pretty remote and probably pretty inbred by now.

You still watch TV?

Yep sometimes you cant miss mythbusters and top gear

do you think I got 4000 post up in 5 years by watching TV?

cheers

Originally Posted by Groggy

English always evolves and that was kind of my point. It can't really evolve in a wrong direction because there has never been a right one. It has always reflected major influences, whether they be war or modern media.

Spot on, Groggy. English has been in a constant state of evolution for centuries. Anyone who thinks there is some form of 'pure' English is kidding themselves. Even in England (actually, on reflection, especially in England) there are literally hundreds of accents and dialects within the language. Some of them quite unintelligible to people from outside small regional locations.

The other important point, of course, is that English isn't owned by the English. It's been a worldwide language for a very long time.

My favorite hate? People who use those front and rear fog lights when the is no B*****y fog. I feel like getting out of the car at traffic lights and smashing them. Also people who do not thank for a favour done. There are some of us here who have a little exchange system going and it works because we acknowledge the favour with one of our own. This is just common courtesy which sadly seems to be dying.

I like the fog lights on country roads, the help show up the pot holes.

Originally Posted by Mini

My favorite hate? People who use those front and rear fog lights when the is no B*****y fog. I feel like getting out of the car at traffic lights and smashing them.

Amen! A lot of these people think they are driving lights and don't realise it actually REDUCES your night vision because it puts a high intensity spot close to the car, reducing your depth vision.

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Peter, I know how you feel, I have even gone to the trouble of emailing a complete article to someone to help with their problem, not even an acknowledgment of receipt, let alone a "thank you"

Times like that you do think "why do I bother". But then I think of all the help (and offers of help) I have received from other forum members, yourself included, and then I think "well I am only putting something back in to the forum, a thank you is a bonus".

The people that send you greenies and thank you's make up for the few ignorant ones, I'm sure.

The "why do I bother" thought is the enemy of forums like this. It kills the free exchange spirit that brought us together in the first place.

95% of the time I have no idea who I've responded to. I only read the body of the message and pay little attention to who it is. Not necessarily a very personal approach, but hard to hold a grudge if you can't remember who to hold a grudge against... In the past I used to remember those I didn't care for but ultimately it's a waste of time and energy. I have far too many negative thoughts in my head now and don't want to add to them.

You also have to remember that this is a very impersonal place to converse with others. Essentially all you're doing is responding to a computer screen. If you're like me and are a social retard under normal in person situations it's most likely that you're online etiquette is less perfect. The way I see it, it's impossible to know the sincerity or motivation of others here and will default to simply not making judgments.

Originally Posted by Mini

My favorite hate? People who use those front and rear fog lights when the is no B*****y fog. I feel like getting out of the car at traffic lights and smashing them. .....

I've got extra front lights set low into the bumper [Falcon XR6] but these are not fog lights - fog lights on the front of a car are yellow - they are an extra driving light which does fill in under the main beams and does help on our "fantastic country roads" . I don't have a problem with people using them and don't find them a hinderance when coming towards me.

Now, if you are talking real driving lights - I used to run 2 Cibe Oscars on an alloy bull bar - these would sunburn the neck of the driver in front at 400 metres if you were so inclined - but most of us country types would never do that - the only time that appears to happen is when the "Queen Street Tractors" venture out of the city.

The rear fog light, as I understand it, is actually an extra bright red light which should make the car in front able to be seen in poor light conditions and should not be used unless necessary - I'm led to believe that they have been eliminated from many imports as not being necessary in Australia.

The lights under the front bar get the generic term of foglights and I still hate them, no matter what they are called. I too live and travel in the bush and I just don't get the need. As for driving lights I have two Super Oscars and two Hella 1357's. Daylight on high beam with the 130 watt headlights.

Originally Posted by Bob38S

The rear fog light, as I understand it, is actually an extra bright red light which should make the car in front able to be seen in poor light conditions and should not be used unless necessary - I'm led to believe that they have been eliminated from many imports as not being necessary in Australia.

You are correct. A single red light on the right hand cluster controlled by a switch on the dash that many idiots seems unable to locate to switch the thing off when there is no fog. They are mandatory in England - maybe Europe too. It is an offence not to use them I recall. Actually, not a bad idea, provided they aren't left bloody on!

Couldn't help but respond to those who hate americanisms. America is composed of two continents, north and south, containing dozens of countries and languages. But I must say, I'm getting truly sick of the ever creeping influences of Ecuadorean styles into our sentence structures. And what about those Bolivians with their namby pamby shoes...or were you perhaps refering to the Costa Ricans?




I think we all need to realize that we are at a cusp in socialogical history. I'm certain that the ultimate influence of the web and mass media into international language, culture, styles , ect. cannot even be guessed at presently. When I consider the changes wrought, just in my lifetime, by first radio (yes I can remember our first TV(Dang I'm getting too old!)) then television, I can only imagine what will come to pass.
Unfortunately, those cultures with the loudest (I don't necessarily mean better) voice will be heard and repeated the most.