Word Usage by Bonnie Le Hamilton

Okay I just have to let it out, because this is bugging me big time.

It’s actually several things, and sort of just one.

What is this pet peeve?

Simple.

Commercials. Specifically, commercials where poor grammar or a lack of understanding of the English language is employed.

You want an example of what I mean?

Well, here goes:

A commercial shows an older woman sitting on the ground rubbing her ankle. A voice comes over the monitor she’s wearing. “We just had a fall detected, are you okay?”

“Yes,” the woman on the ground answers then a second later she says, “I fell and hurt my ankle, I don’t think I can walk home.”

Do you see the problem?

For those of you who don’t see it, let me draw your attention first to what the person on the monitor asked. She asked if the woman was okay, and in answer to that question the woman said, “Yes.”

She clearly said she was okay, yet just a second later, she says she’s not okay.

Lady, please make up your mind. Are you or are you not okay? 

Which is it?

That’s sample one. Here is sample two:

A man and woman are sitting across from each at a table, laughing. The man looks at the lady and says, “Do you mind if I use your restroom?”

The lady smiled at him and says, “Sure.”

Let me stress the fact that she just said that she DID mind him using her facilities. He asked if she minded, and she answered sure, as in sure I mind.

Yet, a second later she points and says, “It’s right there.”

Excuse me? You said you minded! Why are you telling him where it is? If you minded him using that room, why didn’t you just chase him out of your place?

I don’t get it.

This falls into the category of asking someone if you can borrow their restroom. My sister-in-law has the perfect response to this nonsense. She replies, “As long as you put it back when you’re done,” or sometimes she says, “I don’t know, can you?”

Because of this, I tend to stick with, “May I use your facilities?” or something on that line, more direct and less likely for any misunderstandings to occur, or quips like the above.

But back to commercials.

Here is another one:

A lady is describing the steps needed to utilize the product she is selling and ends her little speech with, “And you’re GRAPE to go.”

Now I’m fully aware she really means great, not grape, but I promise, I’ve seen this commercial enough times to know that she isn’t enunciating properly, and it makes me wonder how good the company is that can’t even make sure their actress is pronouncing their words clearly before they blast their commercial all over the TV.

But can I really blame them? Maybe they aren’t hearing the mistake. Or maybe I’m hearing things. Some people only hear what they expect to hear. But honestly, I expect to hear great in that sentence, not grape.

And it isn’t only commercials with this problem I’ve watched TV court shows where the plaintive said, “I borrowed him X amount of money.”

Excuse me?

I’m confused.

Borrowed is synonymous with TAKE not GIVE.

By using the word borrowed, this person was saying they took the money from the defendant, not that they gave the money to the defendant.

And I’ve actually heard the word borrowed used where loan was the correct word more than once. I’m glad to note the judge in every case corrected the person making this egregious error. 

Doesn’t anyone teach proper English anymore? Have they stopped teaching vocabulary in school?

I did see a post the other day on Facebook talking about words that can mean both the negative and the positive but believe me, borrowed isn’t on that list. And I wish I could find it now because I can’t even remember the name that was given to these types of words. It was totally new to me.

And that’s saying a lot when I grew up with a person given the nickname of Dictionary. I know I’ve mentioned her before, because I know I’ve mentioned the incident from 6^th grade where she helped me with a couple of boys who wouldn’t stop chatting over and around me during class.

My vocabulary is considered on the large side and I did not know this word and now can’t remember it.

If anyone knows what this word is, let me know. Okay.

I did know the words on that list. And I had already realized those words could mean its own opposite. I just didn’t know there was a word for that.                                                              

Anyway, happy writing, everyone.