"Nasturtiums" cast in the Real World
If you have seen or heard any “Nasturtiums” being cast in the real world, please let us know about them by leaving a comment here. Such examples of nonsensical errors in English expression may be already covered by a verse in “Casting Nasturtiums”, or they may be examples that really annoy you that you wish we had covered. Who knows, they might turn up in “Volume 2″. Either way we’re interested to hear about them, especially if they are errors made by people of note. If possible it would be great if you could quote the source and if it’s on the Web please give us the link to where.
Here’s a few we found on the Web:
- “Why do Winters love to cast nasturtiums on us Autumns? This discriminatory superiority is really starting to harsh my mellow.”
– from www.simondoonan.net/the_ny_observer/color_me_beautiful/
Unwittingly Simon cast an aspersion on his fellow “Autumns” by his use of this incorrect expression. A “Winter” could perhaps respond by saying that it is because, with expressions like that, you make it so easy. - “Well, you’re taking an entirely different tact to tackle dengue fever as you’re working on the fact that only old mosquitoes transmit the disease, more on that.”
– from www.abc.net.au/ra/innovations/stories/s1457030.htm
What a pity the interviewer didn’t get this right, because the alliterative nature of “different tack to tackle” would have made a so much better question. - “Statue of Limitations – The maximum amount of time that can lapse after something happens for it to be taken to court.”
– from www.legal-dictionary.org/legal-dictionary-s/Statue-of-Limitations.asp
Can you believe it? Something purporting to be a legal dictionary doesn’t even realise that the law has “statutes” rather than “statues”.
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I hope you can use some of my top 10 peeves in your book:
1 – The house was ‘burglarised’. (instead of ‘burgled’; I know this word appears in some dictionaries, and is used mainly in North America, but it really bugs me). Does this mean a ‘burglariser’ ‘burglarised’ my house?
2 – The use of double negatives. ‘He can’t do nothing.’
3 – The use of the word ‘timeously’ instead of ‘timely’. (This is a South African made-up word)
4 – ‘Thank you for inviting Tom and I to the party’ instead of ‘Thank you for inviting Tom and me to the party’.
5 – Saying ‘Communication is a two way streak’ instead of Communications is a two way street’.
6 – The use of the word normalcy, instead of normality. (Again this is used mainly in North America)
7 – ‘He is the winningest coach.’ I can’t believe that I heard this American television.
8 – The use of the word zeroized instead of zeroed.
9 – The use of the word automatized instead of automated.
10 – The use of plurals for linen and accommodation, when they should be singular.