I think I've made it plain as day that I love the internet. My love of Pinterest has exceeded "obsession" levels and of course, having a YouTube channel along with this blog and my Craft Blog shows that I definitely have a (un)healthy love for Social Media. Social Media is a fantastic thing for someone like me who is creative and likes to keep up to date with what is happening in the Crafting Community, what new products are hitting the shelves and whether or not Vintage Grunge and Shabby Chic are still the "in" thing. However, I don't have Twitter or Facebook or any of the other platforms and I will tell you why......
Sometimes Social Media gets so overwhelming and the constant bombardment of ideas, techniques, new products and styles can all get a little, well, to put it succinctly.....a bit.....AHHHHHHHHH!! Don't get me wrong, I love that I can type a few key words into Pinterest and suddenly all these amazing links come up, showing me thousands of ways to do the things that I'm searching for. Plus, being kept up to date with the latest craze in the crafting world is just mind boggling to me. It used to be that you knew something was in because suddenly your local shop had a little stand at the front of their shop showing you the newest big thing that had just hit the shelves. But now? Well, now we know the newest big branded items are coming before they even hit the shelves and that is all down to the wonderful world of the Internet and Social Media. Flip me, its so new and so current that you can even pre-order items months in advanced before they are even off the factory conveyor belt. It's just crazy.
And this is where it gets a little bit too "Ahhhhhhhh" for me. I am a bit ditsy sometimes......I know, hard to believe. I have a bit of a sieve brain sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I do have a brain cell or two. I'm actually quite intelligent.......not to blow my own trumpet or anything (toot, toot, toot, tooooot!) but I do forget things sometimes. Oh come on, I'm a blonde! I have to be able to blame some of my bad habits on that surely?! So, there I'll be, sitting watching a tutorial on YouTube and someone is showing a fabulous technique or using a new product that is out on the crafting market. And I think to myself "Ohhhhhhhhhhh I could make that." So, I go online and buy the new items or products that I need. "Brilliant", I think to myself. So, I have watched the video, made my mind up what I want to make for myself and have the items I need ordered. I'll soon have everything I need to make this wonderful project.
Ohhhhh but wait! I then see something else interesting on the interwebs. And I think, "Yes, I can make that". But I don't have the time just there and then to make it, so maybe I'll go into my craft room and get a wee box ready with everything I need to make that project. So I'll go around my room collecting the craft products I need to make it and leave it neatly sitting on my desk, all ready for when I get the time to make the new idea.
THEN.........the Postie comes the following week with my new products. I excitedly open up my order, admire all the lovely new crafty bits and bobs that have just arrived and then it happens.......
"What did I get this stuff for again?" I think to myself.
Yes, that is right......I've forgotten the project that I wanted to make......already! I only ordered the damn stuff less that a week ago. But of course, by this time I have had a good 3-5 days of absorbing new ideas and techniques from the interwebs and my brain is over flowing with new projects now. So I will go into my craft room, hoping I will suddenly be hit with inspiration or at least the idea that I originally bought these new items for. And then I notice a little box sitting with all the wee bits and bobs that I collected to make another project with......AND...you've guessed it, I've forgotten what I wanted to make with those items too. My head is literally like a sieve. I have seen so many things on Pinterest and YouTube of things I want to make. So if I don't have the items, I order the things I need and then because I have filled my noggin with more inspiration in the interim, by the time the new items get here, I have forgotten what it was I wanted to make!
Does anyone else do this? Or is it just me? Thank goodness I bookbind, because I need to keep notes of everything, all the time. Therefore I have handmade books in every corner of my household with notes for this, that and the other, lol. I've even got notes on my phone to remind me of things I want to make. I can't be the only person in the world that does these things, can I? See? Is it any wonder Social Media can get overwhelming. Thank goodness I don't (yet) bother with Twitter or Facebook or whatever else is the new "in" thing to become a member of. Because quite frankly, my head would be frazzled and there I'd be, sitting in the middle of my craft room, coming down with craft products and have no idea what it was I wanted to make. So many ideas.......just not enough RAM in my brain to keep it all there, teehee. Ohhhhh, maybe I need to upgrade my brains memory capacity? Or just stick to writing notes everywhere in my house. Yeah, the note thing sounds better and less.....invasive.
Let me know if you do something similar or if Social Media takes over too much or your spare time. Thanks for stopping by.
Toodles Noodles...........Lee x
Sunday, 25 October 2015
Sunday, 18 October 2015
Am I prepared for Auntie-hood?
I have a very close relationship with my siblings. I'm 35 and the oldest of 5 children. The youngest......well, he's 14. Yes, go on....quickly work that number out in your noggins. Take a minute, I'll wait. Yes, that is correct. There is 21 years between me and my youngest brother, Corey. Yes, 21 years.....that isn't a typo. Technically I was old enough that he could have been mine, lol. He's not however.....don't get excited.....there is no deep, dark, family scandal here where I had a kid and got my parents to raise him......honestly.....he's not mine!!!! Sorry to disappoint you Corey.....you are only my wee brother, so you'll just have to be content with having a wayyyyyyy older (but awesome) big sister, lol.
Anyway, I digress. So, my brother, Jay (who is only 1 year younger than me) phones me one night recently and whilst talking to me, sends me a photo to my phone and asks me to open it whilst on the phone to him. Now this is nothing unusual......my brother is always sending me daft photos of himself and vice versa......it's what we do. You have to get my family really to understand our strange behaviour in sending really stupid photos to each other. Between all 7 of us (parents included...and don't even think about arguing your sensibilities Mammy.....Star Wars? Remember? That's all I'm saying, Mwahhhh) there probably isn't a sensible bone in any of our bodies, teehee. Anyway, back to the photo. So, here I am on my mobile, trying to open up this "daft" photo whilst attempting to not hang up on Jay at the same time. But oh dear God, instead of there being a posy photo of Jay doing a duck-face on my screen, there was a positive 2-3 weeks pregnancy test staring at me. I just sort of stared at it for a second, kind of confused as to why Jay would send me this. And then the penny dropped. OMG! I cried! I screamed! I think I just went through about 10 different emotions in about 10 seconds. It was such fantastic news. This was the first child being born of all of us siblings. Then, my sister Tara (who is 24) dropped by just over 3 weeks later to say "hello" to me. Again, nothing unusual so it was just like any other visit....or so I thought. I had bought her a wee dress and I casually handed it to her, saying "I hope it fits you ok", to which she replied "well, it probably won't fit me for long. I'm pregnant". I swear to you now, I froze but at the same time, nearly fell off my chair onto the kitchen floor. I didn't believe her at first. I sort of laughed and then re-evaluated the look on her face. To be totally honest, and please don't judge me for this, I answered both my poor siblings in the exact same way, weeks apart but unintentionally of course but looking back on it......at least I was fair in my reaction and I didn't treat ones news any differently than the others. No? Yes? Maybe? Maybe not, when you hear how I replied to both Siblings, just weeks apart!!
"F*** Off, you are not! Are you?"
Obviously, Jay is not pregnant! But his wife, Karen is, lol
I know, I know! I can hear your disappointment from here and the "Ohhhhhh Lee". That was so un-ladylike and such an appalling reply. But you have to understand, these announcements came out of nowhere! Don't tell my Granda! I'd die if he knew I'd used that word. It was the shock Granda......honestly! I was totally and completely shocked. 2 pregnancy announcements in so many weeks which just seemed to come out of nowhere and the bad word just kinda slipped out. Im so sorry!!!! I'm apologising to my blog readers for my reaction to my siblings pregnancy announcements......well that's a new feature, lol.
Needless to say, the whole family is delighted. My parents have been wanting Grandchildren for forever, and now it looks like they'll be getting 2 in the same month, lol. Ha! Be careful what you wish for, lol. So, once I calmed down, I of course have been getting more and more excited for the arrival of my first nieces or nephews. I heard my sister's Wee Bean's heartbeat for the first time a few nights ago and it had me almost in tears!
Anyway, I started to obviously think about being an Auntie. And then I was thinking about the influences that my Aunts and Uncles have had on my life. Then I was thinking, OMG will I be any good at this Auntie malarky?! Obviously, I was 21 when my wee brother Corey was born so I know how to do all the baby stuff like feeding, cleaning, dressing, bathing etc. But what about all the other stuff that Auntie's bring to the table?? I'm not sure I'm ready for this.....I'm too immature (at 35!). My Aunts and Uncles were awesome to us as kids and adults. But I don't even class myself as an adult even though I'm practically middle-aged! Will I be any good at all? I sat here for ages just thinking about my childhood, my upbringing and my how my Aunts and Uncles influenced my young life to make me into the (somewhat) adult I am today. And sitting here thinking on it, I didn't realise just what an influence they all had on my life but really, the impact my Aunts and Uncles have had on me has been quite massive. Not only am I a product of my upbringing from my parents, but a product of my Aunts and Uncles too. That is a pretty massive thing to realise! How am I going to compete or even measure up to these wonderful people? I sat there thinking about them individually and all the great memories of each of them that I have. Here are just some of the things that I remembered:
How my Auntie Fiona had the patience of a Saint when I tried to learn, well anything. I remember specifically trying to grow out my nails. And even though my nails were virtually non existent, she came up to our house to show me how to file them and look after them properly. I thought I had done an amazing job at growing them out but being a real wee Tom-Boy, I did tend to break them a lot and found it hard to grow them with me climbing trees and basically doing everything that little princess girlie girls didn't do, teehee. But when I thought they were "long", there was my Auntie Fiona, loaded up with her full nail gear, graciously congratulating me on doing such a good job on growing them out. And even though they hadn't really grown out much more than a millimetre, she patiently sat giving me a manicure on my non-existent nails and taught me how to file, paint and maintain them. Or how she taught me silly words like "diddle-lumps" which was a much more polite way of saying "boobs". Or how often she babysat for us, eating Tayto cheese and onion crisps and galaxy chocolate in one bite whilst playing Twister or Kerplunk! Or having her boyfriend write me a letter from Santa, because I had had a fight with a boy at school who insisted that Santa didn't exist and I came home so upset. But because I knew my parents and her hand writing and not wanting me to be upset, she got her then boyfriend to write me a letter from Santa. Boy did I shove that letter down that boys throat next day at school, lol (not literally of course!). Her affection for her nieces and nephews is as loving as any parents could be.
And my Uncle Paddy & Auntie Jennifer who have supported me in more ways than I could ever imagine. They took me and my brother, Jay down to their house every year for some fun, regardless of where they lived. So, be it Bangor, Scotland, Wicklow or wherever they lived, it never seemed any trouble for them to have us stay and spoil us rotten, even when Jennifer was heavily pregnant and was probably knackered with tearing after two excitable children. Nothing ever seems to be trouble for them. Their home is open to whomever wants to visit. You'll never meet a more welcoming pair. When they went on holidays, they always gave us their house for the 2 weeks so my family could get a holiday away. Nothing is ever a bother to them. I love nothing more than a good sing-a-long with my Uncle and listening to one of his funny stories, of which there are many. And Jennifer is always so welcoming and generous with her time and home. They have been so wonderful to me and to all my siblings. We are so lucky to have them in our lives.
Uncle Cathal & Auntie Bernie. Here is a man, that no matter how much I jumped about him, shouted "UNCLE CATHAL" at the top of my lungs and acted like a total idiot out in public in front of complete strangers, never once got embarrassed, upset or annoyed by my obnoxious behaviour. And the more I tried to embarrass him (in good humour of course), my Uncle Cathal always laughs and greets my madness with affection and acceptance. As soon as I need anything.....there is my Uncle Cathal, always happy to help. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have a floor to walk on in my home. But one request for his joinery skills and there he was in a flash to put down my floors in my new house. Nothing seems to be a bother for him.....even when I'm being a bother. You'll not meet a nicer gentleman than my Uncle Cathal. And Bernie, his wife with her quiet demeanour and glowing grace always has a smile, laugh and a little "Oh Lee" when I say something a little bold or cheeky, but is always completely accepting of who I am and what I am like. There isn't a thing these two wouldn't do for you. If I live my life having half the humility or being half as kind and considerate as these two wonderful people are, well then I'll be a happy camper. I only hope I will be as kind and generous as my Uncle Cathal and Auntie Bernie have been to me. I don't think they quite realise just how much they have graced my life with their loving presence.
My Uncle Morgan, although he lives in Turkey has always had a big influence in my life and has always supported me in my academic endeavours and everything I've ever wanted or tried to do. He encouraged my love of birds as a child by giving me a bird book and his very expensive binoculars to use for the weekend, even though he was only home for a short time and probably intended on using them himself on his many adventure walks into the Mourne Mountains. And to trust a 10 year old with those binoculars, didn't even spare him a thought. I like to think I've inherited his dry sense of humour too. And of course my love of pistachio nuts because he arrived home on one visit with the biggest bag of pistachios that I have ever seen, lol. Bless his cotton socks, he even proudly showed off my handmade wedding invitation to all the ladies at his school, even though it was early days in my crafting endeavours and they were probably a bit rubbish, lol. He always encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do but never made me feel like a failure if things didn't quite go to plan. And although he lives in Turkey I know he is only a phone call away or a funny little email away, whenever I need him.
My Auntie Anne-Marie lived in Scotland for most of my life until a few years ago. However, the distant doesn't mean she didn't have any influence in my life. Thankfully My Auntie Anne-Marie now lives back in Northern Ireland but even when she lived in Scotland, she always had an open door whenever I wanted to visit. She encouraged my love of reading, patiently standing for what must have been over an hour as I strolled around Waterstone's and then Eason's, taking in as much as I could. And of course.....leaving with as many books as I could carry, kindly provided by Anne-Marie. She has the most amazing hearty laugh and a hug that just pulls you in so much that you never want to leave it. I remember vividly her showing me how to do the breast stroke in a swimming pool in Scotland, and how to do it properly without drowning myself, lol. And how she would raid her daughter's wardrobe and send me bags of the most amazing and gorgeous clothes, as I was 2 years younger than her daughter, Kerry.
My uncle Tony, well what can I say....Big T? Everything he did, I wanted to do. He is a successful actor and director in the South of Ireland. And boy did I want to be a Thespian, just like him. I was very active in acting and singing as a child, in school, the local dramatic society and entered as many acting and singing festivals and competitions as I could and that was all down to my Uncle Tony. His fantastic comedic sense of humour is addictive and when he sings, he could silence a room in seconds. He has incredible time and patience for children and gladly nurtured my desire to perform. I followed him about like a little shadow and he never once made me feel like I was a bother or a burden. And although I don't get to see him now as much as I'd like, he had a great hand in my overflowing confidence as a child. He instilled a sense of self-confidence in me that couldn't be shaken. I proudly got up on stage and sang and acted my little childhood heart out. I had a dress sense, that although was probably a little embarrassing to look back on now to say the least, I loved it and it was mine and no-one would tell me otherwise. If someone didn't like something I did, wore, liked or had, well that was their loss. He taught me not to conform and that it is perfectly ok to be different and not be a sheep like everyone else. So, I would proudly strut my stuff down the school corridors wearing my bright florescent green or orange socks, even though everyone else was wearing boring navy ones. And I didn't give a damn if they liked them or not, lol.
So, with all these wonderful Auntie's and Uncles, I've started to panic a bit wondering am I ready for the responsibility of being an Auntie, lol. What could I possibly have to offer these little lives that will be coming into my life very soon? I know I'm 35, but am I even mature enough to be an Auntie? Let's be honest here, I may be the oldest of all 5 children in my family......but even my 14 year old brother can be more mature than me and I'm not even joking. You should see my ridiculous hat collection that I have no problem with walking out in public in, teehee. I misbehave something shocking sometimes. Nothing bad of course.......just playing about and embarrassing my family in public in any way I can, lol. Or just acting like an eejit. But maybe they are perfect traits to have in an Auntie. Maybe I have nothing to worry about at all. Maybe I'm just being silly, after all I'm not going to be a parent so technically I can be the fun, silly Auntie who gets to do all the fun stuff without all the hard stuff, teehee. But just thinking about how my Aunts and Uncles had such a profound impact on my life, I only hope I will do as good a job with my nieces and nephews. And really, kids don't have expectations of grandeur, they just want to be loved and don't expect much more than that really. But reminiscing about my wonderful Aunts and Uncles, I'm thinking I have pretty massive shoes to fill. But I hope I will be able to take a little bit of each and every one of them and share that with my own nieces or nephews. I suppose, I can only do my best. And if I have a positive impact or influence on my nieces or nephews, even if its a fraction of how my own Aunts and Uncles have had on me, then I think I'll have done a good job. So roll on Spring 2016 and bring on the babies! I'm ready for you......dirty nappies and all, lol.
Thanks for stopping by folks.
Toodles Noodles..........Lee xx
Anyway, I digress. So, my brother, Jay (who is only 1 year younger than me) phones me one night recently and whilst talking to me, sends me a photo to my phone and asks me to open it whilst on the phone to him. Now this is nothing unusual......my brother is always sending me daft photos of himself and vice versa......it's what we do. You have to get my family really to understand our strange behaviour in sending really stupid photos to each other. Between all 7 of us (parents included...and don't even think about arguing your sensibilities Mammy.....Star Wars? Remember? That's all I'm saying, Mwahhhh) there probably isn't a sensible bone in any of our bodies, teehee. Anyway, back to the photo. So, here I am on my mobile, trying to open up this "daft" photo whilst attempting to not hang up on Jay at the same time. But oh dear God, instead of there being a posy photo of Jay doing a duck-face on my screen, there was a positive 2-3 weeks pregnancy test staring at me. I just sort of stared at it for a second, kind of confused as to why Jay would send me this. And then the penny dropped. OMG! I cried! I screamed! I think I just went through about 10 different emotions in about 10 seconds. It was such fantastic news. This was the first child being born of all of us siblings. Then, my sister Tara (who is 24) dropped by just over 3 weeks later to say "hello" to me. Again, nothing unusual so it was just like any other visit....or so I thought. I had bought her a wee dress and I casually handed it to her, saying "I hope it fits you ok", to which she replied "well, it probably won't fit me for long. I'm pregnant". I swear to you now, I froze but at the same time, nearly fell off my chair onto the kitchen floor. I didn't believe her at first. I sort of laughed and then re-evaluated the look on her face. To be totally honest, and please don't judge me for this, I answered both my poor siblings in the exact same way, weeks apart but unintentionally of course but looking back on it......at least I was fair in my reaction and I didn't treat ones news any differently than the others. No? Yes? Maybe? Maybe not, when you hear how I replied to both Siblings, just weeks apart!!
"F*** Off, you are not! Are you?"
Obviously, Jay is not pregnant! But his wife, Karen is, lol
I know, I know! I can hear your disappointment from here and the "Ohhhhhh Lee". That was so un-ladylike and such an appalling reply. But you have to understand, these announcements came out of nowhere! Don't tell my Granda! I'd die if he knew I'd used that word. It was the shock Granda......honestly! I was totally and completely shocked. 2 pregnancy announcements in so many weeks which just seemed to come out of nowhere and the bad word just kinda slipped out. Im so sorry!!!! I'm apologising to my blog readers for my reaction to my siblings pregnancy announcements......well that's a new feature, lol.
Needless to say, the whole family is delighted. My parents have been wanting Grandchildren for forever, and now it looks like they'll be getting 2 in the same month, lol. Ha! Be careful what you wish for, lol. So, once I calmed down, I of course have been getting more and more excited for the arrival of my first nieces or nephews. I heard my sister's Wee Bean's heartbeat for the first time a few nights ago and it had me almost in tears!
Anyway, I started to obviously think about being an Auntie. And then I was thinking about the influences that my Aunts and Uncles have had on my life. Then I was thinking, OMG will I be any good at this Auntie malarky?! Obviously, I was 21 when my wee brother Corey was born so I know how to do all the baby stuff like feeding, cleaning, dressing, bathing etc. But what about all the other stuff that Auntie's bring to the table?? I'm not sure I'm ready for this.....I'm too immature (at 35!). My Aunts and Uncles were awesome to us as kids and adults. But I don't even class myself as an adult even though I'm practically middle-aged! Will I be any good at all? I sat here for ages just thinking about my childhood, my upbringing and my how my Aunts and Uncles influenced my young life to make me into the (somewhat) adult I am today. And sitting here thinking on it, I didn't realise just what an influence they all had on my life but really, the impact my Aunts and Uncles have had on me has been quite massive. Not only am I a product of my upbringing from my parents, but a product of my Aunts and Uncles too. That is a pretty massive thing to realise! How am I going to compete or even measure up to these wonderful people? I sat there thinking about them individually and all the great memories of each of them that I have. Here are just some of the things that I remembered:
How my Auntie Fiona had the patience of a Saint when I tried to learn, well anything. I remember specifically trying to grow out my nails. And even though my nails were virtually non existent, she came up to our house to show me how to file them and look after them properly. I thought I had done an amazing job at growing them out but being a real wee Tom-Boy, I did tend to break them a lot and found it hard to grow them with me climbing trees and basically doing everything that little princess girlie girls didn't do, teehee. But when I thought they were "long", there was my Auntie Fiona, loaded up with her full nail gear, graciously congratulating me on doing such a good job on growing them out. And even though they hadn't really grown out much more than a millimetre, she patiently sat giving me a manicure on my non-existent nails and taught me how to file, paint and maintain them. Or how she taught me silly words like "diddle-lumps" which was a much more polite way of saying "boobs". Or how often she babysat for us, eating Tayto cheese and onion crisps and galaxy chocolate in one bite whilst playing Twister or Kerplunk! Or having her boyfriend write me a letter from Santa, because I had had a fight with a boy at school who insisted that Santa didn't exist and I came home so upset. But because I knew my parents and her hand writing and not wanting me to be upset, she got her then boyfriend to write me a letter from Santa. Boy did I shove that letter down that boys throat next day at school, lol (not literally of course!). Her affection for her nieces and nephews is as loving as any parents could be.
And my Uncle Paddy & Auntie Jennifer who have supported me in more ways than I could ever imagine. They took me and my brother, Jay down to their house every year for some fun, regardless of where they lived. So, be it Bangor, Scotland, Wicklow or wherever they lived, it never seemed any trouble for them to have us stay and spoil us rotten, even when Jennifer was heavily pregnant and was probably knackered with tearing after two excitable children. Nothing ever seems to be trouble for them. Their home is open to whomever wants to visit. You'll never meet a more welcoming pair. When they went on holidays, they always gave us their house for the 2 weeks so my family could get a holiday away. Nothing is ever a bother to them. I love nothing more than a good sing-a-long with my Uncle and listening to one of his funny stories, of which there are many. And Jennifer is always so welcoming and generous with her time and home. They have been so wonderful to me and to all my siblings. We are so lucky to have them in our lives.
Uncle Cathal & Auntie Bernie. Here is a man, that no matter how much I jumped about him, shouted "UNCLE CATHAL" at the top of my lungs and acted like a total idiot out in public in front of complete strangers, never once got embarrassed, upset or annoyed by my obnoxious behaviour. And the more I tried to embarrass him (in good humour of course), my Uncle Cathal always laughs and greets my madness with affection and acceptance. As soon as I need anything.....there is my Uncle Cathal, always happy to help. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have a floor to walk on in my home. But one request for his joinery skills and there he was in a flash to put down my floors in my new house. Nothing seems to be a bother for him.....even when I'm being a bother. You'll not meet a nicer gentleman than my Uncle Cathal. And Bernie, his wife with her quiet demeanour and glowing grace always has a smile, laugh and a little "Oh Lee" when I say something a little bold or cheeky, but is always completely accepting of who I am and what I am like. There isn't a thing these two wouldn't do for you. If I live my life having half the humility or being half as kind and considerate as these two wonderful people are, well then I'll be a happy camper. I only hope I will be as kind and generous as my Uncle Cathal and Auntie Bernie have been to me. I don't think they quite realise just how much they have graced my life with their loving presence.
My Uncle Morgan, although he lives in Turkey has always had a big influence in my life and has always supported me in my academic endeavours and everything I've ever wanted or tried to do. He encouraged my love of birds as a child by giving me a bird book and his very expensive binoculars to use for the weekend, even though he was only home for a short time and probably intended on using them himself on his many adventure walks into the Mourne Mountains. And to trust a 10 year old with those binoculars, didn't even spare him a thought. I like to think I've inherited his dry sense of humour too. And of course my love of pistachio nuts because he arrived home on one visit with the biggest bag of pistachios that I have ever seen, lol. Bless his cotton socks, he even proudly showed off my handmade wedding invitation to all the ladies at his school, even though it was early days in my crafting endeavours and they were probably a bit rubbish, lol. He always encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do but never made me feel like a failure if things didn't quite go to plan. And although he lives in Turkey I know he is only a phone call away or a funny little email away, whenever I need him.
My Auntie Anne-Marie lived in Scotland for most of my life until a few years ago. However, the distant doesn't mean she didn't have any influence in my life. Thankfully My Auntie Anne-Marie now lives back in Northern Ireland but even when she lived in Scotland, she always had an open door whenever I wanted to visit. She encouraged my love of reading, patiently standing for what must have been over an hour as I strolled around Waterstone's and then Eason's, taking in as much as I could. And of course.....leaving with as many books as I could carry, kindly provided by Anne-Marie. She has the most amazing hearty laugh and a hug that just pulls you in so much that you never want to leave it. I remember vividly her showing me how to do the breast stroke in a swimming pool in Scotland, and how to do it properly without drowning myself, lol. And how she would raid her daughter's wardrobe and send me bags of the most amazing and gorgeous clothes, as I was 2 years younger than her daughter, Kerry.
My uncle Tony, well what can I say....Big T? Everything he did, I wanted to do. He is a successful actor and director in the South of Ireland. And boy did I want to be a Thespian, just like him. I was very active in acting and singing as a child, in school, the local dramatic society and entered as many acting and singing festivals and competitions as I could and that was all down to my Uncle Tony. His fantastic comedic sense of humour is addictive and when he sings, he could silence a room in seconds. He has incredible time and patience for children and gladly nurtured my desire to perform. I followed him about like a little shadow and he never once made me feel like I was a bother or a burden. And although I don't get to see him now as much as I'd like, he had a great hand in my overflowing confidence as a child. He instilled a sense of self-confidence in me that couldn't be shaken. I proudly got up on stage and sang and acted my little childhood heart out. I had a dress sense, that although was probably a little embarrassing to look back on now to say the least, I loved it and it was mine and no-one would tell me otherwise. If someone didn't like something I did, wore, liked or had, well that was their loss. He taught me not to conform and that it is perfectly ok to be different and not be a sheep like everyone else. So, I would proudly strut my stuff down the school corridors wearing my bright florescent green or orange socks, even though everyone else was wearing boring navy ones. And I didn't give a damn if they liked them or not, lol.
So, with all these wonderful Auntie's and Uncles, I've started to panic a bit wondering am I ready for the responsibility of being an Auntie, lol. What could I possibly have to offer these little lives that will be coming into my life very soon? I know I'm 35, but am I even mature enough to be an Auntie? Let's be honest here, I may be the oldest of all 5 children in my family......but even my 14 year old brother can be more mature than me and I'm not even joking. You should see my ridiculous hat collection that I have no problem with walking out in public in, teehee. I misbehave something shocking sometimes. Nothing bad of course.......just playing about and embarrassing my family in public in any way I can, lol. Or just acting like an eejit. But maybe they are perfect traits to have in an Auntie. Maybe I have nothing to worry about at all. Maybe I'm just being silly, after all I'm not going to be a parent so technically I can be the fun, silly Auntie who gets to do all the fun stuff without all the hard stuff, teehee. But just thinking about how my Aunts and Uncles had such a profound impact on my life, I only hope I will do as good a job with my nieces and nephews. And really, kids don't have expectations of grandeur, they just want to be loved and don't expect much more than that really. But reminiscing about my wonderful Aunts and Uncles, I'm thinking I have pretty massive shoes to fill. But I hope I will be able to take a little bit of each and every one of them and share that with my own nieces or nephews. I suppose, I can only do my best. And if I have a positive impact or influence on my nieces or nephews, even if its a fraction of how my own Aunts and Uncles have had on me, then I think I'll have done a good job. So roll on Spring 2016 and bring on the babies! I'm ready for you......dirty nappies and all, lol.
Thanks for stopping by folks.
Toodles Noodles..........Lee xx
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Has English evolved and someone forgot to tell me....?
Ok, I may get a bit of flack for this post, but...... this is my Blog and I'll moan if I want to.....Sing it to me (in the tune of "It's my Party and I'll cry if I want to). So, sit back, get strapped in and pile on all the protective gear you can find, because this is going to get hairy and scary, so you'll need a thick skin for this post.
I am very aware that language evolves and changes throughout time. We see that with our wonderful teachings at school in our History, English and Drama classes.....No-one is speaking Shakespearean any more, that's for sure. And yes the English language is a very complex beast with differences in our accents and even different words meaning different things in different places and we all have regional dialects. That's all lovely and completely forgiveable in my opinion. For example, I'm from Northern Ireland which has a particularly unique strain of the English language all of it's own. Yes, you may need subtitles as we tend to speak incredibly fast, but we also have a language of our own within the English language itself, again, its down to regional dialect. For instance, say two young gentlemen, who happen to be friends come across one another on the street, this is how the conversation might go...
Sean: "Well, whatabout ye big lad. How's she cuttin'?
Translation: Hello there dear boy, how are you?
Patrick: "Aye, dead on big fella. what's the craic with you?
Translation: I'm fine thank you my friend, and how are you?
Sean: "Ack, nothin' much. I had a bad dose of the flu there last week and it wrecked me. I was weak as a kitten. And now my car is banjaxed. And because the car is knackered I told our Sadie she had to walk to school. She ended up jippin' aff school. The school ended up callin' me and slaggin' aff my parenting skills. I was scundered. I ate the head aff our Sadie."
Translation: There is not a great deal happening. I took a bad flu last week that had me very ill. I was left rather weak. And then my car broke down. And because the car was no longer in working order, I had to inform my daughter, Sadie, that she'd have to walk to school. She then proceeded to skip school without permission. The school telephoned me and criticised my parenting skills. I was so embarrassed. I greatly chastised our daughter, Sadie.
Patrick: "Jesus Sean, that's khyet. Your Sadie is a wee chancer. Do you want me to take a gander at your car?"
Translate: My goodness Sean, that is terrible. Sadie would try anything once. Would you like me to have a look at your car to try and fix it?
Sean: "That would be great Patrick. Cheers big lad."
Translate: Why thank you Patrick that would be wonderful.
Patrick: "That's dead on, no bother. Sure, I'll crack on here. I'll take a wee gander at your car some time this week."
Translate: That is fine, it's no bother at all. I must go now. I will have a look at your car this week.
Sean: "Dead on big man. Keep her handy".
Translate: Brilliant, thank you. Take care.
So there you have it. Just a quick little titbit as to how a conversation might go in my neck of the woods, so to speak. But as that is regional dialect, I think it can more than be forgiven for its strange language. However, it feels to me that there has yet again been a major shift in the English Language and someone subsequently forgot to tell me. I am a big fan of YouTube. I even have my own channel should you be brave enough to tackle my accent (it is coined with my craft blog, not this particular blog. Click here if you want a nosey). And with watching various YouTuber's who just so happen to herald from all over the world I have happened upon a great many anomalies in the use of certain words. Now, I can't blame these anomalies on non-native English speakers because those that are using these words are mostly English, American or Canadian. I am not mentioning any of the offenders as I am not in the business of calling people out. This blog is meant to be a humorous place to drop in on......not a tell tale blog. I am no snitch, lol. In any event, here are some of the words and phrases that when I first heard them, I paused the video, went back, re-played it for clarification, and then attempted the pull my dropped jaw from the floor in complete and utter disbelief.
Have you ever heard something like this?:
"So, take your ruler and pencil and draw a line acrossed the page", or
"I took my ruler and pencil and drew a line acrossed the page."
Do you see the mistake? Please tell me you do because I can't be the only person to be completely and utterly stunned by this totally made up word. Yes, I said made up because there is no such word as ACROSSED!!! Seriously? Acrossed? There is such a word as ACROSS and even CROSSED but there is most definitely no such word as ACROSSED. What happened? Did "Across" and "Crossed" bump into one another one day and make "Acrossed" babies because that is the only explanation I have for this word coming to light? And you may try and say its a regional dialect term but, I can only disagree wholeheartedly. Simply because I have heard people from all over America and Canada say it. That's not Regional......that's Continental!! Therefore this word is forbidden from the "Regional dialect" bucket and is going straight into my "What? What? No!" bucket. I'm sorry America and Canada.....but there is no such word as Acrossed. And I'm not picking on you guys, honestly I'm not. I just haven't heard anyone from the UK or Europe or anywhere else worldwide use this term in a video I've come across yet.....or should that be "acrossed", teehee? But if I ever do......this is the place I will tell you, I promise lol. So, I think I've cleared this little mishap up. It's either "Across" or "Crossed" if that's the word you mean and most definitely NOT acrossed. And just to clarify, the sentence should therefore read:
"So, take your ruler and pencil and draw a line across the page", and
"I took my ruler and pencil and drew a line across the page."
And don't give off to me and say "Did you read the made up words that you have in your "regional dialect" bucket in the Northern Ireland discussion further up there? So, how can you point fingers?" Why yes, I am aware that we have silly words for different things, but they aren't real words that are being incorrectly used. "Acrossed" has come from two pre-existing words that are being incorrectly pronounced. The word "Across" and "Crossed" already exist. And somehow the two have been incorrectly smashed and mashed together for whatever reason and have made this abomination. So when the word "Acrossed" is used, they in fact actually mean "Across" and aren't using a funny wee made up "regional dialect" word. They are just incorrectly saying it.....please let it just be a pronunciation error and it's not actually being written that way too (face palm!).
There are so many pre-existing words that are incorrectly pronounced, that there are too many to list but here are a few that I catch being used wrongly on more occasions than not, sadly. Here we go.....
This one drives me bonkers and it is "Simular". Yes you read that correctly.....SimUlar. Not Similar as it should be. I just don't know what to say about this. I have heard many people say this word incorrectly, so it's not just a one off.
And here is a big one......EXpresso!!! I can't forgive this one, sorry. Not only am I a language snob, but I'm a coffee snob on top of that. It's ESpresso....for the love of coffee people!
And just before I finish this part of my rant, Niche......it it not pronounced Nitch! I don't even know how you get "nitch" from "Niche". It's pronounced Nee-sh".
Oh Jesus, I can just hear all the ranters and ravers now, shouting furiously at their screens, screaming at me "Who bloody cares how its said?" Well, frankly, I do! And only people who use words incorrectly would get that irate at being corrected, in my opinion. Personally, if I say something wrong, either pronouncing it incorrectly or using the wrong word, I would prefer someone would politely correct me so I know for again to say it right and don't look like a complete tool for eternity. In fact, my husband and I have promised to always correct each other if one or the other says something wrong. I think it just makes sense. But hey, that is just me.
And then there are words that are actual proper words that are correctly pronounced.......but mean a completely different thing altogether. I could cry just typing these words out for you but, I assure you, I have heard these words being used on YouTube videos, I have read them being used on blogs, comment sections, articles........anywhere and everywhere across the inter-webisphere (and yes, I made that word up..did you catch it? Teehee). And they are rapidly spreading the world over, infecting our lives from the inside out, spreading like a plague or zombie apocalypse! And it must be stopped people, STOPPED I tell you!! Language Snobs of the World UNITE!! Ok, so that might have been a little dramatic, but I'm feeling like a Drama Queen today, so let me have my moment. I will again give you some example sentences to see if you notice the faux pas:
"I would be very weary of sites like that."
Really? Well, I am growing weary of people using this word incorrectly! It's wary! WARY! Are you trying to tell me you are careful and dubious about "sites like that" or are you telling me you are really tired or exhausted by "sites like that"? Because I am pretty sure you are trying to say the former but instead are using the latter. And quite frankly, I am growing weary of its misuse.
Here is another example and I must admit, I mostly hear this one being incorrectly used in the UK. Particularly English and Scottish people. I have yet to hear a Northern Ireland person use this particular word incorrectly or a Welsh person either. But then again, I am not saying there aren't those who use it this way. I am merely saying that I have yet to come across them. So no bitching please. I can only comment on what I have access to, ok? My eyes and ears aren't everywhere.
"At the craft shop today, I brought loads of scrapbook paper."
Now, I am sure you caught this one? Please tell me you caught it. Brought? "Brought" is the past tense of "To bring". And "Bought" is the past tense of "To Buy". Therefore when you buy something and are using it in the past tense, you BOUGHT it. You did not "bring" it. If I was to ask you the question that yielded the above statement as an answer, it would have sounded ridiculously like this:
"What did you bring at the Craft Shop today?" And it's very obvious from that question that "Bring" is not the correct word which has a past tense of "Brought". What I should have asked was:
"What did you buy at the Craft Shop today?" And the answer would be:
"At the craft shop today, I bought loads of scrapbook paper."
And if I buy something from your shop, I am most definitely a Customer and NOT a Costumer as so many numpties are saying. Yes, I'm getting annoyed now. Can you tell?
And don't forget the words that already are words, that are used correctly, but just said completely wrong! Like HEIGHT. I am stunned by the amount of people who pronounce height with a TH at the end. So they say height the same way as you say width. But its not TH at the end, its HT!! And then there are names like a particularly popular Craft Paper Line that came out a couple of years ago by DoCrafts, called "Madame Payraud". The amount of people that say that wrong, is well, everyone I've ever heard say it actually. Don't say it like you see it, in this instance people. Its actually pronounced;
Madame Payraud.......Madame Pay-row. I know.....mind blowing isn't it? That was a rhetorical question of course with a little bit, ok, a lathering of sarcasm, lol. Now I knew how to pronounce this name so it was never an issue for me. But if you didn't, you can actually Google "How to Pronounce......such and such a word, and in most instances there will be a little speaker sitting there ready for you to click and hear how a word should be said. That is of course if you wish to know how something is pronounced properly.
Ps....Rondelle (a jewellery embellishment).........is pronounced.....Ron dell.
Don't use Then when you actually mean Than, eg, I spent more Than I should have, and NOT THEN.
And here's one for the Northern Ireland people ......I done that already......is NOT correct! It's, I did that already! And I've went there before, is actually I've gone there before!!! Come on Northern Ireland-----you're letting the side down. I watched Grand Designs recently with a couple from Northern Ireland and I wanted to shake the guy and kick him up the arse for using "Done" incorrectly! And he was an educated guy who was an architect. He should know better. See? Us Northern Irelander's get it wrong too.
So, I think we have established that I am indeed a language snob. I can forgive regional dialect because I am aware that language is an ever evolving beast. New words will inevitably come up and land themselves into the English Dictionary......whether I like it or not. However, I cannot stand words being used incorrectly or perfectly good words being butchered. I also cannot abide bad grammar. Ask my good buddy Dave.....or Ravey Davey as I affectionately call him. That poor fella can't get a sentence out without me butting in and correcting his use of "Did" and "Done" , "Went" and "Gone". And bless his wee biker socks, he curses under his breath (sometimes not so under his breath), takes my correcting of his grammar on the chin, repeats the proper word and carries on with what he was saying. Only to be interrupted again by me correcting more grammatical errors. But it has become a bit of a running joke now. He says something wrong, I correct him, he curses at me and corrects himself. Mind you, how he hasn't hit me over the head with his motor cycle helmet and buried me in his back garden is beyond me. Now that is a sign of a good friend, lol.
And I am not saying that people aren't forgiven for making mistakes. I make mistakes too.....I know, hard to believe, lol. I'm only jesting, of course I get words wrong and make mistakes. Goodness knows how many are in this lengthy blog post. My mind races quicker than my typing can keep up so that is usually my downfall, silly mistakes and errors. I think the difference is knowing when you've made the mistake and correcting it or making the mistake and carrying on regardless because you don't actually know you've made the mistake in the first place. In all seriousness, (yes I know, I can be serious sometimes), I think as a world of highly educated people we have become very lazy with our language. We allow auto correct to do the heavy lifting for us so we don't even bother to learn the word or spelling. And yes, in comparison to early Neolithic people or Mediaeval people, of course we are highly educated people now. And I for one do not take that for granted. "We" as modern human beings have become lazy with our language. And considering the wealth of knowledge at our finger tips with access to the Internet, I think it is a crime that we have become so lazy. If you don't know a word, look it up. You'll have your answer within seconds when you do a search on the internet. Don't know how to pronounce a word? The answer is only a few seconds away on a search engine. And, if you see something constantly written or said that is not how you say it, ask someone or check online to see if your way is correct or not. If you say "SimUlar" but you are constantly hearing other people pronounce it as "Similar", surely you are maybe a little curious as to who is right or wrong? Or is that just me?
I am a big believer that reading breeds intelligence and a greater knowledge and appreciation for language. And I'm not saying everyone should read a classical novel or immerse themselves in Shakespearean prose, particularly as so many of those specific books are far outdated, modern language wise anyway......sorry Mr Kevin Murphy, don't hate me, but they are, lol (Mr Murphy, my A-Level English teacher, bless his scary cotton socks. And for some reason was always called, Mr Kevin Murphy. Of course, that was his name. But students and teachers alike always referred to him and called him by his full name, all the time. So not Kevin or Mr Murphy. But always, Mr Kevin Murphy. lol) I'm merely saying read something, anything. Pick up a book, a novel, a fabulously trashy vampire romance (ahem....I may or may not be guilty of this one); read the paper or a news story or article on your laptop or even listen to an audio book, I don't care. Just read something. Reading will give you such a wealth of knowledge without you really realising it. Obviously there will be a bit of a difference in the type of knowledge you obtain depending on what exactly it is you are reading, lol. But inevitably, you will learn how words are written, spoken and spelt and reading is the fundamental stepping stone for helping you create and achieve a better understanding of language, grammar etc,. How can we expect others to learn to speak English if we ourselves do not speak it correctly? We are so lucky to have a language that spans across our world allowing us to communicate with people thousands of miles away from us. We are incredibly lucky to be able to lift up a book or a Kindle or Tablet and know what all those thousands of grouped together characters mean, throwing us into the realms of our imaginations or providing us with a wealth of knowledge. Some people might think "Oh for goodness sake, stop being the Grammar police, its only one word." But if everyone was to think like that, what state would our language be in, be it written or spoken? I am very appreciative of the fact that I live in a time and place that gives me the right to a good education. I cherish my relentless passion for reading and my parents good sense to read to me every night before bed and then sticking a book in my hand when I was able to read myself. I'm proud to say that they nurtured and encouraged my devotion to reading and always having my head buried in a book even when it meant getting told off because my dinner was getting cold or not hearing them when they called me for the tenth time because I was so engrossed in a good book. I am not ashamed or embarrassed that I speak properly or accurately write my grammar and spell correctly. Why should I be? I am however, ashamed to say that I don't fluently speak French, or Irish, or German or any other language for that matter. Therefore, I will be as impeccably correct as I can be when speaking and writing the one language I do have.....as far as I can help it and my wee fingers can type it.
So, although I ranted and raved about how others are using words incorrectly and how "we" are becoming lazy with language, I am also very aware that language evolves and changes. That is something that is inevitable. And can I be forgiven for using "lol" and "teehee" in my sentences to signify humour or is that just wrong? Is it a sign of language evolution or just bad grammar? How "we" spoke 100 years ago is different to how we speak now and how we'll speak in another 100 years time. However, there is a difference between the evolution of a language and the words within a certain language simply being used incorrectly. And evolving language is not an excuse for being nonchalant in proper word use, I'm afraid. Sorry, but that just won't cut the mustard, as they say. Ok, so maybe you think I do not have the right to sit here and dictate to you how you should speak or what words to use (unless your name is Ravey Davey....sorry Dave). I am not going to be the one to "save the English Language". Who am I? I'm just some woman giving off about grammar and proper word use behind the screen of her laptop. But if you read this and it maybe makes you think about the words you use, how you speak or how your children speak, well then I would be pretty pleased with that. And if this blog post doesn't touch a single, solitary soul, well then, I know I will try my very best to ensure that I never become lazy with language or grammar. Because I have been given a gift of education that so many do not get a chance to have. So, you can call me picky or particular or a language or grammar snob, but I personally will not see that as an insult. On the contrary, I will take it as a compliment and a sign that I have respect for the language and education I have been given.
And on that note......."Keep 'er handy now, big lad."
Are there any words that are incorrectly used or made up that drives you to distraction? Let me know down below in the comments. I'd love to read them. And if I've made a million and one mistakes in this post.....feel free to pull me up on it, lol. But I promise you....it was a genuine mistake! Teehee. x
Lee xx
I am very aware that language evolves and changes throughout time. We see that with our wonderful teachings at school in our History, English and Drama classes.....No-one is speaking Shakespearean any more, that's for sure. And yes the English language is a very complex beast with differences in our accents and even different words meaning different things in different places and we all have regional dialects. That's all lovely and completely forgiveable in my opinion. For example, I'm from Northern Ireland which has a particularly unique strain of the English language all of it's own. Yes, you may need subtitles as we tend to speak incredibly fast, but we also have a language of our own within the English language itself, again, its down to regional dialect. For instance, say two young gentlemen, who happen to be friends come across one another on the street, this is how the conversation might go...
Sean: "Well, whatabout ye big lad. How's she cuttin'?
Translation: Hello there dear boy, how are you?
Patrick: "Aye, dead on big fella. what's the craic with you?
Translation: I'm fine thank you my friend, and how are you?
Sean: "Ack, nothin' much. I had a bad dose of the flu there last week and it wrecked me. I was weak as a kitten. And now my car is banjaxed. And because the car is knackered I told our Sadie she had to walk to school. She ended up jippin' aff school. The school ended up callin' me and slaggin' aff my parenting skills. I was scundered. I ate the head aff our Sadie."
Translation: There is not a great deal happening. I took a bad flu last week that had me very ill. I was left rather weak. And then my car broke down. And because the car was no longer in working order, I had to inform my daughter, Sadie, that she'd have to walk to school. She then proceeded to skip school without permission. The school telephoned me and criticised my parenting skills. I was so embarrassed. I greatly chastised our daughter, Sadie.
Patrick: "Jesus Sean, that's khyet. Your Sadie is a wee chancer. Do you want me to take a gander at your car?"
Translate: My goodness Sean, that is terrible. Sadie would try anything once. Would you like me to have a look at your car to try and fix it?
Sean: "That would be great Patrick. Cheers big lad."
Translate: Why thank you Patrick that would be wonderful.
Patrick: "That's dead on, no bother. Sure, I'll crack on here. I'll take a wee gander at your car some time this week."
Translate: That is fine, it's no bother at all. I must go now. I will have a look at your car this week.
Sean: "Dead on big man. Keep her handy".
Translate: Brilliant, thank you. Take care.
So there you have it. Just a quick little titbit as to how a conversation might go in my neck of the woods, so to speak. But as that is regional dialect, I think it can more than be forgiven for its strange language. However, it feels to me that there has yet again been a major shift in the English Language and someone subsequently forgot to tell me. I am a big fan of YouTube. I even have my own channel should you be brave enough to tackle my accent (it is coined with my craft blog, not this particular blog. Click here if you want a nosey). And with watching various YouTuber's who just so happen to herald from all over the world I have happened upon a great many anomalies in the use of certain words. Now, I can't blame these anomalies on non-native English speakers because those that are using these words are mostly English, American or Canadian. I am not mentioning any of the offenders as I am not in the business of calling people out. This blog is meant to be a humorous place to drop in on......not a tell tale blog. I am no snitch, lol. In any event, here are some of the words and phrases that when I first heard them, I paused the video, went back, re-played it for clarification, and then attempted the pull my dropped jaw from the floor in complete and utter disbelief.
Have you ever heard something like this?:
"So, take your ruler and pencil and draw a line acrossed the page", or
"I took my ruler and pencil and drew a line acrossed the page."
Do you see the mistake? Please tell me you do because I can't be the only person to be completely and utterly stunned by this totally made up word. Yes, I said made up because there is no such word as ACROSSED!!! Seriously? Acrossed? There is such a word as ACROSS and even CROSSED but there is most definitely no such word as ACROSSED. What happened? Did "Across" and "Crossed" bump into one another one day and make "Acrossed" babies because that is the only explanation I have for this word coming to light? And you may try and say its a regional dialect term but, I can only disagree wholeheartedly. Simply because I have heard people from all over America and Canada say it. That's not Regional......that's Continental!! Therefore this word is forbidden from the "Regional dialect" bucket and is going straight into my "What? What? No!" bucket. I'm sorry America and Canada.....but there is no such word as Acrossed. And I'm not picking on you guys, honestly I'm not. I just haven't heard anyone from the UK or Europe or anywhere else worldwide use this term in a video I've come across yet.....or should that be "acrossed", teehee? But if I ever do......this is the place I will tell you, I promise lol. So, I think I've cleared this little mishap up. It's either "Across" or "Crossed" if that's the word you mean and most definitely NOT acrossed. And just to clarify, the sentence should therefore read:
"So, take your ruler and pencil and draw a line across the page", and
"I took my ruler and pencil and drew a line across the page."
And don't give off to me and say "Did you read the made up words that you have in your "regional dialect" bucket in the Northern Ireland discussion further up there? So, how can you point fingers?" Why yes, I am aware that we have silly words for different things, but they aren't real words that are being incorrectly used. "Acrossed" has come from two pre-existing words that are being incorrectly pronounced. The word "Across" and "Crossed" already exist. And somehow the two have been incorrectly smashed and mashed together for whatever reason and have made this abomination. So when the word "Acrossed" is used, they in fact actually mean "Across" and aren't using a funny wee made up "regional dialect" word. They are just incorrectly saying it.....please let it just be a pronunciation error and it's not actually being written that way too (face palm!).
There are so many pre-existing words that are incorrectly pronounced, that there are too many to list but here are a few that I catch being used wrongly on more occasions than not, sadly. Here we go.....
This one drives me bonkers and it is "Simular". Yes you read that correctly.....SimUlar. Not Similar as it should be. I just don't know what to say about this. I have heard many people say this word incorrectly, so it's not just a one off.
And here is a big one......EXpresso!!! I can't forgive this one, sorry. Not only am I a language snob, but I'm a coffee snob on top of that. It's ESpresso....for the love of coffee people!
And just before I finish this part of my rant, Niche......it it not pronounced Nitch! I don't even know how you get "nitch" from "Niche". It's pronounced Nee-sh".
Oh Jesus, I can just hear all the ranters and ravers now, shouting furiously at their screens, screaming at me "Who bloody cares how its said?" Well, frankly, I do! And only people who use words incorrectly would get that irate at being corrected, in my opinion. Personally, if I say something wrong, either pronouncing it incorrectly or using the wrong word, I would prefer someone would politely correct me so I know for again to say it right and don't look like a complete tool for eternity. In fact, my husband and I have promised to always correct each other if one or the other says something wrong. I think it just makes sense. But hey, that is just me.
And then there are words that are actual proper words that are correctly pronounced.......but mean a completely different thing altogether. I could cry just typing these words out for you but, I assure you, I have heard these words being used on YouTube videos, I have read them being used on blogs, comment sections, articles........anywhere and everywhere across the inter-webisphere (and yes, I made that word up..did you catch it? Teehee). And they are rapidly spreading the world over, infecting our lives from the inside out, spreading like a plague or zombie apocalypse! And it must be stopped people, STOPPED I tell you!! Language Snobs of the World UNITE!! Ok, so that might have been a little dramatic, but I'm feeling like a Drama Queen today, so let me have my moment. I will again give you some example sentences to see if you notice the faux pas:
"I would be very weary of sites like that."
Really? Well, I am growing weary of people using this word incorrectly! It's wary! WARY! Are you trying to tell me you are careful and dubious about "sites like that" or are you telling me you are really tired or exhausted by "sites like that"? Because I am pretty sure you are trying to say the former but instead are using the latter. And quite frankly, I am growing weary of its misuse.
Here is another example and I must admit, I mostly hear this one being incorrectly used in the UK. Particularly English and Scottish people. I have yet to hear a Northern Ireland person use this particular word incorrectly or a Welsh person either. But then again, I am not saying there aren't those who use it this way. I am merely saying that I have yet to come across them. So no bitching please. I can only comment on what I have access to, ok? My eyes and ears aren't everywhere.
"At the craft shop today, I brought loads of scrapbook paper."
Now, I am sure you caught this one? Please tell me you caught it. Brought? "Brought" is the past tense of "To bring". And "Bought" is the past tense of "To Buy". Therefore when you buy something and are using it in the past tense, you BOUGHT it. You did not "bring" it. If I was to ask you the question that yielded the above statement as an answer, it would have sounded ridiculously like this:
"What did you bring at the Craft Shop today?" And it's very obvious from that question that "Bring" is not the correct word which has a past tense of "Brought". What I should have asked was:
"What did you buy at the Craft Shop today?" And the answer would be:
"At the craft shop today, I bought loads of scrapbook paper."
And if I buy something from your shop, I am most definitely a Customer and NOT a Costumer as so many numpties are saying. Yes, I'm getting annoyed now. Can you tell?
And don't forget the words that already are words, that are used correctly, but just said completely wrong! Like HEIGHT. I am stunned by the amount of people who pronounce height with a TH at the end. So they say height the same way as you say width. But its not TH at the end, its HT!! And then there are names like a particularly popular Craft Paper Line that came out a couple of years ago by DoCrafts, called "Madame Payraud". The amount of people that say that wrong, is well, everyone I've ever heard say it actually. Don't say it like you see it, in this instance people. Its actually pronounced;
Madame Payraud.......Madame Pay-row. I know.....mind blowing isn't it? That was a rhetorical question of course with a little bit, ok, a lathering of sarcasm, lol. Now I knew how to pronounce this name so it was never an issue for me. But if you didn't, you can actually Google "How to Pronounce......such and such a word, and in most instances there will be a little speaker sitting there ready for you to click and hear how a word should be said. That is of course if you wish to know how something is pronounced properly.
Ps....Rondelle (a jewellery embellishment).........is pronounced.....Ron dell.
Don't use Then when you actually mean Than, eg, I spent more Than I should have, and NOT THEN.
And here's one for the Northern Ireland people ......I done that already......is NOT correct! It's, I did that already! And I've went there before, is actually I've gone there before!!! Come on Northern Ireland-----you're letting the side down. I watched Grand Designs recently with a couple from Northern Ireland and I wanted to shake the guy and kick him up the arse for using "Done" incorrectly! And he was an educated guy who was an architect. He should know better. See? Us Northern Irelander's get it wrong too.
So, I think we have established that I am indeed a language snob. I can forgive regional dialect because I am aware that language is an ever evolving beast. New words will inevitably come up and land themselves into the English Dictionary......whether I like it or not. However, I cannot stand words being used incorrectly or perfectly good words being butchered. I also cannot abide bad grammar. Ask my good buddy Dave.....or Ravey Davey as I affectionately call him. That poor fella can't get a sentence out without me butting in and correcting his use of "Did" and "Done" , "Went" and "Gone". And bless his wee biker socks, he curses under his breath (sometimes not so under his breath), takes my correcting of his grammar on the chin, repeats the proper word and carries on with what he was saying. Only to be interrupted again by me correcting more grammatical errors. But it has become a bit of a running joke now. He says something wrong, I correct him, he curses at me and corrects himself. Mind you, how he hasn't hit me over the head with his motor cycle helmet and buried me in his back garden is beyond me. Now that is a sign of a good friend, lol.
And I am not saying that people aren't forgiven for making mistakes. I make mistakes too.....I know, hard to believe, lol. I'm only jesting, of course I get words wrong and make mistakes. Goodness knows how many are in this lengthy blog post. My mind races quicker than my typing can keep up so that is usually my downfall, silly mistakes and errors. I think the difference is knowing when you've made the mistake and correcting it or making the mistake and carrying on regardless because you don't actually know you've made the mistake in the first place. In all seriousness, (yes I know, I can be serious sometimes), I think as a world of highly educated people we have become very lazy with our language. We allow auto correct to do the heavy lifting for us so we don't even bother to learn the word or spelling. And yes, in comparison to early Neolithic people or Mediaeval people, of course we are highly educated people now. And I for one do not take that for granted. "We" as modern human beings have become lazy with our language. And considering the wealth of knowledge at our finger tips with access to the Internet, I think it is a crime that we have become so lazy. If you don't know a word, look it up. You'll have your answer within seconds when you do a search on the internet. Don't know how to pronounce a word? The answer is only a few seconds away on a search engine. And, if you see something constantly written or said that is not how you say it, ask someone or check online to see if your way is correct or not. If you say "SimUlar" but you are constantly hearing other people pronounce it as "Similar", surely you are maybe a little curious as to who is right or wrong? Or is that just me?
I am a big believer that reading breeds intelligence and a greater knowledge and appreciation for language. And I'm not saying everyone should read a classical novel or immerse themselves in Shakespearean prose, particularly as so many of those specific books are far outdated, modern language wise anyway......sorry Mr Kevin Murphy, don't hate me, but they are, lol (Mr Murphy, my A-Level English teacher, bless his scary cotton socks. And for some reason was always called, Mr Kevin Murphy. Of course, that was his name. But students and teachers alike always referred to him and called him by his full name, all the time. So not Kevin or Mr Murphy. But always, Mr Kevin Murphy. lol) I'm merely saying read something, anything. Pick up a book, a novel, a fabulously trashy vampire romance (ahem....I may or may not be guilty of this one); read the paper or a news story or article on your laptop or even listen to an audio book, I don't care. Just read something. Reading will give you such a wealth of knowledge without you really realising it. Obviously there will be a bit of a difference in the type of knowledge you obtain depending on what exactly it is you are reading, lol. But inevitably, you will learn how words are written, spoken and spelt and reading is the fundamental stepping stone for helping you create and achieve a better understanding of language, grammar etc,. How can we expect others to learn to speak English if we ourselves do not speak it correctly? We are so lucky to have a language that spans across our world allowing us to communicate with people thousands of miles away from us. We are incredibly lucky to be able to lift up a book or a Kindle or Tablet and know what all those thousands of grouped together characters mean, throwing us into the realms of our imaginations or providing us with a wealth of knowledge. Some people might think "Oh for goodness sake, stop being the Grammar police, its only one word." But if everyone was to think like that, what state would our language be in, be it written or spoken? I am very appreciative of the fact that I live in a time and place that gives me the right to a good education. I cherish my relentless passion for reading and my parents good sense to read to me every night before bed and then sticking a book in my hand when I was able to read myself. I'm proud to say that they nurtured and encouraged my devotion to reading and always having my head buried in a book even when it meant getting told off because my dinner was getting cold or not hearing them when they called me for the tenth time because I was so engrossed in a good book. I am not ashamed or embarrassed that I speak properly or accurately write my grammar and spell correctly. Why should I be? I am however, ashamed to say that I don't fluently speak French, or Irish, or German or any other language for that matter. Therefore, I will be as impeccably correct as I can be when speaking and writing the one language I do have.....as far as I can help it and my wee fingers can type it.
So, although I ranted and raved about how others are using words incorrectly and how "we" are becoming lazy with language, I am also very aware that language evolves and changes. That is something that is inevitable. And can I be forgiven for using "lol" and "teehee" in my sentences to signify humour or is that just wrong? Is it a sign of language evolution or just bad grammar? How "we" spoke 100 years ago is different to how we speak now and how we'll speak in another 100 years time. However, there is a difference between the evolution of a language and the words within a certain language simply being used incorrectly. And evolving language is not an excuse for being nonchalant in proper word use, I'm afraid. Sorry, but that just won't cut the mustard, as they say. Ok, so maybe you think I do not have the right to sit here and dictate to you how you should speak or what words to use (unless your name is Ravey Davey....sorry Dave). I am not going to be the one to "save the English Language". Who am I? I'm just some woman giving off about grammar and proper word use behind the screen of her laptop. But if you read this and it maybe makes you think about the words you use, how you speak or how your children speak, well then I would be pretty pleased with that. And if this blog post doesn't touch a single, solitary soul, well then, I know I will try my very best to ensure that I never become lazy with language or grammar. Because I have been given a gift of education that so many do not get a chance to have. So, you can call me picky or particular or a language or grammar snob, but I personally will not see that as an insult. On the contrary, I will take it as a compliment and a sign that I have respect for the language and education I have been given.
And on that note......."Keep 'er handy now, big lad."
Are there any words that are incorrectly used or made up that drives you to distraction? Let me know down below in the comments. I'd love to read them. And if I've made a million and one mistakes in this post.....feel free to pull me up on it, lol. But I promise you....it was a genuine mistake! Teehee. x
Lee xx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)