Friday, December 17, 2010

Some pressing matters

I am not convent educated, unlike many of the leading ladies of Chennai. In fact, I was ruthlessly pulled out of a famous missionary school when I was barely six and enrolled in an extremely serious, very studious school. It was because my parents valued “no-nonsense”, “nationally accepted”, “rigorous” education over chaste English.

Ah well! That is quite some drastic stereotyping. No? Not my fault, blame my parents!

Though not convent-based, the school I studied in did teach me really good English. Or, so I have prided myself in thinking thus far.

However, of late, I have had some serious doubts about my mastery over the Queen’s language. What else could explain my confusion when I am repeatedly subjected to phrases such as these:
  • Looking forward to meet you – I have always thought that it should be ‘Looking forward to meeting you’. But, the sheer number of people who use the former has intimidated me into believing that I might perhaps have been wrong all along.
  • You can be rest assured that – This I know is completely wrong. You ‘can rest assured’. Or, you ‘can be assured’. How the hell can you ‘be rest assured’?
  • Historic growth has been around xx% – How can all growth be of historic significance? For that is what ‘historic’ means. It is something out of the ordinary that happened when we were not around. Otherwise, it is simply ‘historical’.
  • Between x to y – This used to be my Dad’s favorite. Every time he received a wedding invitation that stated that the reception would be held ‘Between x p.m. to y p.m.’, he would start arguing very excitedly. You either say ‘from x to y’ or ‘between x and y’, he would say. I do agree whole-heartedly.
  • Forecasted – This is my latest problem. Would any of us have the nerve (or even the heart) to say “I putted everything in order before leaving for the day”? Then, how can one make a statement like “It is forecasted to be low”?
Please do clarify my doubts; right now, despite a round-the-corner vacation, these pertinent and perhaps, elementary questions seem to be weighing heavily on my heart (or is it mind).

8 comments:

Yogesh said...

Argh...... *someone please call the plumber.. wait the police.. no the doctor!*

Shrutz said...

Forecasted is my pet peeve too. And also, "thereof", "leveraged", "Key drivers"

Yogesh said...

@Shrutz - Et tu? Stop showing off and let us mortals live in peace. Hmph

Srinath said...

hmmm... with more people trying to speak english in India & China than in US & UK, these will probably become de-facto standards for the next generation.

So you're likely already working amidst the cutting edge of the new trend :-)

Deepa and Srinath said...

Nice post ! Did nt even realise the "mistakes" in many until u pointed them out despite similar non-convent decent English education. Trends are the changin.

Kavity said...

@Yogi: You are just jealous :P
@Shrutz: I loveee 'leverage' :D
@Sfi: Well, I guess each country and culture has its own idiosyncracy. For instance, 'My bad' is terribly, terribly wrong English, but common parlance in the U.S., I believe. Sigh! Perhaps, it is just general linguistic license to tweak as per changing needs.
@Deepa: Haha

Madhurjya (Banjo) Banerjee said...

did you not hear of degrowing categories?

funny story - I refused to agree it is degrowing. Person comments. can't you see the excel? I reply - it says it's declining...

Sigh!!!

Kavity said...

Degrowing!
I thought only we, the breed, came up with linguistically wrong jargons! Et tu?!