Grammar quirks

[Yvaine]

"Opportunity" to mean "flaw." I hate this little bit of jargon with a passion. I can kind of see how it evolved, but I'm tired of reading stuff like "This design project had an opportunity in the upper left corner."

Huh?  What field does this jargon come from?

The only way I see "opportunity" being a synonym for "flaw" is for someone trying to exploit it, and I'm not really seeing how that would happen with something like a design project. E.g., A software bug is a flaw for a programmer, but an "opportunity" for a hacker. A loophole in a rule is a flaw for the rulemaker, but an "opportunity" for someone trying to skirt the rule. How is a flaw in a design project an "opportunity"?   Please enlighten me, so that (most likely) I too can hate this bizarre turn of phrase with an (informed) passion.

It's an "opportunity" to improve, don't you see? (I know, totally annoying. Especially when the project is irrevocably DONE and there's no "opportunity" to actually change whatever was wrong with it.)

[Diane AKA Traska]

"Opportunity" to mean "flaw." I hate this little bit of jargon with a passion. I can kind of see how it evolved, but I'm tired of reading stuff like "This design project had an opportunity in the upper left corner."

Huh?  What field does this jargon come from?

The only way I see "opportunity" being a synonym for "flaw" is for someone trying to exploit it, and I'm not really seeing how that would happen with something like a design project. E.g., A software bug is a flaw for a programmer, but an "opportunity" for a hacker. A loophole in a rule is a flaw for the rulemaker, but an "opportunity" for someone trying to skirt the rule. How is a flaw in a design project an "opportunity"?   Please enlighten me, so that (most likely) I too can hate this bizarre turn of phrase with an (informed) passion.

It's an "opportunity" to improve, don't you see? (I know, totally annoying. Especially when the project is irrevocably DONE and there's no "opportunity" to actually change whatever was wrong with it.)

I think since the tense is "had" it's like "You had the opportunity to do something here, and you FAILED to capitalize!"

[Giggity]

Have I mentioned the Missing Neither yet?

"My husband nor I are interested in your service, but thanks."

What does that even mean? If you got a Nor, you must have a Neither at the same time.

[SingActDance]

NO the theatre is where you have your operation, the surgery is where your GP practices

No, the theater is where you go to watch movies. 

No, the theatre is where you go to see live plays.  The cinema is where you go to watch films.

Ah, the joys of a common language.

The one that gets me is the difference between theater & theatre. Theater is the venue, theatre is the art form. I hate when people write that they want a career in theater. I'm thinking, "Great, we need somebody to clean the lobby."

[stitchygreyanonymouse]

NO the theatre is where you have your operation, the surgery is where your GP practices

No, the theater is where you go to watch movies. 

No, the theatre is where you go to see live plays.  The cinema is where you go to watch films.

Ah, the joys of a common language.

The one that gets me is the difference between theater & theatre. Theater is the venue, theatre is the art form. I hate when people write that they want a career in theater. I'm thinking, "Great, we need somebody to clean the lobby."

… and I just attribute those to the er/re differences between American/British English.

[Venus193]

Since we're on the subject I hate when people pronounce that "thee-AY-tur."  It sounds so uneducated.

[Giggity]

How about "THEE-uh-truh"? That makes my teeth itch.

[Yvaine]

How about "THEE-uh-truh"? That makes my teeth itch.

Eeek! I have never heard that one before!

[Giggity]

Oh yeah. I mostly hear that from my (grew-up-in-Texas) friends who wish to be thought cultured. These are generally the same people who think that a British accent is classy, so they affect one.

No, they don't do the accent or the vocab well. You don't mix U and Non-U, nor do you mix posh and cockney.

And no, Jeri Hall is not one of my friends.

[Barney girl]

One that irritates me is the use of 'entitled' which is often used on this site. So you might see something along the lines of - "the bride was so entitled and had the bridesmaids write all her thank you letters."
No, she wasn't entitled to this, just the opposite. I know it's being used as a shorthand for "she acted as though she were entitled ...", but it sets my teeth on edge every time I see it. 

[starry diadem]

NO the theatre is where you have your operation, the surgery is where your GP practices

No, the theater is where you go to watch movies. 

No, the theatre is where you go to see live plays.  The cinema is where you go to watch films.

Ah, the joys of a common language.

The one that gets me is the difference between theater & theatre. Theater is the venue, theatre is the art form. I hate when people write that they want a career in theater. I'm thinking, "Great, we need somebody to clean the lobby."

Um, so far as this Brit is concerned, there is no such distinction, and we do not have venues called 'theaters'.  That's the US spelling.  Theatre is both the venue and the art form.

[Bijou]

NO the theatre is where you have your operation, the surgery is where your GP practices

No, the theater is where you go to watch movies. 

No, the theatre is where you go to see live plays.  The cinema is where you go to watch films.

Ah, the joys of a common language.

The one that gets me is the difference between theater & theatre. Theater is the venue, theatre is the art form. I hate when people write that they want a career in theater. I'm thinking, "Great, we need somebody to clean the lobby."

Whoops!  I often use the spelling theatre.  According to my search online, theater and theatre do mean the same thing.   Are you getting different information in your searching?  Since I prefer theatre, I'd like to know.   

[Bijou]

NO the theatre is where you have your operation, the surgery is where your GP practices

No, the theater is where you go to watch movies. 

No, the theatre is where you go to see live plays.  The cinema is where you go to watch films.

Ah, the joys of a common language.

The one that gets me is the difference between theater & theatre. Theater is the venue, theatre is the art form. I hate when people write that they want a career in theater. I'm thinking, "Great, we need somebody to clean the lobby."

Um, so far as this Brit is concerned, there is no such distinction, and we do not have venues called 'theaters'.  That's the US spelling.  Theatre is both the venue and the art form.

I agree with this Brit.  What I read is that the USA does theater and most other places do theatre.  I'm in the US but prefer theatre.  I just like the way it looks.  I notice that this spell check doesn't recognize theatre, but does theater. 

[Bijou]

Regardless and Irregardless.  I don't think there is such a word as irregardless, or at least it is considered mostly as incorrect. 

[Bijou]

Another verbal tick that I hate in print:  "Jus' sayin'."

It sounds very low-class.

I hate that, too.