Words used incorrectly that get on your tits.

[AZOffaly]

To tow the line.

Yes. Good one.

[Hardy]

The double-is is starting to drive me mental.

Explain?

Two consecutive is's, usually with the emphasis on the first.

The thing is is that everybody's at it. Everywhere - it's more common now (it seems to me) than the correct construction and heard all over the international media. I've never seen it written, though.

The problem is is nobody seems to notice.

[brokencrossbar1]

Don't know if this is suited for this thread but being in a whatsapp conversation and the other person sends a separate message for each line of text one after another.....just hit return FFS and send it all together.

I know, that really gets on my tits!!  Like, come on, sort it out people!

[deiseach]

The thing is is that everybody's at it.

Would that not be better expressed as "the thing is, is that everybody's at it"? It's, like, you know, 'you know'.

[AZOffaly]

Don't know if this is suited for this thread but being in a whatsapp conversation and the other person sends a separate message for each line of text one after another.....just hit return FFS and send it all together.

I know, that really gets on my tits!!  Like, come on, sort it out people!

I agree.

[AZOffaly]

It's very annoying.

[AZOffaly]

And hard to read.

[Hardy]

Also for free.

I must admit I use that myself, but I'd have said that's more grammatical or colloquial as opposed to the wrong word per se.

That's the thing. I find it very hard NOT to use it, now that it's become the universal form. My understanding, from memory and experience is that "free" was an abbreviation for "free of charge". Then somebody added "for" as a kind of joke syntax. I think I heard it first in ads. "We're not offering it for €10; we're not offering it for €5; we're offering it for free."

[Hardy]

The thing is is that everybody's at it.

Would that not be better expressed as "the thing is, is that everybody's at it"? It's, like, you know, 'you know'.

That was the case. The comma was there to be heard as it was spoken. But it's become such a standard usage now that people run the two is's together. "The thing is-is ..."

[brokencrossbar1]

The double-is is starting to drive me mental.

Explain?

Two consecutive is's, usually with the emphasis on the first.

The thing is is that everybody's at it. Everywhere - it's more common now (it seems to me) than the correct construction and heard all over the international media. I've never seen it written, though.

The problem is is nobody seems to notice.

I have to say it isn't something I have ever noticed

[dec]

I could care less.

[AZOffaly]

I could care less.

Yes!

[deiseach]

I could care less.

It's not something I like, but I get it. I could care less if I tried but I care so little that I can't summon up the energy to care less, that's how little I care. Besides, you don't argue with Jimmy McNulty.

[Stall the Bailer]

Worser 

[AZOffaly]

I could care less.

It's not something I like, but I get it. I could care less if I tried but I care so little that I can't summon up the energy to care less, that's how little I care. Besides, you don't argue with Jimmy McNulty.

No. I'm not having that It's an Americanism as far as I can see, and it literally means 'It's impossible for me to care less about this' i.e. 'I couldn't care less'.