A-ha! Finally, proof of what I’ve always suspected: English people are wrong with that whole “orientate” business. It drives me up the wall when I hear somebody say it. I’m like, “It’s “orient,” people. Quit cramming in extra syllables.”
A-ha! Finally, proof of what I’ve always suspected: English people are wrong with that whole “orientate” business. It drives me up the wall when I hear somebody say it. I’m like, “It’s “orient,” people. Quit cramming in extra syllables.”
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arrgh! i once had a roommate who would often brazenly flaunt the conventions of verb formation in this way. it was all i could do to not jam a writing implement or sharp kitchen tool into whichever extremity of hers was closest to me. she also drove me crazy for a variety of other reasons…reason #1: she was insane. we actually shared a room (BIG mistake) and she liked to play the patient/shrink game with me until 4am. i mean, i was sympathetic to her family problems, suspected alcoholism, and poor self image, but i could not see past the orientate thing.
so do the english say that? reason #2 (just below mad cow and hoof ‘n mouth) not to move to the UK (not like i wouldn’t love it if we got stationed over there). 😉
Yeah. They say it all the time. Just about all of them. They even say disorientated. It’s just unnecessary.
Although I did just catch myself making the following blunder when talking to some co-workers: “I’ve got this massive headache and I finally realized it’s because I haven’t eaten or drinken all day.”
DRINKEN??
damn, i get mad at myself for ending sentences in a preopsition (“where’s the party at?” ala ND), i’d probably go nuts if i started to adopt that kinda verbage! stay strong!
That’s not necessarily an error! Check out this page from the same site. As Winston put it, “This is the sort of English up with which I cannot put.” 🙂
i’m going to have to give this page a throuough looking-over.
(heh)
It’s addictive. I wasted about half an hour there today.
I’m cheering with you, Kris–in education, we have to have all kinds of orientation sessions (for freshmen, for new teachers, for new computer programs, etc.) and the not-a-word “orientate” inevitably gets used by one of my esteemed colleagues. It makes my skin crawl.