Tonight's verbal irritants: "RPMs" and "ATM machine." Listen, people:

[Redstone]

The acronym "RPM" stands for "Revolutions Per Minute." That's PLURAL on the revolutions, OK? so if you say (or write "RPMs," you're actually saying "Revolutions Per Minutes.

Argh.

Furthermore, "ATM" is an acronym for "Automated Teller Machine." So, "ATM Machine" translates directly to "Automated Teller Machine Machine."

Double Argh.

Redstone

[Fran Kubelik]

1. So...I should say RsPM?

[Redstone]

5. Ah, no. The "R" ALREADY stands for "Revolutions," plural. No need to embellish.

Redstone

[cloudbase]

38. What if it rotates once or less per minute?

[MorningGlow]

2. And...

"LCD display"?

[Fran Kubelik]

3. and Sister-In-Laws

[Redstone]

8. And spoonfulls.

Redstone

[Left Is Write]

31. I thought I was the only one who preferred "spoonsful."

[Redstone]

6. Oh, God, yes. I forgot that one.

Redstone

[Maddy McCall]

32. .

[cemaphonic]

4. Rice Paddy

[Redstone]

7. Not sure that one is redundant; there are dry-filed varieties of rice that

don't need flooded paddies to grow.

Redstone

[Burma Jones]

9. For someone that's been through what you've been through

THIS is what irritates you....

I'm impressed......

[Redstone]

18. But what I've been through has taught me to not be worried about the Big Stuff,

like what might kill me.

Because if I run out of luck on on of those rolls of the dice, well, it's just kind of the law of averages catching up with me. Therefore acceptable and understood.

Redstone

[RadiationTherapy]

10. From the ads...

Atm Machine Quotes
Find ATM Machines for Sale or Lease Search In Your Local Area Now.
JustClickLocal.com

[Boojatta]

11. Maybe ATM is an adjective.

For example, "Jane is a repair person. Specifically, she's an ATM repair person."

Now, if "ATM" can be a kind of repair person, then why can't it be a kind of machine?

It's like having a credit card called "Mastercard." In that case you have a Mastercard card.

[TommyO]

12. Chai Tea is also ridiculously redundant!

You're saying "Tea Tea"

[GOPisEvil]

13. Do you say, "Manny Ramirez has 75 RBIs", or "Manny Ramirez has 75 RBI"?

It had better be "RBI" or there would be an unfortunate hole in yer logic. ;)

[Redstone]

19. Yeah, it's RBI. Notwithstanding the current usage of "ribbies."

Redstone

[GOPisEvil]

21. Or "ribeyes" and later "steaks".

I do have to admit that I use RBIs. But I really work hard to avoid ATM machine. That drives me nuts.

[leeroysphitz]

14. I hate it when people say "with au jus" I don't get bent out of shape about it but

it is irritating.

[Boojatta]

16. Yes, Si, Ya, Oui, it's irritating.

[Redstone]

20. Ha! I remember that one from WAY back; the book "Strictly Speaking."

From the 1970s; if you've never read it, you should.

Redstone

[MonkeyFunk]

36. Ah, Edwin Newman

I LOVED that stuff when I was a know-it-all teenager. I had all those books, and loved William Safire's "On Language" column.

[Left Is Write]

30. It's worse if they say "with au jus sauce."

I also get irritated by "with con queso."

[Boojatta]

15. Do you complain when someone uses the word "lasers"?

Analogous to your deconstruction of RPMs, you could say that laser means "Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation" and that "lasers" means "Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiations."

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. 'Laser' is a true acronym

— an abbreviation that forms a word, or rather one that's become a word through usage.

If we said it as "El ay es ee ar," it would be incorrect to pluralize it as "El ay es ee ar es."

But we don't.

[Connonym]

17. Damn, I thought I was a word freak

to the point of not wanting to deal with someone on Craig's List if they have misspelled words -- commonly seen "seperate" "refridgerator", etc. I'm looking at apartment ads and holy shit people can't spell.

[Redstone]

22. No, you're not being picky or pedantic; those are just unforgivable.

Redstone

[Trajan]

42. My favorite

Dinning table ....

ARGH ! ......

Well .... We do eat dinner at dinning tables ..... right ?

[Richardo]

23. ...and it's 'Attorneys General'

[Robb]

25. ...And Centers for Disease Control

...and rights of way... I could go on.

Something about Murkin English construction, we want to put the "s" on the end, no matter whats. :D

[Connonym]

26. let's not forget "The Geneva Conventions" and "Johns Hopkins"

people constant say those wrong

[Schema Thing]

27. oh just double the number

assume they mean two minutes. ;)

[skygazer]

28. Don't forget LED light

Light Emitting Diode light. :banghead:

[Left Is Write]

29. It's a good thing no one says MPHs.

[Maddy McCall]

33. My peeve. Nauseous vs. Nauseated.

"I feel nauseous."

"Then stay away from me! I don't want to feel nauseated."

nauseous = to cause nausea

nauseated = to feel nausea

[Lil Missy]

34. Oh, you're right. But, give it a rest and go to bed, ya cranky ole bastid.

:hug:

:hi:

[Roon]

35. and it's not a PIN number eom

[Redstone]

37. Thank you so much. I should have remembered that, since it is part of

using an "ATM Machine."

Redstone

[Aristus]

39. I had a teacher who referred to the SAT Test.

Yes, the "Scholastic Achievement Test Test".

B-)

[Redstone]

40. And I'll bet the teachers are STILL doing that.

Redstone

[liberaltrucker]

41. Ja, mein Sprachführer

Drives me up a wall, too.

Sprachführer means roughly "language leader".
Just clearing up any misunderstanding.

How the hell are ya!

:hi: