language mini-rant

[jennlk]

When did 'they' decide that "persons" was a better word than "people" (as in "the team is 52 persons")? It grates, it does. It showed up about the same time as 'inclusive language', but honestly, how much more inclusive can you get than "people"? It's a horribly pretentious and clunky construction, reminiscent of the Victorian use of "limbs". grrr.

Comments

[madtechie2718.livejournal.com]

My current pet hate is the latest bit of Brit sales-speak - excessive use of the reflexive pronoun; myself is being 'yourself'ed to death in quotations and other business correspondence.

A simple 'we are holding flight reservations for *you*' is quite sufficient, why does it have to be 'we are holding flight reservations for *yourself*'

I've been trying to goad them into a "yourself and yourself's wife" response, but so far have failed.

Should myself succeed in this, myself will feel justified in pitilessly and painfully murdering yourself.

(Well, not *YOU*, dear reader, but you get my drift)

We are starting the long process to buy a new $1 million+ MRI scanner - anyone who wants to get my business had better keep a very close watch on those damned reflexive pronouns!