Hey, Americans ...

[blamebrampton]

Do you ever use forms of cliché other than plain old cliché? Such as clichéd or clichés? I see it used in a manner that I would consider wrong so often that I am wondering if it is one of those wacky idioms that English develops up all around the world. Or it could just be young people today with their emo music and Twittering ...

Comments

[raitala.livejournal.com]

Just to add to your confusion, I was also not sure whether you were telling me that clichéd and clichés were the constructions you actually had a problem with or not - so it isn't just North Americans who could misread those sentences. Just goes to show that keyboard-English has a WHOLE other set of communication difficulties :)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I was trying to not impose on them the idea that to leave off the s and d was wrong (regardless of my personal beliefs), while still given the other forms as examples. Perhaps a paragraph break would have helped!

[raitala.livejournal.com]

That'll teach you to be all airy fairy and liberal. We all know your inner wrathful grammar purist was bubbling beneath the surface, so your liberality was just confusing ;)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have been told that throwing things at people's heads for grammar infringements is not conducive to learning.

(And I dropped A Guide to Old English on my head, which now has a lump :-()

(Thinking about it, there is a certain almost-irony there ...)

[raitala.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, head trauma is not often conducive to learning. It would appear from the comments above that there is a slippy-slope practice of using cliché as an adjective over in the US. I don't think I mind all that much. The meaning is still clear and maybe you are right and it is awkward to say the -d in many American accents.

I can't understand leaving off the s of the plural though. That is A Step Too Far.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It really hurts!

And yes, both sound awkward, but leaving the s off just makes no sense!

[raitala.livejournal.com]

Poor you! Go and put some frozen peas on it and let us comfort ourselves with the idea that the great expressiveness and versatility of the english language comes from is ready adaption to new currents of influence.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

And its handy swear words!