My list of pecularities...
Has anyone read the discussion in BBC Mundo? The comments accumulate fast but there are some interesting remarks. As of yesterday, most of the participants are from Mexico and Venezuela.
'O sea' stands out among the most annoying words among a few others.
I put together a few words and expressions that 'bother' me (I think irritate is too strong as per the article title) and some are tied to grammar peculiarities or errors (also mentioned in the BBC discussion) that really stand out and many speakers repeat the mistake unknowingly or refuse to believe that they can make a mistake in their own language whether it?s English or Spanish.
Words, expressions and grammar peculiarities that made my final list:
Spanish
1/
k lo k- slang, low class, uneducated DR vernacular
2/
c?mo t? 'ta- low class DR vernacular
3/
est? padr?simo- a Mexican expression meaning ?it?s great?.
4/
?rale- multiple meanings. Mexican expression
5/
?qu? t? piensa(s)?, ?qu? t? dice(s)?, ?que t? cree(s)? and like phrase constructions with the pronoun t? before the verb. This is non standard Spanish and typical of the Caribbean and coastal regions of Colombia, Venezuela and parts of Panama. Proper and standard Spanish is ?qu? piensas (t?)?, ?qu? dices (t?)?, ?qu? crees (t?)?
-
This phrase construction really leaves many South Americans puzzled. Believe me, I get asked questions all the time as to why people speak like that and some of their comments make me laugh.
6/ misuse and abuse of /s/ in the DR, PR and Cuban vernacular- specific to the DR speech pattern it's practically a forgotten letter but used when it should not be. Yes, many Spanish speakers do drop the /s/ at times but in the DR no /s/ at all can really change one's perspective about Spanish spoken by the majority. Then I have heard words such as
la bosca (when meaning to say
la boca) and
la bachasta (when meaning to say
la bachata),
si ?l se vas... etc.:tired:
7/ The R/ L change in the DR/ PR-
hablal, amol, pol favol, etc. How do these people write words in Spanish!
English
1/'okey dokey'
2/'at the end of the day'- over used expression
2/'was up'- urban street slang
4/'give me a break'
5/ incorrect usage of the word 'myself' when it s/b 'me'- not sure if this is popular elsewhere but in Toronto many people incorrectly use 'myself' instead of 'me'
6/ no subjunctive, almost a dead concept in English-
I wish I were... (correct) vs.
I wish I was...( more prevalent, unfortunately). At least in the romance languages it?s still alive and very much a vital part of Spanish grammar.
7/ Go figure!- over used expression
-Marianopolita.
I have a Dominican woman acquaintance with whom I speak in Spanish. She has one English phrase Oh my God, (or in her case ohmygo - one word) which she interjects all the time, usually in the most inappropriate places.....
This is a classic!
