Watch your language!

            Without doubt, one of the most elegant manifestations of cultural evolution is mankind’s ability to communicate using the spoken, and eventually -written word. For thousands of years, this ability to interact developed in many forms around the world and must be credited as a major factor in the ongoing advance of human civilization over the millennia. Not only has it provided the means for basic human discourse, but it has also, along with painting and sculpture, represented the apex of human artistic expression. Happily, books (-and now electronic devices) have preserved all this for posterity.

This is just as well, for in recent years the spoken and written word has deteriorated in a most depressing fashion. The advent of social media has likely been the main culprit in this and has resulted in a major “dumbing down” of verbal expression and correct spelling. In addition to this, there seems to be an increasing apathy to the elegance of Standard English, replaced in its stead by a variety of bizarre and often absurd abbreviations.

A daily review of my incoming email messages and particularly comments to YouTube videos reveals many examples.

“I should have known” is rendered as “I should of known”.

“I used to go there” becomes “I use to go there”.

 ‘It was not allowed” is presented as “It was not aloud”.

The convention of “take from” and “bring to” is often replaced by “bring” in both cases. 

 “It will rain so “take” your coat” becomes “It will rain so “bring” your coat”,. -or "My car has broken down so I must bring it to the garage". 
How could I leave out the ubiquitous “I couldn't care less” which has evolved into “I could care less” –the complete opposite of what is meant!
I sometimes despair at the frequent incorrect spelling or misuse of common words as in the following:. Here are a few examples.

‘Their” becomes “There” or “Thier"
“ You’re” or “You are” becomes “Your”
“Believe” becomes “Beleave” or “Beleive”
“Piece” becomes “Peice”
On the subject of bicycles which is of particular interest to me, here are a few more, some of which are equally applicable to motor vehicles. I frequently see;
The method of retardation -”Brakes”; spelled “Breaks”.
The propelling interaction between rider and the bicycle -”Pedals”; becomes “Peddles”
The shaft supporting the wheels -“Axle”; becomes “ Axel”.

The incorrect use of "tyre" when "wheel" is meant is most curious. How many injuries have actually been caused by “flying truck tyres”. I would suggest very few. However if this relatively benign circle of rubber is inflated to high pressure and enclosed within a heavy steel “wheel” the combined impact is often deadly.

Despite the above, my pet peeve is directed at the current custom of replacing the entire Thesaurus of finely nuanced verbs and adjectives with just a handful of trashy substitutes.

At the top of the list is “Like” without which many young people find it difficult to complete a single sentence. A reported reaction to just about anything of any significance is typically dealt with by four words “I was like –wow!” “Cool” seems to serve as a mindless reflex reaction to any acceptable person, thing or circumstance. The above examples if of a positive nature, are often augmented into “I was like, wow –cool!” or "Way cool dude!" The omni-purpose “cool” is sometimes used in conjunction with the adjectives “Awesome” or “Epic” regardless of the subject, and sometimes further clarified by the adjunct -and stuff".   

Perhaps the worst example of the verbal brutalizing of language is in the reporting of conversations where the use of the huge selection of verbal opportunities is reduced to one. The verb “Go” replaces all. For example;  “When I saw him he goes "'Where were you last night?"' -and I go "'I had to work"' and he goes "'you shoulduv text me dude"', and I go "'Wasssit to you ?"' and he goes "'blaa blaa............   -ad nauseum!"' 
The same verb sometimes suffers with the illogical substitution of “I should have gone”, by” I should have went”.
Finally, although this is an irritant rather than a linguistic error, why is it that some people seem to be completely unable to make any statement without prefixing it with redundant expression "Do you know what?" If I did there would be little point in them proceeding further! 

In conclusion, imagine if the measured sonorous cadences of Winston Churchill which inspired a nation during World War 2, had been replaced by today’s idioms. “Never in the field of human conflict, has so much been owed by so many to so few!”  would become; “D'you know what? Pilots; like awesome -real cool dudes! Way to go -Epic!".

Scarcely sufficient to stiffen up the sinews is it -and stuff!