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english-language expressions that are grammatically wrong or ambiguous

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kanew2000:


--- Quote from: Drydess on January 14, 2018, 12:46:27 PM ---neither pots nor kettles are black
and regardless of this that's like a short person calling someone else short. it's a statement of fact, you cant loving compare it to name calling

--- End quote ---

--- Quote from: Mardalf on January 14, 2018, 02:19:48 PM ---It's called cast iron and it's black babeee!

--- End quote ---
also i'm pretty sure the point isn't to compare it to name calling, rather to point out hypocrisy

Mardalf:

Anyone else see people trying to "sale" something or putting something up "for sell"

It's ridiculous but maybe not exactly on topic, being more a case of ignorance.

Snaked_Snake:


--- Quote from: Drydess on January 14, 2018, 12:46:27 PM ---neither pots nor kettles are black
and regardless of this that's like a short person calling someone else short. it's a statement of fact, you cant loving compare it to name calling

--- End quote ---
I'm sure back a while ago they were black.

Juncoph:


--- Quote from: Foxscotch on January 14, 2018, 01:54:29 PM ---how doesn't that make sense

--- End quote ---

bed isn't a name

"go to your bed" would be correct


--- Quote from: Nonnel on January 14, 2018, 02:28:09 PM ---Adding insult to injury seems fine though. Someone kicks you and calls you a bitch. Makes it a little worse.

--- End quote ---

"adding an insult to the injury" would be proper

St. Francis Xavier:


--- Quote from: Juncoph on January 14, 2018, 02:50:36 PM ---bed isn't a name

"go to your bed" would be correct

"adding an insult to the injury" would be proper

--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: Juncoph on January 14, 2018, 12:40:00 PM ---why does english have so many bizarre sayings which don't really fit modern colloquial english?

--- End quote ---

The proper is not the concern here since you are talking about colloquialisms which are, by definition, not formal/proper.
Colloquialism - a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.
In modern colloquial english, the phrases mentioned in the op are not incorrect.

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