The trivial complaints thread

[BlackCurtains]

I overslept and missed my appointment with my therapist. I'm kinda miffed that no one bothered to wake me up, everyone knows my therapy schedule. But then I'm an adult and should be responsible for my own stuff. But then I'm a mentally ill adult that needs help sometimes. Who do I blame??!

Me. I blame myself. Bummer. I like my therapist. And I just know she's gonna give me a hard time when I bring this up next time

edit: Gah! New page noooooo......

[Zapper]

About the language thing: I couldn't agree more! But trust me, it's even worse when you live in a non-English speaking country... Everything NEEDS to be in English to make it more "hip" and "youthful".

Uh, hello? We have our own language? We are Dutch, remember? So irritating...

I never knew that was a thing. How odd... Like what kinds of things do you mean?

The Japanese do this as well and it irritates the heck out of me. I mean, seriously, they have their own words for things. Please use them. Please....

I remember a german friend when I was in sixth form having similar rants about German adopting too many English words.

I am such a German
I mean, yes, we implemented "cool" a while ago and there are other anglicisms I don't mind because they make sense. Most are work related like "meeting".

But I looooaaaatheeee people just replacing words with the English counterpart.
This started to get really bad a while ago when youtube and social media exploded. People are kind of adapting to English as a universal language but I see no reason why a fellow German would talk to me in a weird half-German half-English.
Either people don't realize it anymore or they think American English sounds cooler.
I know people in their late 20s to late 30s who will admit they hate our 'complicated' language and wish they could talk American English 24/7 because it is "easier" - and then these people make a ton of pronounciation and grammar mistakes, lol. Apparently English isn't so easy after all. And by inserting English words everywhere they forget how to build proper sentences.

Also, kids no longer say 'kawaii' here. They say 'cute' and 'nice' now. Like: "das Pony ist so cute", "dieses Game ist voll nice" It takes me out. Kjuut und neiss.

I hate the sound of it when said in a German accent because I am hearing it each day.

Post Merge: July 10, 2019, 04:12:41 PM

Anyone remember walkman? In Sweden we called them freestyle.

I never heard of that, lol! That's almost as bad as us Germans calling mobile phones 'handies'. We also didn't let the word die with the product, we just moved on to calling smartphones handies now

[Nemesis]

I never heard of that, lol! That's almost as bad as us Germans calling mobile phones 'handies'. We also didn't let the word die with the product, we just moved on to calling smartphones handies now

I like that one! It sounds cute.

But I seriously never knew people did this (using English words randomly)... It still strikes me strange. In America at least, “kawaii” has come to mean anime-style, Japanese-influenced cute art, like Sanrio or Tokidoki stuff. It’s useful for that, because like “anime” (which just refers to animation as a whole in Japanese), it now refers to a specific genre of art. I haven’t heard anyone call something like a random cat photo “kawaii” in a long time. That was a trend back in the 00s, though.

[Beldarna]

Anyone remember walkman? In Sweden we called them freestyle.

I never heard of that, lol! That's almost as bad as us Germans calling mobile phones 'handies'. We also didn't let the word die with the product, we just moved on to calling smartphones handies now

I think that sounds cute, though  .


I have another language related complaint.. I have a friend (or it's more my husbands best friend, we're more of an acquaintance) who writes in english on her instagram, which is fine I do to, but she need to check her spelling so bad sometimes. If I see her write thaught instead of thought one more time my head's gonna implode. She's a teacher for crying out loud! And no, I can't comment her on that because she's so easily hurt and any comment that critizie her a tiny bit get removed like she can't deal with it.

[Taffeta]

I never heard of that, lol! That's almost as bad as us Germans calling mobile phones 'handies'. We also didn't let the word die with the product, we just moved on to calling smartphones handies now

I like that one! It sounds cute.

But I seriously never knew people did this (using English words randomly)... It still strikes me strange. In America at least, “kawaii” has come to mean anime-style, Japanese-influenced cute art, like Sanrio or Tokidoki stuff. It’s useful for that, because like “anime” (which just refers to animation as a whole in Japanese), it now refers to a specific genre of art. I haven’t heard anyone call something like a random cat photo “kawaii” in a long time. That was a trend back in the 00s, though.

I can't stand people doing that either, to be honest, mostly because they pronounce it like kowai, and also that kawaii has lots of different nuances in Japanese and it's not a genre of frilly clothing to amuse western fetishes. Sorry, I feel really strongly about the misuse of that word. Although I won't pretend when it comes up in an anime with a girl putting the unnecessary emphasis on all the syllables it annoys me any less (different annoyance though - ka-wa-i-iiiiiii...)

I always loved the fact that the German word for mobile was Handy.

Although honestly I only remember being taught directions and that everything was Umweltfreundlich in German classes. It was a long time ago now. My friend, though, she had her rant at the time when I think there were discussions about getting rid of the eszett.

For me as a native English speaker, I don't like how Americanisms have got more common in our English. Also spellings. I don't have any issue with Americanisms in America, but the way English is used in both countries is quite different really, so when you try and insert Americanisms into the less direct British English, it sounds weird. Also words like orientated have become oriented and so on in some contexts, which is just plain wrong in British English, but seems to pass as fine these days.

Also when my spellcheck shifts on its own to US english and then tells me to remove all the 'se' endings and replace them with 'ze' I don't get amused. Honestly, I have had so many people in feedback on fanfiction telling me I can't spell because I write realise instead of realize and so on. It's so annoying. The global English thing has honestly not much to do with British English :/ and it affects how people speak and write here as much as anywhere else.

On the flip, it means that most of the time I'm not confused about American terms for things xd. But still, it's getting way too common. And I will never ever accept or use the spelling of Mediaeval without the e. It may be simpler but for someone in the field who knows the linguistic origin of the word, I'm not dropping the e to satisfy modern laziness.

Yeah, that one's been bugging me since I was an undergrad.

[Nemesis]

I can't stand people doing that either, to be honest, mostly because they pronounce it like kowai, and also that kawaii has lots of different nuances in Japanese and it's not a genre of frilly clothing to amuse western fetishes. Sorry, I feel really strongly about the misuse of that word. Although I won't pretend when it comes up in an anime with a girl putting the unnecessary emphasis on all the syllables it annoys me any less (different annoyance though - ka-wa-i-iiiiiii...)

The “kowai” thing always cracks me up. I don’t even know why that’s a common mispronunciation... The “a” and “o” don’t sound similar at all...

I don’t use “kawaii” in casual conversation ever, but it’s a handy search term online. If you’re looking for a certain style of art, it’s a lot easier to put in “kawaii art” than “cute, whimsical, Japanese anime-style art”. As a dedicated enthusiast of Japanese history and culture, I get where you’re coming from on the misuse thing... but that’s pretty much how languages have worked from the beginning. Words get appropriated, altered, and repurposed, and fighting it is like fighting the tide. People shrieking “KAW-WAHHHH-EEEEEEEYYYUH” in casual (non Japanese-language) conversation is grating, but as a term to describe something that there really isn’t another word to effectively describe it with? It works. In total fairness, “yankee” (or “yankii”)” means something very different in Japan, as does “gal”. Those words go way back, and were appropriated/borrowed to describe things that the Japanese language didn’t really have pre-existing terms for.

[banditpony]

I never heard of that, lol! That's almost as bad as us Germans calling mobile phones 'handies'. We also didn't let the word die with the product, we just moved on to calling smartphones handies now

I like that one! It sounds cute.

But I seriously never knew people did this (using English words randomly)... It still strikes me strange. In America at least, “kawaii” has come to mean anime-style, Japanese-influenced cute art, like Sanrio or Tokidoki stuff. It’s useful for that, because like “anime” (which just refers to animation as a whole in Japanese), it now refers to a specific genre of art. I haven’t heard anyone call something like a random cat photo “kawaii” in a long time. That was a trend back in the 00s, though.

This is how I see it used generally.

I'm trying to think, even when I'm selling stuff at conventions people who walk by and squee tend to say "so cuuute!" rather then "kawaiiiiii". And that's the place you'd think you'd hear it most.

And I think using the word is great. I work in the art industry and there's a HUGE difference between a typical cute style and a kawaii cute style. It's the perfect application of a loan word.

I'm not sure how many people I hear pronounce it kowai. But I live in an area that speaks inland northern american english so we apparently screw up our As. (Although my Japanese teacher told me I spoke fine,  sooo, I'd like to think I hear it ok too).

Also meeeh.

I remember in the 90s when the word "anime" wasn't solidified yet for Americans. Thank god the word Japanimation died. It was ultra annoying.

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[Nemesis]

Japanimation. Such an awkward mouthful. I’m reeeaaally glad “anime” caught on.

But yeah, I haven’t heard people squealing “kawaiiiii” in many years... Not since the mid-2000s convention scene, and even then it was mostly tweens and younger teens. Words get borrowed and modified all the time; I certainly don’t take offense when other languages borrow/redefine American-English words like the aforementioned “yankii”. It’s when one language begins to eclipse another (like what people are talking about with German and Dutch) that it becomes problematic, since there’s really no reason for it other than “trendiness” (what’s not trendy about just using German or Dutch? ).

[Taffeta]

I still hear it at events, but you guys have to remember that the UK is still some years behind the US in its appreciation of Japanese culture, so that may be part of it. I will admit I have a general ennui to that aspect of Japanese culture too though, so it's just compounded by people trying to use a word they can't pronounce in order to sound 'cool' - and actually ending up saying a total other word instead...

It first got me riled up on this forum, though, years and years ago, when it was all the rage to call everything kawaii. And so it just grates now when I see the word out of context in English in any form.

I'm not really as annoyed by other loan words in general, although Japanese uses some English words in a very odd way (tension, for example...) but there are some from Japanese which are hugely unhelpful. When you work in the field, trying to deprogram from history students' brains that 'samurai' is not a catch all for Japanese warrior is quite tough.

But then English also has words like tycoon which originally come from Japanese, so I guess it's not all bad.

Just Kawaii should be banned for anyone who can't actually say kawaii.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

I've only read the word "kawaii" (and I've never tried to use it in conversation) but I'm not 100% sure how it would be pronounced.  I thought it would be like "Hawaii" but with a "k" instead of an "h".  Is that even close?

[Taffeta]

I've only read the word "kawaii" (and I've never tried to use it in conversation) but I'm not 100% sure how it would be pronounced.  I thought it would be like "Hawaii" but with a "k" instead of an "h".  Is that even close?

Every syllable in Japanese has the same weight, unlike in English. The last two i syllables tend to blur together into a double length i, but it is technically a separate one.

https://www.rightpronunciation.com/languages/japanese/kawaii-13279.asp?id1=15&page=19

English pronunciation tends to put emphasis on the middle syllable, making it sound more like kowai, the Japanese word for 'scary'.

https://forvo.com/word/kowai/

(Disclaimer - I'm basing that on the English pronunciation of Hawaii, I'm sure there's a better Hawaiian one that I'm not aware of, having never been there xD)

[Ponyfan]

The only time I've seen kawaii used is on stuff like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Kawaii-Doodle-Class-Sketching-Super-Cute/dp/1631063758/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Kawaii+coloring+book&qid=1562867826&s=gateway&sr=8-6




Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

The only time I've seen kawaii used is on stuff like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Kawaii-Doodle-Class-Sketching-Super-Cute/dp/1631063758/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=Kawaii+coloring+book&qid=1562867826&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I think that link sums up one of the reasons I consider the use of kawaii a trivial complaint

On another note, my trivial complaint for the day...

When you give a referee two and a half weeks of notice about a reference that you'd like written, when he agrees two and a half weeks before the deadline to do it and then doesn't actually do it till 2 hours before the deadline...

At least he did it I suppose?

[EnaRocketQueen]

Wow, I really started something with my language complaint!

Complaint of the day: I'm trying to get my dad to go out of town somewhere this week, to enjoy the hot weather. He doesn't seem to want to leave the house these days

[banditpony]

Meh. Dealing with too much anxiety lately.