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Things that irk you......

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Chef2, Apr 20, 2017.

  1. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    Also agree on misuses of 'within.'
    A 10-point difference is not within 10 points. It is 10 points.
     
  2. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    And the misuse of above .500.
    This is ubiquitous.

    20-10 is not 10 games over .500.
    The team has played 30 games. 15-15 would be .500. 20-10 is not 10 games over 15-15.
     
  3. SpeedTchr

    SpeedTchr Well-Known Member

    I was not told math would be involved.
     
    OscarMadison and HandsomeHarley like this.
  4. Spartan Squad

    Spartan Squad Well-Known Member

    Don't take this as me arguing with you because I genuinely never thought about it the way you put it. So my understanding of what you argue here is that after 30 games, being 20-10 means you are five wins above .500 so if you level things out, you have to change just five games, not 10. The way I think about it is at 20-10, you would have to play 10 games to get to a .500 record (obviously having to lose 10 games in a row). How would you describe it? My guess is your answer is just stick with the record, but when making a point of ephasis about that record—highlighting how well a team is doing or how bad it's doing—how might you describe it?
     
  5. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    So you would have to play, and lose, 10 games to get to .500, but there might not be 10 games left in the schedule.

    So a men's basketball team goes 19-10. The team is not nine games over .500 and the regular season is over.
    I think the quality of the regular season is apparent, 19-10 is a good season.
    However, there might be more context that would highlight that it is an even better season than 19-10 might indicate on it's own.
    Maybe they finished best in conference for the regular season, maybe of only one of a handful of times.
    Maybe that is one of the better records the school has had in men's basketball.
    There would have to be some additional context to indicate the quality of the record if additional emphasis is needed because while 19-10 might not be a historic season in the largest context it might be very notable in the specific context of that team and school.
     
  6. MisterCreosote

    MisterCreosote Well-Known Member

    At the risk of drawing Buck's ire, I think "10 games over .500" has become pretty widely accepted shorthand for "team has 10 more wins than it has losses."
     
  7. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    I disagree. If a team is 20-10 and loses 10 games in a row, it's at .500.
     
  8. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    Best one I've heard was this salty old local who saddled up to the bar in this dive. Exchange between the bartender and barfly goes:
    "How's it going, Tommy?"
    "Terrible! But I'm getting used to it."

    That's a good one to throw off a cashier with. They never quite know whether to laugh or say how sorry they are.
     
  9. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    As noted above, if a college basketball team is 20-10, there are not 10 more games on the schedule, thus, it is not 10 games over .500. If an MLB team is 100-60, they are not 40 games over .500 because there are not 40 games left to play.

    It has obviously become accepted usage, but it's often inaccurate and probably shouldn't be used at all. It does not add anything to the story.
     
  10. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    Always hated the real crime shows that show a perp in a high-speed chase or watching someone in the process of committing a crime, yet they still call them a "suspect."

    I get it that all "suspects" are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but c'mon. They're right there on live TV.
     
  11. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    My college guy who sends me PRs drives me nuts.

    In addition to the "on the mound ..." in softball stories, he routinely has these gems:

    "Smith struck out 10 in five innings pitched." (As opposed to what, five innings caught?)

    "Jones went 2 for 3 at the plate." (As opposed to 2 for 3 from second base?) I can see if Jones was also the pitcher, but otherwise ...
     
  12. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    Sorry, guys, but host is not a verb. (ducking)
     
    OscarMadison and Dog8Cats like this.
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