Things you don’t like, but don’t really have a reason for disliking

This week I’m going to run through some matters in the English language that are correct usage, or at least not quite incorrect usage, but which I don’t like.

You might agree, you might not. You might have your own list.

The solidus is the punctuation mark also known as a slash, oblique or stroke. I’d never say: “leaves look best when turning gold in October/November”. I don’t think it looks right. I’d use an and or an or instead.

I prefer titles of films or books to be in italics so it is absolutely clear where the name starts and finishes. This used to be done routinely in newspapers.

We tend to regard “gotten” as an Americanism, the past participle of get. But most UK dictionaries list it as acceptable usage. Apart from in the phrase “ill-gotten gains”, it is a horrible, awkward-sounding word.

Exclamation marks are used far too frequently. They have their place because sometimes exclamations are made. But you are far more likely to exclaim in speech than in writing.

The exclamation mark is also used when a writer thinks they have made a joke, but isn’t confident the reader will have realised. If you aren’t sure a joke works, or is even funny, an exclamation mark doesn’t help much.

Using two or more exclamation marks together should never be seen.

Capitals for EMPHASIS or an attempt to denote stress should not be used in serious writing. If your prose doesn’t have the power to stand on its own without capitals to prop it up, then rewrite.

The use of all-caps in a sentence, text, or email is for aggressive people who have lost control of themselves and should be ignored.

I don’t like word shortenings without a full stop. The likes of etc. (for etcetera) should have a full stop. I think initials in names (S. Finan) should always have full stops. But I don’t think Mr or Mrs should.

While I’m on the subject of full stops, in the caseroom where I was taught newspaper English a full stop was called a point. It’s a better name than “full stop” because, as seen above, sometimes a point doesn’t mean a stop to a sentence.

Lastly, I don’t like “though”, I prefer “although”.

There is nothing wrong with though, I can’t even pretend there is a good reason for disliking it.

But then we all have a few niggling things, or people, we don’t like for little or no coherent reason.