Friday, June 11, 2010

The manglation of the English language - 126 in a series of 500

On the back of a Sainsbury's voucher, it says "the code must be inputted into the checkout page ...". I grimace.

Firstly, the word "input" was originally a noun, not a verb. Secondly, if it is a verb, then the relevant participle is surely just "input" - in the same way that one doesn't say "the food must be putted away." Thirdly, surely the whole point about "input" as a verb is that it implies a level of "in-ness" - so saying "input into" is tautological.

Friends, behold the rise of an illiterate generation. And the rise of a bunch of pedants futilely and ineffectually railing against them.

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