Things that piss you off that shouldn't

[HanoiVillan]

On 1/12/2016 at 14:20, YLN said:

"It comes to something when"

This idiom. I really can't stand it. It's used occasionally on VT, but being from Ireland, I don't think I've ever read it or heard it elsewhere. It doesn't make any sense to me, although through context I do know what it means. It comes to something when. I could understand its use if it was some roughly translated idiom from another language like gaelic, but English has always been your language. It's like a phrase someone with a mental illness might use when they can't think of the actual phrase. It comes to something. What comes to something? Life? An event? The human condition? Comes to what? Something? Which something? 'It really does give an indication as to the quality or nature of something when...' To replace the meaning of that with 'it comes to something when' really does the language a disservice. It's a part of the vernacular that pays no heed to the language itself, but has somehow infiltrated despite meaning absolutely nothing literally.

Is it laziness? What would be an alternative? I don't know if there is one. Is there? Maybe it's because the expression itself is pretty meaningless. It's an attempt to attach significance to an event or quality but not really being able to assess it in any objective terms, so you end up with discussing it only in terms of that expression. It comes to something when Villa are being turned down by players in League 1. Villa being turned down by players in league 1 gives a shocking insight into their plight. It comes to something when I have to take off my converse shoes going through the airport. The security in the airport is so strict nowadays due to the threat of terrorism that I have to remove canvas shoes. 

Maybe it's not laziness, but just a handy way of expressing something that would ordinarily require a good deal of context and information that is already shared between the reader and the writer, but literally-speaking it makes my brain weep. I can't think of anything equivalent really. 'It just goes to show' maybe is similar, but literally it makes sense. Or does it? Maybe I've used that expression so often that I think it makes literal sense, but it really doesn't. It goes to show... What goes to show? The event or item and surrounding significance. Goes to show? Maybe a little bit literally loose, but still ok I think. Goes to show. Gives an indication as to, by showing. Yes that expression I think conveys and requires a good deal of context between talker and listener, but does make some literal sense. 'It comes to something when' is just dog shit nonsense.

'It comes to something'

'It goes to show'

'It' doesn't mean anything - it's called a 'dummy subject', and it exists simply because a sentence needs a subject. 'It' is not a thing, or a person, or an idea. 

[Seat68]

The word just used to piss me off. It serves no purpose in a sentence and if you removed it, pretty much the sentence would mean the same. The only time it wouldnt would be in a one word response to a question where the answer is just. Lazy songwriters use it the most. 

[Ginko]

15 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

im half man half wombat.

Manwom?

Batman? 

[MakemineVanilla]

16 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

im half man half chemical experiment

Fixed!

[Rugeley Villa]

off work with bad kidneys today, can barely bloody walk. 

 

[Ginko]

Just because that lifestyle worked for Lemmy (up until recently at least), doesn't mean it will work for you, Ruge.

[Rugeley Villa]

1 hour ago, MakemineVanilla said:

Fixed!

watched a documentary a few years back where in the 50s or 60s in america they were testing LSD and speed on people, think they were military people as well.

1 minute ago, Ginko said:

Just because that lifestyle worked for Lemmy (up until recently at least), doesn't mean it will work for you, Ruge.

would of done lemmy proud the other night. seriously though thats the worst ive been on drink in a long long time. three jds in the morning,5 pints at the wake then up to her mums for drinks where i apparantly got through a bottle of vodka which i remember starting but not finishing and then getting a half pint glass and filling it full with neat whiskey and drinking it which strangely i remember doing. lots of throwing up before i got in bed and then the same in the morning with me also shaking like a leaf and nearly passing out. a big thank you to my missus who put me back to bed and looked after me. today my kidneys are killing and huge bout of post drinking depression so yeah definitely not worth it. she wants me to stop drinking,at least for a few months so hopefully i'll grant her that wish.

[BOF]

Baby steps Ruge.  In your mind just try for a week first, then extend it to a month if that goes well.  No point trying to do "a couple of months" straight off the bat from scratch.  Psychologically I think that's too big a change to commit to that quickly, and you're more likely to fail that way.  I suppose if you've someone (the missus) helping you then it might be different though.  Best of luck with it.

[tonyh29]

1 hour ago, BOF said:

Baby steps Ruge.  In your mind just try for a week first, then extend it to a month if that goes well.  No point trying to do "a couple of months" straight off the bat from scratch.  Psychologically I think that's too big a change to commit to that quickly, and you're more likely to fail that way.  I suppose if you've someone (the missus) helping you then it might be different though.  Best of luck with it.

why  ? you either give up or you don't  ... I've been years without drinking before and quite often go months at a time .. it's sorta easy , you just say I'm not having a drink ..and then don't drink  ... 12 hours or 12000 hours it's the same thing

[Designer1]

1 minute ago, tonyh29 said:

why  ? you either give up or you don't  ... I've been years without drinking before and quite often go months at a time .. it's sorta easy , you just say I'm not having a drink ..and then don't drink  ... 12 hours or 12000 hours it's the same thing

Unfortunately, It's not that easy for some people Tone.

[Stevo985]

3 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

why  ? you either give up or you don't  ... I've been years without drinking before and quite often go months at a time .. it's sorta easy , you just say I'm not having a drink ..and then don't drink  ... 12 hours or 12000 hours it's the same thing

Do you really believe this?

[BOF]

5 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

why  ? you either give up or you don't  ... I've been years without drinking before and quite often go months at a time .. it's sorta easy , you just say I'm not having a drink ..and then don't drink  ... 12 hours or 12000 hours it's the same thing

As said above, it may not be that simple for some, and IF it's going to be difficult for someone then it's better to start with a smaller target that they're not intimidated by and have some chance of arriving at, rather than going for something way off in the distance that they might think they've no hope of achieving (or worse, not even wanting to get to).

There's no right or wrong way of going about it.  You did it your way.  The only way is whichever way that person is best able to go about doing it.

[tonyh29]

10 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Do you really believe this?

I've lived it , so yes ..... it's not that difficult if you truly want to do it  .... ok I never woke up and put whiskey on my cornflakes and never had a drink problem , but I started drinking at  a young age and my life revolved around the pub ( going to villa , and all my friends) , even my school lunch breaks were spent down the pub having a couple of pints    .... one day I decided to quit , so I did ...  I still went to the pub and still went to Villa ..and I actually started to enjoy myself a lot more as a  result ...

Edited January 14, 2016 by tonyh29

[Designer1]

Just now, tonyh29 said:

I've lived it , so yes ..... it's not that difficult if you truly want to do it  .... ok I never woke up and put whiskey on my cornflakes and never had a drink problem , but I started drinking at  a young age and my life revolved around the pub ( going to villa , and all my friends) , even my school lunch breaks were spent down the pub having a couple of pints    .... Ione day I decided to quit , so I did ...  I still went to the pub and still went to Villa ..and I actually started to enjoy myself a lot more as a  result ...

Which is great, and fair play to you. You must see though, that not everyone is capable of the same levels of restraint? Everyone has a different mental make-up, set of circumstances where addictions etc will affect them in varying degrees.

[BOF]

But surely Tony you are aware that different people have different motivations, triggers, objectives, flaws etc.  You can't think that what worked for you will automatically work for everyone else on the planet.

[Stevo985]

2 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

I've lived it , so yes ..... it's not that difficult if you truly want to do it  .... ok I never woke up and put whiskey on my cornflakes and never had a drink problem , but I started drinking at  a young age and my life revolved around the pub ( going to villa , and all my friends) , even my school lunch breaks were spent down the pub having a couple of pints    .... one day I decided to quit , so I did ...  I still went to the pub and still went to Villa ..and I actually started to enjoy myself a lot more as a  result ...

You don't think that it might be different for some people than others?

[useless]

It's probably best not to set targets at all in terms of time. What's the point of stopping drinking for a few weeks or days if you know your going to start again once the target has been reached. The best course of action would surely be to slowly reduce ones intake and eventually keep it at a more healthy level, or stop altogether if that's the goal.

[tonyh29]

15 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

You don't think that it might be different for some people than others?

 

15 minutes ago, BOF said:

But surely Tony you are aware that different people have different motivations, triggers, objectives, flaws etc.  You can't think that what worked for you will automatically work for everyone else on the planet.

 

15 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

Which is great, and fair play to you. You must see though, that not everyone is capable of the same levels of restraint? Everyone has a different mental make-up, set of circumstances where addictions etc will affect them in varying degrees.

you are all kinda saying the same thing  so  i'll answer them all together ...

 

I wasn't born with any super powers  it's just a decision you make ..or don't make  .... I understand the sentiment that it isn't that easy , but all I'm asking is why ? why do so many people give up smoking and then start again within a few days , why do so many people go on a diet and then break it 2 days later .... if you can go 1 day without a cigarette , why can't you go 2 , or 3 or 33   ... if someone can go 12 hours without smoking on a long haul flight , why do they then have to light up within 30 secs of getting into a fresh air zone  ... whats the difference between 12 hours and 12 hours and 1 minute ?

 

@Designer1 ... would you describe the case in point here as addiction ? I hadn't really looked at it in that way  more someone who likes a drink a few times a week  , for me addiciotn would be if he had to have a drink to even get out of bed and face the day  ?

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by tonyh29

[BOF]

6 minutes ago, useless said:

It's probably best not to set targets at all in terms of time. What's the point of stopping drinking for a few weeks or days if you know your going to start again once the target has been reached.

Because the brain works on rewards and you will have achieved what you set out to do.  You will then know that "I can do it if I want to" and it will no longer have a power of you that it may have had beforehand. 

[BOF]

1 minute ago, tonyh29 said:

I wasn't born with any super powers  it's just a decision you make ..or don't make  .... I understand the sentiment that it isn't that easy , but all I'm asking is why ? why do so many people give up smoking and then start again within a few days , why do so many people go on a diet and then break it 2 days later .... if you can go 1 day without a cigarette , why can't you go 2 , or 3 or 33   ... if someone can go 12 hours without smoking , why do they then have to light up within 30 secs of getting into a fresh air zone  ... whats the difference between 12 hours and 12 hours and 1 minute ?

You were born with the willpower to do it the way you did it.  Not everyone else is.  So for those people, what would your advice be?  Mine would be to start with a less intimidating goal and THEN work towards the longer one.  If someone is going to fail doing it your way then surely it's better that they come at it a different way.  After all, once they ultimately succeed isn't that the main thing?