I really am beginning to be a grumpy old woman. But here goes anyway.

'EFFECTIVELY'
Now I really don't mind this word when it is used in the sense of completing something thoroughly, well, and having the expected result. I am getting more and more pissed off when it is constantly used in place of 'in effect'. It's not even an incorrect usage, it just can cause confusion due to the double meaning. For instance, if we say, 'the government's actions have effectively privatised parts of the NHS,' this can either mean they intended to do this from the start and have accomplished it, or it has happened as a result of their actions, with or without the intention. There is no such problem when you use 'in effect', which refers to outcome only.

What is the matter with me? I am annoyed by something that is not even wrong!

So whilst I am in pedant mode, I might as well go onto another one that has me grinding my teeth when I hear it. Every bloody year on Big Brother, the housemates will talk about 'being up for nomination', when they mean 'being up for eviction'. Let me make this clear for all future potential housemates, for the sake of my sanity. On Monday, all housemates are up for nomination. On Tuesday they are given the results of nominations, and at least two housemates will have been nominated for eviction. For them then to say they are 'up for nomination on Friday' is annoying and makes my hackles rise. Should I ever be a housemate, I wouldn't be able to keep this to myself, and this alone would piss off so many people that I would be out immediately.

On the subject of Big Brother, Suzy is only 2 years older than me, so why does she act like my mum? She gives over-40s a bad name. And that is my job.