I must be getting old (you don’t have to agree). I am certainly getting more grumpy about some of the phrases I hear on TV or Radio.

Last week, I happened to catch The Biggest Loser presented by one of my least favourite presenters, Davina McCall. It was an appalling ‘show’ pretending to be entertainment. But the worst part was when Davina calculated the percentage weight loss of the victims. She pronounced at every calculation that they had lost a precise figure – as an example,”two point fourteen” percent of their weight. No they haven’t. It, as anyone with a basic education knows is, “Two point one four percent”. It is wrong at this level, but imagine if the percentage had been to four places – would that be “Two point four thousand three hundred and fifteen percent”. No – that would be silly. This woman didn’t do it once, but at every turn.

I used to be irritated by Trevor Francis’ inability to pronounce Nottingham, It’s not Nottnum. He might have been the first million pound player, but he couldn’t pronounce where he played for. A poor effort. Nottingham isn’t that difficult – it’s not like he had to play for Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

The latest thing I hear from some ‘young people’ (see – I am getting old!) is the dropping of certain words – they speak like they text. Apparently we no longer “go to town”. We “go town”. That saves the vocal chords a lot of effort. The “town” part acquires a “Taan” bent too.

I love it when I get “aksed” a question. It is “asked’ – that’s how it is spelled and pronounced. Being “axed” is a whole different proposition. It hurts generally and can be misconstrued.

You often hear learned folks on the Radio or TV explaining that language ‘evolves’. It develops and changes over time. But in these cases it is just wrong. Nor is it difficult to get it right?

OK, I admit it I am old and grumpy.

UPDATE – Sunday 5th February

Tonight Dancing On Ice show results as being 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 4th places (i.e. a tie for third place.). This does not make the shown 4th place right .They are 5th…. Another schoolboy error?