I would like to know from someone skilled in English grammar (i.e. teacher, professor or attorney) if the term "crashed out" is proper grammar usage when describing a vehicle accident. I have noticed that this term is used more and more at the end of a sentence. I believe the use of the word "out" in the term is grammatically unnecessary. As in, "The vehicle crashed." instead of "The vehicle crashed out". I have always understood the definition of "crash out" was to fall asleep very quickly. I would love to know if I am correct in my assumption. Thank you.

On the subject of grammar, here's another term that is being so frequently misused, that it's now becoming accepted.

"Swagger" is confidence bordering on cockiness.

"Swag" is Stuff We All Get, like promotional items (t-shirts, other things with logos).


Yet, listen to any sporting event and you'll hear something similar to this: "He brings a certain swag to the team". They mean swagger, but say swag.... It's one of those terms so frequently misused that Merriam-Webster will eventually change its definition to reflect how people use it.

It's one of so many things misused in sports broadcasting. "He ran into his own man." What is 'his own man'? That phrase doesn't even exist outside this single context. Why not, "He ran into his (own) teammate"? Another horrible one: "The ball is on the one foot line." There is no 'one foot line'. They mean, "The ball is inside the one" or "the ball is a foot from the goal line".

Seems to me that we are discussing slang. "Crashed Out" was originally a slang term in the auto body industry that referred to a total loss, or heavy damaged occurrence, which left a vehicle unusable going forward.

As to Pete's examples, I think they are just terms used to enhance the entertainment value of rote descriptions of sports minutiae. A personal favorite of mine is "Self tackleization", which was popular with Tom Brookshire and the CBS NFL broadcast team in the 1970s-80s, IIRC. I will admit that I have vulgarized it, as I use the term "self-f...-ification" on a regular basis with those who know me.

On the subject of grammar, here's another term that is being so frequently misused, that it's now becoming accepted.

"Swagger" is confidence bordering on cockiness.

"Swag" is Stuff We All Get, like promotional items (t-shirts, other things with logos).


Yet, listen to any sporting event and you'll hear something similar to this: "He brings a certain swag to the team". They mean swagger, but say swag.... It's one of those terms so frequently misused that Merriam-Webster will eventually change its definition to reflect how people use it.

It's one of so many things misused in sports broadcasting. "He ran into his own man." What is 'his own man'? That phrase doesn't even exist outside this single context. Why not, "He ran into his (own) teammate"? Another horrible one: "The ball is on the one foot line." There is no 'one foot line'. They mean, "The ball is inside the one" or "the ball is a foot from the goal line".

There are also no states to justify "lnterstate hiways" in Hawaii or scissors on the tail of our state bird. Language is descriptive.

[QUOTE=Pete;1273527]On the subject of grammar, here's another term that is being so frequently misused, that it's now becoming accepted.

Yet, listen to any sporting event and you'll hear something similar to this: "He brings a certain swag to the team". They mean swagger, but say swag.... It's one of those terms so frequently misused that Merriam-Webster will eventually change its definition to reflect how people use it.

Pete, I might have to disagree with you on that one.

"He brings a certain swag to the team". Yeah sure does. Today's College players, and pro players as well, are adorned with all kinds of jewelry. They outdo Mr T of the old tv show The A Team. Mr T had tons of gold jewelry on.

this is the class of common phrases that (irrationally) irritates me:

please rsvp
atm machine
pin number
upc code

Until I moved to Oklahoma I never heard people use "whenever" when they should use the word "when." Whenever is not used for unique events or ones occurring in a specific moment in time! Bugs me.

While we're at it... Until moving to Oklahoma I've never heard such widespread butchering of simple verb conjugation: "We was going to the store." "He had ran." Not to mention ignorance of homophone usage: Their, there, they're, to, too, and the incorrect use of "I" and "me." It's especially embarrassing to hear Oklahoma politicians and TV personalities make such grammar mistakes!

While we're at it... Until moving to Oklahoma I've never heard such widespread butchering of simple verb conjugation: "We was going to the store." "He had ran." Not to mention ignorance of homophone usage: Their, there, they're, to, too, and the incorrect use of "I" and "me." It's especially embarrassing to hear Oklahoma politicians and TV personalities make such grammar mistakes!

This irks me to no end, but this isn’t unique to Oklahoma. Have you been to Alabama or Florida?

"Swag" is Stuff We All Get, like promotional items (t-shirts, other things with logos).

I had no idea "swag" is an acronym!

"Unsweetened" ice tea is mine. There is no process to "unsweet" tea. It originates that way.
Correct terminology would be non sweetened

"Crashed out" is a common phrase in motorsports. i.e. "The driver crashed out." with the out adding the context that they are out of the race and unable to continue. As opposed to an accident which the driver was able to continue on. However, this is the only situation I have heard "crashed out" use. I have never heard it used to describe someone's accident on the way home from work.

While Americans say 'accident' or 'crash' related to a car incident, the Brits say 'prang' or 'stacked', as in "He stacked his car into a tree".

To answer the OP, yeah, it's unnecessary. Kind of like asking "Where are you at?" The At is superfluous.

I understand that the English language is fluid, but some changes are just stupid.

Decimate has come to mean obliterate. When really it means to reduce by 10%. The prefix deca tells us that.

People taking already existing terms or phrases and making an entirely new meaning. Out of pocket used to mean that you wouldn't be able to be reached. It has come to mean something beyond the pale or not acceptable.

In the same vein, but not exactly the same, the pronunciation of words. Growing up, it was the Cincinnati Bengals. Somewhere in the 90s (and I think Chris Berman may be to blame) it became the Bangels. As in a bracelet.

Or the dropping of the definite article on something like the prom. It has become just prom. I blame that one on Pretty in Pink.

Decimate has come to mean obliterate. When really it means to reduce by 10%. The prefix deca tells us that.
Irony abounds as you’re stretching with this interpretation.

Irony abounds as you’re stretching with this interpretation.

well... i also thought it meant to reduce by a tenth, though it's often not used that way.

Decimation (punishment) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimation_(punishment))

Irony abounds as you’re stretching with this interpretation.

Not sure how it's ironic but...

It comes from a practice of the Roman army. But like anything in the English language, if it's used a certain way long enough and by enough people, then that meaning, correct or not, becomes acceptable. Such as the case with nonplussed.

While we're at it... Until moving to Oklahoma I've never heard such widespread butchering of simple verb conjugation: "We was going to the store." "He had ran." Not to mention ignorance of homophone usage: Their, there, they're, to, too, and the incorrect use of "I" and "me." It's especially embarrassing to hear Oklahoma politicians and TV personalities make such grammar mistakes!

To be fair, I think most of what you are describing is common throughout the South. Not just Okies mangle the language.

Something I've been noticing more in recent years is these ones. Why the need to put ones at the end? These is enough. In fact, it's grammatically incorrect. These is plural. So if it's multiple then it can't be one or ones. This one makes sense. But not these ones.

Something I've been noticing more in recent years is these ones. Why the need to put ones at the end? These is enough. In fact, it's grammatically incorrect. These is plural. So if it's multiple then it can't be one or ones. This one makes sense. But not these ones.

"Ones" can be plural as a substitute for a countable noun.

"The Harbor Freight coupons from this week are trash, but the ones from last week were useful."

"Unsweetened" ice tea is mine. There is no process to "unsweet" tea. It originates that way.
Correct terminology would be non sweetened

I have never thought of this before and will now haunt me every time I order a tea. Ha.

The one that kills me is the use of 'office' as a verb? I swear I had never heard it until I moved back to Oklahoma. I don't even think I heard it when I was growing up here.

When someone asks , "where do you office?", it sounds just as if they had asked me. "where do you house?". lol

I have never thought of this before and will now haunt me every time I order a tea. Ha.

The one that kills me is the use of 'office' as a verb? I swear I had never heard it until I moved back to Oklahoma. I don't even think I heard it when I was growing up here.

When someone asks , "where do you office?", it sounds just as if they had asked me. "where do you house?". lol

I refuse to say unsweet, I just say "regular iced tea".

I refuse to say unsweet, I just say "regular iced tea".

I have had that backfire on me as apparently sweet tea is "regular tea" nowadays. It drives me crazy to have to order "unsweet" tea. I really don't know how that became a thing.

The South. Plus America’s insatiable appetite for sugary stuff. It’s a pet peeve of mine, too.

this is the class of common phrases that (irrationally) irritates me:

please rsvp
atm machine
pin number
upc codeI have noticed that many people put the "$" sign AFTER the amount, as in "6.79$."

If it's irrational to have that annoy me, than I am indeed irrational.

I have had that backfire on me as apparently sweet tea is "regular tea" nowadays. It drives me crazy to have to order "unsweet" tea. I really don't know how that became a thing.

*Flags down server* "Hi, this is sweet tea, I ordered regular tea", *stupid conversation ensues, but I eventually get tea, just tea*... And yeah, blame the South for that stupidity.

On the OP:

English heavily uses "phrasal verbs" typically comprised of a verb and an additional preposition that cause the term to take on a specific meaning. For instance, in the previous sentence if I said take up, take out, take down, the meaning of the sentence could change or even become non-sensical.

Because we lean so heavily on these in the language, it's easy to misuse them or add prepositions unnecessarily thinking it's part of how you communicate your thought.

A lot of phrasal verbs don't seem to make sense with the preposition that is used. Like, give up seems more like it should be give out or give down, but those must have alreqdy been taken

Unless it's some kind of formal writing, I don't think it really matters so long as it conveys meaning. If the meaning of the phrase isn't obvious from its context in the sentence, I'd avoid it.