# Comment vs. Commentate and other grating expressions like that

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 20, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541 "2012-05-20T20:56:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541/1 "2012-05-20T20:56:19Z")

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Rather than just commenting on some event or situation, some people seem obligated to commentate.  
Others can’t just get oriented, they have to be orientated.

What are some other clumsy backformations that grate on your nerves?

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**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541/2 "2012-05-20T21:06:30Z")

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Rather than _converse_, we must _conversate_…:dubious:

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**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541/3 "2012-05-20T21:54:13Z")

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My dad never confirms. He confirmates. Ridiculous, no?

Commentating is a real thing though, that one shouldn’t annoy you. It refers to a specific type of commenting.

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**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541/4 "2012-05-21T23:38:56Z")

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Oh, “conversating” sets my teeth on edge.

And that term has actually been accepted into the dictionary.

Barf.  
~VOW

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**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541/5 "2012-05-22T01:23:17Z")

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[Storaging](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=652596)?

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-vs-commentate-and-other-grating-expressions-like-that/622541/6 "2012-05-22T01:26:26Z")

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Signage vs. signs.