# Nitpicking the BBC **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 4, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889 "2010-12-04T01:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/41 "2010-12-06T07:46:06Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > That’s what I was wondering. And still we’re left puzzled. Dear OP, could you please advise what’s wrong with the phrase “prior to”? ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/42 "2010-12-06T08:05:14Z")
After some Googling, it seems that the argument against “prior to” is that the phrase is too formal (or stuffy). It’s pointed out that “before” is a perfectly fine word and that no sane person would use “posterior to” in place of “after”. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/43 "2010-12-06T10:01:20Z")
> [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](#): > > It is not a usage issue. Their statement was factually incorrect. Maybe. I _still_ don’t give a fuck. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/44 "2010-12-06T10:05:38Z")
Of course not, the opposite to posterior to is anterior to. ‘Ante’ or ‘Post’ are more appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/45 "2010-12-06T10:34:02Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > It’s pointed out that “before” is a perfectly fine word and that no sane person would use “posterior to” in place of “after”. That’s true, bur posterior isn’t the opposite of prior, and “subsequent to” is common enough. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/46 "2010-12-06T13:00:03Z")
Oi! I’m just reporting what I learned after a 30 second Google, mateybollocks. Don’t gi’ a fuck about grammar missen; she always gave me shit Chrimbo prezzies. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/47 "2010-12-06T13:31:45Z")
If you really want to nitpick the BBC, try [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JpNravrwZc), that happened this morning on Radio 4. Fucking hilarious. NSFW! ETA: “Making Jeremy Hunt the Culture Secretary was reckless in the extreme…” ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/48 "2010-12-06T14:00:29Z")
He is too, Jeremy Hunt. A complete one … ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/49 "2010-12-06T14:38:23Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > Oi! I’m just reporting what I learned after a 30 second Google, mateybollocks. Don’t gi’ a fuck about grammar missen; she always gave me shit Chrimbo prezzies. Missen is a word that should be used far more often. I get the feeling the OP has abandoned this thread. Poor thing, orphaned just before Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/50 "2010-12-06T15:40:33Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > If you really want to nitpick the BBC, try [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JpNravrwZc), that happened this morning on Radio 4. Fucking hilarious. > > NSFW! > > ETA: “Making Jeremy Hunt the Culture Secretary was reckless in the extreme…” Turned a pointless thread into comedy gold! Glad I read to the end now..! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/51 "2010-12-06T17:27:59Z")
I love the Dope. A thread about to hit the two page mark, all about the correct usage of a preposition: “to”. [Piper does quick googling to confirm that “to” is, in fact, a preposition, to pre-empt application of Gaudere’s law. Whew, [yes it is](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/to). Hits “post”.] ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/52 "2010-12-06T17:32:55Z")
The contagion is spreading… first Andrew Marr repeated it, now it’s [reached parliament](http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/C-Word-Gaffe-Nick-Herbert-Accidentally-Swears-After-Jim-Naughtie-And-Andrew-Marr-Make-Same-Mistake/Article/201012115848769?lpos=Politics_First_UK_News_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15848769_C-Word_Gaffe:_Nick_Herbert_Accidentally_Swears_After_Jim_Naughtie_And_Andrew_Marr_Make_Same_Mistake) - a very apt home for the word. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/53 "2010-12-06T17:45:26Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Hits “post”. But then has to return to hit “edit” later… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/54 "2010-12-06T18:13:42Z")
yes, forgot the closing ] you’d think I’d know how to use this SDMB thingie by now. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/55 "2010-12-06T18:27:18Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I shove one, wrapper and all, down the dude’s throat screaming “it’s burritos supreme you fucktard lettuce jockey!” I really wish I hadn’t just updated my title, or it would be “Burritos Superme” right now. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Piper does quick googling to confirm that “to” is, in fact, a preposition, to pre-empt application of Gaudere’s law. You had to check whether “to,” in this context, was a preposition? Amateur. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/56 "2010-12-06T18:56:52Z")
Hey, I was pitted once for using a ligature (“æ” instead of “ae”). :eek: One can’t be too careful around this place. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/57 "2010-12-06T18:59:22Z")
Pit fail. The problem here was not an inaccurate statement by the BBC, but rather the [del]OP’s insistence on interpreting the BBC’s statement in a manner that creates inaccuracy[/del] BBC’s twee phrasing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/58 "2010-12-06T19:01:32Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > “Burritos Superme” Superb. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/59 "2010-12-06T20:24:22Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Superb. What’s fabulous is I was going to intentionally misspell “amateur,” but then when I went to make it “wrong” it came out right again, so I just said “fuck it.” ---
**Author:** ![Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f475e1/32.png) [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889/60 "2010-12-07T02:57:29Z")
> [@Gary\_Kumquat](#): > > What’s wrong with “prior to”? As Theodore Bernstein said, only\* use _prior to_ instead of _before_ if you also use _posterior to_ for _after_. - There a few limited exceptions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitpicking-the-bbc/562889.md?page=4)