# Rants: micro to middlin' **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 30, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517 "2008-04-30T20:37:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/1 "2008-04-30T20:37:32Z")
I can’t find the last mini-rants thread, and I need one desperately, so here: I pit “is is”. As in “the thing is is that”. Don’t these people listen to the words coming out of their mouths? And so many people do it, including otherwise educated and intelligent people. They don’t even pause between the two identical words. It’s gotten to the point that when I hear anyone say this correctly my respect for them goes up about 10 points. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/2 "2008-04-30T20:43:39Z")
I want women’s shoe manufacturers to make a shoe that can be worn without stockings, where the insole will not stick to the bottom of my foot and come halfway out of the shoe when I try to remove my foot. It can never be successfully glued back in, gets wadded up under the ball of the foot and makes the shoes forever uncomfortable to walk in. Fix this please. I can’t see why it should be that hard to do. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/3 "2008-04-30T20:58:30Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] I want women’s shoe manufacturers to make a shoe that can be worn without stockings, where the insole will not stick to the bottom of my foot and come halfway out of the shoe when I try to remove my foot. It can never be successfully glued back in, gets wadded up under the ball of the foot and makes the shoes forever uncomfortable to walk in. Fix this please. I can’t see why it should be that hard to do. [/QUOTE] Dude, totally. I’m wearing a pair of fairly pricey shoes that, exterior quality notwithstanding are doing the exact same thing. I’m so hacked. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/4 "2008-04-30T21:15:00Z")
[QUOTE=Roderick Femm] I pit “is is”. As in “the thing is is that”. Don’t these people listen to the words coming out of their mouths? And so many people do it, including otherwise educated and intelligent people. They don’t even pause between the two identical words. [/QUOTE] Do you mean people who stutter? I’ve never heard anyone say anything remotely similar to “the thing is is that” unless they were stuttering on their words. 😕 Carry on ranting… ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/5 "2008-04-30T21:17:10Z")
[QUOTE=HelloKitty] Do you mean people who stutter? I’ve never heard anyone say anything remotely similar to “the thing is is that” unless they were stuttering on their words. 😕 Carry on ranting… [/QUOTE] Consider this punctuation change to better illustrate the phenomenon: "The thing is, is that. . . " Oh, and **tremorviolet** , not that I wish you any ill-fitting shoes, but I am glad to know that I am not the only woman who has this problem, and who it irritates the piss out of. Ugh! ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/6 "2008-04-30T21:19:29Z")
Seriously, if you’re standing in your vehicle waiting for someone in the 7-11 or whatnot, cut your engine, please. Demand for gasoline is already high enough – don’t add to it. Besides, you’ll be saving **yourself** money and it’s just that much easier on the environment. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/7 "2008-04-30T21:32:00Z")
I’m on the phone. See? See the black thing attached to my ear? Me. On the phone. You standing there shifting your weight from one foot to the other, looking like my kid at age 5 doing the potty dance does nothing to get me off the phone any faster. Just come back in a few minutes, for fuck’s sake. Or better yet, email me. I’ll probably be able to respond more quickly. Besides, if I interrupt an important call for you to ask me a question to which you already know the answer, things are going to go downhill very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/8 "2008-04-30T21:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=Roderick Femm] I pit “is is”. As in “the thing is is that”. Don’t these people listen to the words coming out of their mouths? And so many people do it, including otherwise educated and intelligent people. They don’t even pause between the two identical words. It’s gotten to the point that when I hear anyone say this correctly my respect for them goes up about 10 points. [/QUOTE] I don’t think the pause is correct as much as the “is that” is extraneous. “The thing is, is that the Mets suck,” is awkward; “The thing is, the Mets suck,” is better. The “is that” adds nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/9 "2008-04-30T21:34:14Z")
By the time you reach the end of your third year of college, you should have mastered the use of the apostrophe in English. By the time you reach the end of your third year of _grade school_, you should have mastered the basics of apostrophe use in English. (I’m grading papers of third-year college students and am getting grouchy.) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/10 "2008-04-30T21:50:16Z")
My current language peeve is “myself.” People, sometimes “me” is just fine; you don’t sound hoity-toity when you always substitute “myself” when you mean “me” or “I.” You sound like you’re _trying_ to sound hoity-toity, but failing, I’m afraid. Example: “That might work for you, but it doesn’t work for myself.” But I suspect you guys know what I’m talking about; I see it written here on the boards all the time, too. 😉 Non-related rant: I rented a van today to move a couch. Holy crap, renting vehicles is a large, economy-sized pain in the ass! It was a hassle from beginning to end, and I fear for returning the van, that it will be another episode of “How may we jerk you around today?” ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/11 "2008-04-30T21:51:22Z")
Footbal Pundits. The fact that ‘Football’ means something different to most people outside the UK. Drunken Post-match male, group, tuneless, max volume street-singing. (Fucko Off) ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/12 "2008-04-30T21:56:34Z")
I went to see a rock show last night, the band Clutch. When I arrive, I find out that they’ll be playing with no vocalist (due to injuries). Not only that but now they’re billing themselves as The Bakerton Group. Ooo-kay. While I wait, I go ahead and wikipedia The Bakerton Group. Turns out that is an official side-project of the band. After they play about 3-4 songs, I realize I don’t recognize any of these songs, and so apparently they are ONLY playing the SIDE PROJECT’s songs. I got bored and left. Lame. Sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/13 "2008-04-30T21:57:05Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Example: “That might work for you, but it doesn’t work for myself.” But I suspect you guys know what I’m talking about; I see it written here on the boards all the time, too. 😉 [/QUOTE] You know people who say that? I thought that sort of thing only happened when someone gets interviewed for a newscast, and are trying to sound intelligent when they are not. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/14 "2008-04-30T21:58:18Z")
[QUOTE=Lobsang] The fact that ‘Football’ means something different to most people outside the UK. [/QUOTE] 😕 I thought Americans (and Canadians, too, I guess) were the only ones who didn’t call soccer football. Am I mistaken? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/15 "2008-04-30T22:12:36Z")
[QUOTE=AudreyK] I don’t think the pause is correct as much as the “is that” is extraneous. “The thing is, is that the Mets suck,” is awkward; “The thing is, the Mets suck,” is better. The “is that” adds nothing. [/QUOTE] True, but I wouldn’t mind if they said “the thing is that the Mets suck”. It doesn’t add anything (although in some contexts it makes a little more sense than in this example) but I know that is what they meant to say, and the extra “is” is just a mindless verbal hiccup. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/16 "2008-04-30T22:18:55Z")
[QUOTE=Iggins] You know people who say that? I thought that sort of thing only happened when someone gets interviewed for a newscast, and are trying to sound intelligent when they are not. [/QUOTE] I surely do. I also know someone who says “exspecially” when she means “especially.” People are weird. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/17 "2008-04-30T22:24:28Z")
I pit the huge mutant ninja roach that invaded my apartment. I also pit myself for freaking out when said mutant ninja cucaracha starts running towards me, making me slip on the roach poison and fracture my elbow. Over a fucking roach. Now I have to wear a sling for 6 weeks because the ortho didn’t want to cast my arm. Said arm FUCKING HURTS THROUGH THE VICODIN and students keep leaving huge piles of books around for me to clean up. Its like an easter egg hunt, only you don’t want to find any piles of eggs. Oh, and I move apartments next week. 2nd floor apartment, tight spiral staircase. Woot. The only good thing is everyone I work with, and their concern over my sad situation. I love you guys! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/18 "2008-04-30T22:26:12Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] 😕 I thought Americans (and Canadians, too, I guess) were the only ones who didn’t call soccer football. Am I mistaken? [/QUOTE] In Australia, it’s called soccer (New Zealand, too, i think). And “football” might refer, depending upon where in Australia you live, to Australian Rules football or to Rugby football. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/19 "2008-04-30T22:26:39Z")
Just as long as it’s “what it is, is”, it’s all good 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517/20 "2008-04-30T22:35:22Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] 😕 I thought Americans (and Canadians, too, I guess) were the only ones who didn’t call soccer football. Am I mistaken? [/QUOTE] I was kind of lazy with that one. It’s not as clear cut. Many European and South American Countries call it Soccer. I was once led to believe that it is only refered to ONLY as football within the UK. But what I am really mentioning it for is the fact that when one wants to refer to the game we Brits know as ‘Football’ One has to mention that it is specifically the football where foot and ball-shaped object are involved - not the one where hands and pointy-object are involved. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rants-micro-to-middlin/447517.md?page=2)