# Things which bother me about the way people speak in Dubai



## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

*NUMBER 1 (and the most offensive)*

If you look at any of the newspaper publication classifieds you will see positions vacant. I see lots of ads which advertise the following

"Office Boy Cum Driver''

''Secretary Cum PA"


and so on. 

Please, non native English speakers. Do a google search on ''cum''. You should be saying ''come'' instead.


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*Number 2*

Whenever I get letters, notes, whatever the case may be and someone tells me to do something with the precursor ''Kindly''

It's really condescending. A simple ''Please'' in the place of ''Kindly'' would go a long way.

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Feel free to add others, but those two really p!ss me off


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

To clarify - you are referring to printed text, not the spoken word. There is a difference so your heading is misleading.

In the context you describe the correct spelling is 'cum'. The word dates back to the 16th century. These 'non-native speakers' to whom you refer are using the right word. Come is a verb, not a preposition.

Secondly, the use of kindly instead of please in formal written communication is considered polite and is not patronising. the word can be adverb (as used instead of please) or as an adjective.


Sadly, these days too few people study their own language in any details, hence this confusion and all the errors I see on a daily basis. I trust this clarifies. 


-


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

The word 'cum' is Latin and means 'with'. Usually it's positioned between two words, demarcated by hyphens with the intention of alerting the reader that the person or object has multiple uses or responsibilities

So correct use would be Office Boy-cum-Driver or Secretary-cum-PA



Elphaba said:


> Sadly, these days too few people study their own language in any details, hence this confusion and all the errors I see on a daily basis. I trust this clarifies.


I take it Elphaba, that you're a Roman Witch  and, disagree with the use of the Oxford comma - which I feel would have put more impact into your statement about being disappointed. 

Kindly, feel free to comment


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## A_kz (Aug 24, 2008)

wow, such knowledgeable people at this forum. one should be very careful when posting a thought  i'm a 'non-native speaker', so please don't judge my use of words and/or commas


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

A_kz said:


> wow, such knowledgeable people at this forum. one should be very careful when posting a thought  i'm a 'non-native speaker', so please don't judge my use of words and/or commas


Definitely not, I only 'assist' the sinners who cast stones. 

Anyone who chooses to better themselves in both their native and another tongue is good in my books


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

Me have speaked like this ever since me was a children


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Ogri750 said:


> Me have speaked like this ever since me was a children


Yep, he did!


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## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

Whatever. I find ''kindly'' really condescending regardless of the intention, and cum is just a word that shouldn't be used anymore, it's been *******ised and I would think if people knew the connotations that they wouldn't use it either. More likely they would be mortified.

eg: you can't go around calling people gay instead of happy anymore. ''Hey Jim, you look really gay today''! 

Just trying to make people aware of how things can be interpreted by the rest of the english speaking world. The words themselves may have worthy origins, but things change.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

alli said:


> Whatever. I find ''kindly'' really condescending regardless of the intention, and cum is just a word that shouldn't be used anymore, it's been *******ised and I would think if people knew the connotations that they wouldn't use it either. More likely they would be mortified.
> 
> eg: you can't go around calling people gay instead of happy anymore. ''Hey Jim, you look really gay today''!
> 
> Just trying to make people aware of how things can be interpreted by the rest of the english speaking world. The words themselves may have worthy origins, but things change.


I agree that things change but there are plenty of words with double meanings in the English language where here in England (the home of the language) people know both meanings and are definitely not mortified. 

For Example:
'Smoking a ***' is a reference to having a cigarette and not a homosexual act of foreplay
Eating a ****** is along the same lines
In the US a person could fall on their ***** and when an Englishman offers you a 'Brew' he's not about to give you a beer, merely a lovely cup of tea.

If you're a 13 year old boy you may find these double entendres gigglesome but if I read a paper and see correct usage of the English language - and the injection of Latin to boot - I feel a slightly warmer glow that the person writing may actually know what they are talking about and has researched their topic...

...this is caveated by excluding journalists from the Daily Mail 

Would this not be useful to be moved into the General Expat forum - It's not really a topic that is solely Dubai based as people from all over the world decimate this fine language on a daily basis - myself included


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## Mac (Jul 6, 2008)

CUM 

Sorry, I had to do it!


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## greatexpectations (Aug 5, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> I agree that things change but there are plenty of words with double meanings in the English language where here in England (the home of the language) people know both meanings and are definitely not mortified.
> 
> For Example:
> 'Smoking a ***' is a reference to having a cigarette and not a homosexual act of foreplay
> ...


Cum on Alli. just admit you were wrong and take it on the chin (so to speak )


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

I thought cum was referring to............never mind!


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## A_kz (Aug 24, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> Definitely not, I only 'assist' the sinners who cast stones.
> 
> Anyone who chooses to better themselves in both their native and another tongue is good in my books


lol... I should read your posts more often. Learning some new expressions here


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## James - UK (Aug 18, 2008)

Mac said:


> CUM
> 
> Sorry, I had to do it!





Ha ha, you beat me!!!


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## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

you're a cheeky ******, greatexpectations!!!


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