Monday, April 23, 2018

Area

Even before I was a realtor I watched all the HGTV and DIY network shows involving buying, selling, flipping, renovating, restoring, or otherwise improving real estate.  I just love them!  Spouse has gotten tired of them so now I DVR the new episodes and watch them when he's not around.

Something that I hear both home buyers and realtors saying incorrectly is the word area.  Not incorrectly pronouncing it, but incorrectly using it at the end of every phrase or sentence.

"And over here you have the formal dining room area."

An area is a section within a larger space.  If you have an open concept space with an area for dining, you can call it the dining area.  But if you have a formal dining ROOM, that's a room not an area.

"Wow, this patio area will be great for entertaining!"

Again, a patio is a defined space and should not have the word area after it.  Now, if someone said "this yard's patio area is great for entertaining" that would be correct.  The yard is the larger space and the patio is the area.  But a patio is not an area unless its being described within a larger space.

I don't know why this irks me so much but it does.  Kind of like when people say "navy blue" or "kelly green".  Blue is the only color with a shade called navy, and green is the only color with a shade called kelly, so its redundant to say "navy blue" or "kelly green".  Its just navy or kelly.

What are you language indiosyncrasies?

2 comments:

Bob said...

I know what you mean. On episode a realtor pointed to a section of the living room and called it the "formal dining room."

I shouted, "It's a dining space!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

anne marie in philly said...

like, you know, like - drives me up the wall!

also, ending a sentence in an up-tone similar to a question: "so, let's go, to the PARTY?"

no problem - FUCK YOU!