I Find It Very Strange..

[CailinDeas]

that some people say i.e., "what do you think TO that?" as opposed to "what do you think OF that?" Which is correct?

[quinie]

Never heard anyone saying they got off of the bus -just off the bus.Maybe it depends on where you you live?

[coccinelle]

off of is american. it crops up a lot in american novels.

[coccinelle]

we can say; what do you SAY to that but not think to that. it would be think of or think about.

[Psybbo]

hey you get off of my cloud

[hc4361]

"off of" is not old-fashioned, it is a recent import from the US. I hate it, too.

[CailinDeas]

Surely, one talks WITH someone rather than talks TO someone. The latter seems to have connotations of not giving the other person an opportunity
of getting a word in.

[Peter Pedant]

think of ..... BBC
think to...... northern dialect

dividing line ? o probably watford gap.

Now in French, you can have both..... penser a et penser de....
theya re different and I cant remmber how

[Tilly2]

Hey, do you remember my 'met' and 'met up with' question from ages ago?

[jake-the-peg]

People get tied up in the language and start to think that these are 'right' or 'wrong' and it's pretty daft really.

It just depends on the number of people using it.

For example i 'Literally' loved this story
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/10240917/Uproar-as-OED-includes-erroneous-use-of-literally.html

the OED documents our use of language it doesn't define it - we (thankfully) have no equivilent of the Acadamie Francais

[Zacs-Master]

As long as the meaning is clear, what's the problem. It's been said many times before but if you went back 150 years there would be many phrases you would find odd, likewise 150 years in the future. No point getting pedantic and snobby about what is essentially an evolving entity.

[CailinDeas]

I like the story too Jake.
I do find it very difficult however, to restrain myself from correcting people who use double negatives i.e., "I won't say nothing".
I am not, nor have I ever been a teacher, (in case you are jumping to conclusions - LOL)!

[woofgang]

But maybe they don't want to talk to you and are only doing it because they need to!

[jno]

not all that recent, hc4361

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlhPRuAve8k

[elliemay1]

I'll never forget that post of yours, Tilly!