Cato's Grammar Grumble

Started by Cato, February 08, 2009, 05:00:18 PM

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steve ridgway

Quote from: The Six on August 28, 2020, 06:10:19 PM
RIP the letter "d" in "supposed". It had a good run, but the end is near, so we might as well pay our respects now. It will be joining its brother, the fallen "d" in "iced cream".  :blank:

Oh was it "iced cream" originally? How about "it is supposed to be" though?

Karl Henning

Considering the more vital ways in which journalists are letting us down, the verbal slips may sem unimportant, but:
"Senate Republicans attempted to pass a more narrow coronavirus stimulus bill..." What, never heard of narrower?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Cato

#4722
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 10, 2020, 02:30:42 PM
Considering the more vital ways in which journalists are letting us down, the verbal slips may sem unimportant, but:
"Senate Republicans attempted to pass a more narrow coronavirus stimulus bill..." What, never heard of narrower?

I cringe more and more at seeing the word "more" instead of the "-er" ending for Comparative Adjectives.  A similar problem is evident with "most" and the Superlative.  e.g.  "Most stupid" instead of "stupidest."

I am also cringing more at the use of Ā, as in "late," for the pronunciation of the Indefinite Article.  e.g. "That is Ā new car."  :o ??? :'(  There are several Blondie Bubbleheads on the local T.V. news who use this monstrosity almost constantly.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

#4723
A machine-printed - not hand-written - sign seen recently at a grocery store:

"Coupons cant be used for shipt items."

To be sure, the second is the more grievous error, but both make us wonder: "Did the computer really not have Spell-Check?!"

"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Cato

#4724
Part II:

And we have this sign at a local Taco Bell restaurant:

             FREE JOBS!

Truly this puzzling sign fathers at least a few questions:

How many people are paying a company so that they may have the privilege of working there?  I know that I would gladly pay my school for the wonderful experiences of teaching students and  70+ hour weeks!  Yet, mirabile creditu, the Catholic Church in fact pays me to work there!   0:)

Are there jobs with entrance fees?  I know that with certain positions e.g. The Mafia, there are entrance tests involving the disposal of wise guys, but a fee?

Is the word "volunteer" perhaps more appropriate?   I do know some people who would work at Taco Bell just to be able to sample the food or smell the aromas.  And we all know, as we go through Life, we should take time to stop and smell the quesos!   8)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

steve ridgway

Our local Indian restaurant has a beautifully printed sign in the window - "Allergies and intolerance available on request. Please ask any member of staff". ;D

Mandryka

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Florestan

Quote from: Mandryka on February 06, 2021, 03:08:25 AM
Maybe of interest, maybe not

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

I didn't get this one: There is no A in "definitely". Can someone please explain it to me?



Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

ritter

#4728
Quote from: Florestan on February 07, 2021, 07:16:43 AM
I didn't get this one: There is no A in "definitely". Can someone please explain it to me?
I think I've seen it spelled "definately" or even "definatly"

And then, I've many times heard "nuclear" pronounced "nukelar" (even by one of my professors at the University of Chicago!  ::))...

Florestan

Quote from: ritter on February 07, 2021, 07:21:10 AM
I think I've seen it spelled "definatly"...

That's the problem with etymological spelling, even educated people can't have it right always. I was in France ca. 1999 and I asked a French Ph. D. candidate how to spell correctly, exercise or exercice. He scratched his head, took a pen, scribbled something and then told me: I believe it's exercice but I'm not sure. He was right, but there...  ;D

Quote
And then, I've many times heard "nuclear" pronounced "nukelar" (even by one of my professors at the University of Chicago!  ::))...

I wonder how that professor would have pronounce Puccini. (Puke-seeny seems a good guess  :laugh: )
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Mandryka

#4730
It's very tempting for me to write definately as phonetically it's more accurate than an i, I in fact sometimes have to remind myself of the etymology.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Florestan

Quote from: Mandryka on February 07, 2021, 08:23:42 AM
It's very tempting for me to write definately as phonetically it's more accurate than an i, I in fact sometimes have to remind myself of the etymology.

I've always pronounced it dee-fine-it-lee. Have I been wrong?
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

steve ridgway

Quote from: Florestan on February 07, 2021, 08:31:56 AM
I've always pronounced it dee-fine-it-lee. Have I been wrong?

Def-in-ut-lee for me.

Florestan

#4733
Quote from: steve ridgway on February 07, 2021, 08:38:29 AM
Def-in-it-lee for me.
You might be just right, now that I think of it.

But then again, how do you pronounce define? Dee-fine, or Def-in?

But then again again, English pronunciation is the most illogical and counterintuitive of all the languages I can speak or read.  :laugh:
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

steve ridgway

Quote from: Florestan on February 07, 2021, 08:40:07 AM
You might be just right, now that I think of it.

Sorry, meant to put Def-in-ut-lee.

Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

steve ridgway

Quote from: Florestan on February 07, 2021, 08:40:07 AM
But then again, how do you pronounce define? Dee-fine, or Def-in?

But then again again, English pronunciation is the most illogical and counterintuitive of all the languages I can speak or read.  :laugh:

Dif-ine although you should bear in mind that the primary function of any language is to identify the foreigners. ;)

Florestan

#4737
Quote from: steve ridgway on February 07, 2021, 09:19:23 AM
Dif-ine although you should bear in mind that the primary function of any language is to identify the foreigners. ;)

:D :D :D

Okay, how would you pronounce this:

În patria noastră multe păduri sunt.

The above is a legit, grammatically correct Romanian sentence which differs from the original Latin by one word* and two diacritics only.  ;)

* this one word being of Latin origin as well

Original Latin: In patria nostra multae silvae sunt,
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Karl Henning

Quote from: Florestan on February 07, 2021, 07:16:43 AM
I didn't get this one: There is no A in "definitely". Can someone please explain it to me?





As with many of the other examples, a too-common spelling error, among native speakers.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

JBS

Quote from: steve ridgway on February 07, 2021, 09:19:23 AM
Dif-ine although you should bear in mind that the primary function of any language is to identify the foreigners. ;)

I pronounce it deh-fine.

Quote from: Florestan on February 07, 2021, 09:43:53 AM
:D :D :D

Okay, how would you pronounce this:

În patria noastră multe păduri sunt.

The above is a legit, grammatically correct Romanian sentence which differs from the original Latin by one word* and two diacritics only.  ;)

* this one word being of Latin origin as well

Original Latin: In patria nostra multae silvae sunt,


How close we were to Shakespeare writing

Who is Padur and why do all the swains adore her?

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk