Cato's Grammar Grumble

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

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karlhenning

You writin' a opry, feller?

Dr. Dread


karlhenning

Quote from: on cbs.comHe has campaigned for Sen. John McCain in 2008.

No, no, no.  The present perfect here is no good as of 1 Jan 09.

Faugh!  A major news website!

It has got to be cast in the simple past now: He campaigned for Sen. John McCain in 2008.

John Copeland


Cato

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 09, 2009, 12:13:58 PM
No, no, no.  The present perfect here is no good as of 1 Jan 09.

Faugh!  A major news website!

It has got to be cast in the simple past now: He campaigned for Sen. John McCain in 2008.

The illiterati are everywhere and have infiltrated areas one would hope are still pristine!  But no: one can no longer trust "better" newspapers to have good grammar or style as one of their missions!

I used to send my students of History to find articles in 1920's newspapers, or even ones from the 19th century, and then had them compare those to our sorry examples of contemporary journalism.  And our complaint goes beyond the simple sycophantic proskinesis which the media performs nowadays before the hemidemisemi-Lincoln wannabe of the White House.  

Even their flattery is flat!   $:)  And when it isn't, it's laughable!   8)

"How far have we fallen?!"   :o

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

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

Cato

Under the idea that, once one starts grumbling about a problem, one's ears will suddenly hear more examples of that problem, we can file this incident from last night:

At a craft store where my wife has deposited our life's savings, she was politely chatting with the more than plump, bearded, lisping 20-something cashier about the vicissitudes of life these days, like the plague of bicephalous deer in Franklin County, when suddenly I heard:

"There was this woman that just buyed a whole bunch of frames..."

My mind echoed instantly: "Buyed???  Buyed??? BUYED???"
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

Benji

Quote from: Cato on March 10, 2009, 03:39:54 AM
"There was this woman that just buyed a whole bunch of frames..."

My mind echoed instantly: "Buyed???  Buyed??? BUYED???"

So that's not one you can abuyed?  ;)

Cato

Quote from: RepliCat on March 10, 2009, 04:36:11 AM
So that's not one you can abuyed?  ;)

Wocka Wocka!  And on top of that, I can't afford a Ford either!   8)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

karlhenning


Florestan

Just heard on radio, during a talk about football:

It's useless to make a comparison between Fergusson [pause] Fergusson is different.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

karlhenning

Well, between you, Andrei, I see nothing wrong with that  ::)

Florestan

Both me don't, but still thought it was funner.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Cato

#352
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 10, 2009, 05:12:36 AM
Lord love a duck.

I saw that movie!  c. 1967?  One of the worst ever, except for Tuesday Weld in those sweaters!   :o

A girl named Tuesday!  Reminds one of G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday!

Of course, The Addams Family had the daughter named Wednesday!

Don't get me started on people who give their children weird names!   $:)

Karl: Where is that picture from?  East Germany?
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

karlhenning

Outside the Fenway entrance of the MFA.

Cato

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 10, 2009, 06:49:10 AM
Outside the Fenway entrance of the MFA.

Aha!  Is that the "monster" wall of legend?

Concerning "between" and "I" one must reiterate that "I" is always wrong with prepositions: "Just between you and me..."  The affected illiterati, who use "I" here in an attempt to sound very correct, end up of course sounding like schnooks.
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

Ten thumbs

It is interesting that language development is mostly driven by the illiterate. How often do we see new words invented by those unaware that a perfectly good word exists already!
A day may be a destiny; for life
Lives in but little—but that little teems
With some one chance, the balance of all time:
A look—a word—and we are wholly changed.

Lethevich

"Continuity IRA Shot Dead Officer"

Even when forced to limit a headline to 5 words, this reads strangely...
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Cato

Quote from: Ten thumbs on March 10, 2009, 09:57:39 AM
It is interesting that language development is mostly driven by the illiterate. How often do we see new words invented by those unaware that a perfectly good word exists already!

I would change that to "deterioration" of course!   0:)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

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

karlhenning

To paraphrase Jeeves: There is no place where verbs do not matter.

karlhenning

Quote from: ' on March 10, 2009, 05:43:55 PM
What Einstein said,
it does disturb,
how matter
can become a verb.'

Hah!

It's ancient usage, though, you know.

Somewhere I read a story that Sir Thomas More talked someone out of committing suicide by discussing the difference in grammar between nothing matters and nothing chatters.