Cato's Grammar Grumble

[Opus106]

Re: cocking a snook and all that.

[Karl Henning]

I don't think I'll eat a drop dead chic dish, thank you very much ; )

[Karl Henning]

Re: cocking a snook and all that.

Thanks (again), Nav.  Did we decide that cock a snoot was a typo?

[Elgarian]

Ah, but your poetic example is equally flawed as the meter and flow of a poem are significant to it's success. The two words have different numbers of syllables. We cannot substitute one for the other and maintain the integrity of the poem. In any case, neither is commonly used in poetry (for which I think we are both grateful).

And I hope Cato doesn't mind we've commandeered his thread for a bit...

No, no, I was using the expression 'poetically effective' in a general way, such as one might encounter in well-written prose - not implying that one might construct some kind of 'Ode to Aluminium'. Though, hmmm:

Sweet silv'ry block, how dull 'aluminum' thy plight doth tire!
And how sweet 'aluminium' life inspire!

[Opus106]

Thanks (again), Nav.  Did we decide that cock a snoot was a typo?

If I remember correctly, it was decided that we should cock the snook at anyone who disagrees with the phrase we favour.

[mc ukrneal]

No, no, I was using the expression 'poetically effective' in a general way, such as one might encounter in well-written prose - not implying that one might construct some kind of 'Ode to Aluminium'. Though, hmmm:

Sweet silv'ry block, how dull 'aluminum' thy plight doth tire!
And how sweet 'aluminium' life inspire!

Ok. That did make me laugh!

[Karl Henning]

Here is the image they had too, for those who are visual:

That illustration seems almost to make the case for cock a snoot.

For snoot is slang for the nose (a corruption of snout?) And the silhouette of the fingers there mimics the cockscomb . . . thereby cocking the snoot.

[Karl Henning]

Which suggests that it's all an elaborate cognate for thumbing one's nose.

[Lethevich]

Take the lazy way out. I always find myself saying al-yuh-min-yum.

[chasmaniac]

The use of the word dead in English idioms is an example of how difficult a language it is to learn for non-native speakers. That's perhaps what could be expected from a language that has nine different ways to pronounce 'ough'

Reminds me of Shaw's ghoti.

[Elgarian]

Ok. That did make me laugh!

Then my work here is done.


Leave me, thou drear aluminum!
Begone! Thou dullard, drown in dumb defeat!
And come, O aluminium, light and fair,
Thy silv'ry sound surround us, passing sweet!

[Karl Henning]

Aluminimum

[Elgarian]

Aluminimum

It remains now only for someone to invent alumaximum.

[Karl Henning]

No comment:

I have chosen to review The Mothers Of Invention's "Ahead Of Their Time" album, to which Zappa penned all of the music for.

Author appears to be Canadian (anglophone).

[Karl Henning]

Serious ouch, not really mitigated by its being a line in a pop song:

. . . if me and you could be there, too . . . .

[kishnevi]

Serious ouch, not really mitigated by its being a line in a pop song:

I have a particular weakness for the Backstreet Boys, but several of their songs have lyrics which are so grammatically bad that I cringe.  And usually they are intentional, because the lyricist apparently couldn't figure out a better way to make the punishment fit the crime, er, I mean, make the words fit the melody.

[Cato]

I have a particular weakness for the Backstreet Boys, but several of their songs have lyrics which are so grammatically bad that I cringe.  And usually they are intentional, because the lyricist apparently couldn't figure out a better way to make the punishment fit the crime, er, I mean, make the words fit the melody.

Lack of competence and inspiration is legion in the Elision Fields of popular prosody! 

And not just recently: those over a certain age might recall this monstrosity and Crime Against Hymnody:


In the desert,
You Can Remember Your Name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain                      

A line so inexplicable that it makes sense only in the context of the drug-addled '60's!   0:)

The "song" also contains one of my favorite phrases: "The heat was hot."   

For those who want the full experience:

http://www.youtube.com/v/QRmvNMUEFZg

[The Six]

'60's!   0:)

One apostrophe too many? 

[kishnevi]

And not just recently: those over a certain age might recall this monstrosity and Crime Against Hymnody:


In the desert,
You Can Remember Your Name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain    

  0:)

O tempora! O mores! 

That seems to work out as a triple negative.

Although I always thought the line was "You Can't Remember Your Name"....

[Karl Henning]

O tempora! O mores! 

That seems to work out as a triple negative.

Hey, so they stumbled onto the correct polarity, after all!