Cato's Grammar Grumble

[Karl Henning]

Grumble over a Shed. Film at 7.

[Karl Henning]

Grumble over a Shed. Film at 7.

The combination of the fading of any sense of the subjunctive (and of certain formulations therewith), irregular verbs, and pop singers: how ugly the result can often be.

Consider this (somewhat sentimental, but nonetheless laudable) line from "God Bless America":

America, America, God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

It is a wish (or prayer, if you like), and thus both verbs are in the subjunctive mood;  an equivalent (and less ambiguous, in our days of darkened grammar) formulation (which would not scan for the verse, obviously) were: May God shed His grace . . . May He crown thy good . . . .

Well, not long before I posted above, I had occasion to hear a "classic" pop recording (Joe Cocker, I am guessing) in which some soulful improv by the singer betrays misunderstanding of the text.  He blathered to the effect of, "God done shed His grace on thee," misinterpreting the verb as the simple past . . . which makes nonsense of the subsequent wish that America's good may be crowned with brotherhood.

Content-wise, I suppose one can consider that God has shed his grace on America;  though (personally) I find that can trend a little uncomfortably complacent.  At times, outright smug.  And it could (in this case) be avoided simply with a small application of intelligence.

[Karl Henning]

When do we reach the point where we can no longer say, We expect better of the Monitor?

In his short time as Commander in Chief he launched the space program, diffused the Cuban Missile Crisis, and introduced crucial Civil Rights legislation.

[Cato]

Okay, experts.

When referring to the movie or story genre, is "western" capitalized? I have been capitalizing it but someone who should know better sent my text back to me and had made it lower case.

[I'm back. I think "Western literature" is correct but when using "western" as a noun, it is lower case. So...I was probably wrong capitalizing it.]

No, I would write both "Western literature" and "The Western is not as dead as people think."

Lower case for things like: "The western edge of the field needs mowing."

When do we reach the point where we can no longer say, We expect better of the Monitor?

Soon I hope!  I have seen that mistake in newspapers before.

From an article about a computer-chip "flaw" :

Rik Ferguson, director of security research at the online security company Trend Micro, said: "This kind of flaw that gives somebody access right into the device has inherent flaws.

Hmmm!   

[Ataraxia]

No, I would write both "Western literature" and "The Western is not as dead as people think."

Thanks, Cato.

[Cato]

This is not a grammar grumble per se, but deals more with what has been termed "innumeracy."   

A term which will become obvious when you see the following:

A local radio ad for a plastic surgeon has a perky female voice saying (and I am not making this up):

"Hey girls!  Tired of all the nicks and harsh creams to get rid of unwanted hair?  Remember these 4 words:

Never shave again!"               

So ...how many hands and eyes and ears did this ad pass through, before being broadcast?  Did not even the perky female voice notice something wrong?   

[Karl Henning]

A local radio ad for a plastic surgeon has a perky female voice saying (and I am not making this up):

"Hey girls!  Tired of all the nicks and harsh creams to get rid of unwanted hair?  Remember these 4 words:

Never shave again!"               

ROFL

[North Star]

This is the stuff of legends:

[Cato]

This is the stuff of legends:

Well, they could have inscribed: "NOBLE PIECE PRICE."   0:)

[eyeresist]

Why do they have rodeo clowns at the Nobel prize-giving?

[North Star]

That isn't the actual prize, it was presented at Ahtisaari's old sr. high, where they put in on the wall. Perhaps the workers didn't feel like wearing their tuxes.

[Karl Henning]

I just hope they got that plaque at a reduced prize.

[Cato]

Today's (June 20, 2012) Wall Street Journal has an article to appall all of you grammar gurus.


An excerpt:

"...Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors, many managers say...."

And perhaps my favorite section:

At RescueTime, for example, grammar rules have never come up. At the Seattle-based maker of personal-productivity software, most employees are in their 30s. Sincerity and clarity expressed in "140 characters and sound bytes" are seen as hallmarks of good communication—not "the king's grammar," says Jason Grimes, 38, vice president of product marketing. "Those who can be sincere, and still text and Twitter and communicate on Facebook—those are the ones who are going to succeed."

(My emphasis)

I was like, well yeeaaaahhh, like "Jason" sure, I mean, he knows all kinda stuff, y' know? Sincerity, well, yeeaaahhh, like, ROFL & BMUD & kinda sorta y' know DIPUTS!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303410404577466662919275448.html?mod=ITP_personaljournal_0

[Karl Henning]

Sincerity in 140 characters: my hallmark!

[mc ukrneal]

Today's (June 20, 2012) Wall Street Journal has an article to appall all of you grammar gurus.
An excerpt:

Fantastic or ridiculous! Not sure which to choose...(or maybe both)...

[The Six]

An MIT linguistics professor was lecturing his class the other day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. However, in many languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn't a single language, not one, in which a double positive can express a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

[Florestan]

An MIT linguistics professor was lecturing his class the other day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. However, in many languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn't a single language, not one, in which a double positive can express a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

Good one!... 

[Cato]

An MIT linguistics professor was lecturing his class the other day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. However, in many languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn't a single language, not one, in which a double positive can express a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

Words do not always mean what they say, and tone is always important: this is why the Internet foments so many arguments and misunderstandings.   

[Florestan]

Words do not always mean what they say, and tone is always important: this is why the Internet foments so many arguments and misunderstandings.   

And this also why non idem est si duo dicunt idem.  That is, Graeca sunt, non leguntur... 

[eyeresist]

Words do not always mean what they say, and tone is always important: this is why the Internet foments so many arguments and misunderstandings.   

A handy excuse for some really terrible behaviour.