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Post by Twoddle on May 6, 2019 10:13:57 GMT
This was a common tongue-twister during my childhood: "She sells sea shells by the sea shore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I'm sure she sells seashore shells.” Here’s the story behind it.As with so many female and/or working-class pioneers, Mary Anning didn't achieve the recognition she deserved. She'd have gained greater financial success if she'd sold pickled peppers by the peck.
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Post by Verbivore on May 9, 2019 9:23:46 GMT
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Post by Verbivore on May 10, 2019 1:10:26 GMT
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Post by Little Jack Horner on May 10, 2019 19:30:05 GMT
Ten days ago, in the April thread, Twoddle said, “I've been castigated by the Contessa for being "picky" about the #MeToo movement. I see no reason to use the objective personal pronoun, so I maintain that it should be #IToo.” I think I agree with the Contessa — there is no way, in any context, that I can say “I too” without sounding ridiculous. At worst, I think “me too” is an established idiom. At best, it is an abbreviation of “(it is something which includes) me, too”.
I hope that Corkscrewcurley will find time to join a thread that is more current than 2017. May I join with Vv and others in welcoming you, Csc?
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Post by Twoddle on May 10, 2019 19:57:45 GMT
At what stage does poor grammar become an established idiom, LJH? More and more I hear, "Me and John went to … "; to my ear that's appalling English - in fact it sounds like "baby talk" - but if enough people say it will it become an established idiom? I see nothing in #MeToo to suggest that it's preceded by "It is something which includes", but instead it could be followed by, "am standing against sexual misconduct".
#IToo sounds fine to me - except, of course, that there's no space between "I" and "Too".
English lacks disjunctive pronouns, which is a pity. How would Robert Graves's book have been received if it had been titled, "Me, Claudius"? In French, "Moi, Claudius" wouldn't raise a sourcil.
Sorry, I think my train of thought became derailed just then.
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Post by Verbivore on May 10, 2019 22:25:00 GMT
Perhaps I sound like a jerk but I say, even in casual conversations with my mechanic, "I too" rather than "me too" (unless I happen to have been the object of an action, as in "He hit me too", which may be what the MeToo movement is saying). Such behaviour was entrenched in my childhood and my I toos don't raise anyone's sourcils, so I shall persist with what has become mindlessly automatic – idiom be damned. On another matter: what was Frank Zappa’s attachment to the apostrophe? In relation to his 1974 album The Apostrophe (no, I wasn't aware of its existence until moments ago), Zappa is reported to have said, "The crux of the biscuit is in the apostrophe". Who knows what he meant? For that matter, who knows what many (most?) modern lyricists mean (if even they can be deciphered)? A link from another forum took me to this Quora answer.
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Post by Twoddle on May 11, 2019 6:45:09 GMT
I was only ever vaguely aware of Zappa's existence, but upon seeing Verbivore's message I decided to improve my general knowledge by reading some of his (Zappa's, not Verbivore's) lyrics. Subsequently I found myself on a Web page, trying to make head or tail of a long verse of apparently unconnected and incomprehensible lines from one of his songs, until I realised that in fact I was reading a list of his song titles. When I eventually read the lyrics of several of those songs they made little more sense than the list of song titles had done.
It's much the same with most of Bob Dylan's and David Bowie's lyrics.
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Post by Twoddle on May 11, 2019 6:46:58 GMT
Perhaps I sound like a jerk but I say, even in casual conversations with my mechanic, "I too" rather than "me too" (unless I happen to have been the object of an action, as in "He hit me too", which may be what the MeToo movement is saying). It doesn't sound the least bit jerky to me. Lead by example; don't follow the herd!
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Post by Verbivore on May 18, 2019 23:45:28 GMT
NZ’s PM Ardern employs the serial comma! Yay – I’d vote for her! (Anyone would be an improvement on yesterday’s pathetic / risible offerings at our federal election. Another three years of same old same old … .) – NZ PM Jacinda Ardern's letter to a child: hilarious and diplomatic.
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Post by Verbivore on May 22, 2019 9:56:52 GMT
I suppose better new innovations than old ones, but new and innovations in such proximity distracted me from the message. (Caption to photo)
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Post by Twoddle on May 22, 2019 17:31:03 GMT
NZ’s PM Ardern employs the serial comma! Yay – I’d vote for her! (Anyone would be an improvement on yesterday’s pathetic / risible offerings at our federal election. Another three years of same old same old … .) – NZ PM Jacinda Ardern's letter to a child: hilarious and diplomatic. With a general election on the cards in the UK, we may be faced with the dire choice of ultra-left Jeremy Corbyn or ultra-self-serving Boris Johnson as Prime Minister (and may the Lord have mercy on our souls). Could we PLEASE have the outstanding Ms Ardern instead?
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Post by Verbivore on May 22, 2019 22:04:47 GMT
NZ’s PM Ardern employs the serial comma! Yay – I’d vote for her! (Anyone would be an improvement on yesterday’s pathetic / risible offerings at our federal election. Another three years of same old same old … .) – NZ PM Jacinda Ardern's letter to a child: hilarious and diplomatic. With a general election on the cards in the UK, we may be faced with the dire choice of ultra-left Jeremy Corbyn or ultra-self-serving Boris Johnson as Prime Minister (and may the Lord have mercy on our souls). Could we PLEASE have the outstanding Ms Ardern instead? We baggsed her first, Twod! After all, NZ is the seventh state of Oz, you know. Get in line. LOL
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Post by Twoddle on May 23, 2019 8:56:38 GMT
Damn! I can't find it online: the T-shirt showing a map of New Zealand, with a large North Island marked, "North Island", a large South Island marked, "South Island", and a tiny wee Australia marked, "Outer Island".
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Post by Verbivore on May 23, 2019 10:17:09 GMT
It's all to do with how you say it:
Full cream milk is either: * 4 per cent fat; or * 96 per cent fat-free. (Actually it's both at the same time.)
Which would you buy? A product that is "4 per cent fat" or one that is "96 per cent fat-free"?
I ask because today in the supermarket I saw milk on special and advertised as "full cream dairy milk 96 per cent fat-free" (supermarket chain's house brand) at $1/L. Wanting to know how full-cream milk could contain only 4% fat – yes I was suckered in! – I read the fine print on the label: "Contents: Whole dairy milk incl. approx. 4% fat (max.) 100%."
Ah yes, of course: Regular milk is about 4% fat, so it is also 96% fat free. Marketing, psychology, and slippery numbers, huh!
PS (very late thought): Pure cream (as sold in AU) is by definition 45 per cent fat. I do love my pure cream (I think it's what American cookbooks call "heavy cream"), so I'm pleased to know that it's actually 55 per cent fat free!
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Post by Verbivore on May 24, 2019 11:13:55 GMT
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