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Post by Dave on May 30, 2019 15:29:56 GMT
My granddaughter introduced me to a new word as well: paronomasia. It's the 'big' word for "pun."
And looking below that in the dictionary, I discovered paronym (& paronymous): words containing the same root or stem.
And in between: paronychia, which had "felon" as a synonym following the definition "inflammation of the folds of skin bordering a nail of a finger or toe." This felon has a different etymology from the felon we're familiar with.
Must stop reading the dictionary!
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Post by Twoddle on May 30, 2019 17:50:43 GMT
I'd like to use commas both before and after the "but", but I'm aware of my tendency to use too many commas!
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Post by Verbivore on May 30, 2019 21:34:05 GMT
I have been asked to check the grammar and punctuation (only) in a children story for a friend. Consider this sentence: "The creature must have left tracks on the ground, but as George started to search for proof, his grandad let out a huge guffaw." I would prefer the first comma to follow "but" as I think the subsequent phrase is parenthetical but I think most authors do not agree. What do you think, VV? Please. I don't think the second phrase is parenthetical (though moving the comma as you suggest would make it so), so the first comma is appropriately placed. With the aim of avoiding overcommaplication I'd be inclined to delete the second comma; it's not absolutely necessary (though, as a "breath pause", might be of assistance to a junior reader). If one were to regard the second phrase as parenthetical and so move the comma to following but it would imply that the creature's tracks and grandad's guffaw were somehow related; I think the guffaw is related to George's searching for proof. That was my first "proofing" job for the day; now I'm off to the main one.
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Post by Verbivore on May 30, 2019 21:39:48 GMT
My granddaughter introduced me to a new word as well: paronomasia. It's the 'big' word for "pun." And looking below that in the dictionary, I discovered paronym (& paronymous): words containing the same root or stem. And in between: paronychia, which had "felon" as a synonym following the definition "inflammation of the folds of skin bordering a nail of a finger or toe." This felon has a different etymology from the felon we're familiar with. Must stop reading the dictionary!No, Dave! Never stop reading dictionaries! I started reading them for "fun" as a child and have been reading – not just consulting – them ever since. The good ones are founts of all kinds of information (useful to some of us at least) only marginally related to the word(s) we look up (but then as a language geek I'm biased). ;-)
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Post by Dave on May 31, 2019 2:06:39 GMT
My granddaughter introduced me to a new word as well: paronomasia. It's the 'big' word for "pun." And looking below that in the dictionary, I discovered paronym (& paronymous): words containing the same root or stem. And in between: paronychia, which had "felon" as a synonym following the definition "inflammation of the folds of skin bordering a nail of a finger or toe." This felon has a different etymology from the felon we're familiar with. Must stop reading the dictionary!No, Dave! Never stop reading dictionaries! I started reading them for "fun" as a child and have been reading – not just consulting – them ever since. The good ones are founts of all kinds of information (useful to some of us at least) only marginally related to the word(s) we look up (but then as a language geek I'm biased). ;-) Not forever--just right now!
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Post by Verbivore on May 31, 2019 8:30:44 GMT
Not forever--just right now! Oh, I see. One can lose many an hour that way. I have proof!
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