You are likely right - but if I don't believe either version, it doesn't result in a sale to me!
Linguistically I stand by my point.
"times" and "less" cause a horrible clash.
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Words or phrases that annoy you (even if you can't explain why) . . .
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Linguistically I stand by my point.
"times" and "less" cause a horrible clash.Language can change or adapt either through a majority of willing users acknowledging and accepting the new usage or the narrow-minded prescriptivists - reluctant to that change - simply concede having been over-run by common usage. Hank Stram boasting about 'matriculating the ball down the field' is important because he was mic'd up during an early Super Bowl and over many decades a growing horde of fervent American football fans have consumed and parroted the usage. Sports and its broadcasting cabal are what Howard Cosell called the jock-ocuracy who favor a more permissive as opposed to prescriptive set of rules. In America - in short - the permissive-ists are winning. "Your old road is rapidly aging, please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand." If you don't know who Yogi Berra is and his collected set of Yogi-isms, that speaks to a cultural blind spot. That's a you problem.
Not really. The subject of the sentence is "scrubbing", a noun derived from a verb, a gerund. As such it's uncountable, so "less scrubbing" is right, and "fewer scrubbing" clearly is not. Same with "singing", "fighting", etc etc.You are likely right - but if I don't believe either version, it doesn't result in a sale to me!
Linguistically I stand by my point.
Sorry, I really should do less moaning...
I'm not American, - I'm European, and thus, from a different world - therefore, such culturally specific (sporting?) references mean absolutely nothing to me, neither in a linguistic, sporting, nor, for that matter, in a cultural context.
And, as I have no plans to immerse myself in mastering such culturally specific references, I shall happily remain in a state of blissful ignorance, cheerfully dismissing - discarding and disregarding - something that has little to no relevance whatsoever to my life and my many worlds.
Which is fine. Sounds like you contain multitudes. Just be sure to have your head on a swivel if you ever do decide to venture outside your many worlds. Your hermetically-sealed GPS settings may need to recalibrate.
Ah: A reference to the work of an American poet I actually know, have heard of, do rather like, am more than familiar with, and whose works I have actually read.
Oh, dear.
Sigh.
Simply alluding to the (evident) fact that some quite specific (and thereby limited by culture, geography, setting and context) American cultural references do not, can not, and will not - not remotely - translate successfully to an international (i.e. non-sporting, non-American) audience and will not be recognised by such an audience - seems to trigger an extraordinarily graceless response from some.
Well, well, well.
Nothing in what you have written in, or contributed to, this thread would serve to inspire a wish, or desire, to acquire any degree of knowledge of such arcane, esoteric, and culturally specific worlds.
He's the world's top expert on American sports though!
Two for me.
“Chomping at the Bit”. This has totally become the societal normality now, and is cretinous.
The actual term is - “Champing at the Bit”.
The word “Commensurate” is only to be used when comparing figures or numbers - for instance…
“My favourite prostitute’s prices were commensurate with her abilities”.
“Chomping at the Bit”. This has totally become the societal normality now, and is cretinous.
The actual term is - “Champing at the Bit”.
The word “Commensurate” is only to be used when comparing figures or numbers - for instance…
“My favourite prostitute’s prices were commensurate with her abilities”.
two for me too:
be that as it may
out of an abundance of caution
i don't know which i hate more, but i lean toward the latter
be that as it may
out of an abundance of caution
i don't know which i hate more, but i lean toward the latter
And one for me in your reply.
"Cretinous"
A word I would never use. Having been too close to people whose entire minds, bodies, and minds have been upended and destroyed by hypothyroidism. Despite that it was mostly used for those who grew up hypothyroid, many of the effects also occur in hypothyroidism that manifests later in life.
We seem to have got rid of some terms which were felt to be offensive, and understandably so, such as "spastic" and "cripple", in most contexts. Let this word also be left in history. And certainly not used in what is sometimes claimed to be light-hearted banter.
"Champing at the bit" is a good pedantic example. Another one for me: "reticent" being used to mean "reluctant". "Reticent" means unwilling to speak up, reserved, restrained. If you mean "hesitant" or "reluctant", then use those words instead. Don't deprive "reticent" of its original connotation of "quiet".
Another one for me: "reticent" being used to mean "reluctant". "Reticent" means unwilling to speak up, reserved, restrained. If you mean "hesitant" or "reluctant", then use those words instead. Don't deprive "reticent" of its original connotation of "quiet".
How big is gold?
www.theguardian.com
Pulp Fiction actor Peter Greene found dead in New York apartment
Greene, 60, praised for the various villains he played during his career but manager says he also had ‘heart as big as gold’
"Having said that" after saying something in forums is a redundant annoyance I see repeatedly.
I don't mind that at all. Would you prefer "However"?
I prefer 'That being said' - if it was good enough for Spock....
Srry for “sorry.” Again one of those instances where people just can’t type one more letter for some reason.
I used to have a boss that was so miserly with praise, when you did him a favor or solved one his many problems, corrected his f- ups, his email reply would be
tks
That's it. And, no, those were not his initials.
tks
That's it. And, no, those were not his initials.
He was the political type who knew all communications were potentially public record, and to have typed something that risked the interpretation of a response as laudatory as 'good job' towards a subordinate that might pose the potential somewhere in the future for one of his minions to earn a bonus or a promotion would be unacceptable, especially if those promotions or bonuses could be controlled by him.
Which reminds me that when email first filtered into the work place (yes, I'm that old) I had a much different job and different boss, and it was soon indoctrinated in all of us that you never put in an email any thing that you wouldn't want to see posted on the front page or a billboard and be forced to explain at some future date. Wise man that boss.
Isn’t an abundance of caution just a deficit of courage?
Not quite.
To my mind, it suggests a degree of thoughtful prudence rather than the fear that inspires cowardice.
I suspect “Srry” is used when the author isn’t.
That’s fair. The first few times I saw “abundance of caution” it was appropriate and came from a trusted source.
Lately I’ve seen it trotted out quite a bit to give a thoughtful veneer to an uninformed or ill-considered decision.