05-21-2013, 10:36 PM | #76 |
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As a child, I used to correct people's grammar constantly. Then one day, my father whispered that I'd just humiliated one of his most earnest workers. I never forgot that—seeing a grown man's despondent expression and realizing it had been put there by a thoughtless little boy.
Last edited by Prestidigitweeze; 05-21-2013 at 10:38 PM. |
05-22-2013, 01:46 AM | #77 |
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This from the nation that drops Rs, syllables, and adds Rs to the end words that don't have them at the end?
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05-22-2013, 01:54 AM | #78 |
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Many people assume they mean the same thing but there is a subtle difference. Valuable infers a high price can be placed on something, such a valuable jewel is one that costs a lot but can be purchased by someone who has enough money to pay for it. Invaluable infers something is so valuable, it can't be replaced or purchased at any price.
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05-22-2013, 02:51 AM | #79 | |
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For me, language is a tension between propriety, popularity, and personal whim. I am usually operating in the first two spheres. When the latter arises, however, it always trumps. I would tend to use "I could care less" to mean nothing more than an unspecified level that is higher than zero. Secondarily, it would mean that my level of caring is pretty low. Caring less, while possible, would take more effort than I'm probably going to expend. While the "I could care less" army is engaging the "I couldn't care less" army, the "Whatever!" army is waiting to ambush the survivors. |
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05-22-2013, 02:55 AM | #80 | |
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05-22-2013, 02:59 AM | #81 | |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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"I need to eat fewer bars of chocolate" or "I need to eat less chocolate". But it's not really important. It just doesn't sound right (to me) when the wrong one is used. The most interesting bit is that there are not two words when the comparison is to something bigger. More is used in both cases. "I want to eat more bars of chocolate" and "I want to eat more chocolate". |
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05-22-2013, 03:02 AM | #82 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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flammable and inflammable have always amused me.
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05-22-2013, 05:51 AM | #83 |
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Indeed (which doesn't mean not a deed).
BTW: Why is the word inflammable not inflamable (or, more precisely, enflamable)? The substitution of in for en could be one of the reasons for the inconsistencies in prefix usage which so many have noted. One could also argue that the evolution of language is more like rotting than maturing. In which case there might be a point at which a restart is necessary (perhaps through a new civilization after some sweeping disaster). Last edited by Prestidigitweeze; 05-22-2013 at 02:08 PM. |
05-22-2013, 06:27 AM | #84 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
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05-22-2013, 10:08 AM | #85 | |
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05-22-2013, 10:10 AM | #86 |
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05-22-2013, 10:14 AM | #87 |
why in?
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05-22-2013, 10:16 AM | #88 | |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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inflammable's in- isn't the same as the in- of , say, invisible, but like the in- of indoctrinate. flammable is the recently (1920s) introduced word to mean the same thing, as it's hard to misinterpret flammable, which it's possible to be mistaken about inflammable. |
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05-22-2013, 02:12 PM | #89 | ||
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Quote:
2. It sounds as if you might be responding to this bit, though I'm not certain I communicated the fact that I was joking: Quote:
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05-22-2013, 05:48 PM | #90 | |
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There is a form of harmony in language that is kin to mathematics and I am sorry that you don't see it.
And this is not a crusade against a specific expression or idiom (even though this one is as wrong as it will ever get). This is a crusade against a blatant misuse of syntax in a language which to a greater extent is a struggle against ignorance and I don't understand how (as a book lover) you cannot appreciate that. But feel free to condone it if you want. I will never agree to it and the rift between well written or spoken English by some and incorrect English by others will only get worse. It makes me wonder, what are schools doing about it, why aren't they making sure kids have a good knowledge of something as fundamental as the language they will use all their lives to communicate and interact with others. Quote:
Last edited by Quexos; 05-22-2013 at 05:51 PM. |
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