Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

'"Only two other locations in Lancashire play host to this fluffy brown species, which thrives in low, damp boglands.

"They've not been at Heysham for at least 100 years," said Heather Prince, an invertebrate keeper at the zoo. '


Poor lady

[Bryn]

'"Only two other locations in Lancashire play host to this fluffy brown species, which thrives in low, damp boglands.

"They've not been at Heysham for at least 100 years," said Heather Prince, an invertebrate keeper at the zoo. '


Poor lady

Dashed careless, what?

[oddoneout]

an invertebrate keeper at the zoo[/B].

What a slur, I'm sure she's not spineless.

[french frank]

What a slur, I'm sure she's not spineless.

OED defines the adjective as 'Without moral ‘backbone’; wanting strength, firmness, or consistency' and even the noun is: 'A man without strength of character or principles' - not sure whether this is confined to men or simply reflects that the article was written in 1900.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

JOHN O'GROATS TO LANDS END?

Related loosely to my pedantry about Europe as a continent and Pluto as a planet. . .

There's a strong tradition of regarding travelling from John o' Groats to Lands End as the ultimate route between the extremes of Great Britain. This never seems to be questioned. John o' Groats is neither the most northerly point nor the most easterly, on the British mainland, and Lands End is neither the most southerly point, nor the most westerly. Both are random choices. Tradition is a very powerful thing, for in the minds of most people, there would be little significance in travelling from Dunnet Head to the Lizard - the ultimate north-south route, or from Corrachadh Mòr to Lowestoft (west to east).

[oddoneout]

JOHN O'GROATS TO LANDS END?

Related loosely to my pedantry about Europe as a continent and Pluto as a planet. . .

There's a strong tradition of regarding travelling from John o' Groats to Lands End as the ultimate route between the extremes of Great Britain. This never seems to be questioned. John o' Groats is neither the most northerly point nor the most easterly, on the British mainland, and Lands End is neither the most southerly point, nor the most westerly. Both are random choices. Tradition is a very powerful thing, for in the minds of most people, there would be little significance in travelling from Dunnet Head to the Lizard - the ultimate north-south route, or from Corrachadh Mòr to Lowestoft (west to east).

It's also one of those visual perception things as well. The shape of the land mass, especially at the sort of scale that shows the whole, does tend to lead the eye in a diagonal from bottom left to top right, and since those points have easily remembered and evocative names they win out over accuracy.

[ahinton]

JOHN O'GROATS TO LANDS END?

Related loosely to my pedantry about Europe as a continent and Pluto as a planet. . .

There's a strong tradition of regarding travelling from John o' Groats to Lands End as the ultimate route between the extremes of Great Britain. This never seems to be questioned. John o' Groats is neither the most northerly point nor the most easterly, on the British mainland, and Lands End is neither the most southerly point, nor the most westerly. Both are random choices. Tradition is a very powerful thing, for in the minds of most people, there would be little significance in travelling from Dunnet Head to the Lizard - the ultimate north-south route, or from Corrachadh Mòr to Lowestoft (west to east).

And even all of that ignores the possibility of Skaw Beach to Annet (or St. Agnes if the place has to be populated)...

[french frank]

It's also one of those visual perception things as well. The shape of the land mass, especially at the sort of scale that shows the whole, does tend to lead the eye in a diagonal from bottom left to top right, and since those points have easily remembered and evocative names they win out over accuracy.

Remember the time when people always seemed to be walking from LE to JoG (or vice versa, perhaps?) closely followed in the press? I can't remember why - charity?

[Serial_Apologist]

And in any case, it should be Land's End...

[vinteuil]

Remember the time when people always seemed to be walking from LE to JoG (or vice versa, perhaps?) closely followed in the press? I can't remember why - charity?

... je me souviens de - Dr Barbara Moore

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Moore_(vegetarian)

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land%27s_End_to_John_o%27_Groats

[french frank]

... je me souviens de - Dr Barbara Moore

Even she! I was grasping at Barbara Woodhouse, but knew that was wrong :-)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And in any case, it should be Land's End...

Indeed, it should.

[Nick Armstrong]

The Pedants' Revolt, 1381.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Led by Wich Tyler.

[ahinton]

The Pedants' Revolt, 1381.

As this could be deemed correct with or without the apostrophe, might one assume that there were no grocer's' in those days?