Pedants' Paradise

[vinteuil]

.

Not sure about this. If I go into a pub as a regular I might say to the landlord - "A bitter, please", and he will understand this as "A pint of bitter, please" and draw it accordingly.

So "Half a bitter" is "Half a [pint of] bitter".

Your "Half of bitter" is presumably "Half [a pint] of bitter"

[jean]

Your "Half of bitter" is presumably "Half [a pint] of bitter"

Of course.

If I go into a pub as a regular I might say to the landlord - "A bitter, please", and he will understand this as "A pint of bitter, please" and draw it accordingly.

But that is to privilege the quantity normally drunk by men, and also to disregard the great variety of interesting beers now stocked by many pubs.

If I or my friends order a beer, we say 'a pint' (or 'a half'), and then (crucially) we specify what beer it we want the desired quantity of. Otherwise we might end up with something really nasty.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Not sure about this. If I go into a pub as a regular I might say to the landlord - "A bitter, please", and he will understand this as "A pint of bitter, please" and draw it accordingly.
So "Half a bitter" is "Half a [pint of] bitter".
Your "Half of bitter" is presumably "Half [a pint] of bitter"

Yes - I think so; the bartender is being told that the customer wants a half (pint) of (nothing but) bitter. "Half of Bitter" should elicit the response "And the remaining half, sir/madam?" - as if the customer might be expecting a "mild and bitter", or even a particularly revolting Shandy.

[MrGongGong]

In an article quoted on another thread, I find the curious but quite widespread half a bitter

There is no such thing as a bitter that you could drink half of. What people are really asking for, whether they realise it or not, is a half of bitter.

I think it's a typo
But it really doesn't matter as it works both wayz dunnit ?

[jean]

But my point was that the default measurememnt for beer is not necessarily a pint.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But that is to privilege the quantity normally drunk by men, and also to disregard the great variety of interesting beers now stocked by many pubs.

If I or my friends order a beer, we say 'a pint' (or 'a half'), and then (crucially) we specify what beer it we want the desired quantity of. Otherwise we might end up with something really nasty.

Well, yes - I will ask for "Half a Boltmakers, please" (usually followed with "and a single Tallisker"). But that is changing the point of your Post#3180, where no such specification was suggested and you referred only to "half a bitter".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But my point was that the default measurememnt for beer is not necessarily a pint.

Then why didn't you make this point, instead of suggesting rather that the error was the "a" that needed "correcting" to "of"?

[jean]

I think it's a typo

It occurs too often to be that.

What it is I think is a transcription of what one thinks one's heard.

The word of is particularly susceptible to finding itself in such situations, whether as correct choice or substitute - think I could of done that and similar.

[jean]

Then why didn't you make this point, instead of suggesting that it was the "a" that needed "correcting" to "of"?

I did; that was what I meant when I said 'there is no such thing as a bitter'.

[vinteuil]

I did; that was what I meant when I said 'there is no such thing as a bitter'.

... to which I replied in #3181 - o yes there is.

[jean]

Here are some Spanish speakers struggling with the problem:

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/half-of-bitter.1985972/

[jean]

... to which I replied in #3181 - o yes there is.

I know. But fhg is accusing me of not making the point in the first place.

I must of made it, or you couldn't of replied.

[Beef Oven!]

Here are some Spanish speakers struggling with the problem:

http://forum.wordreference.com/threa...itter.1985972/

Why was mijoch banned?

[ahinton]

.

Not sure about this. If I go into a pub as a regular I might say to the landlord - "A bitter, please", and he will understand this as "A pint of bitter, please" and draw it accordingly.

So "Half a bitter" is "Half a [pint of] bitter".

Your "Half of bitter" is presumably "Half [a pint] of bitter"

Should be measured in litres anyway, though (although as a non-beer partaker it's arguably none of my business anyway)...

[jean]

You'd have to read more of that forum to find out...I doubt if that reply was the cause.

Thus do entire mornings disappear.