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- on Facebook... I just noticed.
- on Facebook... I just noticed.
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Reminds me of our computer software which used to helpfully notify us: 'Contains 1 errors'.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post"View all 2 replies"
- on Facebook... I just noticed.
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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I suppose it's a sign of the times(inflation and all that) but "one pence" has largely disappeared.Originally posted by french frank View PostComment
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I suppose we could say that it's a vanishingly small word...Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
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I find most punctuation associated with 'however' to be pretty dodgy (a semicolon before rather than just a comma would usually help), but this example is a classic:
Beats Fit Pro. Meet the earbuds that look as good as they feel. True wireless noise-cancelling earbuds that comfortably lock in place, however, you move through your day.
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Are there such things as Elgar-cancelling earbuds?...Originally posted by Pulcinella View PostComment
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I agree, pulcinella. I always tried to get my people to think about the grammar of what they were writing, i.e. 'what does 'however' actually mean in this sentence?'
As somone blessed (or is it 'cursed'?) with hypersensitive hearing, I've always regarded 'noise-cancelling' as a euphemism, along with those LPs which were said to have a 'silent' surface.
But many adverts contain deliberate errors, whose purpose is simply to make the advert memorable. Sadly, this works all too well. 'Who says humans cant fly' (sic) irritated me for years. It's meant to say, of course, 'Who says "humans can't fly"?' But 'cant' is a word in its own right which means something different from 'can't'. And so on, and so forth...
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Just for interest, Cant is the old language of the Scottish Travelling People, smittims. It's almost entirely oral, passed between various different families.Originally posted by smittims View PostComment
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As a linguist and pedant I am normally in favour of authentic pronunciation of foreign names, but in the case of of the philosopher, Kant, there are good reasons for avoiding the authentic German in an English-speaking context.Originally posted by johncorrigan View Post
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Even with a semi-colon it still does rather imply that if you move they will no longer stay in place. There needs to be a bit more on the end of the sentence.Originally posted by Pulcinella View PostI find most punctuation associated with 'however' to be pretty dodgy (a semicolon before rather than just a comma would usually help), but this example is a classic:
Beats Fit Pro. Meet the earbuds that look as good as they feel. True wireless noise-cancelling earbuds that comfortably lock in place, however, you move through your day.
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We don't seem to have a thread for anti-pedantry so: at a time when supermarkets are abandoning Best Before dates to avoid unnecessary waste, the importance of Use/Consume By dates is now stressed. If you don't observe them you will get very, very ill (at best).
I bought a small (£10.90) saucisson sec in the local deli which turned out to be short-dated - 4 February, the purchase date being 2 February. However, I avoided scoffing the lot in 2 days (making myself very, very ill) when I read the exact wording: À consommer de préférence avant 4/2/23. Trust the French: won't bossed about by anyone.
I preferred to finish the saucisson today, 13 Feb. Feeling fine. So far. Doesn't do to be too à la lettre.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Best wishes for your digestion,frankie. I've been refused items in M&S when they noticed at the last minute that it was one day past its sell-by date. I said I didn't mind, that I actually wanted to buy it, but they said they weren't allowed to sell it . Risk-aversion/Blame culture rules; someone would get into trouble.Comment
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Indeed, which is why that punctuation is complete nonsense.Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
Other more common uses of however would benefit from the semicolon, though:
I hope you see what I mean, however if you don't I'll try again with a different example!Comment
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Cured meats of that type are pretty safe, especially when uncut - they are intended to have a long "shelf" (which might be cold outbuilding rather than fridge in their natural habitat) life, that's the purpose of the long curing and drying process. It's one of the reasons they were so useful on family camping holidays sans refrigeration. The precut and protective atmosphere packed versions are likewise safe so long as the pack seal remains intact. Even once opened I'm not too fussed about the use by date so long as there aren't white spots or other suspicious bits in evidence. "Wet" meats/cold cuts on the other hand I'm much more careful about - the likes of sliced ham, beef etc.Originally posted by french frank View Post
My reservation about getting rid of best before dates is that you are then dependent, as in the old days, on retailers being careful/conscientious about stock rotation; when food is increasingly expensive I prefer not to be paying top price for something that has been kicking around for a while and so may not last as long as I need once home.Comment
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'sign off on' - e.g. ...he was going to sign off on the deal with the EU....
Why not just sign off?
Or even just sign?Comment
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