Pedants' Paradise

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  • french frank
    Administrator/Moderator
    • Feb 2007
    • 30190

    Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
    I guess one and a half cheers for not using the apostrophe.
    More like one and a half s
    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

    • Pulcinella
      Host
      • Feb 2014
      • 10867

      Originally posted by french frank View Post
      More like one and a half s
      You mean one and a half s?

      Comment

      • Serial_Apologist
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 37545

        Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
        You mean one and a half s?
        More likely to be one and a half doh nuts!

        Comment

        • oddoneout
          Full Member
          • Nov 2015
          • 9131

          Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
          More likely to be one and a half doh nuts!
          Oh very good!
          It does remind me though that in my family they were duffnuts (due my daughter's struggles with the vagaries of the written and spoken English language) which would cover both Simpson and emoji related options.
          As a matter of interest, and way off topic I know, has anyone sampled Duff (as opposed to duff) beer?

          Comment

          • vinteuil
            Full Member
            • Nov 2010
            • 12761

            .
            ... on the current 'advertisements' for Wimbledon broadcast on Radio 3 - 'savour every epic moment'.

            I should like to ask the writer, "how can a 'moment' be 'epic'?"

            .

            Comment

            • smittims
              Full Member
              • Aug 2022
              • 4026

              Point taken. But according to Alan Bennett, 'epic' was a favoured word of Lindsay Anderson, who lamented the lack of this quality in England, and especially English art , cinema and theatre. So I suppose the implication is 'a moment worthy of an epic '.

              But the truth is probably, as I'm sure you guesssed ,that the person who wrote that doesn't know what 'epic' means. I often hear this, for instance when people say 'cathartic' when they mean 'therapeutic'.

              Comment

              • vinteuil
                Full Member
                • Nov 2010
                • 12761

                Originally posted by smittims View Post
                favored
                ...

                Comment

                • smittims
                  Full Member
                  • Aug 2022
                  • 4026

                  Touche! That was a typo, not an intentional Americanism.

                  Comment

                  • vinteuil
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 12761

                    .



                    .

                    Comment

                    • french frank
                      Administrator/Moderator
                      • Feb 2007
                      • 30190

                      Originally posted by smittims View Post
                      But the truth is probably, as I'm sure you guesssed ,that the person who wrote that doesn't know what 'epic' means.
                      Isn't "Epic" just a new slang use meaning, um, well it's one of those new uses hard to define. It "means" what the user means it to mean. 'An epic moment' seems to be influenced by the popular use. 'Memorable', perhaps? 'Remarkable', 'Noteworthy'?
                      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

                      • Serial_Apologist
                        Full Member
                        • Dec 2010
                        • 37545

                        Have to admit, that's a new one on me!

                        Comment

                        • Serial_Apologist
                          Full Member
                          • Dec 2010
                          • 37545

                          Originally posted by french frank View Post
                          Isn't "Epic" just a new slang use meaning, um, well it's one of those new uses hard to define. It "means" what the user means it to mean. 'An epic moment' seems to be influenced by the popular use. 'Memorable', perhaps? 'Remarkable', 'Noteworthy'?
                          ... Iconic?

                          Comment

                          • french frank
                            Administrator/Moderator
                            • Feb 2007
                            • 30190

                            "spelling errors in a sent email will be discovered by the sender only during rereading from the "Sent" box. "

                            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

                            • french frank
                              Administrator/Moderator
                              • Feb 2007
                              • 30190

                              Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                              ... Iconic?
                              Useful draft addition to the OED for 'icon': " A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol, esp. of a culture or movement; a person, institution, etc., considered worthy of admiration or respect. "
                              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

                              • vinteuil
                                Full Member
                                • Nov 2010
                                • 12761

                                Originally posted by french frank View Post
                                "spelling errors in a sent email will be discovered by the sender only during rereading from the "Sent" box. "

                                ... nowadays, if it's a Really Important e-mail, I take the precaution of sending it to myself first - so that I can re-read (either from 'Sent' box or 'In' box). Errorrs still occurr...

                                .

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