Pedants' Paradise

[Padraig]

When Adam delved and Eve appled …

(Who was then the applee? Adam, the apple or the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil?)

Depends on who has the last word - God, Adam or Eve. I have no idea.

[Serial_Apologist]

Depends on who has the last word - God, Adam or Eve. I have no idea.

In the beginning was the Word - so it would have had to be God.

[oddoneout]

In the beginning was the Word - so it would have had to be God.

Having the first and last word would be greedy.

[Dermot]

Apparently in the sense of 'standing s.o. a drink', the correct word for one who is stood (a drink) is a stooder, not a standee:

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xiv. [Oxen of the Sun] 405 Will immensely splendiferous stander permit one stooder..to terminate one expensive..libation.

Though it must be admitted that the OED says Joyce invented it for the context.

Joyce entered Davy Byrnes pub on one occasion and the proprietor was behind the bar. Recognising a regular customer, Davy enquired,

''Allow me to buy you a drink, Mr Joyce''

Joyce instantly replied,

''They also stand who only serve and wait''

[french frank]

Joyce instantly replied,

''They also stand who only serve and wait''

I wonder how long he'd been waiting for an opportunity to coin that one!

[LezLee]

I wonder how long he'd been waiting for an opportunity to coin that one!

No, no! You mean use that one. It's already been coined!

[vinteuil]

No, no! You mean use that one. It's already been coined!

... has it?

It struck me as a deft and witty reversal of the Miltonic original - had it been done in the Joycean form before?






.

[cloughie]

No, no! You mean use that one. It's already been coined!

The penny just dropped then!

[LezLee]

Some folk are too clever by half!

[french frank]

... has it?

It struck me as a deft and witty reversal of the Miltonic original - had it be done in the Joycean form before?

.

My reaction too. I thought Joyce had invented it so, no, I did not mean 'use', I meant 'coin'. Where was it coined?

[kernelbogey]

Some folk are too clever by half!

... and others too clever by three-quarters.

[french frank]

"The expediated citizenship initiative was first announced in September. "

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55423257

Expediate or expedite?

OED has 'expediate v' - "Error for expedite adj. in an imperfect and unauthorized edition of Sandys' Relation of the State of Religion, reproduced by Cockeram, copied by Todd, 1818; hence in later dictionaries.

1605 E. Sandys Relation State of Relig. K 3 Some great alterations in some kinde of marchandise..which may serve for that present instant to expediate [MS. correction by author and ed. 1629 expedite] their businesse.1605 E. Sandys Relation State of Relig. K 3 Some great alterations in some kinde of marchandise..which may serve for that present instant to expediate [MS. correction by author and ed. 1629 expedite] their businesse.

Google has almost 4m occurrences of 'expediate', as against over 40m for 'expedite'.I'd never heard 'expediate'.

[oddoneout]

The homeopathic clingfilm alternative?

reusable cotton wraps imbued with beeswax

[kernelbogey]

Every time I read 'bored of' I flinch, mentally: it seems wrong, in comparison with 'bored by' - which I consider correct. Logically there is nothing wrong with 'of' here. Just my conservative mind?

[french frank]

Every time I read 'bored of' I flinch, mentally: it seems wrong, in comparison with 'bored by' - which I consider correct. Logically there is nothing wrong with 'of' here. Just my conservative mind?

I think I say 'bored with'.