Pedants' Paradise

[Bryn]

"Welsh government loans England 4m more Covid tests"
Not wishing to denigrate the generosity but surely they aren't expecting the tests will be handed back after use?
I'm assuming what is meant is a stock of tests on a kind of sale or return basis to smooth out England's supply problems - although given the shortfall I don't see many of them being unused.

Oh, come on. If I lend someone a fiver, I do not expect the very same note back.

[french frank]

Oh, come on. If I lend someone a fiver, I do not expect the very same note back.

Is the Welsh government expecting to be paid for them, in which case they are selling them? Or is it expecting a similar number of tests of identical value to be returned to them? If Wales doesn't have a shortage of tests, I expect they'd rather have the cash.

[oddoneout]

Oh, come on. If I lend someone a fiver, I do not expect the very same note back.

No, but if you did get it back it would still be usable even if it had been used in the interim.

[LHC]

No, but if you did get it back it would still be usable even if it had been used in the interim.

It seems fairly clear to me that the Welsh Government is providing England with 4m tests as it currently has more than it needs, and that once England’s immediate supply problems have been sorted out, it will supply the Welsh Government with 4m unused tests from its supply in return.

As no money is changing hands, and eventually both countries will have the total number of tests allocated to them, ‘loan’ does seem the most appropriate word in the circumstances.

[kernelbogey]

Amused to read in the Graun that Miley Cyrus had a 'wardrobe malfunction' on US tv. This is a US euphemism (usphemism?) for her top garment coming undone, rather than trouble getting access to her wardrobe.

[french frank]

Refraining from contextual comment (please ), this on the BBC's live news feed:

'Asked if she thought Johnson would have had to have agreed to the event, she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think he would have had to have done." '

I'm uncertain about the first case but for the second, I would have thought "I think he would have had to" would have sufficed.

[oddoneout]

Refraining from contextual comment (please ), this on the BBC's live news feed:

'Asked if she thought Johnson would have had to have agreed to the event, she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think he would have had to have done." '

I'm uncertain about the first case but for the second, I would have thought "I think he would have had to" would have sufficed.

The longer version is a "common usage" example isn't it? Saying "Yes he would" would be even briefer and allow for a certain pleasing element of ambiguity/implication I feel.

[french frank]

The longer version is a "common usage" example isn't it? Saying "Yes he would" would be even briefer and allow for a certain pleasing element of ambiguity/implication I feel.

I thought the spoken reply might have been commonish, but the journalist's "would have had to have agreed to" seemed too cumbersome for 'common usage'. I think I would have written, "Would have had to agree to" with any lost nuance unnecessary anyway. It reminds me of: "Smith where Jones had had had had had had had had had had had the exminer's approval."

[kernelbogey]

Seems like what might be missing from the transcript is the sound of eggshells being crushed by feet.

[Serial_Apologist]

Seems like what might be missing from the transcript is the sound of eggshells being crushed by feet.

I thought you were going to write, "...of somebody being had".

[oddoneout]

Seems like what might be missing from the transcript is the sound of eggshells being crushed by feet.

What I hear a lot the past few days is the sound of a cockerel crowing.

[gurnemanz]

Refraining from contextual comment (please ), this on the BBC's live news feed:

'Asked if she thought Johnson would have had to have agreed to the event, she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think he would have had to have done." '

I'm uncertain about the first case but for the second, I would have thought "I think he would have had to" would have sufficed.

Reminded me of the old poser: In what context can the word "had" appear eleven times in succession?








Jim, while John had had "had had", had had "had ". "Had had" had had a better mark from the teacher.

[french frank]

Jim, while John had had "had had", had had "had ". "Had had" had had a better mark from the teacher.

S'right, just a change of names and punctuation. Smith, where Jones had had "had", had had "had had". "Had had" had had the examiner's approval. There's one with at least five 'thats' but I've forgotten it.

[Padraig]

Reminded me of the old poser: In what context can the word "had" appear eleven times in succession?

Jim, while John had had "had had", had had "had ". "Had had" had had a better mark from the teacher.

Many thanks, gurnemanz. Never heard (saw) this one before and was making no headway with f f's puzzle.

By coincidence I'm reading Mind The Stop!

"The mind of one who happens to have an eye for a comma is not necessarily incapable of comprehending larger issues or embracing wider interests."

G.V.Carey, January 1939

[kernelbogey]

From a book review in today's Guardian: “Social media is every ethnic entrepreneur’s dream,” writes [Barbara] Walter.

I think 'social media are' would have been neater, since there are many well-known brands among social media.

I think there are some publishers whose editorial staff would have made this alteration. But it seems that 'media' like 'data' has become a singular noun.