Pedants' Paradise

[AuntDaisy]

BBC headline "Why scientists are studying whales with a crossbow"

I had visions of a harpoon-wielding Moby Dick (or Duck*) hunting the Pequod...

Do the whales pass the crossbow amongst themselves, ready for the scientist to study them?


* "Evening, Vicar"... "It's not every day you see a giant duck with a wooden leg". RTH 5/6/1966

[Pulcinella]

Equally awkward is this, from the Guardian. Why not just to record an interview?

Rishi Sunak has been criticised for leaving the D-day commemorations in Normandy early on Thursday, with reports that he returned to the UK to do a prerecorded TV interview.

[oddoneout]

Equally awkward is this, from the Guardian. Why not just to record an interview?

Rishi Sunak has been criticised for leaving the D-day commemorations in Normandy early on Thursday, with reports that he returned to the UK to do a prerecorded TV interview.

If it was prerecorded why did he need to return? In any case these days I thought the advance of tech meant that physical presence was needed for such things - a room and some kit and post- recording editing would do?

I've just read a report and now see that it wasn't a prerecorded interview(ie one done earlier as I thought), but just an election promo/misinformation video. His apology made sure we knew he didn't stay -

I returned back to the UK.

Nothing like a bit of tautology to reinforce a statement.
Can't help thinking that a certain previous PM wouldn't have passed up the chance for more photo-ops with the assembled leaders...

[Pulcinella]

If it was prerecorded why did he need to return? In any case these days I thought the advance of tech meant that physical presence was needed for such things - a room and some kit and post- recording editing would do?

I've just read a report and now see that it wasn't a prerecorded interview(ie one done earlier as I thought), but just an election promo/misinformation video. His apology made sure we knew he didn't stay - Nothing like a bit of tautology to reinforce a statement.
Can't help thinking that a certain previous PM wouldn't have passed up the chance for more photo-ops with the assembled leaders...

Indeed!
(Did you miss a NOT out, ooo? .... presence NOT needed?)

[french frank]

Indeed!
(Did you miss a NOT out ,ooo? .... presence NOT needed?)

Pedant!

[Pulcinella]

Pedant!

Isn't that the whole point of this thread?

[Old Grumpy]

Isn't that the whole point of this thread?

At least ooo didn't miss a point [.], or commit an apostrophic misdemeanour.

[Pulcinella]

At least ooo didn't miss a point [.], or commit an apostrophic misdemeanour.

I see that I got my own punctuation (spacing) wrong though!
Now corrected (though I've been quoted: ).

[oddoneout]

Indeed!
(Did you miss a NOT out, ooo? .... presence NOT needed?)

Drat! Well spotted. Another sin of omission to add to the list.

[french frank]

(Did you miss a NOT out, ooo? [...])

I'm wondering: Would "Did you miss out a NOT, ooo?" be an improvement, or does it make no real difference?

[Pulcinella]

I'm wondering: Would "Did you miss out a NOT, ooo?" be an improvement, or does it make no real difference?

Possibly a hangover from not supposedly not ending a sentence with a preposition (and that the expression is 'to miss out = to omit') makes your version sound a little easier on the ear.

But I think I'd prefer 'Did you miss something out?' to 'Did you miss out something?'.

[gurnemanz]

Possibly a hangover from not supposedly not ending a sentence with a preposition (and that the expression is 'to miss out = to omit') makes your version sound a little easier on the ear.

But I think I'd prefer 'Did you miss something out?' to 'Did you miss out something?'.

Also because "something" is a pronoun. No one would say: "You missed out it" or "She missed out me". When the object is a noun some may prefer "He missed out the apostrophe" to "He missed the apostrophe out". Both are acceptable, I'd have thought.

It is probably poor style to split 'miss' from 'out' if the object consists of many words. As in something like: "The programme missed the names of all the members of the orchestra and chorus out". ...Or just use "omit"

[Pulcinella]

Also because "something" is a pronoun. No one would say: "You missed out it" or "She missed out me". When the object is a noun some may prefer "He missed out the apostrophe" to "He missed the apostrophe out". Both are acceptable, I'd have thought.

It is probably poor style to split 'miss' from 'out' if the object consists of many words. As in something like: "The programme missed the names of all the members of the orchestra and chorus out". ...Or just use "omit"

That all makes good sense.

[Roger Webb]

It is probably poor style to split 'miss' from 'out' if the object consists of many words. As in something like: "The programme missed the names of all the members of the orchestra and chorus out". ...Or just use "omit"

We were taught (in the late 50s/early 60s) that placing the preposition at the end of a sentence was a crime as heinous as splitting an infinitive! I have a pang of remorse over the latter, not so much the former.

Churchill once gave an example of the clumsiness of 'correctness' with the sentence '.......this is something with which I won't up put'.

[french frank]

Churchill once gave an example of the clumsiness of 'correctness' with the sentence '.......this is something with which I won't up put'.

A learned note from the lexicographer Ben Zimmer on the attribution (or misattribution) to Churchill; and the various forms the quotation took:

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001715.html