Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[ahinton]

No, as has already been hinted at by our Assistant Deputy Chief Member of Absolutely Nothing, A. N. Other

Quoi?

Yes, that would give me some joyful relief, ahinton!

What might do that would not necessarily have the same impact upon others, although I do accept that the thread is about what sets individual members' teeth on edge; that said, it is hard to appreciate the nature of your concern about this one to the extent that simplifying/abbreviating such descriptions of journalistic staff would provide "joyful relief".

Oh, I have nothing against a meaningful adjective in front of the noun, ahinton. 'Our political/religious/economic correspondent' would be just fine by me in revealing the particular current 'speciality' of the reporter though, as reporters often move from one sphere of news interest to another, the 'speciality' may be of far less importance than simply reporting the facts, which, after all, is the employee's main role, surely. The issue is not one of meaningful titles but entirely one of those relatively modern grandiose, self-advertising meaningless ones beloved by large corporates!

Well, that wasn't what you'd implied earlier when members might assume that you thought that "our reporter" (followed by his/her name) would and should suffice.

It is only right that a dentist is referred to as a 'dentist' or even a 'dental surgeon'. However if my dentist advertised him/herself as Dr Jones, Assistant Deputy Chief of the Dental Practice Association, I would tend to think he/she might be rather more concerned with advertising his/her supposed "high office" than concentrating on the care of patients' teeth, so I would probably switch to good old plain Mr/Ms Smith, Dentist, across the road, ahinton!

That depends upon the context, surely? The occupation by a particular dentist of an office of the kind that you mention is surely a separate matter from that of his/her professional activities as a practising dentist (apart from the obvious fact that one would expect such a position only to be held by a dentist rather than a non-dentist)? For example, I knew someone (whom I've not now seen in many years) who had been one of CBSO's horn players but who was also a Musicians' Union District Organiser and later, for a time, Assistant (or was it Deputy? - I cannot now remember) General Secretary of that union; do you therefore believe that he should be described solely as a horn player in all contexts?

Anyway, since dentistry provides you with an attempt at an example, what music might you expect to hear in the waiting room of your preferred choice of Dr Jones? Walton's Crown Imperial? Carter's Three Occlusions (well, almost!)? Shostakovich's Age of Gold? Organ music by Percy Buck? "Extracts" from the sound-track to Jaws? Max Davies' A Mirror of Whitening Light? Grainger's Gum-suckers' March? - or would you leave it to Flossie to decide?...

[P. G. Tipps]

Very good, ahinton! (he says, entirely non-patronisingly).

[Serial_Apologist]

Anyway, since dentistry provides you with an attempt at an example, what music might you expect to hear in the waiting room of your preferred choice of Dr Jones? Walton's Crown Imperial? Carter's Three Occlusions (well, almost!)? Shostakovich's Age of Gold? Organ music by Percy Buck? "Extracts" from the sound-track to Jaws? Max Davies' A Mirror of Whitening Light? Grainger's Gum-suckers' March? - or would you leave it to Flossie to decide?...

The final line of one of the Psalms of David (I can't remember which one), as pointed out by our choirmaster at school: "Open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it".

[ahinton]

Very good, ahinton! (he says, entirely non-patronisingly).

Thank you - though also arguably rather more than I ought to have been able to "chew" and certainly far more than would ever entitle me to a blue plaque for services to dentistry.

In my haste, I omitted from the repertoire list in #2086 Mercury, from Holst's Planets Suite (just for old time's sake), Menotti's Amalgam and the Night Visitors, Flynn's Kanal, anything by Rootham or Bridge and, of course, music by Busoni scholar Edward Dent, if anyone can find any, denture know...

[ahinton]

The final line of one of the Psalms of David (I can't remember which one), as pointed out by our choirmaster at school: "Open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it".

...or the other less well known translation "Open thy mouth wide and thou shalt put thy foot in it"...

[jean]

..."Open thy mouth wide and ye shall put thy foot in it"...

Thou shalt, surely?

[Serial_Apologist]

AdVERsaries.

Shouldn't the emphasis be on the first syllable?

[teamsaint]

AdVERsaries.

Shouldn't the emphasis be on the first sylable?

REsearch.

[jean]

In lots of four-syllable words we're seeing the stress shift from the first to the second syllable. There are discussions somewhere (probably on the Pronunciation thread).

[teamsaint]

Although "happy NEW year" does make sense.

[Bryn]

Although "happy NEW year" does make sense.

Much prefer Cage's "Happy New Ears", however stressed.

[Serial_Apologist]

In lots of four-syllable words we're seeing the stress shift from the first to the second syllable. There are discussions somewhere (probably on the Pronunciation thread).

Thanks I'll check that, jean. I guess there's always going to be a problem with words of more than one syllable - a secondary stress almost seems inevitable, e.g. ADverSAries, whereas adVERsaries - much as I don't happen to like it - does seem to re-balance the syllable weightings in such a way at to lessen the necessity for such a secondary emphasis.

[Serial_Apologist]

Although "happy NEW year" does make sense.

But that's three words. Should there be silence, or is one allowed to clap between each one?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... to lessen the necessity for such a secondary emphasis.

What's wrong with "secondary emphases"?

[teamsaint]

What's wrong with "secondary emphases"?

SEcondary

Or

SeconDAry?