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Author Topic: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane  (Read 8410 times)

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jaydub

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #15 on: October 13, 2006, 05:31:00 pm »

The idea is that the cat bought some shoes at a thrift store with a small side pocket and they happened to contain a review of his life by Anthony Lane, which he was not ready for

/grammar nazi on

...for which he was not ready.

/grammar nazi off

(Churchill be damned)  ;)
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theinevitable

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2006, 05:39:54 pm »

actually, that is correct english. don't impose rules of Latin grammar onto english. I just don't know what that's good for.

my latin teacher who is an Utter Grammar Nazi said this, so it has to be true.
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jay-ell

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2006, 05:59:49 pm »

Alas, it's true.  It's on of my major pet peeves, as well, but it seems the academic community has collectively decided that they no longer give a flyin' flip about ending a sentence with a preposition. 

I've been assured of this by both my "Historical Writing" professor at NC State and the AP Stylebook Guru in the Journalism department of UNC-CH, so it has to be true.
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CortJstr

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2006, 07:18:51 pm »

The copy editor at the Post said the same thing. And don't even get me (or him) started on the split infinitive myth.

What I want to know is, why are Americans who say/write "an historic" not immediately beaten?
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wombat

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2006, 07:25:34 pm »

actually, that is correct english. don't impose rules of Latin grammar onto english. I just don't know what that's good for.

my latin teacher who is an Utter Grammar Nazi said this, so it has to be true.

Wow. Really? You have no idea how happy this makes me.
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nuero

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2006, 09:09:17 pm »

The unpopular Brazilian attempts to use sarcasm to indicate his discontent.

Also, something about Onstad drinking alcohol
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MattFish

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #21 on: October 13, 2006, 10:11:50 pm »

I totally don't hate all of you
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Ben-San

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2006, 11:38:11 pm »

But imposing the rules of Latin grammar onto English is fun!

I enjoy contorting the crap out of a sentence just to avoid ending in a preposition.
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robot_god

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #23 on: October 14, 2006, 12:04:25 am »

contorting the crap out of

Useful phrase.
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theinevitable

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #24 on: October 14, 2006, 06:30:53 am »

the weird part is, he's a complete grammar AND latin freak. But he gets all bent out of shape about the whole preposition thing.
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Drastic Action

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #25 on: October 14, 2006, 07:32:22 am »

I think there are times when ending with a preposition can just sound extremely vague and weak, and in such cases some rearrangement should be made.  But when you have to sound like a librarian and pull out three or four "whom"s, then you need to just led them dangle.
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littlefallsmets

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #26 on: October 14, 2006, 03:01:17 pm »

Quote from: Drastic Action
But when you have to sound like a librarian and pull out three or four "whom"s, then you need to just led them dangle.

Bingo. The beauty of the English language is in her adaptability. For all her potential formalities and overcomplications, if any one or all of them become needlessly overwrought to even her proper speakers, they can be murdered in their sleep over half a generation's time and the larger organism will thrive all the better.

A can for you, Drastic Action, even if your name does sound like an afternoon programming block on SpikeTV.
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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #27 on: October 14, 2006, 10:56:43 pm »

I think there are times when ending with a preposition can just sound extremely vague and weak, and in such cases some rearrangement should be made.  But when you have to sound like a librarian and pull out three or four "whom"s, then you need to just led them dangle.

Can for dangling whoms
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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #28 on: October 15, 2006, 01:01:36 am »

Whom, that is a word that everyone should just agree, 'fuck that.'  If you asked ten thousand high school kids, "what are the rules of who vs. whom," I'd bet not one of them would know.

Also, using "they" instead of "him or her."  Fuck that shit.
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CortJstr

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Re: 13 October 2006 - a review of my life by Anthony Lane
« Reply #29 on: October 15, 2006, 01:15:29 am »

Whom, that is a word that everyone should just agree, 'fuck that.'  If you asked ten thousand high school kids, "what are the rules of who vs. whom," I'd bet not one of them would know.

Also, using "they" instead of "him or her."  Fuck that shit.

When I was in HS my English teacher informed us that the then-newest MLA handbook listed whom as optional. Ditto for the serial comma.
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