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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,032
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2007
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Uber Demanding Rifle Aficionado
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,736 Likes: 4
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,736 Likes: 4 |
I can promise you that 'shall' and 'will' in contract language can cause many an hour of meetings. That's because the English language evolved. Years ago, in countries where English was taught using the UK model, shall was used as an absolute; will was a probability. Contractions are rarely used in formal writing, but they are phun to use! Disrespect(ful) used to be a noun or an adverb, but within the past ten or fifteen years has became a verb. What used to be, "The disrespect he demonstrated was unsettling." has become, "He disrespected me, and that's unsettling." or, "Don't be so disrespectful!" has become, "Don't disrespect me!" Then there's Ebonics. Yo.
Safe Shooting! Steve Redgwell www.303british.comGet your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain Member - Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,736 Likes: 4
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,736 Likes: 4 |
Ye olde, dreaded double post.
Safe Shooting! Steve Redgwell www.303british.comGet your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain Member - Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,257
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,257 |
Someone said "correctness is the servant of understanding," but sometimes correctness is a big deal.
The second comma in the following sentence cost Rogers Communications over a million dollars in a contract dispute:
�The agreement shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.�
The introduction to the court�s decision shows the judge had a dry sense of humor.
Steve, I always enjoy your doggerel.
Ella
Last edited by Ella; 08/20/14.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,950 |
Vocabularistically, how important is this?
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,161 Likes: 13
Campfire Kahuna
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OP
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,161 Likes: 13 |
Well, there might be health issues involved. Just got done reading an interesting book, TEACHING AND HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA, by Dan McNickle, an American who spent four years in Tanzania in the early 1960's. Among other things he taught English to black Africans, and found it very difficult because our language is so arbitrary both in spelling and grammar.
At the end of the book he states that citizens of the U.S. and Britain have more heart attacks than those of Germany, Italy Japan and Mexico. Studies have attempted to trace this tendency to diet, but have failed to find any firm reason. As a result, McNickle suggests we have more heart attacks because we speak English.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
Due to English we're all a sooner fatality For we conjure words with shameless prodigiality
(apologies to Ogden Nash)
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
"At the end of the book he states that citizens of the U.S. and Britain have more heart attacks than those of Germany, Italy Japan and Mexico. Studies have attempted to trace this tendency to diet, but have failed to find any firm reason. As a result, McNickle suggests we have more heart attacks because we speak English"
Post hoc, ergo propter hoc.
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 22,274
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 22,274 |
That's improssible A previous employer regularly bought product from India. Usually they'd send me an email saying hello & thank you, asking for a detailed specification, and concluding, "please do the needful". I always wondered if that phrase was the product of a translation program, or just how they were taught. Commas: "My greatest inspirations in life are my parents, the Pope, and Mother Teresa." "My greatest inspirations in life are my parents, the Pope and Mother Teresa." BIG difference in meaning
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
YOU had famous parents! The Vatican keeps deep secrets, for sure. (I always knew they were an item )
Last edited by luv2safari; 08/20/14.
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,907 Likes: 7
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,907 Likes: 7 |
It seems that the addition of unnecessary syllables has become a mark of intelligence and sophistication.
Another mark of intelligence and sophistication is the use of "more educated-sounding" words in place of what is correct. The most glaring example in the shooting world is the use of "velocity" when "speed" is what is being discussed.
Last edited by 5sdad; 08/20/14.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,863 Likes: 4
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,863 Likes: 4 |
Guilty.
Speed, a scalar, is the magnitude of velocity, a vector.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,584
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,584 |
Orientate instead of orient bugs me.
I can only assume presentate will be next!
Anybody who seriously concerns themselves with the adequacy of a Big 7mm for anything we hunt here short of brown bear, is a dufus. They are mostly making shidt up. Crunch! Nite-nite!
Stolen from an erudite CF member.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,712
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,712 |
Another mark of intelligence and sophistication is the use of "more educated-sounding" words in place of what is correct.
During my working life I used to write a lot of reports relating to traffic engineering matters. My boss had a disturbing habit of changing out some of my writing because he said my language "wasn't technical enough." I always thought he suffered from feelings of inadequacy. Jim
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 19,504
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 19,504 |
Orientate instead of orient bugs me.
I can only assume presentate will be next! I agree. People who use orientate are automatically suspected to be disoriented.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 Likes: 1 |
Orientate instead of orient bugs me.
I can only assume presentate will be next! I agree. People who use orientate are automatically suspected to be disorientated. Fixt it for you!
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 19,504
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 19,504 |
Orientate instead of orient bugs me.
I can only assume presentate will be next! I agree. People who use orientate are automatically suspected to be disorientated. Fixt it for you! Thanks, Poobs. I nearly went that way with it, but resisteded.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554 |
I'm still stuck on flammable v. inflammable from early grade school days.
English is a funny language...
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
Inflammable was changed on fuel trucks to flammable, because people thought the cargo wouldn't burn, since it was IN-flammable.
Early dumbing down of America.
"Dumbing"...there's a verb we invented.
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554 |
Imagine that. My quandary was why waste the extra two letters.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
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