There are a few here that technically are not sentences...

Like Lobstergirl, I couldn't help but notice that not all of the titles are sentences. The "allowed" fragments (GOOD NIGHT, MR.TOM; GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE; THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW) don't make me wince. The other fragments really need to go. Adios WHY I LIVE AT THE P.O., WHY MEN DON'T LISTEN..., BEEN DOWN SO LONG IT LOOKS....
I lay crying after I saw AS I LAY DYING on the list.

I was talking ugly after I saw "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

But "The More You Watch the Less You Know" is a full sentence. Right?

Lobstergirl, I like Thom's answer to your inquiry.
Still, I'll throw in my "two cents -- not plain." I would argue that THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW is a "meaningful" or "allowed" fragment; no one should object to its presence in formal exposition. But I read an unstated "that" before each "you." Read in that way, the group of words contains no independent clause. Perhaps my reading is off.

I didn't object to ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY because I see it as a complete sentence that contains (intentional) grammatical errors.

Thom wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "I was talking ugly after I saw "Me Talk Pretty One Day."

But "The More You Watch the Less You Know" is a full sentence. Right? "

So is "Catch-um one-fellow, two-fellow spear..."

I can't comment on Melanesian Pidgin. But I would argue that Git em up, Scout is a whole sentence, whereas True, dat is not as it lacks a subject.

Also lacks a verb....

Well, are we talking English grammar/syntax, or any kind of grammar/syntax? I don't think the ebonic "true dat" is a sentence because it lacks a verb. But if the rules of ebonics say sentences can lack verbs, then it's a sentence in ebonics.

I'm not saying ebonic titles shouldn't be on the list, in fact I'm going to add "All God's Chillun Got Wings" if it's not already on there, because it has subject-verb-object.

Does "that is true" mean exactly the same thing as "true?" If so, then we should allow books merely titled "true" on the list.

Thom wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "There are a few here that technically are not sentences..."

Let's agree that AS I LAY DYING is definitely NOT a complete sentence--can you remove it ?

Ditto WHY I LIVE AT THE..."

And if you do have a way to remove a group of words that does not meet anyone's definition of a sentence,
then let's strike the "noun-clause team" that I mentioned in an earlier post: WHY MEN DON'T LISTEN. . . .

Ok, deleted.

I think it's excellent advice. The manual won't teach you everything, but it's a start.

Lobstergirl wrote: "I think it's excellent advice. The manual won't teach you everything, but it's a start."

You know what's fun ? Start at the top of the list and read down so as to try to make narrative out of the sentences !

Very exquisite corpselike.

It appears that titles that have a colon (e.g. "This Will Kill You: A Guide to the Ways in Which We Go") can be included as long as what comes before the colon is a complete sentence. I followed that rule in adding books.

Lobstergirl wrote: "Well, are we talking English grammar/syntax, or any kind of grammar/syntax? I don't think the ebonic "true dat" is a sentence because it lacks a verb. But if the rules of ebonics say sentences ca..."

My thought is that the creme will rise to the top. "True" might be read as a sentence, or as, say, a test answer.

Reese wrote: "Lobstergirl, I like Thom's answer to your inquiry.
Still, I'll throw in my "two cents -- not plain." I would argue that THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW is a "meaningful" or "allowed" fragment..."

they are both complete sentence. in THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW the main clause is "the less you know."

IN COLD BLOOD or BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S should not be there. sorry truman.

jo wrote: "Reese wrote: "Lobstergirl, I like Thom's answer to your inquiry.
Still, I'll throw in my "two cents -- not plain." I would argue that THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW is a "meaningful" or "all..."

A trusted grammar text confirms the accuracy of your claim. The . . . the . . . constructions (such as THE MORE YOU WATCH THE LESS YOU KNOW) are indeed sentences.

:)

Here's an off-the-wall challenge, but not unrelated to this topic: try diagramming that much uttered American insult: "F**k you !". Just try it. I saw a room full of (mostly drunk) English teachers at PMLA all in high dudgeon trying to settle the matter (They did not),

AHAHAHAHAHA.

(I should just say that I went to a high school that made us diagram sentences for six weeks a year. Including from Silas Marner.)

Thom wrote: "Here's an off-the-wall challenge, but not unrelated to this topic: try diagramming that much uttered American insult: "F**k you !". Just try it. I saw a room full of (mostly drunk) English teacher..."

I'm not drunk, but it's been about 100 years (okay, 50) since I last diagrammed a sentence. So I could be cited for DWI (Diagramming While Impaired). The "picture" in my head looks like a straight horizontal line; sitting on it is (You) followed by a vertical line that extends below the horizontal line followed by f**k followed by | followed by yourself. Ah, let's just leave this task to the folks who attempted to diagram some of Sarah Palin's "groups of words."

Lobstergirl wrote: "Well, are we talking English grammar/syntax, or any kind of grammar/syntax? I don't think the ebonic "true dat" is a sentence because it lacks a verb. But if the rules of ebonics say sentences ca..."

"True." Also heard: "Testify !" One of the problems working with traditional prescriptive grammar is the notion that one or more words are "understood". That being the case, I should be able to point toward a door with a stern look on my face meaning "Get out!" , The "get" and the "out" both being "understood". Oh, dear.

Thom wrote: "Lobstergirl wrote: "Well, are we talking English grammar/syntax, or any kind of grammar/syntax? I don't think the ebonic "true dat" is a sentence because it lacks a verb. But if the rules of ebon..."

T,
With "props" and sets, we can use gestures, instead of words, to make ourselves understood. I don't see the problem.

Not a problem--I was trying to imagine diagramming a sentence in which ALL the words were "understood".
I think it's time for my afternoon nap.
--Best, T.

Thom wrote: "Not a problem--I was trying to imagine diagramming a sentence in which ALL the words were "understood".
I think it's time for my afternoon nap.
--Best, T."

Thanks for the clarification. I failed to imagine what you were imagining.

A diagram of a sentence with only "understood" words makes me think of "the sound of one hand clapping."

I think I too need a nap.

Best wishes back to you,
R

thom, i think it's a totally worthy endeavor. "fuck you" is a really good example.

Had I thought for a moment instead of grabbing the first (uncouth) thing that came to mind, I would have realized that "Bless you" presents the same diagramming problem.