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message 951:
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Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness
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Oct 25, 2010 12:22AM
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just a gigoloand everywhere i go
people stop and talk about me....
G N wrote: "ain't it begat?"Debbie wrote: "Only if you are God....."
In the beginning it was begat then they began the beguine...
I love Noel Coward's reference to it...
She declined to Begin The Beguine when they besought her to.
And with language profane and obscene she cursed the man who taught her to. She cursed Cole Porter too.
good/ wellI mix these a lot, well I use to say "good" all the time when I should have used "well". I am getting better but from time to time I do slip and the second I say it I know I made grammatical error.
nevermind, it has been talk about it here on page 1. I will just sit here and start with page 1 or maybe just copy the whole thing.now is it
have been talk about
or
has been talk about
???
First, I'm assuming that you mean been talked about Either have or has is correct depending on whether the object talked about is singular or plural.
Stephen wrote: "First, I'm assuming that you mean been talked about Either have or has is correct depending on whether the object talked about is singular or plural."
talked, not talk, thank you. another thing I need to work on.
Hi,I have a question. Which is correct:
I'm an editor on the XYZ team.
I'm an editor in the XYZ team.
Thanks!
'I'm an editor belonging to the XYZ team' is how I would avoid the on/in dilemma.Personally I prefer to use a verb to describe a state of being.
But that's not everyone's cup of tea (specially around here - Debbie likes rum, Savvy Suz has wine and cafe to die for, Gabi and Kitty make wonderful herbal concoctions, and Jan will set you straight with healthy drinks. I'm not sure about Ruth's partiality...NE, M, Stephen, David, Dafydd and myself tend to sit back and indulge in all the fine food and drink, and Jana has a hard time tasting anything before we've scoffed it all).
Thank you, GN. But (sorry to be such a pain!) if one had to choose between "on" and "in" in this sentence, what would the correct preposition be?And I love Tequila shots! (Such fun! Do you all know each other?)
Let's put it another way (I have to warn you that pedantic is my middle name), and no, you are not a pain (I reserve that right for myself).You belong to a team. You are neither in nor on a team, but a member of it. (There may follow loud shouts and boos from the rest of the gang, but they're all asleep and you're stuck with me!).
Thus in descending order preference for reasons previously stated:
I'm a member of the XYZ editing team.
I belong to the XYZ editing team.
I edit with the WYZ team.
I'm an editor with the XYZ team.
I am with the XYZ editing team.
(These last 3 are not much different from the on/in versions).
If you want to be absolutely 100% precise (NB I said I was pedantic), I would avoid on/in. If you still insist, consider the following and make your own choice:
You sit on a chair, you describe a character in a story. You cannot sit on a team, but you may be a player in a team, if in a team and in a story are syntactically synonymous.
As I said, personally I would use a verb. I dislike logical conundrums.
Tequila...hmmm. Well, that would just about knock my socks off :D. We definitely all know each other by wordprint, but not in the biblical sense, as far as I'm aware. At least, they've kept it hidden from me, if that is the case.
Good luck and don't be shy.
You're welcome, I hope it was of some small assistance. :D
I'm an editor on the XYZ team is correct, concise, and natural. But let's not be any of those things!
I figured you'd choose whichever one I didn't. So I had to leave the correct, concise and natural one for you.
Now, wait a minute! That's not fair. Your using my own methods on me. I have always taken sides against pedantry and unnatural usage. I don't just take whatever side you're not on.
You've rendered me speechless with myrgth. In future, I promise to phrase my sophistry to foster disagreement on the same side.
How did I get into this? I just finished breakfast. Okay, I renounce all that's natural and concise (not to mention correct) in the name of fellowship and good will. Likewise, I renounce classical music in the name of the Salvation Army. I refuse to renounce good scotch.
No. NO. Not Scriabin. Please. Very well. I will try to write simply. Donate something to the Salvos. Here's a Glenfiddich. Up yer kilts, me laddie.
I never turn down Glenfiddich, no matter how early in the morning.
Mod
And chianti is my drink, but only here. Otherwise I'm not allowed such indulgences any more. Alcohol jiggles my heart. Sigh.
Ruth, actually, this was just a long-winded way to determine your draught of choice. Here's looking at you, kid, over a chilled chianti!
M wrote: "I'm an editor on the XYZ team is correct, concise, and natural. But let's not be any of those things!"I'd have to agree that through common usage " editor on the XYZ team" sounds the most natural to me. It is clear and concise. Also better that than "under the XYZ team!"
Oh if you really want to sound correct, remember to pronounce the "Z" so that it rhymes with Ted not Tea!
There are probably some girls' teams that it might not be bad to be under, left enough room to breathe. I merely add this as a footnote to an already lengthy discussion.
I can imagine the inscription on the grave marker: He died of exhaustion but with a smile on his face.
Better yet, something about him going "off-line" in more than one sense!
Disclaimer: These posts are here strictly for grammatical purposes, to aid in diagramming, in identifying parts of speech or parts of a sentence. No attempt to construe them as libidinous, or to identify any parts not specified in this disclaimer, will be permitted.
where are the emoticon when you need them?
Have you ever tried explaining the word 'get' to someone whose first language is not English? Apart from giving examples of how it is used, it's very difficult to explain the meaning of the word. We get out of bed in the morning,(or we get up), get dressed, get a cup of tea or coffee, get some breakfast, get ready to go somewhere. When we get there, we get busy, get out our list of things to do, get through a few of them, get a phone call or two....and by the time we get home, we need to get the dinner...is it any wonder we get so exhausted, or that people who are learning English just don't get it?
According to: Webster's New World College Dictionaryget [get; ] also, although it is considered nonstandard by some [, git]
vt.
GOT, gotten, getting: see usage note at GOTTEN got, got ME geten < ON geta, to get, beget, akin to OE -gietan (see BEGET, FORGET), Ger -gessen in vergessen, forget < IE base * ghend-, to seize, get hold of > L (pre)hendere, to grasp, understand
1. to come into the state of having; become the owner or receiver of; receive, win, gain, obtain, acquire, etc.
2. to reach; arrive at [to get home early]
3. to set up communication with, as by radio or telephone [to get Paris]
4.
a) to go and bring
b) to bring [go get your books]
5.
a) to catch; capture; gain hold of
b) to become afflicted with (a disease)
6. to learn; commit to memory
7. to discover to be as the result of experiment or calculation [add 2 and 2 to get 4]
8. to influence or persuade (a person) to do something [get him to leave]
9. to cause to act in a certain way [get the door to shut properly]
10.
a) to cause to be [to get one's hands dirty]
b) to cause to arrive at [get the copy to the printer]
11. to take (oneself) away: often used absolutely
12. to be sentenced to [to get ten years for robbery]
13. to prepare [to get lunch]
14. BEGET: said of animals
15. to manage or contrive [to get to do something]
16. Informal to be obliged to; feel a necessity to: with have or has [he's got to pass the test]
17. Informal to own; possess: with have or has [he's got red hair]
18. Informal to be or become the master of; esp.,
a) to overpower; have complete control of [his illness finally got him]
b) to puzzle; baffle [this problem gets me]
c) to take into custody, wound, or kill
d) Baseball to put (an opponent) out, as by catching a batted ball
19. Informal to strike; hit [the blow got him in the eye]
20. Informal to catch the meaning or import of; understand
21. Slang to cause an emotional response in; irritate, please, thrill, etc. [her singing gets me ]
22. Slang to notice or observe [get the look on his face]
vi.
1. to come, go, or arrive [to get to work on time]
2. to be or become; come to be (doing something); come to be (in a situation, condition, etc.) [to get caught in the rain, get in touch with me]
3. Informal to leave at once: commonly pronounced (git) when used in the imperative or infinitive: Get is used as a linking verb in idiomatic phrases, and as an informal auxiliary for emphasis in passive construction [to get praised]
n.
1. the young of an animal; offspring; breed
2. a begetting
3. Tennis etc. a retrieving of a shot seemingly out of reach
— get about
1. to move from place to place
2. to go to many social events, places, etc.
3. to circulate widely, as news
— get across Informal
1. to clarify or explain convincingly
2. to be clear; be understood
3. to succeed, as in making oneself understood or conveying one's personality to an audience
— get after Informal
1. to pursue or attack
2. to urge or goad persistently
— get along
see phrase under ALONG
— get anywhere
to have any success or make any progress
— get around
1. to get about (in all senses)
2. to circumvent or overcome
3. to influence, outwit, or gain favor with by cajoling, flattering, etc.
— get around to
1. to find time or occasion for
2. to get started on, esp. after a delay
— get at
1. to approach or reach
2. to apply oneself to (work, etc.)
3. to find out
4. to imply or suggest
5. Informal to influence by bribery or intimidation
— get away
1. to go away; leave
2. to escape
3. to start, as in a race
— get away with
Informal to succeed in doing or taking without being discovered or punished
— get back
1. to return
2. to recover
3. Slang to retaliate; get revenge: usually with at
— get behind
1. to move to the rear of
2. to endorse or support
3. to fall into arrears, as in making a payment
— get by
1. to be fairly adequate or acceptable
2. Informal to succeed without being discovered or punished
3. Informal to survive; manage
— get down
1. to descend
2. to dismount
3. Slang
a) to relax and take part in social activity, play music, dance, etc.
b) to act or behave naturally, casually, without pretense, etc.
— get down to
to begin to consider or act on
— get in
1. to enter
2. to join or cause to join (an activity, group, etc.): also get in on
3. to arrive
4. to put in
5. to become familiar or closely associated (with)
— get it Informal
1. to understand
2. to be punished
— get it on
Slang to have sexual intercourse: often with with
— get nowhere
to make no progress; accomplish nothing
— get off
1. to come off, down, or out of
2. to leave; go away
3. to take off
4. to escape
5.
a) to help escape sentence or punishment
b) to lessen the sentence or punishment of
6. to start, as in a race
7. to utter (a joke, retort, etc.)
8. to have a holiday; have time off
9. Slang to experience euphoria, an orgasm, etc.
— get (someone) off
Slang to cause to experience euphoria, intoxication, an orgasm, etc.
— get off on
Slang to experience or receive pleasure and satisfaction from; enjoy
— get on
1. to go on or into
2. to put on
3. to proceed; make progress
4. to grow older
5. to succeed, as in making a living
6. to agree; be compatible
— get on for
Brit. to approach (a time, amount, age, etc.)
— get right on it or get on it
Informal to begin doing a task (immediately)
— get out
1. to go out
2. to go away
3. to take out
4. to become no longer a secret
5. to publish
— get out of
1. to go out from
2.
a) to escape from or avoid
b) to help escape from or avoid
3. to go beyond (sight, etc.)
4. to find out from, as by force
— get over
1. to recover from
2. to forget or overlook
3. Informal to get across (in all senses)
— get one's own back
see phrase under OWN
— get somewhere
to accomplish something; succeed
— get so that or get so
Informal to reach the point or state where
— get there
Informal to succeed
— get through
1. to finish
2. to manage to survive
3. to secure favorable action upon (a bill, etc.)
4. to establish communication, or make oneself clear (to)
— get to
1. to succeed in reaching or communicating with
2. to influence, as by bribery or intimidation
3.
a) to stir the emotions of
b) to annoy or irritate
— get together
1. to bring together; accumulate
2. to come together; gather
3. Informal to reach an agreement
— get up
1. to rise (from a chair, from sleep, etc.)
2. to contrive; organize
3. to dress elaborately
4. to advance; make progress
5. to climb or mount
6. go forward: used as a command to a horse
— get with
to go along with: often in the phrase get with the program, to go along with the assigned or predetermined plan of action
gettable
adj.
getable
SYN.- GET is the word of broadest application meaning to come into possession of, with or without effort or volition [to get a job, an idea, a headache, etc. ]; OBTAIN implies that there is effort or desire in the getting [he has obtained aid ]; PROCURE suggests active effort or contrivance in getting or bringing to pass [to procure a settlement of the dispute ]; SECURE, in strict discrimination, implies difficulty in obtaining something and in retaining it [to secure a lasting peace ]; ACQUIRE implies a lengthy process in the getting and connotes collection or accretion [he acquired a fine education ]; GAIN1 always implies effort in the getting of something advantageous or profitable [to gain fame ]
For such a small word there is a mountain of meanings.
Precisely! Great list Kitty! But have you ever tried to explain or teach it to foreign students? Without completely confusing or baffling them, I mean?
Not really. I can imagine the confusion English is to any one trying to learn it. My husband was lucky , he attended all English speaking schools in Pakistan. He learned in English so his thought process was English to Urdu.
(pulls pin, tosses grenade, covers ears)'Get' is a lazy way of avoiding the correct verb. Teaching it as a substitute is an excellent way to demonstrate the dumbing-down of English.
Surely you have to teach people to understand what they hear. And are they likely to hear:I arose at seven. I donned my clothes, prepared my breakfast and helped the children ready themselves for school. I boarded the train at half past eight and arrived at work by nine. I entered the lift ...
Get my drift? You may well advise them about what is colloquial usage and what is suitable for writing, but they need to understand speech as well.
Get real, GN! :D
I am all for brevity. Few words and motion. That is why I could never be a writer.
Jan, I love love love your prose. Keep it up, please! And you make THE most important point: 'get' is used idiomatically. Elsewhere I suggest we are actually supporting not just the complete disintegration of the English language, but a society which resembles the by-gone years of the lettered who spoke Latin, and the unlettered who spoke dialect. In other words, not only is the economic divide between classes broadening, but the literate one as well. Either that or we're in for a return to the halcyon days of Olde English!But I prefer Get Naughty! :D
G N wrote: "Jan, I love love love your prose. Keep it up, please! And you make THE most important point: 'get' is used idiomatically. Elsewhere I suggest we are actually supporting not just the complete dis..."Oh yes, you directed us to that discussion before. Thanks for the link. I see the argument has progressed somewhat since our last viewing. As to levels of literacy, in Australia we have built in the decline of literacy in other ways. We have an education system, which no doubt has its strengths and weaknesses. But large numbers of people will never encounter our education system. Our population increases, not only by births, but also by immigration. While level of education is a factor taken into account for eligibility to move to Australia, there are also many refugees, extended family and other immigrants who may not be fluent in English or literate. If they are of school age, they will have some access to education, although it may not be sufficient; but if they are post school age they get nothing like the twelve years of schooling that we consider necessary to fully and productively participate in our society. And if they are over sixty-five, they are not eligible for any classes at all, meaning they could live one third of their life in a society which frowns upon their 'ignorance' and lack of participation, yet has never offered them even 4 hours per week in a community class...something which was available to all migrants a quarter of a century ago, in a more enlightened era.
I think GN is part an underground conspiracy to bring an end to English as a living language. The first step is to get rid of the core words, such as get. Correlative conjunctions will be next, then prepositions.
Dear Professor GradgriNd:Please give us an extension on get. We can't get help anymore, get laid, even get lost.
What is the deadline for the abatement of irregular verbs?
Respectfully,
M
Dear Malingerer,You missed your last extension. Dead in the water.
Please speak with the Student Assistance Office if you require help, your R&R officer for any exercise issues, and consult a map if you are mislaid. Or misled.
Respectfully,
GN
It's all getting a bit much, so I think I'll get some sleep and get back to you in the morning.
Overload, off to sleep, see you in the morning!Sweet dreams, Jan.
And I think I'll get up!Arise to a beautiful sunny day amid the softly swaying palms and bounteuous birds of desert life. :-)
Good Morning!
Savvy Suz, you make poetry from prose!Good morning! Enjoy your day.
Now if I had some space in the teacup I could invite you to a simply scrumptious breakfast. Complete with croissant, eggs benedict, maple syrup, cafe and fruit salad. Bon apetit.
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