Grammer and language fun

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I would boycott them. That is absolutely disgusting.

[Félix]

.23 cents is a good deal. How do you divide those pennies that way, though?

[Phil]

It's tough cutting a penny into 100 pieces, but it can be done. My oh-so-frugal grandmother was a pro at that.

[Félix]

Our property tax collector does it, too.

[Phil]

[Sally, la reina]

:::uuuuuuuugh:::

[Sarah]

Ha!!

[~Geektastic~]

Sarah Pi wrote: "You know you are adorkable when proofreaders will believe you married a man who calls himself Death Cab.

ps I will never use that stupid portmanteau again. It was just appropriate to the sentence."

I love the word adorkable. Perhaps because it applies to so many things in my life.

[evie]

I like it too. Adorkable... it's cute.

[Scout]

You might want to put away that Sharpie, Bun, until you check the spelling of irresistible.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Atkins was found Thursday morning when a woman discovered his body taking out the trash, according to a neighbor.

Responsible even in death...

[Sarah]

Somebody on the radio this morning was talking about a problem and said it was "the 800 pound elephant in the room." I thought that was a great mix of idioms. I only wish he had added "in a china shop."

[Cheri]

Sarah Pi wrote: "Somebody on the radio this morning was talking about a problem and said it was "the 800 pound elephant in the room." I thought that was a great mix of idioms. I only wish he had added "in a china ..."

"with his nose under the tent"

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Prince George’s diplomas marred by spelling error

All high school diplomas distributed last week said the county’s graduates completed an “approved progam of study.”

(PG County is right outside D.C.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/e...

[Cheri]

At least the county graduates didn't complete an 'approved POGROM of study'. That must be for post grads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogrom

[Cheri]

Yes. The Paso Robles High School has a huge banner out front of the school thanking Mr So and So for being 'The best principle in the county!'

[Sally, la reina]

Well, he does have very high standards

[Félix]

Yeah but it's the principal of the thing.

[Sally, la reina]

::writhes::

[Phil]

Sally wrote: "::writhes::"

Oohhh, the "double s twist" with a shoulder 180. Niiiice.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Two reporters wrote this article, and they still couldn't get it right. I guess they don't have an editor.

Police caught him while attempting to hide in an alley in the 1400 block of 11th Street Northwest.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

"The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for all of Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana for Thursday, saying high temperatures of 100 to 105 expected in the area..."

Are verbs not required anymore? I know TV has stopped using them, but newspapers?

[Phil]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Two reporters wrote this article, and they still couldn't get it right. I guess they don't have an editor.

Police caught him while attempting to hide in an alley in the 1400 block of 11th Street ..."

Why were the police hiding in an alley?

[Phil]

I saw a headline in the Boston Globe that went something like this (with other words in place of the blahs):

"Blah OK's Blah Blah"

Is the apostrophe used correctly? I don't like it.

[Félix]

Phil wrote: "Why were the police hiding in an alley? "

That's where the action is at.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I just read an article about that specific use of apostrophes and I've already forgotten it. It was in the Chicago Trib, if that helps. (Help's?)

I remember being irritated that the rule in the Chicago Manual of Style was not precisely as I would have written the rule.

[Félix]

Nothing worse than a poorly written rule.

[Phil]

From The Chicago Tribune

They say to use an apostrophe when making a plural of a single letter, like "mind your p's and q's" or "cross your t's and dot your i's."

OK is not a single letter; rather, it is an abbreviation for "okay." So I'm still stuck for an answer as to proper apostrophication in the sentence in #83.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

It wasn't the writing, it was the content.

[Sally, la reina]

The jury is split on whether initial-isms need apostrophes or not.

And in message 81 I count three verbs and a gerund.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I know the rule is that with just one initial, you must use an apostrophe. So it's the "Oakland A's", not the "Oakland As." Because then it just looks like As.

But with more than one initial it gets more complicated.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

The jury is doing the splits.

[Jammies]

A train-wreck of a note with bonus gross bug picture: http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com...

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Jammies wrote: "A train-wreck of a note with bonus gross bug picture: http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com..."

Oh dear.

[Jim]

Sally wrote: "The jury is split on whether initial-isms need apostrophes or not.

And in message 81 I count three verbs and a gerund."

One more and they have a Basketball team.

[Catherine]

Jim wrote: "Sally wrote: "The jury is split on whether initial-isms need apostrophes or not.

And in message 81 I count three verbs and a gerund."

One more and they have a Basketball team."



what's a verb?!?!? lol

[Sally, la reina]

::uuuunch, uuugh::

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Is whom disappearing from our discourse?

"My 4 year old corrected my wife today. My wife used "whom" in a sentence (properly, mind you) and my daughter said "mama, sometimes you say a weird word, 'whom', when what you should be saying is 'who'. 'Whom' is not a real word."

http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnso...|

[Jim]

In that case I will never have to ask for whom the bell tolls.

[Phil]

You needn't ask, Jim. It tolls for thee.

[Cheri]

Is it 'the Beatles' or 'The Beatles'?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000...

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

A Reuters story....still uncorrected. Front page headline on the Tribune.

15,000 lose jobs as Hostess as liquidates (huh?)
Maker of Twinkies, Wonder bread says its [sic] flooded with bidders

[Phil]

At least they didn't write, "15,000 loose jobs."

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Only because a sharp-eyed editor caught that one.

[Phil]

One place on Kauai was offering "reservetions" on deluxe rooms. A store we saw had discounts on "all perchases."

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Further proof Obama is not American!

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

When I went to Italy, I actually kept a list of all the hilarious things on hotel websites, such as:

"Rooms for disables are equipped according to ECC-standards."

"Modern congressual equipment of the hotel makes it favourable to welcome meetings, professional trainings and
refresher courses."

"A 200 metre path plunges the house in peace and tranquillity."

"Some rooms are for non-smoking people, others are equipped with fax and jacuzzi."

"Our main characteristic is disponibility, you will be always at ease, since the first time you step into the hotel."

"Have you ever seen an ancient patrician villa given hospitality at Tourists? Do you like shopping? Don't worry, we are close to the most famous atelier of the international fashion: Cartier, Bulgari, Missoni, Versace and the other griff, are atractive for many people,
who find in Via Condotti everything they need."

[Phil]

[Scout]

asshole.com

[Phil]

Kyle, you should be able to find a vendor with a google search of the phrase.

Here's another from the ol' FB feed...