BS: Queens English??

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: bubblyrat
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 11:12 AM

"A woman,without her man,is nothing."

                  Or :

    "A Woman ; without her,Man is nothing."




And some of you want to get rid of punctuation marks in English altogether ??? Please, GET REAL !!! How on earth can we expect young people to cope with foreign languages if they are not taught the rules of grammar AND punctuation of their own ?? Must go now--got to make a 'phone-call about 'bus and 'plane tickets !!

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 11:21 AM

I think we have to be realistic here inasmuch as everything is evolving including language... New words are being introduced and old ones are disappearing from everyday use. The one thing that really does annoy me is how many... not just children.. but adults too, use the word 'of' instead of 'have'...... for instance... "He should have done it" has become "He should of done it" which in no way makes sense but I see the word of regularly used this way instead of have. We have to allow the language to evolve but I guess the rules ought to remain as they always have been.... or should they????????????

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 11:29 AM

"And I always have to remind myself not to respectfully suggest that certain posters smear mustard on it, call it a sausage, and shove it up their arse"


GADZOOKF!

You fhove muftard faufagef up your arfe?

(Utterly Fhocked Fmiley!)

Far better to fuck them, I'd' fay.

;0)

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: meself
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 11:30 AM

Shouldn't there be a limit on the number of question marks and exclamation points allowed at the end of sentences??!! Back in my day, people knew the value of a good question mark, while if you had an exclamation point to spare, you were considered a wealthy man!

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 12:13 PM

It is not "of" but the contraction of "should have" -- "He should've done it." The sound of the contraction leads to the error in writing.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 12:59 PM

ƒuprise
fuprise
suprise

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 02:33 PM

Bill, ifn't it furprifing to find there'f an 'r' in furprife? (???!!)

I love thif thread! It'f fo filly! :0) lol

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: gnu
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 03:01 PM

Indeed. One should try TO write correctly. If you try AND write correctly, you should be hung, drawn and quartered.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 04:42 PM

OOPF!

Can't' say 'hung', ifn't it 'hanged'? :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Gurney
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 05:15 PM

But Gnu, if you try, and write correctly, surely that should lead to a reduced sentence, although extended by a comma?

It has been many years since I read original print with the f-shaped s, but wasn't it mostly used as the first letter of a double s, as in "Pafs the safsafrafs!"??? (These for meself.)

If there's a good reason for change, then I'm in favour of it.
To change a language because some people are too idle, inattentive, impatient, or just too plain stupid to learn it, is not a good reason.

I can read TXT, but I can also read English. I prefer English.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: gnu
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 05:38 PM

Well, Gurney, your question would lead me to ask, "What are you trying?"

One cannot "Try and do... ". One can "Try to do...." If one were to "Try and do...", why would one try?... what would one do? I understand is it common vernacular, but that does not make it proper or logical. Actually, screw proper... if it is not logical, it is not language; not the Queen's nor any other.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: MartinRyan
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 06:15 PM

Read Gurney again, gnu! If you try, and write correctly..."

Me? I'd use a dash there. There!

Regards
p.s. There, there...

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Gurney
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 08:17 PM

Just a feeble try, er, attempt, at humour, Gnu. A play on the meanings of 'sentence.'
I do agree with you, and I'll bet I have even more grammatical bees in my bonnet than you have. I won't sing ungrammatical songs. They make me wince.



People who write such songs DON'T CARE, though.

I'm not a grammarian. Just someone who likes English, as you do yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 09:56 PM

People have been hanged, pictures have been hung. Of course, one who is hanged could also be hung.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 01 Feb 09 - 10:08 PM

Mrs. Duck -- I'm with you. I use apostrophes when they are needed and I don't think they are that difficult.......I think it would be much more confusing without them

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: eddie1
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 02:06 AM

Paul Burke – re hearing punctuation, Pronouncing punctuation, as in the wonderful recording by Victor Borge, should be taught at all schools. There would then be no possible misunderstanding. My colons are heard on a regular, and effusive basis. Am I related to your brother?

Use of the "f" instead of "s" continued in German script for much later than in the UK. This resulted in the oft-misunderstood poem by Matt McGinn about an event in the German city of Essen (or Effen)

The Big Effen Bee
(Matt McGinn)

He kept bees in the old town of Effen,
An Effen beekeeper was he,
And one day this Effen beekeeper,
Was stung by a big Effen bee.

Now this big Effen beekeeper's wee Effen wife,
For the big Effen polis she ran,
For there's nobody can sort out a big Effen bee,
Like a big Effen polisman can.

This big Effen polisman he came right away,
And he ran down the main Effen street,
In his hand was a big Effen baton,
He had big Effen boots on his feet.

He grabbed the big Effen bee round its big Effen neck
And he choked it till it grew Effen pale
But the big Effen bee had the last Effen laugh
It had two Effen stings in its tail.

Now they're both in the Effen museum,
Where the Effen folk often come see,
The remains of the big Effen polis,
Stung to death by the big Effen bee.

That's the end of that wee Effen story,
'Tis an innocent wee Effen tale,
But if you ever tell it in Effen,
You'll end up in the old Effen jail.

Eddie

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: eddie1
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 02:10 AM

Try here:-

Phonetic Punctuation


Eddie

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 04:51 AM

Who led the Pedants' Revolt ?

Which Tyler.

(I'll get my Barbour . . . )

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 05:50 AM

Wat????????

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 07:42 AM

When people say to me " Can I ask you a question?", I always reply "What? Another one ?".
My wife used to say to me "The lawn needs cutting badly !" to which I invariably riposted " No ! It needs cutting WELL !"
                     I remember reading all the "Saint" books,by Leslie Charteris. He always wrote "The Saint lighted another cigarette" , never "lit" !! (The cigarette was indeed "lit",because the Saint "lighted" it ! )
                I cannot STAND it when people say " I was sat in a chair" instead of "I was sitting in a chair", or "I was stood in the road" instead of "I was standing in the road". " I stood", or "I sat" are both fine,of course, but not ,ever,with "WAS" .I wonder how many so-called "teachers" actually know that ( or even care ??).

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 11:23 AM

One of MY complaints is scattering excessive punctuation about in seemingly random ways. I have seen sentences, with commas stuck in, which don't help, at all.) Rap

Rapaire, you missed a comma. There should be one here: "with commas, stuck in,"

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: gnu
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 12:50 PM

Sorry about the tone of my posts.

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 01:15 PM

Monday,02/02/09, 1810 hrs.   I have just watched,with total incredulity,an item on the main BBC 6 o'clock evening news,featuring the effect of the recent catastrophic half-inch of paralysing snow upon the entire nation,where,apparently,a major London hospital has cancelled, I quote, several " CLINIC'S " ------So,just what are "CLINIC'S" ?? Are they similar to "CLINICS" ( the generally accepted plural of the word "CLINIC" ) ??? Unbelievable !!

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 01:29 PM

The point is----it's not so much a question of getting people to USE apostrophes, but,rather,to STOP them from using them (until they know how to !!).

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 03:01 PM

:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 03:21 PM

Ebbie, I don't, remember, writing or, saying, that;

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: s&r
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 07:09 PM

Space before punctuation marks or after?

Why isn't Mr M'r?

How do you dot your i's and cross your t's?

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Queens English??
From: Gurney
Date: 02 Feb 09 - 09:39 PM

Wondered that myself, s&r, but all titles are. Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr. And, after I've finished writing that word, with plain dots and extravagant crossings.