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a quite excellent jest!
Apr. 2nd, 2013 11:51 amThe Nerdy History Girls with a tale of costumed capers leading to Edwardian embarrassment!
the grocer's apostrophe
Mar. 15th, 2013 01:40 pmMost people who know me are aware that I am prey to many and varied irrational enthusiasms and loathings. When it comes to punctuation (a subject that, of course, everyone feels desperately strongly about!), I am a vocal advocate of the serial (or Oxford) comma and a deadly foe of the unnecessary (often called the grocer's) apostrophe ("we sell orange's and lemon's.")
Like the persistent inappropriate use of the subjective case ("he gave the document to George and I"), persistent inappropriate use of the apostrophe indicates a sort of harassed sensibility of "I know I'm not doing something right, but I'm not sure what, so I'll just do the opposite of what comes naturally." Instead of taking the (relatively short amount of) time to learn how to do something right, the user is doing something different, repetitively and intransigently. To me, this says, "I am not only poorly educated, but I am also stubborn and refuse to make even a small effort to learn."
I have a tiny bit of sympathy (though only a tiny bit) for those who use it with acronyms (at least in America, where we still put them in all caps; of the decadent UK, where they have thrown away all decency and humanity and strip their acronyms of their caps, I cannot speak--it is too painful). Obviously, such words have something different about them, and I can understand the clumsy thought process of the prehistoric brain trickling along "It's different. So, when I make it plural--shouldn't that be different too?" But no, Piltdown Man (and Woman): if you put one PATRIOT missile next to another PATRIOT missile, you do not have two PATRIOT's, just two PATRIOTs. Trust me--you're overthinking this, and thinking is clearly not your long suit.
So, how sad does it make me, browsing the latest entry in J.L. Bell's Boston 1775 blog (the blog that makes me want to be a professional historian every time I read it) to see our Great Leader, the Chairman Mao of the USA of A, writing to a fellow officer during the Revolution:
Oh, ouch! General, my general, did you have to do that? But, you know, they just had different sensibilities about these things in the 18th century. After all, if one looks at the paragraph as a whole, there is enough grammatical disorder and mayhem there to set an entire schoolroom full of English teachers fainting and reaching for the spirits of hartshorn.
An unnecessary apostrophe in one line, and the screaming absence of a needed on in the next. We won't even discuss the spelling and the unnecessary capitalisation. Yes, General Washington, yes, you do need a new secretary. Soon.
In all good humour, gentle readers, allow me to remain, your humble and obedient &c.
Like the persistent inappropriate use of the subjective case ("he gave the document to George and I"), persistent inappropriate use of the apostrophe indicates a sort of harassed sensibility of "I know I'm not doing something right, but I'm not sure what, so I'll just do the opposite of what comes naturally." Instead of taking the (relatively short amount of) time to learn how to do something right, the user is doing something different, repetitively and intransigently. To me, this says, "I am not only poorly educated, but I am also stubborn and refuse to make even a small effort to learn."
I have a tiny bit of sympathy (though only a tiny bit) for those who use it with acronyms (at least in America, where we still put them in all caps; of the decadent UK, where they have thrown away all decency and humanity and strip their acronyms of their caps, I cannot speak--it is too painful). Obviously, such words have something different about them, and I can understand the clumsy thought process of the prehistoric brain trickling along "It's different. So, when I make it plural--shouldn't that be different too?" But no, Piltdown Man (and Woman): if you put one PATRIOT missile next to another PATRIOT missile, you do not have two PATRIOT's, just two PATRIOTs. Trust me--you're overthinking this, and thinking is clearly not your long suit.
So, how sad does it make me, browsing the latest entry in J.L. Bell's Boston 1775 blog (the blog that makes me want to be a professional historian every time I read it) to see our Great Leader, the Chairman Mao of the USA of A, writing to a fellow officer during the Revolution:
It is unnecessary for me to observe to you, the multiplicity of business I am Involved In—the number of Letters, Orders, & Instruction’s I have to write—
Oh, ouch! General, my general, did you have to do that? But, you know, they just had different sensibilities about these things in the 18th century. After all, if one looks at the paragraph as a whole, there is enough grammatical disorder and mayhem there to set an entire schoolroom full of English teachers fainting and reaching for the spirits of hartshorn.
It is unnecessary for me to observe to you, the multiplicity of business I am Involved In—the number of Letters, Orders, & Instruction’s I have to write—with many other matters which call loudly for Aids that are ready Pen-men—I have long waited in exasperation of Colo. Reeds return, but now despair of it. Randolph who was also ready at his Pen, leaves me little room to expect him; my business in short, will not allow me to wait, as I have none but Mr. Harrison (for Mr. Moylan must be call’d of to attend his duty as Commissary of Musters) who can afford me much assistance in that way, and he, in case Colo. Reed should not return, has the promise of succeeding him.
An unnecessary apostrophe in one line, and the screaming absence of a needed on in the next. We won't even discuss the spelling and the unnecessary capitalisation. Yes, General Washington, yes, you do need a new secretary. Soon.
In all good humour, gentle readers, allow me to remain, your humble and obedient &c.
(no subject)
Nov. 29th, 2012 08:56 amJon Stewart puts Sens. McCain and Graham's attacks on Amb. Rice in the appropriate context.
Nice work, Mr Stewart! :-)
Nice work, Mr Stewart! :-)
Calling Tech Support
Nov. 6th, 2012 04:14 pm...somewhere in America...
AmericanElectorate: Hello? I hope you can help me; I recently downloaded your app, "USElection", for my mobile phone, but I've been trying to boot it up since 7 am this morning, and it just hangs.
TechSupport: Did you validate your user account?
( Read more... )
AmericanElectorate: Hello? I hope you can help me; I recently downloaded your app, "USElection", for my mobile phone, but I've been trying to boot it up since 7 am this morning, and it just hangs.
TechSupport: Did you validate your user account?
( Read more... )
The main problem was broken glass from shopfronts but not all the shops had been targeted. While the looters had cleared out the stock of Currys, Claire's Accessories and Phones4U, nearby Waterstone's had been left "without a scratch", she says.
(no subject)
Mar. 29th, 2011 12:41 pmWow. Just wow.
If the Internet is the Information Superhighway, there's going to be a big tailback as a result of rubbernecking at this horrific trainwreck. Emergency workers are carrying off the remains of a self-publishing author's reputation on a stretcher, but I think they've already pulled the blanket over its face...
If the Internet is the Information Superhighway, there's going to be a big tailback as a result of rubbernecking at this horrific trainwreck. Emergency workers are carrying off the remains of a self-publishing author's reputation on a stretcher, but I think they've already pulled the blanket over its face...
just doing my bit for British tourism
Jan. 20th, 2011 04:09 pmAdvice I posted on a wargaming board when a European said he was thinking of doing an academic internship in the UK and wanted suggestions for places to go.
******************************************
Just remember that they don't use the Euro in the UK, but their own beloved British pound.
A pound is made up of 20 shillings, each of 12 pennies (or "pence" often abbreviated "d" because each is worth a very plain and basic dinner). If you have 21 shillings, you can trade them in for a guinea--a live guinea fowl, a bird--but most people don't do this, as the birds flap a lot and don't fit in your wallet.
You can also find coins called crowns (worth 5 shillings, or 6 if you place it carefully on your head before paying), half-crowns (worth 2.5 shillings, or 3 on the special days called "half-holidays"), and florins, which are worth 2 shillings, 3 if you are Italian and from the city of Florence (they will check, so bring ID).
Because the British pound is very strong, even pennies are valuable and are therefore often broken into pieces. A quarter penny is a farthing and a half penny is called a ha'penny (HAY-penny) because it's just enough for a cab ride (in the old days, it was enough to buy hay for the cab horse). Thrupenny bits are worth 3 pence, groats 4 (from the Dutch word for "great" because although they are worth 4 pennies they are the largest coin in circulation, about 3cm in diameter).
People who have traded in their shillings for a guinea and regretted it (guinea fowl do all the other tiresome things birds do...) can go to the fleshmarket (open-air butcher's market) and "lose" them (trade them in) for money again, but at a big discount, usually only whatever change the butcher finds in his pockets--hence the expression that someone unhappy "looks as if he's 'lost' a guinea and 'found' a groat".
Finally, the coin that is very prized but rarely seen is the sovereign. It is a gold coin worth 20 shillings (or one pound). They are called sovereigns because they are distributed once a year by the sovereign her (or, eventually him) self. They are rarely used in trade, however, because if you get one, you can present it at Buckingham Palace and get one free wish from the Queen (or at some point in the far-distant future, the King). So you can see that someone wouldn't just hand it over in exchange for a night's lodging or three-course dinner.
OK, I've got lots more helpful tips on expenses, travel, the British university system, and the zany old customs of those crazy Brits, but I'll have to save those for later. It's getting cold here, and I need to go through another shovelful of wooden nickels on the fire...
******************************************
Just remember that they don't use the Euro in the UK, but their own beloved British pound.
A pound is made up of 20 shillings, each of 12 pennies (or "pence" often abbreviated "d" because each is worth a very plain and basic dinner). If you have 21 shillings, you can trade them in for a guinea--a live guinea fowl, a bird--but most people don't do this, as the birds flap a lot and don't fit in your wallet.
You can also find coins called crowns (worth 5 shillings, or 6 if you place it carefully on your head before paying), half-crowns (worth 2.5 shillings, or 3 on the special days called "half-holidays"), and florins, which are worth 2 shillings, 3 if you are Italian and from the city of Florence (they will check, so bring ID).
Because the British pound is very strong, even pennies are valuable and are therefore often broken into pieces. A quarter penny is a farthing and a half penny is called a ha'penny (HAY-penny) because it's just enough for a cab ride (in the old days, it was enough to buy hay for the cab horse). Thrupenny bits are worth 3 pence, groats 4 (from the Dutch word for "great" because although they are worth 4 pennies they are the largest coin in circulation, about 3cm in diameter).
People who have traded in their shillings for a guinea and regretted it (guinea fowl do all the other tiresome things birds do...) can go to the fleshmarket (open-air butcher's market) and "lose" them (trade them in) for money again, but at a big discount, usually only whatever change the butcher finds in his pockets--hence the expression that someone unhappy "looks as if he's 'lost' a guinea and 'found' a groat".
Finally, the coin that is very prized but rarely seen is the sovereign. It is a gold coin worth 20 shillings (or one pound). They are called sovereigns because they are distributed once a year by the sovereign her (or, eventually him) self. They are rarely used in trade, however, because if you get one, you can present it at Buckingham Palace and get one free wish from the Queen (or at some point in the far-distant future, the King). So you can see that someone wouldn't just hand it over in exchange for a night's lodging or three-course dinner.
OK, I've got lots more helpful tips on expenses, travel, the British university system, and the zany old customs of those crazy Brits, but I'll have to save those for later. It's getting cold here, and I need to go through another shovelful of wooden nickels on the fire...
for my friends who like morris dancing
Jan. 14th, 2011 12:20 pmWoodbine Design, a British maker of wargaming miniatures, has a line of morris dancing figures. Plus *armed* morris dancers! :-)
