Having Cleared Up The Apostrophe...
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As in Brit: "There is a problem with this machine. We need it sorted." Me: "No, you don't need it sorted. You need it adjusted, repaired or replaced. Sorting it would merely arrange it in a specific order in relation to other machines."
American: "I could care less about..." Brit: "So, it's important to you then?" American: "Not at all. Like I said, 'I could care less about it'" Brit: "I see. that would be 'could' in the sense of 'could not'"
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Ah yes, the hilarious "I nipping out for a Fag" gag. I used it in LA last year, on purpose, to see peoples faces. (Unfortunately there are too many Brits in LA (Well, Santa Monica) these days and most people knew what I meant.)
------------------------------------ "I'm going to walk around a field dangling my keys on a bit of string until I hear whistling noise. " Steve Harris 2009
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American: "I could care less about..." Brit: "So, it's important to you then?" American: "Not at all. Like I said, 'I could care less about it'" Brit: "I see. that would be 'could' in the sense of 'could not'"
Dave will tell us about it, but I think it's a distant cousin of hyperbole, interbred with sarcasm, and a good mate of I, in that by saying you could care less, you actually mean you really could care more, if you could give a shit. That is, it's the same as saying, "yeah, that really bothers me", when your wife storms out and leaves the dishes. You reply, "Like I'm freaking worried" "I could give a shit"
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Remember that the Early Brits what went to the New World were Carrot Crunching Plymouth Brethren who lived in the Cider Forests of the South West and they can barely speak English to this day! (I sense someone is going to reply to this!!!) :)
------------------------------------ "I'm going to walk around a field dangling my keys on a bit of string until I hear whistling noise. " Steve Harris 2009
Well those Devonians are a strange breed...
I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine
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Would that be cumbrous?
------------------------------------ "I'm going to walk around a field dangling my keys on a bit of string until I hear whistling noise. " Steve Harris 2009
Woot! I made it into a sig! :laugh: Out of context that sentence is quite surreal...
I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine
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The American Listing Comma. Commas are used to seperate clauses and to itemise listed items in a sentence. Commas are never to be used directly before a conjunction unless the conjunction is used as an indicative clause. Between the penultimate and ultimate items in a list the correct form to be used is the 'And'. Examples 1) I would often use a comma here, especially when writing to Americans, as this is the correct place. 2a) It is wrong to use a comma here, and here, because it looks awful. 2b) It is correct to use a comma here, and this can be proved, because it is an indicative clause. 3) In listing I would have Item 1, Item 2 and Item 3. American Media Comma: In American media it is oft seen that a comma seperates a two item list. Example "Obama asks for Money, Time, for Military" WRONG!!!! "Obama asks for Money and Time for military" The American Media Comma is an Evil, Ugly and Awkward thing and should be stamped out! It is up there with the Grocers Apostrophe and the European Dashed 7! Thankyou for your time.
------------------------------------ "Men may make bad decisions, immoral decisions or just plain wrong decisions, but at least they make decisions. Women on the other hand..." Patrick Kielty 2006
Dalek Dave wrote:
In listing I would have Item 1, Item 2 and Item 3.
there is also the Oxford comma[^]: "In listing I would have Item 1, Item 2**,** and Item 3."
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The American Listing Comma. Commas are used to seperate clauses and to itemise listed items in a sentence. Commas are never to be used directly before a conjunction unless the conjunction is used as an indicative clause. Between the penultimate and ultimate items in a list the correct form to be used is the 'And'. Examples 1) I would often use a comma here, especially when writing to Americans, as this is the correct place. 2a) It is wrong to use a comma here, and here, because it looks awful. 2b) It is correct to use a comma here, and this can be proved, because it is an indicative clause. 3) In listing I would have Item 1, Item 2 and Item 3. American Media Comma: In American media it is oft seen that a comma seperates a two item list. Example "Obama asks for Money, Time, for Military" WRONG!!!! "Obama asks for Money and Time for military" The American Media Comma is an Evil, Ugly and Awkward thing and should be stamped out! It is up there with the Grocers Apostrophe and the European Dashed 7! Thankyou for your time.
------------------------------------ "Men may make bad decisions, immoral decisions or just plain wrong decisions, but at least they make decisions. Women on the other hand..." Patrick Kielty 2006
Tell you what, Dave, next time you rule the world, you can make up the rules. Till then, you can bitch and moan about getting invaded by immigrants! ;P FFS, you're missing an apostrophe there. What is a Dashed Seven, the number 7 with a dash at the middle of the line? Why is it European? [EDIT] A comma *should* be used before the 'and' in a list with more than two items. Eg: Tom, Dick, and Harry were friends.
Cheers, Vikram. (Cracked not one CCC, but two!)
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Tell you what, Dave, next time you rule the world, you can make up the rules. Till then, you can bitch and moan about getting invaded by immigrants! ;P FFS, you're missing an apostrophe there. What is a Dashed Seven, the number 7 with a dash at the middle of the line? Why is it European? [EDIT] A comma *should* be used before the 'and' in a list with more than two items. Eg: Tom, Dick, and Harry were friends.
Cheers, Vikram. (Cracked not one CCC, but two!)
I pointed out my missing apostrophe myself. The comma in a list before the and is the Oxford comma. There is also the Oxford Apostrophe as seen on the street name St Giles's' Square. And once i rule the world I will ban metric measurements and reintroduce the 12 pennies to the shilling, 20 shillings to the pound.
------------------------------------ "I'm going to walk around a field dangling my keys on a bit of string until I hear whistling noise. " Steve Harris 2009
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I pointed out my missing apostrophe myself. The comma in a list before the and is the Oxford comma. There is also the Oxford Apostrophe as seen on the street name St Giles's' Square. And once i rule the world I will ban metric measurements and reintroduce the 12 pennies to the shilling, 20 shillings to the pound.
------------------------------------ "I'm going to walk around a field dangling my keys on a bit of string until I hear whistling noise. " Steve Harris 2009
Dalek Dave wrote:
St Giles's' Square
Hang on, wtf, does that mean there are many Saints by the name of Giles, and the square belongs to all of them [EDIT]or is named after all of them[/EDIT]? :wtf:
Cheers, Vikram. (Cracked not one CCC, but two!)
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Mark Wallace wrote:
what do you intend to do about the God-awful American double subjunctive?
Huh? If you had given an example, I might have known what you were talking about... :doh:
Luc Pattyn
Local announcement (Antwerp region): Lange Wapper? Neen!
Luc Pattyn wrote:
Huh? If you would have given an example, I would have known what you were talking about...
De-fixed that for you
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Would that be cumbrous?
------------------------------------ "I'm going to walk around a field dangling my keys on a bit of string until I hear whistling noise. " Steve Harris 2009
I take umbrage at the lack of decumbrication in some texts.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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The American Listing Comma. Commas are used to seperate clauses and to itemise listed items in a sentence. Commas are never to be used directly before a conjunction unless the conjunction is used as an indicative clause. Between the penultimate and ultimate items in a list the correct form to be used is the 'And'. Examples 1) I would often use a comma here, especially when writing to Americans, as this is the correct place. 2a) It is wrong to use a comma here, and here, because it looks awful. 2b) It is correct to use a comma here, and this can be proved, because it is an indicative clause. 3) In listing I would have Item 1, Item 2 and Item 3. American Media Comma: In American media it is oft seen that a comma seperates a two item list. Example "Obama asks for Money, Time, for Military" WRONG!!!! "Obama asks for Money and Time for military" The American Media Comma is an Evil, Ugly and Awkward thing and should be stamped out! It is up there with the Grocers Apostrophe and the European Dashed 7! Thankyou for your time.
------------------------------------ "Men may make bad decisions, immoral decisions or just plain wrong decisions, but at least they make decisions. Women on the other hand..." Patrick Kielty 2006