Another Confusing Headline
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On Fox News: "Composer, musician wife killed in plane crash with baby daughter" So, did the plane crash into the baby daughter? Was the baby daughter at the controls? Was the plane overloaded because the baby daughter was on-board?
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013You know you're right - a long time ago, in English Composition, this was one of the things about which we were taught - vague modifiers. On the other hand, I've no feelings of guilt or shame when messing around with someone who just burped out or otherwise created one of these. Basically, the command of language has long ago heard that flushing sound and the swirl of water. Yesterday, on a news item, they talked about a piece of pumice floating towards Australia "Fifty Square Miles Long". What ? ? ?
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
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You know you're right - a long time ago, in English Composition, this was one of the things about which we were taught - vague modifiers. On the other hand, I've no feelings of guilt or shame when messing around with someone who just burped out or otherwise created one of these. Basically, the command of language has long ago heard that flushing sound and the swirl of water. Yesterday, on a news item, they talked about a piece of pumice floating towards Australia "Fifty Square Miles Long". What ? ? ?
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
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You know you're right - a long time ago, in English Composition, this was one of the things about which we were taught - vague modifiers. On the other hand, I've no feelings of guilt or shame when messing around with someone who just burped out or otherwise created one of these. Basically, the command of language has long ago heard that flushing sound and the swirl of water. Yesterday, on a news item, they talked about a piece of pumice floating towards Australia "Fifty Square Miles Long". What ? ? ?
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
W∴ Balboos wrote:
"the command of language has long ago heard that flushing sound and the swirl of water. … Fifty Square Miles Long".
Cue Professor Higgins (My Fair Lady).
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.
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W∴ Balboos wrote:
"the command of language has long ago heard that flushing sound and the swirl of water. … Fifty Square Miles Long".
Cue Professor Higgins (My Fair Lady).
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.
Oooooow!
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
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On Fox News: "Composer, musician wife killed in plane crash with baby daughter" So, did the plane crash into the baby daughter? Was the baby daughter at the controls? Was the plane overloaded because the baby daughter was on-board?
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013This isn't unique to the English language. My folks, near Ottawa, watch the news in French exclusively, which come from right across the border in Quebec. Every time I catch a glimpse of it, I can't help but point out the same type of mistakes and plain non-sense their "reporters" keep spewing. The Quebecois proudly call themselves the last defenders of the French language...given how badly they mangle it themselves...it's downright embarrassing. I'd understand if this was common folk using everyday language...but these are professionals, who should know how to use the tools of their trade - the spoken word. But no, this is very amateurish, and makes you wonder if there's anything worth salvaging at all...
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This isn't unique to the English language. My folks, near Ottawa, watch the news in French exclusively, which come from right across the border in Quebec. Every time I catch a glimpse of it, I can't help but point out the same type of mistakes and plain non-sense their "reporters" keep spewing. The Quebecois proudly call themselves the last defenders of the French language...given how badly they mangle it themselves...it's downright embarrassing. I'd understand if this was common folk using everyday language...but these are professionals, who should know how to use the tools of their trade - the spoken word. But no, this is very amateurish, and makes you wonder if there's anything worth salvaging at all...
A had a French friend who was shocked and horrified when I mentioned that I was talking with another friend from Canada who was helping improve my French. "No,no,no, NO!", was his reply! "They butcher the language!". I pointed out how much better their version of French was, such as having "septante", "octante" and "neufante" for 70, 80 and 90 instead of the crazy original french "soixante-dix" (60+10!), "quatre-vingt" (4x20!!), and "quatre-vingt-dix" (4x20+10!!!). He said, "Well... Ok, but not the rest!" :laugh:
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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A had a French friend who was shocked and horrified when I mentioned that I was talking with another friend from Canada who was helping improve my French. "No,no,no, NO!", was his reply! "They butcher the language!". I pointed out how much better their version of French was, such as having "septante", "octante" and "neufante" for 70, 80 and 90 instead of the crazy original french "soixante-dix" (60+10!), "quatre-vingt" (4x20!!), and "quatre-vingt-dix" (4x20+10!!!). He said, "Well... Ok, but not the rest!" :laugh:
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
I'm born and bred French-Canadian (not to be confused with Quebecois--most definitely not one and the same, and I always go out of my way to point it out to those who think otherwise), and I can guarantee, never in my life have I ever heard ANYONE--Quebecois or otherwise--use those words. If your buddy wasn't pulling your leg, I'd be curious to know what region he was from...Googling those words right now yields some interesting history, but again--I've never heard them in actual conversation. All that being said - I agree that the French in Canada--whether in Quebec or elsewhere--butcher the language. At least in the sense that we haven't tried to keep up with the French ("the France kind"). Rather different languages. I have a buddy who spent a few years in France, studying at the Sorbonne. He swears whenever he was speaking French with the locals, they were trying to get him to speak English instead, as they had an easier time understanding his English than his French.
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I'm born and bred French-Canadian (not to be confused with Quebecois--most definitely not one and the same, and I always go out of my way to point it out to those who think otherwise), and I can guarantee, never in my life have I ever heard ANYONE--Quebecois or otherwise--use those words. If your buddy wasn't pulling your leg, I'd be curious to know what region he was from...Googling those words right now yields some interesting history, but again--I've never heard them in actual conversation. All that being said - I agree that the French in Canada--whether in Quebec or elsewhere--butcher the language. At least in the sense that we haven't tried to keep up with the French ("the France kind"). Rather different languages. I have a buddy who spent a few years in France, studying at the Sorbonne. He swears whenever he was speaking French with the locals, they were trying to get him to speak English instead, as they had an easier time understanding his English than his French.
When I was in Paris once I asked if someone spoke English and they said, "Non! C'est la France, on ne parle que le français!". :mad: So I started speaking French to him and he immediately started speaking English back to me - to stop me from "butchering his beautiful language", he said! :laugh: By the way, my friend was originally Belgian and moved a few years back to Montreal so that might explain it.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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When I was in Paris once I asked if someone spoke English and they said, "Non! C'est la France, on ne parle que le français!". :mad: So I started speaking French to him and he immediately started speaking English back to me - to stop me from "butchering his beautiful language", he said! :laugh: By the way, my friend was originally Belgian and moved a few years back to Montreal so that might explain it.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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Forogar wrote:
to stop me from "butchering his beautiful language", he said
That'll learn him.
Forogar wrote:
my friend was originally Belgian
I...have no idea what language they're speaking in Belgium.
