Grammar Usage, Part Deux

[Uber$winG]

Once, when Churchill was criticized for ending a sentence with a preposition, he bull-doggishly replied “It is something up with which I will not put.”

I used to be a pedantic prescriptive grammarian, but I let it go long ago. Now I’m a modified neo-classical linguistic nihilist. The one that still makes me cringe, every time I hear it, is “… between he/she and I;” just say “us” and be done with it. It is short, sweet, and ultimately correct.

[Dent]

Ha ha wait a sec....

oh wow, I think I actually watched those in elementary school.

Cunjunction Junction was always my favorite and I was singing that one around the school yard for the next week.

[Harry Longshanks]

My second favorite was "I'm Just a Bill", but that would be off-topic in a grammar thread.

[Craig Mac]

My second favorite was "I'm Just a Bill", but that would be off-topic in a grammar thread.

posts made me laugh, thanks man!!!

[worst_shot_ever]

Once, when Churchill was criticized for ending a sentence with a preposition, he bull-doggishly replied “It is something up with which I will not put.”

I always thought Churchill's canard was unfair, as "up" in the phrase "put up" is acting as part of a compound verb, not a preposition. Not to say I adhere to this prescription, or the one against split infinitive, unfailingly.

[julie_m]

My second favorite was "I'm Just a Bill", but that would be off-topic in a grammar thread.

Thought you were just a Harry. Whoops.

Churchill's the man. I named my pug after him.

[Harry Longshanks]

Thought you were just a Harry. Whoops.

My favorite Churchill quote has always been:

MP Bessie Braddock : "Mr. Churchill, you're drunk!" Churchill: "Yes, and you, Madam, are ugly. But tomorrow, I shall be sober."

[julie_m]

My favorite Churchill quote has always been:

HAHA! Wow, that's great!

Lady Astor to Churchill: "Winston, if you were my husband I would flavour your coffee with poison." Churchill: "Madam, if I were your husband, I should drink it."

[Harry Longshanks]

HAHA! Wow, that's great!

That's my second favorite!

[worst_shot_ever]

Can't believe this one wasn't mentioned:

"Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose."

I was thinking that Churchill came up with "golf is a good walk spoiled," but that was Twain.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

...I was thinking that Churchill came up with "golf is a good walk spoiled," but that was Twain.

I don't have a citation for this but IIRC Twain scholars say there is no evidence to attribute this quotation to Twain.

[Harry Longshanks]

For the folks who think that those of us promoting proper grammar are too serious or have no sense of humor (my unparalleled sense of humor notwithstanding

The Feherty article is now online:

http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/...844589,00.html

[Eore]

i heart grammar. i grew up the son of an english major.

needless to say my teachers love me.

the churchill quotes are awesome

[JaY_B]

i heart grammar. i grew up the son of an english major.

Yet you still didn't capitalism the 'I' Or spell 'Churchill with a capital C,in fact even English should have a capital E

[erniebanks]

I love this one, gotta love the Pack:

Sadly, far too many people will not see the errors here.

[ClairefromClare]

The thread title includes the word, "usage," so this isn't too much of a detour:

First, never use a word of one syllable when you can employ one of two or utilize one of three.

I'm a dinosaur here, but: gender refers to nouns in romance languages. It doesn't have anything to do with people. Yes, the English language could use a word to describe the non-sexualized aspects of male-female differences, but gender already has a perfectly good and different meaning. Firnd something else.

Ditto organic, which means carbon based. Twinkies aside, there is no food out there that isn't carbon based and hence organic.

Let's not even get to "I could care less," "ATM machine," and "PIN number." I fight that losing battle with my kids almost daily.

[Dent]

I love this one, gotta love the Pack:

I'm really bad for that.

[julie_m]

Sadly, far too many people will not see the errors here.

There are errors in there?

Claire, I had to re-read your post a couple times to truly embrace the greatness of it. In other not very eloquent terms: "sh*t girl, I'm gonna have to watch myself!" LOL, "I could care less" drives me nuts! I also remember that lady's expression when I looked her square in the face and said as solemnly as I could: "marijuana is organic, you know." Dent, don't worry, sometimes we all find ourselves using commas, sometimes, just perhaps, more than we should.