I do not like to hear my language twisted, however slightly, when the sole motivation of the twister is to sound pretentiously authoritative. Example
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Oh...Now I've Read the Orwell...spudinskiAugust 21 2003, 20:48:01 UTC
Well, bits of that essay seemed a little odd to me. I will now try to express an idea, but naturally I will do it badly, and dear Georgie will rise from his grave and roast me over a blaze kindled with dictionaries. Here we go: 1. I can't help but think some of this essay is out-of-date, or at least it doesn't apply to most of the people I associate with daily. I think our vocabulary is still suffering, but more often of starvation than the banal gluttony he describes. I'll admit to using several of the phrases he finds unsavory, but they aren't as common in my experience as he found them to be. I very seldom find anyone capable of even parroting a phrase such as "exhibit a tendency to" or "leaves much to be desired." I think that's why it's so easy to lazily string these phrases together and sound brilliant. Few people read enough to pick them up anymore. 2. One can easily sour speech by spewing pretentious bits of Latin and French into a conversation, but is it so terrible to have a few handy foreign words and phrases seep in? I think that's part of what makes English such a nasty, perplexing, but interesting language. 3. "Leave no stone unturned" was eradicated by 1946, eh? Sorry Georgie. If it makes you feel any better, even the plague still pops up now and again.
Re: Oh...Now I've Read the Orwell...samschoiceusAugust 23 2003, 13:24:11 UTC
1. Perhaps some of what he says has past its expiration date (the commie-pinko parts in particular), but much of his point is still valid. And though many people may not be able to chat with scholarly distinction, sloppy smart-speak still impedes effective communication.
2. I agree.
3. Mr. Bubonic is pretty securely confined to India.
Re: Oh...Now I've Read the Orwell...spudinskiAugust 23 2003, 20:46:53 UTC
1. You're a pinko commie 2. Good 3. There's a girl at my school who got it in...South Dakota, I believe 4. 1984's still on the money. Nothing personal against the guy.
1. I can't help but think some of this essay is out-of-date, or at least it doesn't apply to most of the people I associate with daily. I think our vocabulary is still suffering, but more often of starvation than the banal gluttony he describes. I'll admit to using several of the phrases he finds unsavory, but they aren't as common in my experience as he found them to be. I very seldom find anyone capable of even parroting a phrase such as "exhibit a tendency to" or "leaves much to be desired." I think that's why it's so easy to lazily string these phrases together and sound brilliant. Few people read enough to pick them up anymore.
2. One can easily sour speech by spewing pretentious bits of Latin and French into a conversation, but is it so terrible to have a few handy foreign words and phrases seep in? I think that's part of what makes English such a nasty, perplexing, but interesting language.
3. "Leave no stone unturned" was eradicated by 1946, eh? Sorry Georgie. If it makes you feel any better, even the plague still pops up now and again.
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2. I agree.
3. Mr. Bubonic is pretty securely confined to India.
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2. Good
3. There's a girl at my school who got it in...South Dakota, I believe
4. 1984's still on the money. Nothing personal against the guy.
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