Comments | wemyss: A usage note, for Christmas.

wemyss

A usage note, for Christmas.

Dec 23, 2011 17:54

writing, christmas, boring self-indulgence, britpicking, telegraph

Comments 4

sgt_majorette December 23 2011, 21:41:22 UTC

That was my dad's pet peeve too! Any time any of us started a sentence with "Dad, can I..." he would say, "Well, I don't know. Can you?" Sometimes he would say that whether or not we were able to do a thing was moot, because we were not permitted to do it.

Moot was his favorite word...

Ho ho ho. wemyss December 26 2011, 19:02:50 UTC

Jingle, and all that. Sorry: I was late in replying. I like yr father.

Yes! Yes! Yes! fpb December 24 2011, 08:02:03 UTC

YES!! I had May, Might and Could drummed into me by my first English teacher, God rest her soul, and since then I have more than once answered ill-phrased questions with "Well, you certainly COULD, but you MAY NOT". I wonder if they ever understand.

Important, truly. wemyss December 26 2011, 19:03:26 UTC

And a standard well worth maintaining.