Crosswords10 mins ago
miscellaneous
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Why don`t we have a miscellaneous topic? For instance Why do the three musketeers carry swords and not muskets? This question doesn`t really fit anywhere.
Answers
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It does occur to me that the weaponry of any body of armed men often DOES change over time although their actual name may remain as was. For example, modern cavalry regiments - which one might reasonably expect to get around on horses - usually do so in tanks!
Sadly, I do not know enough about French military matters to say whether that applies in this case.
Sadly, I do not know enough about French military matters to say whether that applies in this case.
Just post it in any old place you fancy - virtually everyone else does.
The other day we had a question in 'Jobs & Education' that asked what colour bra to wear under a white blouse. The somewhat tenuous link to education was that this related to a school policy. The damn silly question received over 30 replies.
The other day we had a question in 'Jobs & Education' that asked what colour bra to wear under a white blouse. The somewhat tenuous link to education was that this related to a school policy. The damn silly question received over 30 replies.
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Wouldn't surprise me. I attribute (probably unfairly) much of the corruption of the English language to the US of A. I have to say that "noone" is one of a number of sloppy errors that 'stick out like a sore thumb' to me. I'm no English expert, probably make errors myself (besides the millions of typos I mean) but the level of ignorance these days is staggering. As is the willingness of some to defend it.
Referring to yourself, Old_Geezer, you admit you are "no English expert". Well, I have a Master's degree in the subject, obtained almost half a century ago, and some decades of experience in teaching it at various levels, including university.
I personally do not have anything against Americanisms and do not see them as 'corruptions', so my earlier comment was in no way a criticism. Indeed, their use of English is vibrant and ever-changing to a greater extent than ours in my view.
The very idea that there is some sort of 'pure' never-changing English that only the British know is patently absurd. There is now a multitude of EnglishES...Caribbean English being very different from South African English and that in turn being very different from Singapore English and so on. Few people grasp that there are more people whose first language is English living in India that there are in Britain! They do not speak exactly as we do and a good thing, too.
cont...
I personally do not have anything against Americanisms and do not see them as 'corruptions', so my earlier comment was in no way a criticism. Indeed, their use of English is vibrant and ever-changing to a greater extent than ours in my view.
The very idea that there is some sort of 'pure' never-changing English that only the British know is patently absurd. There is now a multitude of EnglishES...Caribbean English being very different from South African English and that in turn being very different from Singapore English and so on. Few people grasp that there are more people whose first language is English living in India that there are in Britain! They do not speak exactly as we do and a good thing, too.
cont...
...cont
Americans have, however, sometimes carried simplification to extremes. When I was at school in Britain half a century ago we had to spell today and tomorrow as to-day and to-morrow, for example, with hyphens. (If you really are an old geezer, presumably so did you.) Thank goodness they've gone! Americans have just taken the same course as we ourselves have - getting rid of hyphens all over the place - a stage further, even when their presence is actually helpful.
I refer especially to co-whatever. If, for instance, one writes cooperative instead of co-operative, a reader may get as far as the 'r' before realising they're pronouncing the word wrongly. And is a coworker someone who orks cows or a colleague? (Yes, I know there is no verb to ork, but what about write? Does cowrite mean to participate in joint authorship...co-write...or a ceremony involving cattle...cow-rite?)
As regards noone - if they do use it - they have clearly done the same...removed the hyphen or word separation and good luck to em, I say! The fact that I wouldn't do so is neither here nor there and it is certainly no corruption, but just a continuation of an ongoing process. Linguistic "evolution", in other words.
Americans have, however, sometimes carried simplification to extremes. When I was at school in Britain half a century ago we had to spell today and tomorrow as to-day and to-morrow, for example, with hyphens. (If you really are an old geezer, presumably so did you.) Thank goodness they've gone! Americans have just taken the same course as we ourselves have - getting rid of hyphens all over the place - a stage further, even when their presence is actually helpful.
I refer especially to co-whatever. If, for instance, one writes cooperative instead of co-operative, a reader may get as far as the 'r' before realising they're pronouncing the word wrongly. And is a coworker someone who orks cows or a colleague? (Yes, I know there is no verb to ork, but what about write? Does cowrite mean to participate in joint authorship...co-write...or a ceremony involving cattle...cow-rite?)
As regards noone - if they do use it - they have clearly done the same...removed the hyphen or word separation and good luck to em, I say! The fact that I wouldn't do so is neither here nor there and it is certainly no corruption, but just a continuation of an ongoing process. Linguistic "evolution", in other words.
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