Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was just reading some minutes from a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. In one paragraph, the author of the minutes wrote "ride away" instead of "right of way."
.
__________________
My posts as a Moderator will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS And check this out: FAQ
Moderator of Canada (and sub-fora), Illinois (and sub-fora), Indiana (and sub-fora), Caregiving, Community Chat, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Care, Games/Trivia, History, Nature, Non-romantic Relationships, Psychology, Travel, Work & Employment, Writing.
___________________________
~ Life's a gift. Don't waste it. ~
I was just reading some minutes from a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. In one paragraph, the author of the minutes wrote "ride away" instead of "right of way."
I am so outraged that I have resolved to never again watch one of Will Ferrell's movies!
Hear, hear! & for good measure, I'm never going to watch any M*A*S*H episodes with Mike Farrell, either, just to make sure. (More than one way to skin a cat, old saying.) Course, Mike hardly ever comes around anymore, now that's he's a big shot real-estate mogul & all. But still ...
That was a common variation of the word until about 40-50 years ago.
I was not aware of that factoid.
However, the sign in question was painted at some point during the late '70s to early '80s, so I can't see fit to give Ford a "pass" on that gaffe. And, I say that as a holder of Ford common stock.
What do we do with the "they" replacing "she or he"? Are we to make a sentence really bumpy and awkward in order to be correct, or submit to the "they" which goes a lot smoother sometimes? We have workarounds that avoid it, and don't solve it, and I think it's a reasonable evolution to consider both valid in different circumstances.
What do we do with the "they" replacing "she or he"? Are we to make a sentence really bumpy and awkward in order to be correct, or submit to the "they" which goes a lot smoother sometimes? We have workarounds that avoid it, and don't solve it, and I think it's a reasonable evolution to consider both valid in different circumstances.
If this is an old topic, sorry.
(Waiting for eggs and tomatoes to be thrown).
No, it's probably at the top of my list of pet peeves, too. If using he or his when gender is unknown bothers a writer so much, he* should rewrite it in a way that avoids the problem altogether. They (or their) is plural, not singular. If you want to use they (or their), make the noun it refers to plural.
Each student must do his own work.
All students must do their own work.
If you want gender equality, use his half the time and her the other half.
And for goodness sake, when the gender is always one or the other by default, use the appropriate pronoun. If it refers to a NFL football player, use his. If it refers to a pregnant human, use hers.
*We all know some writers are male and some are female and that he in this sentence means he or she. It is not necessary to write it out.
No, it's probably at the top of my list of pet peeves, too. If using he or his when gender is unknown bothers a writer so much, he should rewrite it in a way that avoids the problem altogether. They (or their) is plural, not singular. If you want to use they (or their), make the noun it refers to plural.
Each student must do his own work.
All students must do their own work.
If you want gender equality, use his half the time and her the other half.
And for goodness sake, when the gender is always one or the other by default, use the appropriate pronoun. If it refers to a NFL football player, use his. If it refers to a pregnant human, use hers.
Good for now, but if the genome tinkering ever gets to that point, you can expect some wrenching changes. Read any of the Gil Hamilton stories by Larry Niven. Or A gift from Earth. & hold onto your hat, the future isn't all it's cracked up to be - or at least, not as we expected back in the rosy days ...
& where's my jetpack, by the way? I've had a parking space reserved for ages, it seems. Finagle!
Reading Niven is something I recommend to anyone living in the current World, by the way. Just a heads-up on a lot of the issues that seem to be coming to fruition all around us. I kinda hear a tick, tick, tick ...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Stat!
