7.12.2006

Peeved

Loose for lose.
Anyways is not a word.

I think it's super sexy when someone avoids ending a sentence in a preposition, but when they add the same preposition at the end of the sentence, it drives me bonkers, e.g. "for that which we are thankful for."

Yes, I realize that this is coming from the man who regularly uses "irridiculous" and "dramaticality" and "severious," but I use those words to highlight the ridiculosity and mercuriality of language.

I mean, if you know the rules, you can break 'em, right?

Oh, and "definately" really pisses me off.
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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Technically-speaking, all those irritating school-marms are liguistically wrong on "never end a sentence with a preposition." Part of the logic (but not all) that has been used all these years is that since Latin doesn't allow one to split an infinitive, then one shouldn't do so in Enlgish. Of course, this is impossible to do in Latin, and English verb-contruction is not in any way Latin-based. (We're a Germanic language in many respects!) Being an amatuer verbivore (wordlover, etymologist, linguist, etc.), I can assure you that even the experts are okay with ending a sentence with a preposition -- especially if it sounds weird/stilted in the "correct" way. :)

In sillier news: I love your news words! You know, that is how new words enter in our language. (Or any language, for that matter) Keep using 'em, convince others to use 'em, and then they just may end up appearing in the next edition of the OED or Merriam-Webster's.

There's a whole history of the OED that Simon Winchester covered in two books that you might find fascinating. Also, most dictionaries -- the OED included -- have full-time staff that scour all print materials looking for newly-coined words and phrases. Apprently, they have a "three times" rule that if a new word is used three times in a public speech/venue (i.e non-print) then they consider it one to officially recognize and submit to the next edition. Interesting stuff! :)

Erik

21:10
jeremy said...

Hey Erik -
Thanks for the info! I did, actually know about the Latin vs. Germanic preposition thing, and I recognize that some verb forms include a preposition. Like I stated in the post, though, I merely find it sexy when someone avoids ending a sentence in a preposition. When they add that preposition again, I lose it--I mean, why go through the trouble of sounding like a douche if you're only going to fug it up in the end, right? And, I am of the school of thought that the world would be a much different place if a certain book had been titled, "Whom the Bell Tolls For."
I read Winchester's The Professor and the Madman a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed it. (There's even a Seattle reference in the beginning, if memory serves--something to do with Minor Ave.)
What's the other book?

02:31
Anonymous said...

"The Meaning of Everything" It's basically a sequel to "The Professor and the Madman." (Man, I almost wrote "Madamn"!):P

As for the Minor reference, the "madman" of said book sported a last name of Minor, whose brother T.T. Minor came to Seattle way back in the day, did something I cannot recall to make him noteworthy enough that the early shakers-and-makers of Seattle not only named a street after him, but also a (soon-to-be-closed) elementary school, T.T. Minor Elementary.

Wow, that's like two degrees of separation! Or somesuch.

Erik

06:28
tsokolove said...

Anyways definately pisses me off to.

06:45

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