The English Language

FrankC · **Posted:** Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:50 pm

Cloudy wrote:

FrankC wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

What is an "acronym"...?

Many years ago, when I worked there, Merrill Lynch sent a memo out to all employees that said that they could not use acronyms, such as CPA on their business cards. Wait a second I thought, CPA is NOT an acronym. It is only a form of initialization or abbreviation. It ain't an acronym.

An acronym uses the first letters of a series of words that make a pronounceable word. CPA does NOT form a pronounceable word. It is NOT an acronym.

I am worried that stupidity will win out on what an acronym is, and all initializations and abbreviations will now become acronyms.

"NASCAR" is a acronym, but "DJIA" isn't.

p.s. Try to pronounce "DJIA" as a word...

p.p.s. "DJIA" are the initials for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, but they don't make an acronym, because they don't make a pronounceable word.

p.p.p.s. I know that there a bunch of smart people, who post here. Please jump in and tell me if I am right or wrong on this one. Thanks.

I agree. Acronyms must be pronounceable as a word. CPA, MD, DDS, Phd, SJ, are initials only because they can not be pronounced as a word.

Frank, why do I almost always agree with you...?

I guess that is because you are old and wise. Hell, we both are. :lol:

I don't know about wise, but I am on my way to becoming a wizened old man.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

It's or its...?

We all know that a contraction needs an apostrophe. We also know that a possessive also needs an apostrophe before the "s". However, when it comes to "it" there is a problem. Somehow, somewhere, someone decided that the contraction of "it is" wins, and gets the apostrophe, while the possessive loses out.

I've had a few brewkis tonight, and my befuddled mind can't remember the words that don't obey this rule. However, I'm pretty damn sure there are some. If anyone can think of them, please help me out. Thanks.

..............................

........................................ Looks like "IT" is pretty spooky stuff. :lol:

zog741 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:07 am

That horribly-written cartoon in your prior post said that all you need to remember is that one rule. Therefore, don't worry about it; it's a waste of time and brain cells.

-- RWM

Botanist · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:22 pm

Cloudy wrote:

It's or its...?

We all know that a contraction needs an apostrophe. We also know that a possessive also needs an apostrophe before the "s". However, when it comes to "it" there is a problem. Somehow, somewhere, someone decided that the contraction of "it is" wins, and gets the apostrophe, while the possessive loses out.

I've had a few brewkis tonight, and my befuddled mind can't remember the words that don't obey this rule. However, I'm pretty damn sure there are some. If anyone can think of them, please help me out. Thanks.

Possessive pronouns: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html (This is an interesting, comprehensive web site, and fun to browse through if you are interested in grammar and usage.)

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

Botanist wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

It's or its...?

We all know that a contraction needs an apostrophe. We also know that a possessive also needs an apostrophe before the "s". However, when it comes to "it" there is a problem. Somehow, somewhere, someone decided that the contraction of "it is" wins, and gets the apostrophe, while the possessive loses out.

I've had a few brewkis tonight, and my befuddled mind can't remember the words that don't obey this rule. However, I'm pretty damn sure there are some. If anyone can think of them, please help me out. Thanks.

Possessive pronouns: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html (This is an interesting, comprehensive web site, and fun to browse through if you are interested in grammar and usage.)

Welcome aboard BOTANIST. Check the other treads out, jump on in, and I think you will be a great contributer to the "ScaRatings".

Here's the link BOTANIST want's us to check out:

http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html

p.s. Great link. Damn, I think we've got a new smart guy or gal on the "ScaRatings"...

spotes · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:27 pm **Posts:** 1558

Cloudy wrote:

Botanist wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

It's or its...?

We all know that a contraction needs an apostrophe. We also know that a possessive also needs an apostrophe before the "s". However, when it comes to "it" there is a problem. Somehow, somewhere, someone decided that the contraction of "it is" wins, and gets the apostrophe, while the possessive loses out.

I've had a few brewkis tonight, and my befuddled mind can't remember the words that don't obey this rule. However, I'm pretty damn sure there are some. If anyone can think of them, please help me out. Thanks.

Possessive pronouns: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html (This is an interesting, comprehensive web site, and fun to browse through if you are interested in grammar and usage.)

Welcome aboard BOTANIST. Check the other treads out, jump on in, and I think you will be a great contributer to the "ScaRatings".

Here's the link BOTANIST want's us to check out:

http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/its.html

p.s. Great link. Damn, I think we've got a new smart guy on the "ScaRatings"...

Hmmm...have you considered the fact that it might be a smart "gal"?
I suspect that is the case at any rate.
Another of my crazy hunches... BOTANIST, please feel free to correct me if I am in error.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

spotes wrote:

Hmmm...have you considered the fact that it might be a smart "gal"?
I suspect that is the case at any rate.
Another of my crazy hunches... BOTANIST, please feel free to correct me if I am in error.

Hmm, you might be right...?

Yep, there are female bontanists.

p.s. I went back and edited my post to include "or gal".

FrankC · **Posted:** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:29 am

Cloudy wrote:

spotes wrote:

Hmmm...have you considered the fact that it might be a smart "gal"?
I suspect that is the case at any rate.
Another of my crazy hunches... BOTANIST, please feel free to correct me if I am in error.

Hmm, you might be right...?

Yep, there are female bontanists.

p.s. I went back and edited my post to include "or gal".

Botanist is definitely a lovely female gal. She is also a a botanist with a Phd. and a professor of Botany at a major university. She gives me advice on my gardening problems and likes beer. I hope she does not mind that I posted this. And yes she is smart.

Botanist · **Posted:** Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:38 pm

Cloudy wrote:

spotes wrote:

Hmmm...have you considered the fact that it might be a smart "gal"?
I suspect that is the case at any rate.
Another of my crazy hunches... BOTANIST, please feel free to correct me if I am in error.

Hmm, you might be right...?

Yep, there are female bontanists.

p.s. I went back and edited my post to include "or gal".

Yes, I am a gal botanist, as Frank so kindly said. Most of the botanists I know of in my field (evolution, taxonomy) are grammar geeks as well.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

FrankC wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

spotes wrote:

Hmmm...have you considered the fact that it might be a smart "gal"?
I suspect that is the case at any rate.
Another of my crazy hunches... BOTANIST, please feel free to correct me if I am in error.

Hmm, you might be right...?

Yep, there are female bontanists.

p.s. I went back and edited my post to include "or gal".

Botanist is definitely a lovely female gal. She is also a a botanist with a Phd. and a professor of Botany at a major university. She gives me advice on my gardening problems and likes beer. I hope she does not mind that I posted this. And yes she is smart.

How did the "ScaRatings" get so lucky as to have another beautiful female join us...? (A PhD, botonist to boot.) Damn, I want her on my team when the "Topics" category is plants... :lol:

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

Botanist wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

spotes wrote:

Hmmm...have you considered the fact that it might be a smart "gal"?
I suspect that is the case at any rate.
Another of my crazy hunches... BOTANIST, please feel free to correct me if I am in error.

Hmm, you might be right...?

Yep, there are female bontanists.

p.s. I went back and edited my post to include "or gal".

Yes, I am a gal botanist, as Frank so kindly said. Most of the botanists I know of in my field (evolution, taxonomy) are grammar geeks as well.

Welcome aboard, pretty female botanist. Check out the other threads, and hop on in whenever you want. I've got a feeling that you will have a lot to say, and I am waiting to read your words of wisdom.

I've got to ask you someting. A month or so ago I read a newspaper article about hogweed in Upstate New York. Is it as bad as they say?

Is it as bad as the Triffids from the 1962 sci-fi horror film...? :lol:

I'm glad you have joined us. I think you will have fun.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

Can you start a sentence with an Arabic numeral...? I have no idea, if you can or cannot. However, I can't do it, because it just doesn't look right to me.

"6 is an even number." "1946 was the year I was born." These sentences don't look right to me.

Does anybody know, if there is a rule about this in the English language...?

p.s. The Arabs did not invent Arabic numerals, nor the concept of zero. The Arabs got this mathematical breakthrough from India. Europeans learned this mathematical system from the Arabs they met, and had no idea that it actually came from India. So, the Europeans called the new way of numbers Arabic.

Dante · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:01 am

Cloudy wrote:

Can you start a sentence with an Arabic numeral...? I have no idea, if you can or cannot. However, I can't do it, because it just doesn't look right to me.

"6 is an even number." "1946 was the year I was born." These sentences don't look right to me.

Does anybody know, if there is a rule about this in the English language...?

p.s. The Arabs did not invent Arabic numerals, nor the concept of zero. The Arabs got this mathematical breakthrough from India. Europeans learned this mathematical system from the Arabs they met, and had no idea that it actually came from India. So, the Europeans called the new way of numbers Arabic.

So you're saying we should really call numbers Indiana?

zog741 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:14 am

Cloudy wrote:

Can you start a sentence with an Arabic numeral...? I have no idea, if you can or cannot. However, I can't do it, because it just doesn't look right to me.

"6 is an even number." "1946 was the year I was born." These sentences don't look right to me.

Does anybody know, if there is a rule about this in the English language...?

Did some Internet research on this, and vaguely recall this in English classes in high school: Never start a sentence with a digit. So your examples would be written as:

Another hard and fast rule that nobody ever seems to follow is that natural integers less than 10 are always spelled out:

-- RWM

Dante · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:41 am

zog741 wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Can you start a sentence with an Arabic numeral...? I have no idea, if you can or cannot. However, I can't do it, because it just doesn't look right to me.

"6 is an even number." "1946 was the year I was born." These sentences don't look right to me.

Does anybody know, if there is a rule about this in the English language...?

Did some Internet research on this, and vaguely recall this in English classes in high school: Never start a sentence with a digit. So your examples would be written as:

Another hard and fast rule that nobody ever seems to follow is that natural integers less than 10 are always spelled out:

-- RWM

What if the subject of the sentence is properly a number? For instance, "227 was a horrible show."

I'm assuming those are excluded.

I don't intentionally follow the "less than 10" rule because I don't see any purpose in it, and it causes extra typing or handwriting for no reason. The paternal formalism of rules like that has always gotten under my skin, especially where it serves no clarifying function. But perhaps it served a purpose in earlier incarnations of our language, on older entry methods of language, or derived from some now archaism of prior versions of English.

zog741 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:52 pm

If the subject is a number that is also a proper name, then I would quote the title: '"227" was a horrible show.' I might also reword the sentence, perhaps as 'In my opinion, "227" was a horrible show.'

-- RWM

Dante · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:21 pm

zog741 wrote:

If the subject is a number that is also a proper name, then I would quote the title: '"227" was a horrible show.' I might also reword the sentence, perhaps as 'In my opinion, "227" was a horrible show.'

-- RWM

I'll stick with, "227 is a giant piece of shit!"

Then maybe people will think I've descended into hating numbers.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

Dante wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Can you start a sentence with an Arabic numeral...? I have no idea, if you can or cannot. However, I can't do it, because it just doesn't look right to me.

"6 is an even number." "1946 was the year I was born." These sentences don't look right to me.

Does anybody know, if there is a rule about this in the English language...?

p.s. The Arabs did not invent Arabic numerals, nor the concept of zero. The Arabs got this mathematical breakthrough from India. Europeans learned this mathematical system from the Arabs they met, and had no idea that it actually came from India. So, the Europeans called the new way of numbers Arabic.

So you're saying we should really call numbers Indiana?

Yep, as long as the number you're calling in Indiana doesn't get you charged for a long distance call. :lol:

....................

............................ Please deposit $3.50 into the coin slot.

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

zog741 wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Can you start a sentence with an Arabic numeral...? I have no idea, if you can or cannot. However, I can't do it, because it just doesn't look right to me.

"6 is an even number." "1946 was the year I was born." These sentences don't look right to me.

Does anybody know, if there is a rule about this in the English language...?

Did some Internet research on this, and vaguely recall this in English classes in high school: Never start a sentence with a digit. So your examples would be written as:

Another hard and fast rule that nobody ever seems to follow is that natural integers less than 10 are always spelled out:

-- RWM

Thanks, ZOG. I thought there was some kind of rule about this.

p.s. Yep, you are right again, about spelling out numbers up to ten in a sentence, rather than using their Arabic numerals.

p.p.s. Who makes these rules up...?

zog741 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:28 pm

Cloudy wrote:

Who makes these rules up...?

I do, just to mess with people that I don't know and to feel important. It's also a great way to meet women!
:mrgreen:

-- RWM

Dante · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:36 pm

zog741 wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Who makes these rules up...?

I do, just to mess with people that I don't know and to feel important. It's also a great way to meet women!
:mrgreen:

-- RWM

So many funny possible responses to this, but unfortunately all unsafe for work!

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

zog741 wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Who makes these rules up...?

I do, just to mess with people that I don't know and to feel important. It's also a great way to meet women!
:mrgreen:

-- RWM

If you make the rules, why in Heaven did you ever allow ICEMAN appoint himself the "rule maker" on the "Ban the Person Above You" thread? I think you might need to take ICEMAN aside, and let him know who is boss. :lol:

p.s. Tell me more about this great way to meet women thing.

Dante · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:49 pm

Cloudy wrote:

p.s. Tell me more about this great way to meet women thing.

Wait... it's "meet women"? All these years I thought people were telling me I needed to "meat some more women." It makes so much more sense now.

zog741 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:54 pm

Cloudy wrote:

Tell me more about this great way to meet women thing.

Well, it is a great way to meet women, but with one slight flaw: All the women I have met are English teachers! So I still consider this a work in progress.

-- RWM

Cloudy · **Joined:** Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 am **Posts:** 5277

[color=#BF4000][/color]

zog741 wrote:

Cloudy wrote:

Tell me more about this great way to meet women thing.

Well, it is a great way to meet women, but with one slight flaw: All the women I have met are English teachers! So I still consider this a work in progress.

-- RWM

Though you would never guess it, English teachers are hot. Yeah, they put on that intellectual facade, but they really are really looking for something less intellectual. If you take one out to a pole dancing bar, I think you might get a peasant surprise...

p.s. They won't have Buzztime Trivia there, but you can miss one night of trivia every once in a while.

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