Grunts from the Wordgrump
>Is pleonasm a cure for a literary ailment or a cool way to deliver charientisms? Answer: it depends on whether you think the delivery of sly insults is enabled or hindered by verbosity.
>David Crystal writing in the introduction of Fowler's classic first edition of . . . Modern English Usage: "I have encountered people who inveigh against the split infinitive, prepositions at the end of sentences, and opening a sentence with but--to take just three topics--and who cite Modern English Usage in their support, evidently unaware of Fowler's strong condemnation of their pedantry.
>If I ever use lol, multiple !!!!!!!!!!! marks, omg or similar abominations in this blog, I will forfeit my Wordgrump appellation.
Labels: language use and abuse
posted by Michael Casey @ 4:02 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Some fodder for the Wordgrump:
After a recent spate of back troubles, I posted that I was "happy to be ambulatory again" on my work message boards. This was taken to mean that I was on my way to the hospital. Well wishes on the coworkers' part were sent and not-entirely-quiet sighs on my part were had.
Keep fighting the good fight. For every bolt of lightning, there's 10 beaming idiots with a firefly in a jar.
Kudos to "Anonymous" for this sprightly comment. I am especially delighted by the image of "10 beaming idiots with a firefly in a jar."
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