Not twenty.

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So why can't there be a list of stuff that Samantha either is or has?

You can. But you can't construct a comma-separated list of things that are not parallel or objects of the same verb. She "is" twenty and she "is" blue-eyed. She is not "large bust", different verb.

And I take back my earlier comment that the first example, while terrible, was structurally OK. For the reason above, it isn't.

At any rate, both sentences were just awkward. That said, I do think you could use the second one in a descriptive passage of a novel of a certain style. Some authors would make that one fit perfectly. But the first example is never OK.

Samantha has twenty years and blue eyes and a large bust.

Why are we all so focused on Samantha's appearance? How shallow we are. I would change the sentence to:

"Samantha is a person who should be judged on her character, not her beautiful eyes and alluring bust."

I'm pretty sure from the context that Samantha's main attributes are her eyes and bust.

All this discussion of Samantha reminds me how much fun teaching writing can be--and often is--with receptive students.

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It's funny the things that stick with you about writing and word usage. When I was in college (Go Blue Devils!), I took a seminar (15 people?) on Mark Twain being taught by Prof. Budd, the head of the English department. I had to read aloud an essay I wrote and at the end of it, one of Prof. Budd's comments was to ask if anyone noticed an incorrect word usage in my presentation.

One guy immediately got it: I had said "centers around" rather than "centers on." I thought then (and still do know, to some extent) that this is a real usage nit even though I can appreciate the difference. But to this day when I hear "centers around" I can't help but think "Oh, you ignorant fool!"

Some phrases need to be phased out news articles. Is this even correct? I don't want to dig through the search to find out.


https://www.cnn.com/profiles/eliott-...ughlin-profile

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/04/polit...ate/index.html

Not sure what you're objecting to. (I admit that I didn't read the linked items thoroughly.)

My guess is he can't help but giggle at "cum".

Are you telling me reading "cum voting" isn't worthy of a smile?

When I see that latin phrase my mind automatically uses the correct pronunciation of "kooom" and so no, it has no giggle connotation. Maybe if I was 12 and didn't know the latin phrase it would.

Sure it is.

I got thrown off by the two links you included...red herrings. Why add that?

The word is framed and hanging on my wall so I see it often, but I don't take myself so seriously that I can't find humor in seeing "cum" popping up in a news article.

Late pony.

Twenty-year-old Samantha has blue eyes and a large bust

LOL at hanging a diploma on your wall. Whose is it?

Who mentioned a diploma?

Uh uh

Piranhas ldo

with the comma instead of the word and, all 3 items would have to be parallel. "has a large bust" is definitely not parallel. so the 2nd one is slightly better

Just want to say that Cormac McCarthy's writing style pisses me right the **** off.

Doubling down in first two sentences.

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/09/01...liday-weekend/

But it's good news for the locals, no?

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