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"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! "Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode!

11-04-2012 , 01:26 AM
I just go by what sounds better, though I usually don't write it -- this is more spoken English. But like if this band The XX puts out a new album, I would say "I just heard the new XX album." I wouldn't say "I just heard the new The xx album."
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-04-2012 , 04:30 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by steamraise
Next time make it 3 mcdoubles plain and turn them into 2 mctripples and toss the extra bun.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamblor
Is the singular "fry" standard where you live? Is this like a "soda" vs "pop" regional thing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by abracadabrab
One medium french fry is grammatically correct bc of the "one" before medium. It's one unit, so fry is singular. At least I think, but haven't taken a grammar class sine high school. If it didn't have "one" before it, it'd be "medium french fries." "Medium" would be more than one, while "one medium" is one unit comprised of something that's more than one.
Could be totally wrong though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 21times20
"one medium order of french fries" would be grammatically correct, you can't ****ing buy a single french fry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom1975
lolwut? No one says "medium order of french fries." "I'll have a McDouble, medium fry, and a large coke." Show me somewhere in America where this isn't totally standard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 21times20
the vast majority of americans not having a clue about the difference between singular and plural words or what the word grammar means doesn't change what is correct.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChipsAhoya
Yeah one medium fry doesn't work. "One medium fries" is a bad construction but at least short for "one order of medium fries". Best way I think is to order "medium fries". Nowhere in your order should you just say fry.

"One medium french fry" is not correct because one modifies order, not fry. Otherwise you are technically ordering a single fry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamblor
Obv correct. But I've never heard anyone say anything other than "a medium fries" and i was curious.

Anyhoo, you're ordering "fries". The medium is an adjective and you contract the sentence to avoid having to say "one medium-sized order of french fried potatoes". As pointed out by others, its not one medium-sized french fry - its a contracted sentence that was originally plural.

imo
Quote:
Originally Posted by yeotaJMU
Fry singular is fine in that context.
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkass
You guys are ridiculous

"Let me get 2 mcdoubles, a medium fry, and a large coke" is perfectly fine. geez

Lots of differing views. I still think I'm correct. Anyone care to weigh in on this debate?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-04-2012 , 04:33 AM
The original post that started the debate:

Quote:
Originally Posted by DRRTDOGG
Driving through McDonald's now.
Errrrtime:
2 mcdoubles plain.
1 medium fry.
1 large Dr.pepper
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-04-2012 , 08:39 AM
One extra large [portion of] fries please...

If I asked for an extra large fry, I'd expect to get my burger spat in.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-04-2012 , 09:34 AM
You can have one Skittle. You can have multiple Skittles. You can have one bag of Skittles. You can't have one bag of Skittle.

Obviously "one medium fry" is grammatically incorrect. You're literally requesting one fry. Saying "one order of medium fry" or "one medium order of fry" is also nonsensical. You can have a singular or plural number of orders, but they all include multiple fries. "One" is modifying "order," not "fry."
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-04-2012 , 05:40 PM
I have mixed feelings about this one, because they seemed to be genuinely looking forward to seeing me, but nevertheless...

"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-04-2012 , 09:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kvitlekh
I have mixed feelings about this one, because they seemed to be genuinely looking forward to seeing me, but nevertheless...
Hi, Than.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-05-2012 , 05:36 AM
Is this correct? If it isn't, it's because the cable provider is Comcast (south NJ). Densest people that can be found.

"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-05-2012 , 02:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kvitlekh
Is this correct? If it isn't, it's because the cable provider is Comcast (south NJ). Densest people that can be found.

effect

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com...us-effect.aspx
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-05-2012 , 02:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by RussellinToronto
The effect[s]... ...are discussed.

or

The effect... ...[is] discussed.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-05-2012 , 02:30 PM
I don't know if there's a formal rule to make this a hat trick, but "the effect the war had on..." is definitely worse/more awkward than "the effect of the war on..."
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-09-2012 , 10:58 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian O'Nolan
You can have one Skittle. You can have multiple Skittles. You can have one bag of Skittles. You can't have one bag of Skittle.

Obviously "one medium fry" is grammatically incorrect. You're literally requesting one fry. Saying "one order of medium fry" or "one medium order of fry" is also nonsensical. You can have a singular or plural number of orders, but they all include multiple fries. "One" is modifying "order," not "fry."
I agree totaly with what you said except in this instance I don't think "fry" is a noun but a modifier of "order" as describing the type of order you want. If that is true then there would be no need to plural "fry". The plural that you would be looking for would come from "order" which ends up getting dropped for convience.

"Hi, I would like some fries."
"Ok, what sized order would you like?"
"Large, please."
"One large fry order--is that all?"
"Yes"
"I NEED A LARGE FRY [ORDER]!"
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-09-2012 , 11:11 AM
Or how about since you cant actually order a set number of singular fries what you are really ordering is a certian sized group of them. The "fries" then become a collective noun denoted by its singular form. Multiple collections of these nouns are denoted my "fry"'s plural form.

Or am I just talking out of my ass?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-09-2012 , 12:36 PM
"Fry" is imprecise and colloquial language, being short for "French-fried potatoes" or some equivalent term.

Let's say you're talking about a bag of apples. "Bag of apples" != "apple bag." The former is any kind of bag containing apples; the latter is a bag specifically designed to hold apples, which may or may not contain apples.

"Order of fries" or "portion of fries" != "fry order" or "fry portion." Using fry as an adjective as in the latter case implies your order/portion has some characteristic of French-fried potatoes, not that it is literally an order/portion of French-fried potatoes.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-09-2012 , 03:09 PM
I know it's just an interjection and I guess one could argue that any phonetic spelling is ok, but it's tilting me to see "whoa" spelled as "woah" like 90+% of the time I see it online.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-09-2012 , 04:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by GMan42
I know it's just an interjection and I guess one could argue that any phonetic spelling is ok, but it's tilting me to see "whoa" spelled as "woah" like 90+% of the time I see it online.
Haha I'm the same way. I get super tilted at this. It's a word, despite being an interjection, and as such it has a correct spelling. "Whoa" is the only way.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-10-2012 , 03:58 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by abracadabrab
Lots of differing views. I still think I'm correct. Anyone care to weigh in on this debate?
The debate is focusing on whether it's grammatically correct or not, so it's missing the point. Because either way, it sounds dumb.

I'd say "medium fries." If it absolutely must be paired with a number, the list should look like this:

Quote:
2 mcdoubles plain.
0.999... medium fries.
1 large Dr.pepper
(Kidding.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by DucoGranger
I don't think "fry" is a noun but a modifier of "order"
It's a noun adjunct, which is both of those.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 01:58 PM
The recent L.A. Times article on the Petraeus scandal ended with this "sentence:"

Quote:
McChrystal was fired by Obama after a magazine article that appeared to show him and his staff criticizing and making crude jokes about Obama’s top civilian advisors.
Hint: THAT'S NOT A SENTENCE.

lol newspapers?
lol L.A. Times?


In related news -- maybe we've covered this already but it's bothering me when people use "LA" to mean Los Angeles. "LA" is Louisiana. "L.A." is Los Angeles.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 02:05 PM
Do any grammar nits think "their" is acceptable for "he/she"?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 02:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by metsandfinsfan
Do any grammar nits think "their" is acceptable for "he/she"?
I do.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 02:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by private joker
I do.
Do you really?

I get that there is no good pronoun for he/she but it's still wrong, no?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 02:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by metsandfinsfan
Do any grammar nits think "their" is acceptable for "he/she"?
While "they" has become acceptable as a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun in place of "he/she", "s/he", "he or she", etc., I'm not sure "their" is acceptable for "he/she."
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 02:33 PM
They is acceptable by whom?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
11-13-2012 , 02:54 PM
Most people, mets. Not to you, not to me, but to most people, they can equal "he or she", and their "his or her".

This one's lost.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote

      
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