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

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Page 163 of 247

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63 113 143 153 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 173 183 213

Last

11-04-2012 , 01:26 AM

#4051

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

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."

Quote

11-04-2012 , 04:30 AM

#4052

abracadabrab

veteran

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2,572

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?

Quote

11-04-2012 , 04:33 AM

#4053

abracadabrab

veteran

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2,572

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

Quote

11-04-2012 , 08:39 AM

#4054

DiegoArmando

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,737

One extra large [portion of] fries please...

If I asked for an extra large fry, I'd expect to get my burger spat in.

Quote

11-04-2012 , 09:34 AM

#4055

Brian O'Nolan

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,499

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."

Quote

11-04-2012 , 05:40 PM

#4056

Kvitlekh

adept

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 882

I have mixed feelings about this one, because they seemed to be genuinely looking forward to seeing me, but nevertheless...

Quote

11-04-2012 , 09:12 PM

#4057

A-Rod's Cousin

banned

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 37,130

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.

Quote

11-05-2012 , 05:36 AM

#4058

Kvitlekh

adept

Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 882

Is this correct? If it isn't, it's because the cable provider is Comcast (south NJ). Densest people that can be found.

Quote

11-05-2012 , 02:07 PM

#4059

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

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

Quote

11-05-2012 , 02:18 PM

#4060

mikechike

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,470

Quote:

Originally Posted by RussellinToronto

effect

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com...us-effect.aspx

The effect[s]... ...are discussed.

or

The effect... ...[is] discussed.

Quote

11-05-2012 , 02:30 PM

#4061

AEPpoker

banned

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 3,248

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..."

Quote

11-09-2012 , 10:58 AM

#4062

DucoGranger

adept

Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 762

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian O'Nolan

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]!"

Quote

11-09-2012 , 11:11 AM

#4063

DucoGranger

adept

Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 762

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?

Quote

11-09-2012 , 12:36 PM

#4064

Brian O'Nolan

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,499

"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.

Quote

11-09-2012 , 01:29 PM

#4065

RussellinToronto

veteran

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,243

Quote

11-09-2012 , 03:09 PM

#4066

GMan42

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,330

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.

Quote

11-09-2012 , 04:08 PM

#4067

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

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.

Quote

11-10-2012 , 03:58 AM

#4068

Rei Ayanami

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 11,685

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.

Quote

11-13-2012 , 01:58 PM

#4069

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

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.

Quote

11-13-2012 , 02:05 PM

#4070

metsandfinsfan

banned

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 160,445

Do any grammar nits think "their" is acceptable for "he/she"?

Quote

11-13-2012 , 02:07 PM

#4071

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

Quote:

Originally Posted by metsandfinsfan

Do any grammar nits think "their" is acceptable for "he/she"?

I do.

Quote

11-13-2012 , 02:08 PM

#4072

metsandfinsfan

banned

Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 160,445

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?

Quote

11-13-2012 , 02:31 PM

#4073

gregorio

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 37,479

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."