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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!

12-17-2008 , 03:34 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by TAG-NIT
To be honest "Can you pass the salt?" is inane because you are asking a person if they are able to physically pass the salt. Appropriate politeness would be "Would you please pass the salt"

Seriously, isn't there a certain amount of redundancy with "imo" in a post where your opinon in a given because one is reponding to some thought or idea?
You must be very very confused all day long if you think "can you pass the salt" is asking someone if they are physically able to pass the salt.

Also, "would you pass the salt" is similarly inane under your view as would is a conditional. It should just be "please pass the salt" or "pass the salt" both of which can sound harsh in different contexts.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 04:51 PM
Let us take this thread to a higher level of nitocity. The egregious and widespread use of "gauntlet" for "gantlet" makes me want to bite the heads off of baby ducks.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 04:55 PM
I recently broadcast a live radio play in which those who used apostrophes in plurals were consigned to a special circle of Hell. The line got huge applause from the live audience. All is not lost. Yet.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 04:58 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diziet
Let us take this thread to a higher level of nitocity. The egregious and widespread use of "gauntlet" for "gantlet" makes me want to bite the heads off of baby ducks.
I had to look up gantlet. I can say with certainty that I've never met anyone who meant to say gantlet. (Maybe I don't know enough train conductors?)
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:00 PM
I have to admit I am very bad on both my spelling mistakes come from one finger typing and not proofing. My grammar has always been poor. I did poorly in English in high school. I still remenber one member on TG whom defended me saying I may be french Canadian and English may not be my first language. If only that was true.

I guess I am just a Canadian with bad grammar who is afraid of the dark
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:02 PM
wtf is gantlet
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:02 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diziet
Let us take this thread to a higher level of nitocity. The egregious and widespread use of "gauntlet" for "gantlet" makes me want to bite the heads off of baby ducks.
i'm lost. explain?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by lozen
I have to admit I am very bad on both my spelling mistakes come from one finger typing and not proofing. My grammar has always been poor. I did poorly in English in high school. I still remenber one member on TG whom defended me saying I may be french Canadian and English may not be my first language. If only that was true.

I guess I am just a Canadian with bad grammar who is afraid of the dark
Sorry to agree with the guy in your post, but yeah... That first sentence is... interesting.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:05 PM
right haha i was gonna say the same thing. i have definitely noticed that you (lozen) specifically seem not only to make spelling errors but often have trouble forming a coherent sentence.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:12 PM
It's also "champing at the bit" and "old stamping grounds."

But for some reason everyone decided to start saying "chomping at the bit" and "old stomping grounds," and now it's just a lost cause to try to correct people.

I still say "old stamping grounds," though, and people probably assume I'm the ******ed one. I don't even like the phrase "champing at the bit," so I don't use it in the first place.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:15 PM
A gantlet is what you run. It's a parallel line of people who flog you as you run between them. A gauntlet is a heavy glove. Often the phrase is written "He was forced to run the gauntlet."
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:16 PM
many dictionaries are refuting your claim
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diziet
A gantlet is what you run. It's a parallel line of people who flog you as you run between them. A gauntlet is a heavy glove. Often the phrase is written "He was forced to run the gauntlet."
Completely wrong.

Quote:
If you are not sure whether you should throw down the gantlet or the gauntlet, don’t throw in the towel. There are two words spelled gauntlet and both have gantlet as a spelling variant, so you can’t go wrong. One gauntlet comes from the Old French word gantelet, a diminutive of gant, “glove.” It originally referred to a glove worn as part of medieval armor. Since its introduction in the 15th century, the word has had both a and au spellings. To throw down the gauntlet means to offer a challenge, which in medieval times was done by throwing down a glove or gauntlet.

The other gauntlet is a form of punishment in which the offender runs between two lines of men who beat him with sticks or other weapons, such as knotted cords. This word is an alteration of the obsolete word gantlope, which comes from the Swedish word gatlopp, a compound of gata, “lane,” and lopp, “course.” Shortly after gantlope appeared in English in the mid-17th century, the spelling gauntlet began to compete with it, in one of etymology’s many mysteries. To run the gauntlet means to undergo this form of punishment. The expression has a rich history of metaphoric uses.

The gantlet variant of this second gauntlet has given birth to the railroad term gantlet, which is a section of track designed so that one rail of each track is inside the rails of the other to allow trains on separate tracks to pass through a very narrow space.
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0140.html
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by diziet
A gantlet is what you run. It's a parallel line of people who flog you as you run between them. A gauntlet is a heavy glove. Often the phrase is written "He was forced to run the gauntlet."
Did you just make this up? Where did you hear this?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:28 PM
Chomping/stomping mean the same thing as champing/stamping in those idioms, though. Biting at the bit to indicate eagerness, going to a place where you previously had compressed the earth through vigorous foot motion.


diziet, you'll be happy to know that the usage as in "run the gauntlet" is 100% correct and precedes the invention of the steam engine by more than a century. Gauntlet is derived not just from the French gant("glove"), its secondary meaning is from the Middle English gantelope, which was itself derived from the Swedish words for "lane" and "course".


"Tow the line", OTOH, should be punished by firing squad.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:29 PM
Damnit beaten to the punch. Oh well.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:31 PM
I can't believe I've been so wrong for so long about gantlet/gauntlet. I stand corrected and have nothing further to say on the topic.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:32 PM
Baby ducks worldwide rejoice
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:32 PM
haha, well at least you have the good sense to admit when you're wrong. Cheers to you good sir.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:33 PM
If it turns out "tow the line" is actually correct because it's referring to some arcane maritime ritual I'm just going to ignore that and continue being angry at people who say it.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:35 PM
Actually, I was using the gantlet/gauntlet non-controversy as an EXCUSE to bite the heads off of baby ducks.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:35 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyWf
If it turns out "tow the line" is actually correct because it's referring to some arcane maritime ritual I'm just going to ignore that and continue being angry at people who say it.
presumably you can't tell the difference when people say it, yes?
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 05:37 PM
I have very good hearing
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-17-2008 , 06:53 PM
that was a good exchange
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote
12-19-2008 , 04:07 AM
I've = I have
I have a deck of cards.
I've got a deck of cards.
I have got a deck of cards.

Which one? Saying "I've got" seems redundant.
"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! Quote

      
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