"Grammar" and "Punctuation" nit's unite! You're "head" will literally explode! - Page 22 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment

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

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Last

12-17-2008 , 03:34 PM

#526

snowden

veteran

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,527

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.

Quote

12-17-2008 , 04:51 PM

#527

diziet

newbie

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 44

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.

Quote

12-17-2008 , 04:55 PM

#528

diziet

newbie

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 44

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.

Quote

12-17-2008 , 04:58 PM

#529

otnemem

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Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 8,295

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?)

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:00 PM

#530

lozen

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Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 26,765

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

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:02 PM

#531

snowden

veteran

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,527

wtf is gantlet

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:02 PM

#532

daryn

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Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 26,912

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?

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:03 PM

#533

otnemem

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Quote:

Originally Posted by lozen

Sorry to agree with the guy in your post, but yeah... That first sentence is... interesting.

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:05 PM

#534

daryn

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Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 26,912

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.

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:12 PM

#535

private joker

Most Definitely

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 25,244

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.

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12-17-2008 , 05:15 PM

#536

diziet

newbie

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 44

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."

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12-17-2008 , 05:16 PM

#537

daryn

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many dictionaries are refuting your claim

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12-17-2008 , 05:18 PM

#538

otnemem

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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

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:21 PM

#539

snowden

veteran

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,527

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?

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:28 PM

#540

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,090

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.

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12-17-2008 , 05:29 PM

#541

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,090

Damnit beaten to the punch. Oh well.

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12-17-2008 , 05:31 PM

#542

diziet

newbie

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 44

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.

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12-17-2008 , 05:32 PM

#543

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,090

Baby ducks worldwide rejoice

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12-17-2008 , 05:32 PM

#544

snowden

veteran

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,527

haha, well at least you have the good sense to admit when you're wrong. Cheers to you good sir.

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12-17-2008 , 05:33 PM

#545

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,090

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.

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12-17-2008 , 05:35 PM

#546

diziet

newbie

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 44

Actually, I was using the gantlet/gauntlet non-controversy as an EXCUSE to bite the heads off of baby ducks.

Quote

12-17-2008 , 05:35 PM

#547

snowden

veteran

Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,527

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?