Thinking Of Writing A Book

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

I don't mind that use of 'penultimate' at all. I also don't mind 'irregardless'. And, I employ 'decimate' in the non-historic sense. I'm fine with 'ain't' and 'y'all'.I think I mentioned it in the LHE thread, but someone the other day wrote "peddle to the meddle". I know what they're going for, but they've disconnected from the metaphor/cliche to the point where the phrase no longer makes sense. Also, when a moving company has a sign that says, 'We "Literally" Roll Out The Red Carpet', I think it's moronic...because they're not communicating what they're intending.

See, for me, reading "peddle to the meddle" just makes me smile, I think that's a delightful evolution. Anything that desecrates cliches, I'm all for.

[Southern Buddhist 1]

I don't hold grammatical mistakes against anybody online (unless I already dislike them for some other reason, of course), and I try very hard to read just for content and respond to that. I just know that in my working life I can't make those errors (uh, you know, when I had a working life). Working for a Shakespeare theatre founded by an English professor was a totally unforgiving environment for grammar. The founder would go bat-shit if a grammatical error went out, because to him it not only looked unprofessional, it betrayed our very mission of honoring language. So that's what I got used to. But I don't expect others to operate that way, and I've known too many utterly brilliant people who couldn't spell or use grammar worth a damn to think it's a terribly accurate way to judge intelligence. Actually, your posts are so articulate, BigD, that I would never have even put you in the category of people who misuse language -- Firefox or not, you've got mad word skillz.

[chrozzo 19]

Chapter 26: "hi"your welcome

[James D 0]

I'm developing quite the affection for Southern Buddhist.When I win my millions, I think I'll fly right out to Virginia to visit. Yes, I'll do just that.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

I'm developing quite the affection for Southern Buddhist.When I win my millions, I think I'll fly right out to Virginia to visit. Yes, I'll do just that.

When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea

[James D 0]

When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea

Is that prescriptivism or descriptivism? Sounds like something a complete lunatic would say, to me.

[chrozzo 19]

Is that prescriptivism or descriptivism? Sounds like something a complete lunatic would say, to me.

it's presdescriptivismnessocityentyeah...its complicated

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

Is that prescriptivism or descriptivism? Sounds like something a complete lunatic would say, to me.

sounds more like shameless appealing to your cantona love in order to secure a larger share of lotto-loot to me.

[Southern Buddhist 1]

Chapter 26: "hi"your welcome

And wheeeeeeeee.

I'm developing quite the affection for Southern Buddhist.When I win my millions, I think I'll fly right out to Virginia to visit. Yes, I'll do just that.

You know what they say about Southern hospitality, baby! <wink>

When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea

That ain't what they say at all.

[chrozzo 19]

And wheeeeeeeee.

no h

[wsox8 10]

What's the name of your first book? I'm sure it's been discussed before but I haven't seen anything about it.

[Southern Buddhist 1]

What's the name of your first book? I'm sure it's been discussed before but I haven't seen anything about it.

It's coming out in November, and in the copy-editing process right now. The publisher changed the name on me at least once because of legal issues (I posted a thread about it here: http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-foru...p;hl=creativity).I really loved Nutzbuster's Driving at the Speed of Enlightenment, but I think the publisher has settled on my initial second-choice title:Buddha on the Backstretch

[CobaltBlue 662]

See, for me, reading "peddle to the meddle" just makes me smile, I think that's a delightful evolution. Anything that desecrates cliches, I'm all for.

It made me smile too actually. I think it obscures the notion of what it's trying to communicate though. And why would you want to desecrate cliches? People use them...so it seems the descriptivist in you would support them.

[CindyLou 11]

Southern Buddhist really is quite something, I have to say.

Oh hai der. I think I asked you to stay out of this thread.

[Napa_Don 688]

I really wish I could hire you to write a term paper for me, but alas, I have no papers that need wrote..written?. (Example of why I need your help.) In my 2.75 years of college, I have only had to write one paper that required more than just me completing a lab or doing a problem set. And those were like two pages, doubled spaced max. And the paper I did have to write, I just turned in literally thirty minutes ago.Sorry.

[Jeepster80125 0]

chirst, I've gone off again about descriptivism/prescriptivism, and I'm not even stoned this time as an excuse. I wish I had a shock collar to give someone to shock me when ever I start to do this. Because when I go over what I've written, I think to myself, "jesus christ, McGee, you're a boring cunt," I could use a little negative re-enforcement to break me of this habit.

jesus christ, McGee, you're a boring cunt

[Ron_Mexico 4,219]

Sentence - Send noodz please.

SentOh, it just dawned on my, you weren't asking for mine were you? Oh well, ENJOY

I also don't mind 'irregardless'.

I laugh at people that say irregardless

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

I laugh at people that say irregardless

I laugh at cripples and the visibly mentally handicapped.

[Ron_Mexico 4,219]

I laugh at cripples and the visibly mentally handicapped.

as well you should. I don't even see anything wrong with that. Have you ever seen a wheelchair dude try to open a door and get through it on his own?Karma don't smite me, I'm only kidding

[CobaltBlue 662]

I laugh at people that say irregardless

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9796217-1.html

[chrozzo 19]

i laugh at old people

[checkymcfold 0]

Isn't it ironic.. don't you think?, David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest played a great deal to do with it, as one of the minor characters in the book was ( literally) a militant prescriptivist ( to the point of terrorism). That character's commitment to prescription was so absurd, that it really got me thinking about the issue for the first time, and how rediculous it was.I'd taken a descriptive linguistics course in college, and it seemed like a far more useful and logical way to analyze language. It's Ironic ( in the best possible sense) that infinite jest would lead me to this place, because DFW was an extremely anal prescriptivist ( as witness'd by a dictionary review of his I once read) In truth, however, a great deal of my aversion to prescriptivism is borne from my own wretched spelling and penchant for typing errors. I feel like I've been polarized a bit into the descpitivist position, after taking on so many attacks when first I started posting on message boards. This was before I had firefox ( and it's spell check) and would make many more errors than I do now ( though I still make plenty), and I would make well thought out, well articulated arguments, who's content anal twats would ignore, but instead would they would dismiss me and my posts, and affect an air of intellectual superiority, just because I'd used Their/there/they're incorrectly or some other thing. They would Focus completely on an irrelevancy, rather than the point and the content of my posts. It would drive me bat shit, and I found it to be extremely petty and Illogical. And I felt it went against the the whole goal of language, which is to communicate ideas. It's the ideas that matter, in my opinion, that the form of their communication.

i'm actually quite interested in this kind of discussion, tbh.what of the stance that our general aesthetic sense is damaged each time we allow language to slip from the way the queen intended? (i would argue this, fwiw)(i'm not familiar with the linguistic usage of prescriptivism/descriptivism, having only heard them in the context of ethics, btw--could you explain their precise meanings?)

[checkymcfold 0]

oddly, and amazingly apropos, only one of the three web-acronyms in the above post was intended.

[CobaltBlue 662]

(i'm not familiar with the linguistic usage of prescriptivism/descriptivism, having only heard them in the context of ethics, btw--could you explain their precise meanings?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_prescriptionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptive_linguisticsEssentially, prescriptivism as a philosophy attempts to establish language rules, while descriptivism says that merely relating how the language is used is more important. I'm a centrist...perhaps midscriptivist?

[LongLiveYorke 38]

I don't mind that use of 'penultimate' at all.

I had never heard of the usage meaning, "more ultimate than ultimate." That's pretty cringe worthy.

I'm fine with 'ain't' and 'y'all'.

Also cringe worthy.