Grammar Pedants...

[robjh]

When I rule the English language, the possessive apostrophe will be the first orthographic convention up against the wall.

It serves no communicative purpose - it has no sound and if it were necessary then we would constantly confuse plurals and possessives in speech, but we don't . Large parts of the population have no idea what it's for, and its main usefulness is to allow those 'in the know' to laugh at those who aren't.

 

[Profpointy]

got to be carefull with capital letters for proper names too,

"I helped my Uncle Jack off his horse".

 

[Tin Pot]

On the other hand, I would take some persuading that the rule that you pass the port to the left has any great function beyond allowing those who know the rule to feel superior to those who don't. One could give other examples ... which might well include quite a lot of rules of grammar that go beyond what is necessary for functionally effective communication.

It's true that some rules are merely customary.

As to the previous posters idea of the speed limit not identifying the idiots...well.

 

[srw]

On the other hand, I would take some persuading that the rule that you pass the port to the left has any great function beyond allowing those who know the rule to feel superior to those who don't. One could give other examples ... which might well include quite a lot of rules of grammar that go beyond what is necessary for functionally effective communication.

It ensures that the port circulates all the way round the table.

 

[snorri]

It ensures that the port circulates all the way round the table.

.....and reduces the risk of collisions at sea.

 

[Milkfloat]

I think we can forgive a primary school pupil.

Though the judges might need detention.

Happy with the spelling though?

 

[Tin Pot]

Happy with the spelling though?

The 'reduse' is cringeworthy.

 

[Ian H]

What about oxymoronic neologisms such as 'bicycle moto cross', or, even more ludicrous, 'quad bike'?

 

[fimm]

I saw a good one on Twitter the other day: Sustran's...

 

[Tim Hall]

There was a very good, hand corrected, sign at the coffee shop in Waitrose the other day:

"Due to a technical fault, we are unable to offer sandwiche's, toastie's and panini's"

The apostrophes had all been struck out, with a stroke of a deft Sharpie, as had the redundant "s" in panini, as it's already a plural.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

[QUOTE 3915673, member: 259"]I though all Waitrose staff had to be able to converse freely in classical Latin nowadays?[/QUOTE]

Probably an external sub-contractor, paid by the apostrophe.

 

[robjh]

There was a very good, hand corrected, sign at the coffee shop in Waitrose the other day:

"Due to a technical fault, we are unable to offer sandwiche's, toastie's and panini's"

The apostrophes had all been struck out, with a stroke of a deft Sharpie, as had the redundant "s" in panini, as it's already a plural.

Loving the singular 'sandwiche'.

And while 'paninis' offends me too, have you ever tried asking for a panino? (outside Italy I mean)

 

[Tin Pot]

[QUOTE 3915673, member: 259"]I though all Waitrose staff had to be able to converse freely in classical Latin nowadays?[/QUOTE]

I thought Latin was not a spoken language?

 

[Tin Pot]

It certainly used to be, in some form or other.

Hmm. Only up into the Middle Ages I think, and then not as a conversational style methinks.

Is Latin a spoken language?
Posted by artyclassics


The simple answer is “no.” Today, Latin isn’t a spoken language in the same way we consider Spanish, Chinese, or English to be spoken languages.

There are exceptions, however.

1. Ecclesiastical Latin, or Church Latin, is still used by the Catholic church for a wide variety of reasons. For example, the Vatican still produces it’s liturgical texts in Latin and uses Latin for various ceremonies and rites. Church Latin is similar to Classical Latin, varying mostly just in pronunciation (typically Church Latin is pronounced with an Italian accent). The relative stagnancy of Latin is advantageous from the point of view of religion, since theological accuracy across texts is much easier to maintain. Please see the Wikipedia article for more information.


2. The Living Latin movement is attempting to reform Latin instruction so it is taught much in the same way as most modern languages. On a similar note, the Harvard Classical Club has a weekly Mensa Latina – a Latin table for any Classics members for whom free food is provided as long as participants attempt to speak Latin at the table. Erik Fredericksen, the Classical Club Historian, has graciously given me permission to use some the material he gathered into a Latin ‘cheat-sheet’ of common, useful phrases to make conversation at the table easier.

So I'd say, no. To all intents and purposes.

Which is a shame as I believe the grammar is much easier, so apostrophe cretins might be better off with Latin than English.

 

[srw]

I thought Latin was not a spoken language?

Most of southern Europe still speaks Latin. It's just that they've given up on the grammar and mangled the pronunciation beyond recognition.

(And not that long ago you could get the news broadcast in Latin from Helsinki on the internet, and it's the lingua franca of the Catholic church - there's still, I think, a whole department in the Vatican dedicated to neologising. Oh, and within very recent memory - and probably still - Oxford granted all its degrees in Latin, complete with speeches from the University Orator.)