Author Topic: Dear Expert (Read 165372 times)

Nighthawk · « **Reply #450 on:** March 13, 2012, 08:19:07 PM »

Quote from: rivka on March 13, 2012, 02:56:38 PM

Quote from: Jonathon on March 13, 2012, 02:31:18 PM
You could even use both an exclamation mark and a question mark if you want.
Only in informal writing though, neh?

I use the "?!?" option somewhat often, but informally.

Formally, I'd use an exclamation mark but precede it with the words "you idiot". As in "How dare you question my judgement, you idiot!"

Jonathon · « **Reply #451 on:** March 13, 2012, 08:38:50 PM »

Quote from: rivka on March 13, 2012, 05:53:01 PM

Semi-formal is much more formal than business casual.

Yes, I know. I just thought the visualization of writing as business attire was mildly amusing.

Quote from: The Genuine on March 13, 2012, 06:53:37 PM

Of course, at least in the States, there's only one e in judgment. So both are wrong.

Judgement is listed without comment as a variant in Merriam-Webster.

Quote from: rivka on March 13, 2012, 07:43:15 PM

Which has never made sense to me.

Me either. Where else does dg by itself = j? By the normal rules of English spelling (which, of course, leave much to be desired), it has to have the e after it to make the g soft.

pooka · « **Reply #452 on:** March 13, 2012, 10:12:15 PM »

I always wanted to have a reality TV show called Judge Mental.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #453 on:** March 14, 2012, 12:45:07 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on March 13, 2012, 04:11:59 PM

*shrug*

I don't know of any hard and fast rule against doing so. But I'm not sure what kind of formal writing would include the sentence "How dare you question my judgement!"

A letter of resignation?

rivka · « **Reply #454 on:** March 14, 2012, 07:33:59 AM »

Porter · « **Reply #455 on:** March 14, 2012, 07:37:22 AM »

How. Dare. You.

Dobie · « **Reply #456 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:26:00 PM »

Is The Comics Curmudgeon right?

Quote

Bull, dear, you were scouted by the St. Louis Cardinals, not “the then” St. Louis Cardinals. Believe it or not, they were called “the St. Louis Cardinals” only during their years in St. Louis (1960 – 1987), so there’s no risk of confusion with any “before” or “after” St. Louis Cardinals. If you need to rule out the baseball team, just add “NFL” or “football.” But otherwise, please — it’s a language; people use it to communicate. Show some care with it.

spacepook · « **Reply #457 on:** May 09, 2012, 07:57:41 PM »

Is this statement grammatically correct?

Quote

As the flag covers the United States of America, so I strive to inform the people in order that every man, woman and child may know that the FFA is a national organization that reaches from the state of Alaska to Puerto Rico and from the state of Maine to Hawaii.

It seems to me that the "so I strive" is wrong in some way. Like an improper clause or something??? It's been bugging me ever since I went to the most recent FFA meeting that my chapter has every month.

Jonathon · « **Reply #458 on:** May 09, 2012, 08:01:28 PM »

Grammatically it's fine, I think, but I'm not sure it works semantically. And it's a little archaic.

In this sense it means something like "in this manner", so it's something like "In the same manner in which the flag covers the United States of America, I strive to inform the people . . ."

But how do you strive to inform in the same way in which the flag covers the nation?

spacepook · « **Reply #459 on:** May 09, 2012, 08:17:36 PM »

Well the FFA has a lot of symbolism that it likes to incorporate into itself, so since the flag represents the United States, and the FFA is a national organization, the reporter (the chapter officer who says this little speech during the opening ceremonies of a meeting) represents the interests of the FFA through various media. Therefore, according to FFA logic, the reporter is equal to the flag symbolically.

It just didn't sound right to me when the person acting as reporter would say it.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #460 on:** May 10, 2012, 07:02:01 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on May 09, 2012, 08:01:28 PM

But how do you strive to inform in the same way in which the flag covers the nation?

Semaphore.

Jonathon · « **Reply #461 on:** May 11, 2012, 11:46:05 AM »

Tante Shvester scores 10 points.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #462 on:** May 11, 2012, 02:44:12 PM »

I'm the most awarded poster on this thread!

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #463 on:** May 15, 2012, 05:10:22 PM »

Quote from: spacepook on May 09, 2012, 08:17:36 PM

Well the FFA has a lot of symbolism that it likes to incorporate into itself, so since the flag represents the United States, and the FFA is a national organization, the reporter (the chapter officer who says this little speech during the opening ceremonies of a meeting) represents the interests of the FFA through various media. Therefore, according to FFA logic, the reporter is equal to the flag symbolically.

It just didn't sound right to me when the person acting as reporter would say it.

Spacepook is in FFA?

pooka · « **Reply #464 on:** May 16, 2012, 09:13:06 PM »

She's VP elect

Though she's struggling in English.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #465 on:** May 17, 2012, 07:23:04 AM »

Like Dan Quayle!

Jonathon · « **Reply #466 on:** May 17, 2012, 08:52:57 AM »

pooka · « **Reply #467 on:** May 18, 2012, 08:14:37 PM »

Doritoes.

spacepook · « **Reply #468 on:** May 20, 2012, 02:25:44 PM »

Quote from: pooka on May 16, 2012, 09:13:06 PM

She's VP elect
Though she's struggling in English.

I'm working on it... I promises.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #469 on:** May 20, 2012, 09:17:34 PM »

I was a state officer. I don't know if you ever knew that.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #470 on:** May 21, 2012, 09:12:39 AM »

I'm guessing that you haven't reached the part of your future where you farm in America yet.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #471 on:** May 21, 2012, 09:24:24 AM »

Nope, still haven't gotten there.

Oddly enough, though, my little sister has. I think she did some weird voodoo and traded our futures.

spacepook · « **Reply #472 on:** May 22, 2012, 03:18:21 PM »

Whoa, you were STATE OFFICER? That's so cool!

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #473 on:** May 23, 2012, 09:13:57 AM »

Past performance is no guarantee of future farming.

Marianne Dashwood · « **Reply #474 on:** May 23, 2012, 10:32:20 AM »