General TE tips

[SadieKate]

The French don't care what they do actually, as long as they pronounce it properly.

Professor Higgins (My Fair Lady)

I have musicals on the brain today.

[Veronica]

It would seem that proper grammar is not everyone's forte.

Even the FRENCH pronounce it "fort." Where do people get the idea that it's for-tay?

From the dictionary - according to Webster's it should have a long a or a long e sound at the end.

V.

[bikerz]

Oh, yes, I loved Ex Libris and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Especially the latter. My first degree is in anthropology, and the next two are in science/health care. The only thing wrong with that book is I didn't write it! If somebody ever offers to pay my bills and support me while I get a doctorate, I'll look at something like that.

You are so right! My first degree was in Anthro also! (Alas, propbably my only degree, unless I win the lottery and can pursue degrees for fun in comparative linguistics, Spanish lit, medical anthropology ... oh, so many things are interesting!)

My favorite is "reduplicate", which I know is a real word, but seems like it shouldn't be. Worse, "reduplicate again". I have a client who says this all the time. And another client says "flustrated" - maybe a cross between "flustered" and "frustrated".

I am totally loving this thread - I feel like you all are my long lost, three-fingered typing, language-freak family!

[KnottedYet]

I've come to view grammar as mere guidelines in my maturing years. Sometimes you want to follow the rules, sometimes what you want to communicate works better if you break the rules. (Sometimes I can't be bothered.)

Kinda like composing music in the key of C major, and tossing in a couple of accidentals. Those accidentals can say a lot.

I was a librarian in one of my former lives, and am the product of a fine lineage of librarians. I get far more disturbed by library books shelved out of call-number order than by grammar-as-creative-enterprise. If I can understand what someone is trying to say, then they have communicated successfully.

I read dictionaries for fun. Ain't kidding.

[KnottedYet]

If you want an exercise in medium vs. message, read "Push" by Sapphire.

Then read some Mary Oliver. You'll need to.

Do both communicate successfully? Compare and contrast, using the conventions of Strunk and White, single-sided and double-spaced, and return to me by next week. Yes, you in the back row with the headphones? No, you may not email your paper to me. You may deliver it to the department office or bring it to class. I must have it by Friday for you to recieve full credit.

P.S. Strunk and White cohabitate beautifully with Rhyme's Reason on my bookshelf. All they need is a complete OED for company. Hardbound, not CD. If I ever meet someone with a complete OED, I might just have to sleep with them. (the OED)

[profàvélo]

It would seem that proper grammar is not everyone's forte.

Even the FRENCH pronounce it "fort." Where do people get the idea that it's for-tay?

Probably the same reason we pronounce "crêpe" as if it were "crape," while the French word actually rhymes with English "step." It's a word that's been borrowed from French, and its pronunciation has been adapted/changed.

(note the use of "it's" and "its" )

In fact, the French word is "fort," pronounced like "four" (with a French R, of course, but no T). It's the masculine form of the adjective that can be used as a noun (to mean the opposite of a weakness). The T of the feminine adjective "forte" is pronounced, but the E is not. We (speakers of English) just made that up.

I am sure you were all losing sleep over this one.

[SadieKate]

All they need is a complete OED for company. Hardbound, not CD. If I ever meet someone with a complete OED, I might just have to sleep with them. (the OED)

Whew, I only have the compact edition and haven't gotten any updates. I'm safe or maybe it's safe.

[maillotpois]

Whew, I only have the compact edition and haven't gotten any updates. I'm safe or maybe it's safe.

I've got the compact, too. My father in law has the complete (2 volume, tiny print, comes with magnifying glass....) I have envy.

[SadieKate]

Mine says compact but is 2 volume, tiny print, etc. Did they change format? Better not tell Knotted about your FIL.

[bikerz]

This might be the only place this is safe to admit, but I have ALWAYS wanted the full 20 volume set of the OED, on its own little stand! (unfortunately, current price: $1500 )

(But sorry Knotted - if I had it (them?) I'm not sure I'd let it out for sleep-overs!)

[maillotpois]

Mine says compact but is 2 volume, tiny print, etc. Did they change format? Better not tell Knotted about your FIL.

You know what, I was confused. I have the Concise OED. My father in law has the Compact - that I covet. And I guess now I covet yours, too.

[Dianyla]

I always pronounced forte "for-tay" after the Italian word forte, commonly used in sheetmusic instructions.

[KnottedYet]

When the latest edition of the complete OED came out, Village Books had an old one for sale for only $800. Cuz it was like totally out of date dontcha know.

Man, if I'd had the money I'd've nabbed it.

Then I could've slept with my own.

[Lise]

20 volumes of the OED on their own stand. I don't think it would be little.

I have an old dictionary that my Grandma gave me for my 20th bday, 26 years ago. It's on a wonderful, slightly spindley dictionary stand that I found in an antiques store. The other day, when double checking the spelling of Thucydides I thought, "I really should get a new dictionary." I have a bit of a problem with anthropomorphizing, though, and getting rid of the dictionary from Grandma feels kind of like disrespecting the ancestors. On the other hand, she was a librarian and English teacher, so she'd WANT me to have an up-to-date dictionary! Yes! Thank you, TE grammar grinches, for helping me resolve this thorny dilemma! I'll ask my sibs to give me a new dictionary for my b-day! Problem solved!

[SadieKate]

Don't get rid of the old one. For sentimental reasons but also the references to countries that no longer exist and all kinds of stuff from ages past.