ARmy Rumour SErvice

**Brotherton Lad** · 12-04-2012, 22:33

Originally Posted by Punch

It's one word.

It's one of those quirky parts of English Language by which we confuse ourselves in our use of our language. And of course we confuse those born to another language even more. I have never known it spelt with a hyphen in all my long years of using my mother-tongue.

But then we are told our language is constantly evolving and developing; perhaps in a few years the hyphen will be correct in this application. The apostrophe will probably be extinct.

My first teacher was emphatic that a proper sentence could not begin with a preposition!

In this day and age, I reckon it can. Or did he mean a conjunction?

**Excognito** · 12-04-2012, 22:41

Originally Posted by Markintime

Although "I can hear the grammar Nazi's outrage bus starting up" would be acceptable.

'the' grammar Nazi? Do you seriously think there's just the one of us? I beg to differ and point you to the evidence of this thread.

Furthermore, it is factually incorrect. We don't use outrage buses. We have an outrage train to transport offenders to a re-education camp; indeed, the Bookenwalt camp motto (inscribed above the entrance) is "Semikolon macht frei". The camps have excellent shower and heating facilities, which we encourage students to take full advantage of.

I'm afraid threads like this show the failure of the concept of extending education to the masses; they only end up getting ideas above their workstation.

**Little Militia Boy** · 12-04-2012, 23:17

Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

We used to write to-day and to-morrow.

We used?

**Chef** · 12-04-2012, 23:23

Originally Posted by Excognito

'the' grammar Nazi? Do you seriously think there's just the one of us? I beg to differ and point you to the evidence of this thread.

Furthermore, it is factually incorrect. We don't use outrage buses. We have an outrage train to transport offenders to a re-education camp; indeed, the Bookenwalt camp motto (inscribed above the entrance) is "Semikolon macht frei". The camps have excellent shower and heating facilities, which we encourage students to take full advantage of.

I'm afraid threads like this show the failure of the concept of extending education to the masses; they only end up getting ideas above their workstation.

I call Godwin's law. Where do you stand on parenthesis as opposed to brackets?

**filthyphil** · 12-04-2012, 23:35

Originally Posted by JoeCivvie

Sounds like we need Lynn Truss on the case here.

She was busy so she sent her cousin, Hernia Truss.
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**Excognito** · 12-04-2012, 23:39

Originally Posted by Chef

I call Godwin's law. Where do you stand on parenthesis as opposed to brackets?

I am better versed in mathematics and physics than I am in the nuances of English grammar; consequently, I prefer the former as the name for '(' and ')', reserving bracket for '[' and ']' (and brace for '{' and '}')

(I usually prefer to spell the plural of "parenthesis" as "parentheses".)

**mullerkin** · 13-04-2012, 00:31

"The semicolon is like the back-heel in soccer: often misused by show-offs, it indicates a change of direction without interrupting the flow."

This got put in Pseud's Corner in Private Eye, but I thought it was rather good.

**cernunnos** · 13-04-2012, 03:59

Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

Your final sentence is suffering from a surfeit of 'l's and 'm's and a shortage of 'r's. Try not to throw the babby out with the bathwater.

I knew there was a school teacher lurking on here somewhere......!

**The_Snail** · 13-04-2012, 05:46

Originally Posted by cernunnos

I knew there was a school teacher lurking on here somewhere......!

Just don't.

**Punch** · 13-04-2012, 08:21

Originally Posted by Brotherton Lad

In this day and age, I reckon it can. Or did he mean a conjunction?

Of course, Brotherton Lad. Thank you very much.

Too many late night whiskies will be my defence.

I am off to the garden now. I will sit, stand, fiddle around with nature (plants - not my female neighbour), and think about the proper use of hyphens, dashes, slashes, colons (semi and otherwise), parenthesis, its cousin the bracket, and that confusing little thing called a apostrophe.

I may even plant a semicolon or two and see if it grows into a colon!

BTW does anyone down south need some water? The rain up here has been spectacular for two whole days.