tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post736354077381266797..comments2024-03-18T09:00:31.992-04:00Comments on Doctor Grumpy in the House: Sentence structureGrumpy, M.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09858110332436246760noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-8731664758177881322012-09-21T23:49:33.760-04:002012-09-21T23:49:33.760-04:00And then there's intonation:
*I* never said h...And then there's intonation:<br /><br />*I* never said he was a liar."<br />"I *never* said he was a liar."<br />"I never *said* he was a liar."<br />"I never said *he* was a liar."<br />"I never said he *was* a liar."<br />"I never said he was a *liar*.<br /><br />[not sure emphasis on "a" would modulate the meaning]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-59784190916243458382012-08-27T10:19:10.641-04:002012-08-27T10:19:10.641-04:00This makes certain "English" sense when ...This makes certain "English" sense when taken in context of "English"following day's picture of school suppies ..... Perhaps those were the teacher -associated supplies?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-8441209716277525142012-08-27T00:25:32.366-04:002012-08-27T00:25:32.366-04:00I saw the man on the hill with a telescope.
Who h...I saw the man on the hill with a telescope.<br /><br />Who has the telescope? Me? The Man? The Hill?<br /><br />And since when do telescopes have sawblades?Ole Phat Stuhttp://www.savory.de/blog.htmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-6020402627734818512012-08-26T21:08:31.548-04:002012-08-26T21:08:31.548-04:00don't feel bad Heterodyne,English is my native...don't feel bad Heterodyne,English is my native language and I didn't get it until I read Hildy's comment.Maybe I've read too many headlines ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-71682745952564921822012-08-26T16:36:07.722-04:002012-08-26T16:36:07.722-04:00Sorry, don't get it (English ist not my native...Sorry, don't get it (English ist not my native language) - for me it says that a women is helping the parents of blind children. What am I overlooking? I don't get the joke, not even when saying it out loud... wait a moment is it verb instead of adjective?heterodynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-16243517622059372452012-08-26T14:49:37.997-04:002012-08-26T14:49:37.997-04:00I had to say it out-loud to get the joke.I had to say it out-loud to get the joke.Mark p.s.2https://www.blogger.com/profile/10529811159862096782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-38553262725137571432012-08-26T10:06:03.594-04:002012-08-26T10:06:03.594-04:00Sorry to be a nit-picker, but the examples given h...Sorry to be a nit-picker, but the examples given here mostly concern the ambiguity that results from missing or inaccurate punctuation (which is why "Eats Shoots and Leaves" was such a popular book). The problem with your headline was different: blind can be both a verb and an adjective. Headline writers strive to use the fewest number of words, but really, "Woman Helps Parents of Blind Children" wouldn't have unduly increased the length.<br /><br />BTW, LOVE the t-shirt message IBParker quoted! Hildynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-13312771349501003992012-08-26T09:36:37.792-04:002012-08-26T09:36:37.792-04:00If you look at how some of the trouts turn out at ...If you look at how some of the trouts turn out at fish farms, (carp shaped instead of the normal healthy torpedo shape) they can easily be labeled handicapped.<br />Wendynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-37781610903086758862012-08-25T23:08:51.187-04:002012-08-25T23:08:51.187-04:00I heard these types of headlines/sentences are cal...I heard these types of headlines/sentences are called "crash blossoms". One of my favorite is "Handicapped Fish At Trout Farm" My sister said they were being mainstreamed but it could be the headline was just a hook.Amandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-58441994115780300292012-08-25T18:57:02.432-04:002012-08-25T18:57:02.432-04:00Did anyone see the first published MSNBC.com story...Did anyone see the first published MSNBC.com story about the death of Neil Armstrong today? The original article title said "Astronaut Neil Young dies." Umm... no, MSNBC. Not quite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-41530843716724198562012-08-25T17:07:16.979-04:002012-08-25T17:07:16.979-04:00How about:
"Let's eat, Grandma!"
o...How about:<br /><br />"Let's eat, Grandma!"<br /><br />or<br /><br />"Let's eat Grandma!"Maridythnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-50635434989239038632012-08-25T16:35:26.689-04:002012-08-25T16:35:26.689-04:00Seen on a t-shirt:
"English doesn't borr...Seen on a t-shirt:<br /><br />"English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them down, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar."<br /><br />Love it! :-)lbparkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-38743626312621056772012-08-25T16:32:01.116-04:002012-08-25T16:32:01.116-04:00In the parlor with an ice pick...In the parlor with an ice pick...PortiaChalifouxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-74650404688320095672012-08-25T16:29:53.669-04:002012-08-25T16:29:53.669-04:00The judge said the prisoner is unfair.
The judge ...The judge said the prisoner is unfair.<br /><br />The judge said, "The prisoner is unfair."<br /><br />"The judge," said the prisoner, "is unfair."<br /><br />English is a great language.Azukahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103198528329959203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-66389502976441464722012-08-25T16:27:00.191-04:002012-08-25T16:27:00.191-04:00I recently saw one - "The average American ea...I recently saw one - "The average American eats more than 400 Africans." If I'm not eating any, that means some are eating ... Ack!Betsyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00885378903454874585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-53967624145983516812012-08-25T14:46:47.936-04:002012-08-25T14:46:47.936-04:00Copyeditors. A dying breed. You see their lack on ...Copyeditors. A dying breed. You see their lack on the web. I don't know how many have saved me from thing like that. Kind of like nurses savind MDs bacon, my RN mom tells me ...<br />Ms. Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11945753071493117365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-39771798609201366942012-08-25T14:07:25.820-04:002012-08-25T14:07:25.820-04:00Oh.
Ooooops!Oh.<br /><br />Ooooops!D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01347115855111060618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-80831884969124187882012-08-25T13:14:29.169-04:002012-08-25T13:14:29.169-04:00Reminds me of a neighbor who was so very proud of ...Reminds me of a neighbor who was so very proud of his involvement in his son's high school sports program that he would repeatedly proclaim, "I'm a big athletic supporter!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com