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#50233 12/20/01 02:46 PM
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A) They've got to be in some order. It's not possible in this medium to have them scattered willy-nilly across the page.

2) Alphabetical order, chronological order, in order of greatest to least cranky-ol'-joe index; these are all particular orders.

Þ) If you don't use a particular order, but you are using an order, they are "in no particular order". Irregardless.


#50234 12/20/01 03:10 PM
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faldage, thank you so much for obviousizing my no. 10 (irrespective of your other egregious miscreancy).
-ron


#50235 12/20/01 07:56 PM
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No doubt holding steadfastly to a linear universe.

Can the given order, one that apparently has no intentions of 'use' yet still is *uttered first-to-last (let alone given numbers after the fact), be completely or even easily ignored? Faldage - as someone who "hates philosophers" you have become the chosen one...


#50236 12/20/01 11:27 PM
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Foremost among my considerable collection of pet peeves is the word arguably. Look at it. It is ugly. The fad use of this ugly word introduces contention, without resolution, into the lyrical flow of sentences by the interjection of three harsh syllables (or four if you are from the south) to say little or naught. Besides, what ever happened to that nice word "perhaps"?
Until a minute ago I thought the use of this godawful word was limited to bureaucrats, politicians, National Public Radio commentators and others whose speech is largely bereft of meaning but burdened with new age buzz. Certainly I didn't expect to see the use of this vulgarism on the illustrious AWAD board.

It was Tsuwm. In a post in Q&A he wrote...
Paleontologist S.J.Gould, arguably, the most ...
"Nooooooooooo!" I screamed, scaring the cat. Not Tsuwm, hero to some, mentor to many, the Pooh-Bah voted most likely...no, not the great Tsuwm. The computer screen shuttered in disbelief, and then blinked off.
I sat alone in the darkened room overcome with sadness. Then, suddenly I brightened.
"That's it!" I cried, scaring the cat. Tsuwm, inarguably astute, had not used the A-word in vain after all. The inclusion of "arguably" was an important encoded personal message to me. I had been argueing with Faldage. So decoded, the word "arguably" reads...
Do not argue with Faldage, you will lose.

Outside my window the sun shines and birds sing and the great Tsuwm looks down from above and all is right with the world once again.
Milum.


#50237 12/21/01 01:16 AM
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> What are some of y'all's pet peeves?

(1) As oft stated.......just about any attempts at communication from sports broadcasters' mouths.

eg: "They're rising to the challenge and taking up the gauntlet, the Eagles"

(2) Attempts by those with limited speaking or writing skills to sound otherwise - especially those attempting to sound official. Police statements are a good example

(3) The word "actually". It's a useless thing and should be banned.

wow - three posts in one - I'm slipping!

stales



#50238 12/21/01 01:16 AM
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all peevishness aside, milum, that was, arguably, the highlite[sic] of my day -- if only you had made that little extra effort and quoted me accurately. (there's no. 23!)

copyright © ron obvious, 2001

p.s. - there ain't no T in tsuwm -- if anyhing should be uppercased in tsuwm it would have to be the s.

#50239 12/21/01 02:02 AM
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I think you were less wrong than I was on exaptation. Well, except that I think Gould is wrong if he is suggesting exaptation to include preadaptation and whatever that other silly word was. Exaptation should replace preadaptation and preadaptation should replace whatever it was for reasons I outlined in the middle of our Glory.


#50240 12/21/01 11:04 PM
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arguably

three harsh syllables (or four if you are from the south)


huh? I sure ain't from the south, but how do y'all pronounce that with only three syllables.

ar-gu-a-bly

Or are you saying that one of the four isn't harsh, and simply the use of a southern accent invariably makes all of them harsh?


#50241 12/22/01 12:15 AM
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Ar - gyu (silent a) - blee

I've heard it pronounced like that down here quite often.


#50242 12/22/01 11:35 AM
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The Jazzoctopus wrote...
Or are you saying one of the four syllables isn't harsh and simply the use of the southern accent makes them all sound harsh?

Well not exactly, Jazzoctopus, it depends on the southerner doing the saying. Take the word "Damnyankee" for example. My buddy Elmo Womack can make all four syllables sound harsh, while his sister Mattie, can make "Damnyankee" sound like music to the ears.

PS to Musick: You are right, If I were to pronouce the word I would pronounce it that way myself.


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