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Joined: Nov 2000
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Should be "was". Has Faldage been sending you do-it-yourself nit-picking kits, by any chance?



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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wwh Offline
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"an awfully high percentage of the student population were "Ritas". "
Dear MaxQ, I am happy to go on record as agreeing with you. I think perhaps it is because I have a mental picture of two groups of persons, and hence the plural seems natural.


#52978 01/27/02 01:09 AM
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an awfully high percentage of the student population were "Ritas".

A high percentage "were",or "was"? This is not pedantry....

hehehe, Max. When it comes to pedants you are outranked. Well, if I may state my obvious, the alternative is "an awfully high percentage of the student population was 'Rita'."

You pays yer peso and you takes yer choice.


#52979 01/27/02 01:39 AM
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n awfully high percentage of the student population were "Ritas".

This is a simple question of grammar by form or grammar by meaning. If you opt for the former you are compelled to say that Buffalo is expecting 10 inches or fewer of snow.

Yeatsian assonance

The strand/strond pair exhibits not assonace, but consonance (and alliteration, but that's not to the point here). Assonance would be, e.g., strand and strap.

Well, you wanted pedantry.


#52980 01/27/02 02:03 AM
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#52981 01/27/02 04:28 AM
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If you opt for the former you are compelled to say that Buffalo is expecting 10 inches or fewer of snow.

Pickin on Buffalo again? only 10 inches? drat!


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I am now scratching my head trying to figure out my my "are"s from my "is"s.

Yes, I always knew you had trouble telling your arse from your elbow!



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#52983 01/27/02 06:33 AM
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I was aiming too high.

Depends if you want quantity or quality laughing at your jokes Max

who was it said "Never overestimate the reading public..." or summat like that? go, Bill!


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Go for quantity Max, take my word for it. Quantity pays the bills now. Quality usually pays your descendants' bills. Starving in a garrett ain't worth it!





The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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