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Pooh-Bah
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OP
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
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Heard on the radio today, by an advocate of safety measures to protect against brain injuries:
There is only one cure: prevention.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Um--perhaps that was meant ironically?
Hmm--how come in the above word we pronounce the first two syllables eye-ron, but if it's just iron we say eye-urn?
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Pooh-Bah
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OP
Pooh-Bah
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Nope - no irony in the delivery. Just an imprecise grasp of the concept of "cure".
As to irony, I am as likely to pronounce the "iron" part the same as the word "iron" as not. Regardless, the two words don't seem to be related (iron is from prehistoric Gmc word probably of Venetic or Illyrian origin like OIr iarn ... akin to Venetic Isaras, a river; akin to L ira, anger; while irony is from L ironia, from Gk eironeia, from eiron, dissembler).
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Pronunciation of the [r] mostly depends on where the emphasis falls, not is? I think this goes even for the non-rhotic among us.
Edited consonantly
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273 |
In reply to:
Nope - no irony in the delivery. Just an imprecise grasp of the concept of "cure".
Are you sure? Perhaps it was a deliberate play on the old aphorism. It was pithy and apt. It was also memorable, for most because it's short, and to the point, and to prescriptivists because it "misuses" cure. Either way, it sticks. Maybe that was the intended purpose.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Pronunciation of the [n] mostly depends on where the emphasis falls I was thinking of the r: how it changes places in ironically from iron and irony. For me, anyway; I say eye-urn and eye-urn-ee, but eye-ron-ih-klee. Thanks for the background, O Spartan one. 
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Posts: 2,379 |
I like the slogan. Reading it, it seems very straight-forward: you may well not recover from a head injury; many can't be fixed.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I was thinking of the rSo was I ..  I've gone back and changed it.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I've gone back and changed it.
I thought you was being ironic like...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Me? Ironic? I'm an USn. I don't know from irony. 
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addict
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addict
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Me? Ironic? I'm an USn. I don't know from irony.
Oh, I know! I know! It means "kinda like iron" 
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
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I used to think I understood about irony, but after a lengthy exposure to the self-confessed confusion of US’alls, both here and among my work colleagues, my confidence is ebbing.
“Call that irony!” Tom flattened him sarcastically.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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there are many facets to irony...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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...It means "kinda like iron"
No, that would be "ironish", which is a whole different languidge® in itself.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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I think what the speaker meant was there is no cure for brain injury so they must be prevented. Perhaps he is speaking from personal experience, and hence the awkward construction. I didn't even know the President was actively involved in safety awareness.
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