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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
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< casting pearls before swine>
> they're being cast at pigs
- and I always had supposed that the phrase referred to the selection procedures of Hollywood directors - procedures that show no sign of being efficacious, one has to say - perhaps they're not applied efficiently?
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
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> , no one dies if you split an infinitive, so if it sounds better to you, why avoid it because someone decided it was a rule? I was given to understand - many years ago, from what source I cannot now remember, that the "rule" about split infinitives dates back to the late 18th early 19th century or when the written language was being codified in a fairly systematic fashion (to do with increased literacy levels, I think) and Latin was used as a bench mark. The argument is that, as Latin has no split infinitive, then nor should English. This of course, ignores the fact that Latin infinitives are single words. I totally agree with William - there are times when it is much more effective (therefore efficient and efficacious?) to split the infinitive to give emphasis, punch or whatever. What I do object to is sentences where the writer has been so ill-advised as to, although with good intention and a wish to be clear and concise, split his/her infinitive with more that a couple of words.  Thanks to AnnaStrophic for advice on colo(u)rs, emoticons, etc
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
This of course, ignores the fact that Latin infinitives are single words.
It also ignores the fact that arguably the most famous split infinitive of them all is now a registered trademark of Paramount Corporation. I remember being quite amused when first I learned that.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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OK, Sweetie, I'm taking the bait:
what famous infinitive would that be, pray tell?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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what famous infinitive would that be, pray tell?Sacré bleu! A non-trekkie! The split infinitive in question is: "To boldly go where no one has gone before."
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
> "To boldly go where no one has gone before."
This slogan would lose so much if the infinitve were not split that it must stand as a prime justification of why it is OK, sometimes, to split infinitives.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
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>>it must stand as a prime justification of why it is OK, sometimes, to split infinitives
or a good reason to not watch star trek
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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>> I was given to understand - many years ago, from what source I cannot now remember, that the "rule" about split infinitives dates back to the late 18th early 19th century or when the written language was being codified in a fairly systematic fashion (to do with increased literacy levels, I think) and Latin was used as a bench mark. The argument is that, as Latin has no split infinitive, then nor should English.
This of course, ignores the fact that Latin infinitives are single words.Yep. Running the risk of having my head bit off once and for all, RhuCo, I cited this also when split infinitives were discussed in an earlier thread. Victorians and their grammar. Pshaw. I have a source somewhere, but I'm not at home on this long weekend (using someone else's computer), so I can't get to it right now. Thanks to AnnaStrophic for advice on colo(u)rs, emoticons, etc  ... and my thanks go to tsuwm and Jackie, who showed me how to use them.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Sacré bleu! A non-trekkie! The split infinitive in question is: "To boldly go where no one has gone before."
Excuse-moi, mais je SUIS une Trekkie!! In fact, monsieur,
I am old enough to have seen the original episodes when they
were new, and in which it was "where no MAN has gone before".
("Harrumph--people expectin' me to follow the twists of their danged convoluted minds", she grumbled to herself as she marched away.)
Oh! New question! Not being male, I cannot officially qualify as a geezer. (Y'all followin' my train of thought here, or did I derail everyone?) Being a female of crusty
temperament, am I then a geez-ette?
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
Excuse-moi, mais je SUIS une Trekkie!! In fact, monsieur,
I am old enough to have seen the original episodes when they
were new, and in which it was "where no MAN has gone before".Sadly my first exposure was via re-runs in the early 70s. The first time I saw that Paramount had trademarked the phrase, I noticed the poloitically correct alteration, but did not mention that here for fear of being YARTed by tsuwm.
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