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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread On the import of punctuation #156885 03/08/2006 8:46 PM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,788 Seattle, Washington, USA The following letter to the editor appeared in this morning's Telegraph: ---------------------------------------------------- SIR -- as a schoolboy, when learning of the importance of precise punctuation, I was shown the following two statements: "Woman without her man is useless." "Woman! Without her, man is useless!" As a happily married man, my wife assures me that the second statement has the ring of truth. Thomas Wingate, London W2 ------------------------------------------------------ The second curiousity about this letter is that the fellow's wife is, apparently, a happily married man. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit On the Importance of Avoiding Dangling Participles #156886 03/08/2006 8:55 PM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,140 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,140 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA The Importance of Avoiding Dangling Participles res ipse loquitur Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: On the import of punctuation #156887 03/08/2006 9:29 PM Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,379 New York City inselpeter Pooh-Bah inselpeter Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,379 New York City Father Steve, you make me smile! Gracias. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: On the import of punctuation #156888 03/09/2006 1:53 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Quote: … the fellow's wife is, apparently, a happily married man. It always amazes me how you prescrips will go to such lengths to willfully misunderstand a perfectly comprehensible sentence. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Lengths, schmengths #156889 03/09/2006 12:41 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York Quote: Quote: … the fellow's wife is, apparently, a happily married man. It always amazes me how you prescrips will go to such lengths to willfully misunderstand a perfectly comprehensible sentence. Comprehensible, schmomprehensible. I had to read it twice. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Lengths, schmengths #156890 03/09/2006 3:03 PM Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,379 New York City inselpeter Pooh-Bah inselpeter Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,379 New York City Aktully, I didn't get the 'ambiguity;' I thought Father Steve was throwing in an extra bit of information at the end. But then I'm from New York. Last edited by inselpeter; 03/09/2006 3:04 PM. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Lengths, schmengths #156891 03/09/2006 3:56 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Ditto, 'cept I'm from Kentucky. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,284 Members9,208 Most Online4,606 Sep 17th, 2025 Newest Members JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery, Forix Richard 9,208 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 25 A C Bowden 6 JerryC 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,139 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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