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stranger
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"All that glisters is not gold" is logically incorrect.
Shakespeare should have written "Some that glisters is not gold" or "Not all that glisters is gold"
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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It's called poetic license.
PS, I love it. Someone criticizing Shakespeare for his use of language.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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never heard glisters. always thought it was glistens or glitters.
welcome, Bryn!
formerly known as etaoin...
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old hand
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old hand
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"All that glisters is not gold" is logically incorrect.
Shakespeare should have written "Some that glisters is not gold" or "Not all that glisters is gold"
Bryn is quoting Anu's WAD entry, which uses "glister", and a quick google turns it up as Shakespeare's own. I've never heard it used, even in quoting the Bard, so it must have been changed over the years, for whatever reason. It is, in fact, a blood relative of "glisten". Which makes me curious to know if it is pronounced glis ser or glis ter. I can see (hear?) either one, but am drawn to the former. A little digging revealed "ofter" is a word, but couldn't find a pronunciation. I can't really see that as of fer, but maybe it is. My IP (inner prescriptivist) detests the sound of of ten, ever directing the tongue to of fen, rhymed with "soften". Wow, I got rambling... Can you tell I'm off work today? I'm actually off all week, so y'all's in trouble... Thanks for the catalyst to interesting musings, Bryn, and welcome! :0)
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stranger
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stranger
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Did anybody else notice that the Latin word "potis" (having the power) is uncannily reminiscent of the acronym "POTUS" (President of the United States)?
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addict
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It's too bad they've stopped teachin Latin and formal logic (and statistics) as part of the basic knowledge base. You can't even begin to have a decent argument with many people because they haven't been taught to "correctly" interpret exists, somes, alls, nots, not alls, etc.
potis is "capable" as in "having the power/ability to do" but not "having the POWER" as in holding the reins. Potus itself is a drink or a bout of drinking - how about that?
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Carpal Tunnel
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. , It's too bad they've stopped teachin Latin and formal logic (and statistics) as part of the basic knowledge base. You can't even begin to have a decent argument with many people because they haven't been taught to "correctly" interpret exists, somes, alls, nots, not alls, etc.
potis is "capable" as in "having the power/ability to do" but not "having the POWER" as in holding the reins. Potus itself is a drink or a bout of drinking - how about that? Right, on Myr. Too bad decent education has departed. Potis is able or capable. As for Logic does anyone even remember the Ven circles? (Even I don't remember the spelling.)
----please, draw me a sheep----
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
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Right, on Myr. Too bad decent education has departed.
The barbarians are at the gate, education's gone to hell and we're breeding a bunch of barely-literate morons - hasn't this been the standard refrain since Virgil's day? "Say not thou, 'What is the cause that the former days were better than these?' For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this." Why should Latin be considered an indispensable part of English language education? A fixation with Latin was responsible for the stupid "split infinitive" nonsense, after all. Learning another language can help broaden appreciation for your own, but if teaching a conversationally dead language is that important, why not Sanskrit? Like Latin, it's still a national official language, but in a country with a population just a little bit bigger than the Vatican.
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old hand
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old hand
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Led Zeppelin Use 'Gliiters' in Stairway to heaven. My year 9 English teacher highlighted 'Glisters' while studying the Merchant of Venice.
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Why should Latin be considered an indispensable part of English language education? I probably mis-spoke myself a bit there... I was primarily thinking of what the required subjects were in Shakespeare's day that might have given a well-educated 10-year-old then certain advantages over "fully educated" modern adults in certain areas. A fixation with Latin was responsible for the stupid "split infinitive" nonsense, after all. I believe "A fixation with something was responsible for the stupid " something else" nonsense" in a great many cases, ... perhaps we should give up on schooling altogether. (joking)
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