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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Prepositions #208510 12/27/2012 5:58 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water If it's a sin to end a sentence with one preposition, then presumably it's even worse to end it with two. How far can we take this? For the August 1968 issue of Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics, Darryl Francis devised one sentence that ends with nine prepositions. If the Yardbirds' 1966 single "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" were exported to Australia and then retrieved by a traveler, the question might be asked: "What did he bring 'Over, Under, Sideways, Down' up from Down Under for?" Inspired, Ralph Beaman pointed out that if this issue of the journal were now brought to a boy who slept on the upper floor of a lighthouse, he might ask: "What did you bring me the magazine I didn't want to be read to out of about '"Over Under, Sideways, Down" up from Down Under' up around for?" "This has a total of fifteen terminal prepositions," writes Ross Eckler, "but the end is not in sight; for now the little boy can complain in similar vein about the reading material provided in this issue of Word Ways, adding a second 'to out of about' at the beginning and 'up around for' at the end of the preposition string. The mind boggles at the infinite regress which has now been established." -Greg Ross, Language 26 December 2012 ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions LukeJavan8 #208514 12/27/2012 9:25 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh If it's a sin to end a sentence with one preposition No, it's not. This "rule" was made up out of whole cloth by one fellow: John Dryden. Even Bishop Lowth made fun of it in his mostly prescriptive grammar. It is just plain wrong, and the folks who propagate it ought to have their necks wringed. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions LukeJavan8 #208515 12/28/2012 12:20 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8 "What did he bring 'Over, Under, Sideways, Down' up from Down Under for?" Five yard penalty. "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" is a title so the status of the constituent members of the title as prepositions is deemed inadmissible. The same goes for the phrase "Down Under", which is acting as a noun phrase. Any examples involving these are ruled out of bounds for the desired effect. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions Faldage #208516 12/28/2012 4:11 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass just so. -The Commissioner Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions tsuwm #208520 12/28/2012 8:07 AM Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Tromboniator old hand Tromboniator old hand Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska The whole point of this exercise is to answer absurdity with absurdity. Why take all the fun out of it with rules and logic? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions Tromboniator #208523 12/28/2012 1:59 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh The whole point of this exercise is to answer absurdity with absurdity. Why take all the fun out of it with rules and logic? 'Cause that's how I exist. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions Faldage #208639 01/02/2013 1:40 AM Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 2,457 Likes: 10 London, UK A C Bowden Pooh-Bah A C Bowden Pooh-Bah Joined: Oct 2010 Posts: 2,457 Likes: 10 London, UK Quote: "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" "Sideways" is an adverb, not a preposition. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Prepositions LukeJavan8 #208642 01/02/2013 2:17 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Good point. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter 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. 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