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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Ah well, to crossthread just a little, he probably typed it with a shiteating grin ...
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I am genuinely disappointed that this board has so degenerated into a chat site that there has been so little interest in discussing the egregiously poor choice of word for the killing of that national treasure tree.
The BBC ought be a model of good word choice.
Forty two vies of the thread, and not a single suggextion of a better word. Truly, I'm disappointed. I carefully
avoid saying "I'm devastated".
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Posts: 66
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 66 |
El Grande fell victim to a burn-off to clear undergrowth [pic courtesy of Wilderness Society]
"I am genuinely disappointed that this board has so degenerated into a chat site that there has been so little interest in discussing the egregiously poor choice of word for the killing of that national treasure tree."
Right! I'm on it chief!
An independent report has confirmed Australian environmentalists' claims that fire has devastated Australia's tallest tree on the island of Tasmania."
An independent report has confirmed Australian environmentalists' claims that fire has put to an end the long life and venerated existance that was Australia's tallest tree on the island of Tasmania."
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Thank you, Tross. Distinctly better than the original.
I'll admit I haven't been able to think of a single word to replace "devastated" that satisfies me. Let's hear some more efforts.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
the egregiously poor choice of word for the killing
"An independent report has confirmed Australian environmentalists' claims that fire has killed Australia's tallest tree on the island of Tasmania."
And nothing misspelled!
[sniff - I remember when egregious was a good thing - sniff]
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
sniff - I remember when egregious was a good thing - sniff]
Dear Faldage: in which previous incarnation was that?
I'm more archaic than you are, and it was long before my time that it meant "remarkable", which is not necessarily a good thing.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
which previous incarnation
Latin classes at Hal's Diner in the previous millennium.
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Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
An independent report has confirmed Australian environmentalists' claims that fire has devastated Australia's tallest tree on the island of Tasmania."
Just considering the sentence on its own, it doesn’t really tell us that the tree is dead. It is devastated but, if that is the sum total of the environmentalists' claims and the other statements were made by the journalists, then it could be still alive. Many trees are quite resistant to fire I believe. Until we know the truth it is hard to suggest an alternative word to use. What kind of tree was/is it anyway? Was it Australia’s tallest tree that happen(s)ed to be on the island of Tasmania, or is/was it the tallest tree on the Australian island of Tasmania? That isn’t really truly clear either.
For a more dramatic and definite statement I suggest:
An independent report has confirmed Australian environmentalists' claims that fire has incinerated Australia's tallest tree on the island of Tasmania."
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
"incinerated" isn't accurate either. It just got overheated enough to cause what I suppose was the cambium just under the bark to be cooked, but not even charred.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Well, OK. But what you posted at the top of the thread doesn't say that. You have additional knowledge. 
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