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old hand
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old hand
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In real English (you know we Brits are never going to stop thinking that!) we definitely say that "I have a licence, but I cannot license you to drive", for instance.
Defence is a noun. Defensive is not - and that's why it takes the (s).
cheer
the sunshine warrior
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And if you repost a fencer in, he'll be foiled again
A riposter needs a good foil to sharpen his blade.
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veteran
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veteran
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Force as a noun and a verb.
Impulse as a noun?
Fence as a noun and a verb?
Hence and whence as adverbs?
Sense?
Tense?
...
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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You want consistency? Try Esperanto ...
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veteran
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veteran
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I expect nothing of the sort in English or any other language. (There are inconsistencies in Esperanto.) But when somebody quotes me a rule, I expect consistency or a caveat. I was lead to believe that British (aka "real") English had a rule, but it doesn't.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Well, yes it does. It goes "When the noun form of a word is spelled with a 'C' and the verb form of the same word is spelled with an 'S', learn to live with it. If this anomaly doesn't exist for any given noun and verb combination, learn to live with that, too." As rules go, it's pretty straightforward and all-encompassing, I would have thought! 
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I was lead to believe that British (aka "real") English had a rule, but it doesn't
The "real" rule is much the same as the Golden Rule which prescribes that he who has the gold rules.
He who claims the "real" English rules the rules.
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veteran
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veteran
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Ah, yes, I seem to remember The Ruling Class.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
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I'd find it difficult to believe, though, that the British spelling would be incence (frankly).
Edit:
Perhaps that's incencitive of me,but then again I am easily incentivised (crossing threads somewhat adroitlessly.)
TEd
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Ah TEd, you give a whole new implied meaning to the word "gauche"! Good to see yer, too! 
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a whole new meaning to the word "gauche"
"Gauche" is an interesting word, Capfka.
If "adroitless" is the art of making the easy look difficult, "gauche" is the art of making the easy look disgusting.
"Gauche" is to "bad taste" what "sprezzatura" is to "meticulous". It gives "bad taste" a certain je ne sais quoi.
"Gauche" is becoming fashionable again, judging from the popularity of movies like "Dumb and Dumber".
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Cap, you're so sinister...
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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If "adroitless" is the art of making the easy look difficult...
Was this ever established?
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Re: "adroitless". Was this ever established?Well, it was Faldo's faux pas which inspired it. And that's establishment enuf for me. P.S. There ain't no appeal from the establishment ... at least, around here. In fact, you have to have Carpal Tunnel vision to even get a vote. [Just kidding, of course. I don't want to waste another good pseudonym. ]
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