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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread A quote from E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White #186725 09/07/2009 4:06 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky "The living language is like a cowpath: it is the creation of the cows themselves, who, having created it, follow it or depart from it according to their whims or their needs. From daily use, the path undergoes change. A cow is under no obligation to stay in the narrow path she helped make, following the contour of the land, but she often profits by staying with it and she would be handicapped if she didn’t know where it was or where it led to." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: A quote from E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White Jackie #186729 09/07/2009 7:51 AM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh The living language is like a cowpath I believe White is trying to apologize for having popularized the that-which / restrictive-non-restrictive silliness while not personally following it in his writings. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: A quote from E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White zmjezhd #186736 09/08/2009 2:37 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Eh? How do you figure? Oh--obviously you're more familiar with his writing than I am. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: A quote from E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White Jackie #186739 09/08/2009 5:50 AM Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Zed Pooh-Bah Zed Pooh-Bah Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Quote: The living language is like a cowpath which explains why some of the rules are bullshit. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: A quote from E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White Zed #186743 09/08/2009 10:45 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: Zed Quote: The living language is like a cowpath which explains why some of the rules are bullshit. Hah! Good one. LLOL Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: A quote from E.B. (Elwyn Brooks) White Zed #186754 09/09/2009 1:25 PM Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 2 Alexandria, VA AlexNoVA stranger AlexNoVA stranger Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 2 Alexandria, VA Originally Posted By: Zed Quote: The living language is like a cowpath which explains why some of the rules are bullshit. well played, sir. NPR Commentator: Who Needs a Manual to Write Real Good? Last edited by AlexNoVA; 09/09/2009 1:29 PM. 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. (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 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 Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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