|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
In reply to:
unless you've run across perquisite, which is so rarely written or even said, and so often just "perks" you might not know the word– it does look like 'prerequisites' so it is a mistake an ignorant person can make. But we are all ignorant of some things!
Well said, helen, but I think the point being made was that an editor should have known better. I certainly don't think anyone was criticising you. Your contributions to this board have always been valuable, adding yet another perspective to the discussions you have enriched.
Perhaps an analogy might take some of the perceived sting out of the situation decribed. As a Catholic you were taught how to make the sign of the Cross - how would react if you saw a Catholic priest cross himself in the Orthodox fashion? Just a slight change, but immediately noticeable, and not the sort of error you would expect from one in his position. Similarly, "prerequisite" and "perquisite" are very similar, yet different, and an editor really ought to be aware of that difference. At least, that's how I read the post in question. Salaam
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Dear of Troy,
My sincere apology if I caused you even momentary upset.
My ire was at the news editor who was going to change a direct quote which is a mortal error in newspapering.
Again, please forgive.
wow
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
.. think the point being made was that an editor should have known better. I certainly don't think anyone was criticising you. Your contributions to this board have always been valuable, adding yet another perspective to the discussions you have enriched.
but every day i learn new words--here and even in the NYTimes-- which is supposedly written to a US 6th grade vocabulary- when i first heard segue-- (i could, with a bit of effort pin down the day) and said-- wait, what was that word? the user, was so incredible rude! I don't think they intended to be as rude as they were, since they were are not normally rude-- but it made not just me, but a whole group shut up for a while! (they intentionally being used so as to hid the offender gender!)
but when i mentioned the word to my then teen age daughter, she looked at me as if i had two heads! what, you don't know segue? she was startled! but you know every word! was her responce-- how could you not know segue! (oh to be as omni potent as that again!)
so somehow, this word eluded me when the rest of the world was segueing it self from topic to topic! .
Okay, so maybe the editor should have looked it up before commenting-- or asked WOW-- is this a word? its new to me! but even editors are entitled not to know every word!
and WOW is right to hold up standards-- and i didn't feel criticised.. but even those of us, who have worked on our vocabulary all our lives are still learning...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
>* Shanks did a bit about Indian history vs. English history– In the catholic church view, there was a "good queen mary" Most of the rest of the world knows her as "bloody mary" (daughter of Henry VIII).
History is such a fascinating thing, so many sides. I tend to think of Queen Mary as a goodie (and a rather good liner). Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Edward (whatever) were all baddies - breaking away from the church, destroying all those lovely monasteries 'n all. On the other hand, I also thought that Mary Queen of Scots was a baddie (for no real reason, other than that she was a bit foreign). Now I live in Scotland my children have been taught that Mary Queen of Scots was a goodie and Elizabeth I was definitely a baddie.
Whoever said that history was wasted on children was right. It takes a bit of maturity to take on the challenge of putting all the pieces back together for oneself. Whichever point of view taught in schools, sadly, even today tends to help build problems for the future. It's too easy to believe that we are getting the whole truth and nothing but the truth. the best thing about learning as we get older is that we have a context for all those meaningless facts and dates which used to whizz round for no apparent reason.
When I was learning to ski, I was pleased on day not to fall over. "Too bad", the teacher said, "you can't have been trying hard enough"!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Wow, Wow, you wrote (rantingly): And while I am blowing off steam, it is Linotype, not linotype. Linotype is a proprietary word, please!
RANT! RANT! RANT !
Sorry, chum, but the term "linotype" over the years came to cover, generically, all keyboard operated typesetting machines with the interesting exception of the Monotype.
Soooo... Intertype, Linotype and Mergenthaler machines were all linotypes. The process of machine typography (in which I hold a now totally invalid and singularly useless Advanced Trade Certificate) was called, commonly, "linotype operating". Our newspaper didn't even have Linotype-brand linotype machines.
There. I've seen your RANT and raised you two RANTS. Are you still in the game or is your mouth too full of semi-masticated newsprint? Carpet probably tastes better, especially a nicely toasted Axminster.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004 |
Bel A hit and run posting without reading all the others on this thread. So my apologies if I am repeating someone else's explanation. I suspect that Helen was not speaking of any Indian origins (though for all I know she might have a bit of the ol' Hindu blood in her  ) but noting that perspective (in my case Indian versus English) can change the way we see things. 'Bloody' Mary to the Protestants is 'Good Queen' Mary to the Catholics. ps. For reference, my original example was regarding the event in 1857 that the British called The Sepoy Mutiny and Indian history books refer to as The First War of Indian Independence.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Sorry, chum, but the term "linotype" over the years came to cover, generically, all keyboard operated typesetting machines with the interesting exception of the Monotype. Yesterday seems to have been my day for foot-in-mouth. I was taught Linotype years and years and years and years and years ago.But hope I will never to be too old to learn. And to learn fast (in self defense if for no other reason)this is the place. Can't get away with a darned thing, mumble, mumble, mumble.  I have enough paper left to make a dunce cap and will now retreat to stand facing into the corner. Sigh. wow
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
is NOT a mortal error. It is a hanging offense. Well, maybe not that, but an editor or reporter who does it should suffer an immediate loss of job along with a blackball in his or her employment record.
The press and the other media have an absolute duty to report the facts and a collateral duty not to twist them, slant them, or shade them in an attempt to support an agenda, except on the editorial page.
As I may have mentioned before, my mother worked for many years as a reporter for the Alexandria, Va., Gazette. In an article about corruption in the government of a neighboring county, she made reference to a particular politician "and his cronies." Now crony literally means long-time friends, but it carries with it a hint of engaging in unscrupulous activities, which, of course, was exactly the bad taste Mom wanted to leave in the readers' mouths. She could, of course, have merely referred to the politician and his colleagues.
I asked her why she just didn't call them henchmen. Her response: "Damn. I never thought of that. I've got to start using my thesaurus again." She was truly incorrigible.
The politician did sue, but the case was dropped when the guy was indicted for taking bribes. Mom was right, but she was also very wrong.
TEd
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004 |
I have enough paper left to make a dunce cap and will now retreat to stand facing into the corner.A fool's cap please? Then at least it will bring back memories of the legendary watermark that lent it's name to (in the spirit of the printing theme) the paper size we still use and revere.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,326
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
1 members (A C Bowden),
763
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
