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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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I heard the Armstrong couplet on the radio last night, and I agree with those above who insist that there was no "a". Until this discussion started up I had no idea that an "a" was supposed to have been included. It makes perfect sense the way Armstrong said it.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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At the time it was happening, I was watching it in Paris in the lobby of our hotel. I heard it in French and didn't understand a word. Thanks for your memories, folks. 
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addict
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addict
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Is there a linguistic term for this phenomenon?
It just popped up in unrelated reading. The term is "elision". [I have a vague recollection of it now from grammar school days. Never thought I would have a use for it.]
American Heritage Dictionary: elision
Omission of an unstressed vowel or syllable, as in scanning a verse.
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
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A "History of Filght" supplement in our hometown newspaper today, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight, finished with the moon landing, and here's the way the quote appeared, much to my amazement afetr all this discussion:
>Armstrong was first to set foot on the surface, telling millions on Earth who saw and heard him that it was "one small step for (a) man -- one giant leap for mankind."<
I think that's a historically fair way of including the accuracy of what was actually said (or what sounded to be said), what was intended to be said, and what *some folks (ahem) heard (or thought they head) said.
I can live with the parentheticized "a".
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
I think that's a historically fair way of including the accuracy of what was actually said (or what sounded to be said), what was intended to be said, and what *some folks (ahem) heard (or thought they head) said.
I can live with the parentheticized "a".
Is the above just a spectacularly verbose way of saying that you don't buy Armstrong's own admission that there was no a?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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that there was no a?I think you forgot the smiley, max... did I read a different article? Armstrong admits there was supposed to be an (a), but he left it off in the excitement. I like the parentheses... 
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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No, I didn't forget the smiley, I was trying an experiment. I thought of adding it, and then decided not to, hoping that long association would make its implied presence obvious. It looks like hope sprung a leak.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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ah, my apologies for stirring your experiment... I hope all is not undone.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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stirring your experiment... I hope all is not undone. Snort!  Eta, you are the sweetest thing!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Is the above just a spectacularly verbose way of saying that you don't buy Armstrong's own admission that there was no a? No, Max, just my *disconvuvulated version saying that I think the quote printed in that way covers, for history, the a-less audio (for whatever reason) and the fact that Armstrong stated he did the "a", that he intended it to be there. Lot's of disconvuvulation in my ken these days...guess that was the bestus I could doest (or somethin' like that). 
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