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Joined: Jul 2004
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Jul 2004
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I have always been puzzled by this phrase. Who uses a comb on their teeth?
I just found the answer and thought I would share it with you!
I found it in a marvellous new book called The Grammar Cookbook. It's a grammer reference book basically but it's fun and interesting. If you go to the web site (trackerpress.com) and click on Sample Pages one of the pages is the explanation of the "fine tooth comb" mystery!
Robbie
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Welcome, Robbie. I always assumed it meant a comb with fine teeth, ensuring the removal of all those little nits.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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you'll find lots of references to nits about here--real ones (cooties!) or imaginary ones--the kind nit pickers are always looking for! you'll even find references to knitting!
there are some weird little packets of info hidden in past post.. and we are always looking for new ones, and never know were they will come from, so keep posting!
(NYC has 1 full time professional nit picker.. (she is busiest in early fall, as kids come home from summer camp with 'guests'--NYC will not allow a child with lice or nits to attend class. )
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 389 |
Weavers will pick nits, imperfections in the form of little balls of material, from the warps and woofs.
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
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Hmmm. I think I might smell some spam cooking here.
TEd
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jul 2004
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Joined: Aug 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,548 Likes: 1 |
... nits ... little balls of material, from the warps and woofs
I think I've always referred to that phemonemon (the little balls, not the picking them off) as "pilling," which would make the little balls pills. ofTroy? You're our resource on knitting and weaving and such.
And speaking of nit-picking, in my experience it's always been a "fine-toothed comb". Anybody want to run a quick informal geographic distribution survey? My exposure is NYC/Boston area, mostly.
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Joined: Oct 2003
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2003
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...right, that's it - pilling. Thanks.
Down in southern New York State it's Fine Toothed too
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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"fine-toothed comb"That would be correct gramatically. Yet Faldage, Nit-Picker Supreme, suggested that the *truly correct form is "finely-toothed comb." 
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
...Anybody want to run a quick informal geographic distribution survey...I'm sure I'd write it as 'fine-toothed' (nobody in thier *right mind would write or think of "finely toothed", ASp, but mehbe that was yer point  ) yet I'd speak "fine-tooth"... and I'm all halfway across the US.
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