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#147917 09/16/05 08:48 AM
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>Or either you could say that the "from" was elided. Works for lots of things.

It's not just prepositional exclusions that seem to be more and more common, but the verb mix-up F. Steve describes (e.g. 'to comprise' vs. 'comprises').

The traditional rule states that the whole comprises the parts and the parts compose the whole. In strict usage: The Union comprises 50 states. Fifty states compose (or constitute or make up) the Union. Even though careful writers often maintain this distinction, comprise is increasingly used in place of compose, especially in the passive: The Union is comprised of 50 states. Our surveys show that opposition to this usage is abating. In the 1960s, 53 percent of the Usage Panel found this usage unacceptable; in 1996, only 35 percent objected.
Usage note, dictionary.com

There are a few other common examples, but I can't think of them.


#147918 09/16/05 09:43 AM
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if one suggested to him that there was an elision in his sentence.

No more so than the suggester would if told that there was assimilation in his. But then, that happened years ago, and he wouldn't want it happening on his watch.


#147919 09/16/05 01:31 PM
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Going back to the top,

It occurs to me that "the truly educated never graduate" is a witticism, and the poor maligned driver of the '64 Volvo actually agrees with you, Father Steve. For, while the chemists among them might, 'most' of the truly educated never do graduate. They 'graduate from . . . '


#147920 09/16/05 01:46 PM
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heh.® good one, insel!



formerly known as etaoin...
#147921 09/21/05 06:44 PM
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My guess is that the bumper sticker owner might be amused by an educated response. (unless maybe it was Max's bumper??)


#147922 09/21/05 07:43 PM
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In reply to:

(unless maybe it was Max's bumper??)



Yep, prescriptivism effectively suppresses my humour systems.


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> to which Hey, don't pull Jo into this--she hasn't even been here for a while!

To which I will add that I have absolutely no intention of graduating, just sliding along the slippery slope of academia until I pop my clogs. Graduating seems too much of a discontinuity to face ... especially now that I've found my way into a metaphysics class and am riddled with uncertainty as to which "possible world" I am in right now, especially if it is conceivable that in some possible world or other I am a poached egg ... maybe I should have wandered into miscellany instead ... good luck to all who reside here. Love Jo (I think)
x

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Reall or illusory, this world, or some other, your presence is a delight, Jo. I was thinking of you just the other day after watching Colin McRae back racing.

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> Love Jo (I think)

We do indeed do both.

Stick around this sparkly new emporium of metaphysical conceits!

#147926 10/05/05 11:56 AM
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So let us melt, and make no noise

Is this random reply no 3852 - can you work out the link oh mighty Maverick?

Answers in poetry please.

Regards to Max too - i too was glad that Mr McRae has found his way back.

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