Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788

The following letter to the editor appeared in this morning's Telegraph:

----------------------------------------------------

SIR -- as a schoolboy, when learning of the importance of precise
punctuation, I was shown the following two statements:

"Woman without her man is useless."

"Woman! Without her, man is useless!"

As a happily married man, my wife assures me that the second statement
has the ring of truth.

Thomas Wingate,
London W2

------------------------------------------------------

The second curiousity about this letter is that the fellow's wife is, apparently, a happily married man.

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
The Importance of Avoiding Dangling Participles

res ipse loquitur

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
I
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
I
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
Father Steve, you make me smile! Gracias.

Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Quote:

… the fellow's wife is, apparently, a happily married man.




It always amazes me how you prescrips will go to such lengths to willfully misunderstand a perfectly comprehensible sentence.

#156889 03/09/06 12:41 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Quote:

Quote:

… the fellow's wife is, apparently, a happily married man.




It always amazes me how you prescrips will go to such lengths to willfully misunderstand a perfectly comprehensible sentence.




Comprehensible, schmomprehensible. I had to read it twice.

#156890 03/09/06 03:03 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
I
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
I
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,379
Aktully, I didn't get the 'ambiguity;' I thought Father Steve was throwing in an extra bit of information at the end. But then I'm from New York.

Last edited by inselpeter; 03/09/06 03:04 PM.
#156891 03/09/06 03:56 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Ditto, 'cept I'm from Kentucky.


Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 442 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5