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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 2 1 2 On a slightly different note... #23086 03/16/01 02:30 PM 03/16/01 02:30 PM Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 1 Z zephyr_ OP stranger zephyr_   OP stranger Z Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 1 Do you know what is the only verb in the French language to not have a past tense (or so I am told)? The verb "to guillotine". You can see I will be guillotined, I am being guillotined, but you cannot see I was guillotined. Re: On a slightly different note... #23087 11/22/01 03:22 PM 11/22/01 03:22 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... W Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... I have no earthly idea of any truth in the above observation by zephyr, but I can imagine a French ghost saying that she was guillotined... WW Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23088 11/22/01 04:50 PM 11/22/01 04:50 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 They were guillotined! Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23089 11/22/01 05:23 PM 11/22/01 05:23 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... W Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Just curious (as usual ad infinitum), when is the subjunctive necessary: "I could imagine a French ghost saying she was guillotined" or "I could imagine a French ghost saying she were guillotined"? "I can imagine a French ghost saying she was guillotined" or "I can imagine a French ghost saying she were guillotined..." And, to complicate matters a bit further, should all of the above have at least, "I can imagine a French ghost's saying..." blah, blah, blah. I think that apostrophe is probably a better form... Best regards, WW Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23090 11/22/01 05:53 PM 11/22/01 05:53 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 W wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 It seems to me that the original post erred in saying "see" when "say" would make the joke. I have heard that a few persons promised to try to indicate their brain was still working after being separated from the neck. I think it was Lafayette who was said to have blinked right eye only a couple times. But he could not have said " I have been guillotined" . Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23091 11/22/01 09:08 PM 11/22/01 09:08 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... W Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... "I have a very little neck..." Anne of the Thousand Days... It's documented somewhere exactly what she said. Hers is such a poignant tale, her personage brilliantly played by Geneviève Bujold... Edit: Grave error--Anne was beheaded; not guillotined. I need to make that correction here! Still wondering about the subjunctive case?/mood? WW Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23092 11/23/01 11:09 PM 11/23/01 11:09 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Still wondering about the subjunctive case?/mood? Mood. And it is a little out of our internal grammar these days, but I don't think that the subjunctive mood is called for in this instance, or if so, it would come out something like, "I can imagine a French ghost saying that she had been guillotined." And as far as the original complaint (joke or no) I'll probably shock all of you by saying that I was guillotined. There, I've done it. It's not impossible. Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23093 11/23/01 11:53 PM 11/23/01 11:53 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 W wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 " I was guillotined" Dear Faldage: I think it possible that your misadventure involved "an instrument, working on a similar principle, as for cutting paper." Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23094 11/24/01 12:17 AM 11/24/01 12:17 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 an instrument, working on a similar principle, as for cutting paper Nope. I was lying, plain and simple. Didn't stop me from saying it, though. In Latin there was such a thang as a defective verb. A defective verb lacked some of the standard forms. The onliest one I can think of is futuo, futuere, but I don't remember where it's defective and it might just be from lack of observed usage. It's not like it was a real literary word. Re: On a slightly different note (d'oh!)... #23095 11/24/01 12:21 AM 11/24/01 12:21 AM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... W Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind   Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Thank you, Faldage, for setting the mood. So sorry you were guillotined. My "Four White Horses" thread was also guillotined, so I feel your pain. Wishing you a speedy recovery, DubDub Page 1 of 2 1 2 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. 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