I must say that my strictest instruction in grammar, particularly punctuation, came during the time I wrote limericks for OEDILF.

Oh, spelling and punctuation have nothing to do with grammar. That's another nit I have with the so-callled experts. And before another flame war starts, let me explain. Saying that grammar, spelling, and punctuation are separate entities does not mean that the latter two or any less important than the former. When I speak about grammar, I use the definition that most linguists (professional academics who study language systematically rather than inventing or passing along silly rules). Spelling and punctuation are attempts, however flawed, to add a sort of sugar coating to language. Language existed before writing. English spelling is a joke. It is a non-system, compared to something like Spanish or Korean. I have seen the "rules" of punctuation change in my lifetime. Many of the punctuation rules I learned in grammar and high school have been modified and superseded.

Wittgenstein does have some keen insights into language, especially seeing it as a kind of game. (He was the first philosopher, one of whose works I read.) Heidegger also had some worthwhile ideas about language. My favorite Wittgensteinian aphorism is: "philosophische Probleme entstehen, wenn die Sprache feiert" (Philospophical problems occur when language goes on holiday).

(And don't get me started about Oedilf; that lot has sucked the joy out of language and poetry.)


Ceci n'est pas un seing.