6mo ago

Nice clean shoes

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23 comments

If he only said "I cleaned my shoes", they could be dirty again. Now you know the difference between present perfect and simple past. English grammar, it's weird (but every language's is, to be fair).
- Don't even get me started on whoever decided that through, trough, and though, don't rhyme, but pony and Bologna do. I bet he was a colonel who kept a journal.... Asshole...
  
  To be pedantic that's not grammar but orthography (which in English is even weirder). English is just a mutant amalgamation of Germanic, Romance and Celtic languages and man, it shows.
  
  Three languages in a trench coat
  
  There's very little Celtic in modern English. Old Germanic, Latin, and French (which is derived from Latin) are the biggest contributors.
  
  Don't forget French.
  
  French is technically a romance language but it is very different from the others.
  
  What's up with the +1 heart on this comment?
  
  Extra life
  
  Are you on Jerboa by any chance?
  
  Yeah. I've since figured it out. It's just the net up verse down vote count. Actually somewhat useful for quick glancing.
  
  Mashing together all the languages into a Frankenstein form of communication is English grammar. It has nothing to do with birds!
  
  Except for the reason why we have different words for 'chicken' while it's alive, and 'poultry' after it's been slaughtered.
- You're clearly a bit of a fellow word nerd. Do you have any feelings about the fact that none of that matters anymore if we all just agree that it doesn't, which one could have an easy time arguing that we have? Sometimes, after spending a rousing five minutes explaining the MOST correct pluralization of 'octopus', the only answer I can give to the inevitable question of "why does it matter?" Is "it doesn't".
  
  If you were trying to describe a mess of cables how would you use octopus in an adjective form?
  
  Thank you for your question.
  Option 1: "I'm not fixing your computer until you sort out the octopus bullshit going on behind your desk"
  Option 2: "The cable adapter you're looking for is probably in this box, but it's pretty octopussy in there." Then hold firm, direct eye contact with a serious face until they respond.
  
  Octopussian
  
  All collective nouns should be replaced with the word "group".
  
  I don't know if it "matters", and I'm not a prescriptivist who wants to tell others how to talk, but it's interesting.

23 comments