painful_rapture
Really Really Experienced
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2014
- Posts
- 403
I wonder if it's possible to conduct a serious discussion here. That's what this thread is intended to be: a discussion about grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage - those things that make English what it is. There are actually some of us who still care about such things, so please spare us your snarky, semi-literate, uneducated comments like "who cares, so long as I'm understood," and "what difference does it make?" It makes a great deal of difference, actually, whether you realize it or not.
Let's begin with a few questions. When, for example, did the noun "loan" become a verb? We now "loan" things. What was wrong with lending them?
Another: when did "persons" replace "people" in usage? Does "persons" mean something different?
Speaking of replacements, it seems we're no longer allowed to have problems, only "issues." When did that happen? And why?
And when did "dollars" take the place of "money"? Apparently, we no longer attempt to accumulate money, we save dollars. Is the meaning different?
I recall about 15 years or so ago, reading one of Lord Kilpatrick's columns (James Kilpatrick, presidential speechwriter and essayist) in which he said that it is now acceptable to split infinitives. Sorry, but I don't buy that. It may be common, but splitting infinitives is still wrong in my book. (Of course, I recognize that I may not have the only book on the subject, which, really, is the reason for this thread.)
I look forward to your thoughts.
I'm not a real grammar snob, but I do wonder about these things from time to time. I normally write in the way I would talk, so sentence structure goes down the tubes quickly.
(cue Carlin: What tubes? You ever seen any tubes? And why is there always more than one tube? And where do they go?)
As for lending and loaning, I've always felt that loaning has more to do with objects (a book on loan), while lending has more to do with money (can you lend me five?). Somebody mentioned nuances, there's my take on that one.
Persons and people, there's another. IMO, not that it amounts to much, persons has more to do with the physical manifestation of a body (there were no illegal substances to be found on his person), and people is just the idea of a body (imagine all the people ). No hard rules about those I guess. Someone else said that 'persons' is outdated. I suppose I agree.
I don't really agree about problems vs. issues. Most people I know say "what the (insert expletive) is your problem?" Not, "what's your issue?"
Hmmm... Money and dollars... I only use 'dollars' when referring to a specific amount. Money is money. I save money, I don't save dollars. I might 'save a few dollars', but like I said, that's an amount.
I have never given thought to splitting infinitives, but looking it up, there's some merit. You can't have Star Trek going boldly without splitting...
Sooo... there's my two cents (I can spare them, since I'm apparently saving dollars ).