Pedants' Paradise

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  • Serial_Apologist
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 36735

    Originally posted by french frank View Post

    Pedantry gawn mad.

    Comment

    • Old Grumpy
      Full Member
      • Jan 2011
      • 3341

      Originally posted by french frank View Post

      Pedantry gawn mad.
      Spoilsport!

      Comment

      • vinteuil
        Full Member
        • Nov 2010
        • 12401

        have we lost the distinction between Mothering Sunday (aka Laetare Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, Rose Sunday) which occurs in the middle of Lent (and this year was 10 March), and Mother's Day, a recent US invention (well, from the early 20th century) which takes place on the second Sunday in May (this year 12 May)?

        My mother would never have accepted 'Mother's Day'...

        Comment

        • french frank
          Administrator/Moderator
          • Feb 2007
          • 29422

          Originally posted by Old Grumpy View Post

          Spoilsport!
          Killjoy was here!
          It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

          Comment

          • french frank
            Administrator/Moderator
            • Feb 2007
            • 29422

            Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
            have we lost the distinction between Mothering Sunday (aka Laetare Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, Rose Sunday) which occurs in the middle of Lent (and this year was 10 March), and Mother's Day, a recent US invention (well, from the early 20th century) which takes place on the second Sunday in May (this year 12 May)?
            Yes, we have, I'm afraid. I suspect most greetings cards now refer to Mothers' Day. Or Mother's Day.
            It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

            Comment

            • Serial_Apologist
              Full Member
              • Dec 2010
              • 36735

              Originally posted by french frank View Post

              Yes, we have, I'm afraid. I suspect most greetings cards now refer to Mothers' Day. Or Mother's Day.
              I reckon another day should be decided for celebrating everyone who dares to fall outside all designated categories. One could call it Some Others' Day, or Smothers' Day for short.

              Comment

              • cria
                Full Member
                • Jul 2022
                • 58

                Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                One could call it Some Others' Day, or Smothers' Day for short.
                Or Smuffersdoavem Day for longer

                Comment

                • Serial_Apologist
                  Full Member
                  • Dec 2010
                  • 36735

                  Originally posted by cria View Post

                  Or Smuffersdoavem Day for longer
                  Oooh Betty!

                  Comment

                  • oddoneout
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2015
                    • 8558

                    Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post

                    I reckon another day should be decided for celebrating everyone who dares to fall outside all designated categories. One could call it Some Others' Day, or Smothers' Day for short.
                    Or Sound of Cinema Sunday...

                    Comment

                    • oddoneout
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2015
                      • 8558

                      St Mary’s Church in Astbury, Congleton – whose stone doorway was installed in the 12th century
                      (my bold)
                      I've noticed this several times recently - it occurs again later in the article from which this came. Shouldn't it be "the stone doorway of which" rather than "whose"? Rewriting the whole sentence slightly differently would also remove "whose" and perhaps not sound so formal as my suggestion above.

                      Comment

                      • Pulcinella
                        Host
                        • Feb 2014
                        • 10149

                        Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
                        (my bold)
                        I've noticed this several times recently - it occurs again later in the article from which this came. Shouldn't it be "the stone doorway of which" rather than "whose"? Rewriting the whole sentence slightly differently would also remove "whose" and perhaps not sound so formal as my suggestion above.
                        Thei Merriam_Webster article makes good sense to me.

                        Comment

                        • LMcD
                          Full Member
                          • Sep 2017
                          • 7574

                          Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
                          (my bold)
                          I've noticed this several times recently - it occurs again later in the article from which this came. Shouldn't it be "the stone doorway of which" rather than "whose"? Rewriting the whole sentence slightly differently would also remove "whose" and perhaps not sound so formal as my suggestion above.
                          Why not just 'the' stone doorway, or 'this stone doorway' if providing a caption for a picture?

                          Comment

                          • french frank
                            Administrator/Moderator
                            • Feb 2007
                            • 29422

                            Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

                            Thei Merriam_Webster article makes good sense to me.
                            A well-argued article. I presume it's factually correct to say that constructions with 'of which' were introduced by later pedants. I need to sit down and think about 'of whom' but I'm (about to be) busy at the moment..
                            It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                            Comment

                            • oddoneout
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2015
                              • 8558

                              Originally posted by LMcD View Post

                              Why not just 'the' stone doorway, or 'this stone doorway' if providing a caption for a picture?
                              It was from an article about vandalism and there was no picture to caption.
                              The warden at St Mary’s Church in Astbury, Congleton – whose stone doorway was installed in the 12th century – called the police after discovering that up to 90 York stone slabs had been stolen
                              .

                              Comment

                              • LMcD
                                Full Member
                                • Sep 2017
                                • 7574

                                Originally posted by oddoneout View Post

                                It was from an article about vandalism and there was no picture to caption.
                                .
                                https://www.theguardian.com/culture/...-crisis-report
                                Sorry - I didn't realize the stone doorway belonged to the warden.

                                Comment

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