Pedant's Corner: for all your viewing needs!

[aclivity]

There was a thread recently - may have been before the great crash - about pedantry. I couldn't find it so I've started another.

On my drive home tonight, there was something mentioned on the radio about a patient being fed through a tube. I wasn't listening too closely so I can't tell you who or what the story was about, but I felt being squeezed through a small opening was a little harsh? Or did they mean that his/her food was fed to them through a tube?

Andy

[Dr Stevil]

At least if it was the first option it would shorten the waiting lists

[Lou]

Sorry, but I don't know how many more times this has to be said; the correct title of this post should be "Musing in Pedant's Corner".

Please do not drive the apostrophe into extinction!



Lou

[PaulC]

Actually to be pedantic Lou, that's not necessarily correct. It could be "Musing in Pedants' Corner" (if multiple pedants had a proprietary relationship to it) or indeed as Andy has it "Musing in Pedants Corner" where the meaning is simply that the corner has been named after the pedants - consider, for instance "Daffodil Cottage" so named because of the profusion of daffodils to be found there, not "Daffodil's Cottage' nor yet 'Daffodils' Cottage".

That's all for now, just off to rearrange the spoon drawer

P

[tom]

Originally Posted by PaulC

A "Musing in Pedants' Corner" (if multiple pedants had a proprietary relationship to it)

Indeed. I'm sure Helen will be along shortly to expand on this.

not "Daffodil's Cottage' nor yet 'Daffodils' Cottage".

Oh dear.

Actually, making a grammatical mistake in a pedantic post pretty much guarantees entry to The Corner. Fellow pedants, the Force is strong in this one

[Lou]

I will agree with you on the possible structure relating to multiple pedants, however I have to argue the case on the use of Pedants Corner as a name. As far as I am aware there has not been sufficient time for this name to have fallen into common usage, and I am sure that it has not been registered as a place name with the Post Office. Therefore I am compelled to conclude that the capitalisation of the P and C was merely a stylistic use for the title and not an indication of the usage of "Pedants Corner" as a place name.

So there.



Lou

[aclivity]

musing, in the corner, with pedants.

[tas]

Acl. I'm very disappointed that you have capitulated so early to the sphincter-police.

It was perfectly obvious to me that you were using a quasi-hapaxlegomenon.

If Shakspire can get away with "honorificabilitudinity", you can name this thread "Pedants Corner."




tas

[Bantam]

1. One who pays undue attention to book learning and formal rules.
2. One who exhibits one's learning or scholarship ostentatiously.

So you're all ostentatious.

Entry: ostentatious
Function: adjective
Definition: flashy
Synonyms: boastful, chichi, classy, conspicuous, crass, dashing, duded up, egotistic, exhibitionistic, extravagant, flamboyant, flatulent, flaunted, fussy, garish, gaudy, gay, glittery, grandiose, highfalutin', jaunty, loud, obtrusive, peacocky, pompous, pretentious, showy, spectacular, splashy, splurgy, sporty, swank, swanky, theatrical, tinsel, tony, uptown, vain, vulgar


My personal favourite is 'highfalutin''. Let's try and get that used on the board as much as possible.

However, another synonym is 'tony'. So if you're a bit brash and drive around in a Mercedes with a dodgy number plate which should read M681 OOR but you've shagged it (illegally) to read M6 BLOOR (like the berk who parks his large merc in our car park) does this mean you should be called 'tony'?


Mark.

[Dr Stevil]

Originally Posted by Bantam

However, another synonym is 'tony'. So if you're a bit brash and drive around in a Mercedes with a dodgy number plate which should read M681 OOR but you've shagged it (illegally) to read M6 BLOOR (like the berk who parks his large merc in our car park) does this mean you should be called 'tony'?


Mark.

No, the correct appelation for characters who indulge in such activities would, according to the OED, be "w***er"