pillage at the hands of both the Japanese and the KMT?

@McTag,

Quote:

See how trouble spreads?

I've seen how trouble spreads, McTag, in your support of the pet peeves of English thread. I see it once again in this, your bit of nonsensical opinion. It almost seems as if you are being obtuse just to create a joke. I guess we can hope.

1 Reply

@JTT,

I think you are labouring under a burden of "I am right, so everyone else must be wrong". Once you get rid of that, you'll be amazed how your horizons open up.
Perhaps surprisingly, some people do have opinions, and sometimes write about them on A2K.

Meantime, have you tried the sweet dessert "Death at the hands of Chocolate?
Maybe you'd like the movie "North at the hands of Northwest?
I enjoy that old Andy Williams song "Music to Watch Girls at the hands of".

Although all of these titles, you may have noticed, can be simpler and better written.

1 Reply

@McTag,

Quote:

Perhaps surprisingly, some people do have opinions, and sometimes write about them on A2K.

And go off on tangents when they can't defend their opinions.

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@JTT,

Simpler and better. Simpler is usually better, although not necessarily so. Usually.

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@McTag,

McTag wrote:

Simpler and better. Simpler is usually better, although not necessarily so. Usually.

Yeah, Occam's Razor rules.

0 Replies

@McTag,

Quote:

Simpler and better. Simpler is usually better, although not necessarily so. Usually.

What piffle, McTag. How is such a waffling notion of any good to anyone(qm)

If you wanna know if an idiom is alright to use all you have to do is contact McTag. Rolling Eyes

1 Reply

@JTT,

Why is the Gettysburg Address famous? Economy of language. Churchill's speeches too. No unnecessary verbiage.

And having said that, I'm not against flowery language. Idioms have their place too. I'm just saying...well, I've said it already.

The Guardian in its Letters pages at the moment highlights journalistic cliches. Interesting and instructive. There are a lot.

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McTag, as usual, makes a great deal of sense. Others, not so much. McTag has a sense of style in language. Others, not so much.

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@MontereyJack,

Blushing, not oops.

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@McTag,

If that had come from someone who had a clue about language, McTag, it might be reason to blush.

Surely you have noticed how out to lunch MJ is on describing language?

2 Replies

@JTT,

how out to lunch MJ is?
Does it mean "how crazy MJ is"?

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@JTT,

A person of commendable insights and taste, I would say. But we all know where to turn for best linguistic advice. Wink

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@oristarA,

Quote:

how out to lunch MJ is?
Does it mean "how crazy MJ is"?

No, MJ isn't crazy, Ori, and "OTL" doesn't mean 'crazy', at least not specifically. He often shows good, even uncommon common sense. But when it comes to some language issues, he seems to lose it.

Quote:

out of touch with reality

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out+to+lunch

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@McTag,

Quote:

Why is the Gettysburg Address famous?

Incessant propaganda.

Quote:

Economy of language.

Please, his first words,

Four score and seven years ago

did he keep it simple? By your reckoning he used "an awkward and unnecessarily wordy phrase".

1 Reply

@JTT,

Quote:

We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle

I'm sure the old guy could have cut that down. We get the message, Winston.

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@McTag,

Now I hope you see how problematic your restriction is.

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@JTT,

Will you ever leave off? I didn't make a restriction. I made a suggestion.

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@McTag,

Quote:

I didn't make a restriction. I made a suggestion.

Based on completely nebulous reasoning,

Quote:

"At the hands of" is not a good choice of words here; "by" has the advantage of being both simpler and better, imho.

which lent some degree of credence to Contrex's fatuous notion.

And you haven't addressed this.

Now I hope you see how problematic your restriction is.

Following your "suggestion", how would it ever be possible for ESLs to fashion a cogent idea of when to use idioms and when not to?

We know that most ENLs are not affected by these ideas but they tend to stick with many ESLs thereby preventing them from access to completely natural collocations used by native speakers.

You can't imagine how many times I have run into this situation with ESLs who, having heard some opinion, think it a rule of the English language.

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@JTT,

Too many acronyms for me. I like to keep things simple.

You must have a lot of time on your hands, gnawing away at this. I thought we had finished with it.

I write on A2K for fun, and diversion, and I like to make remarks about English when I think I can make a remark which is helpful, or interesting. That's all. The language interests me. I'm not interested in pissing competitions.

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@McTag,

Quote:

and I like to make remarks about English when I think I can make a remark which is helpful, or interesting. That's all. The language interests me.

And do you think that there should be some measure of thoughtful behind a remark or should we just blast ESLs with any old thing?

Was there a good takeaway position for the ESLs?

I gotta go see a man about a horse.

1 Reply

pillage at the hands of both the Japanese and the KMT?

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