Can The Adults Please Smoke? 38 and FEELING GREAT!!

[kdogg36]

I'm a linguist (in training, at least - about a year away from my Ph.D.), and we tend to be the opposite of grammar Nazis. When I see or hear nonstandard usage, I get excited rather than angry! This is data that we can use to look for patterns.

Recently a friend of mine asked about a TV show I was watching: "do you find it any interesting?" I had never heard this before, but apparently his dialect had generalized this use of any from "any good," which seems to be the only place where any can modify a (non-comparative) adjective in Standard English. I'm currently bugging him about his parents' and friends' usage to see if I can get a paper out of this. :)

[brdlwyr]

I am shocked at the grammar and spelling of one of my legal assistants!

C19 and C17 have excellent English skills - C21 is sometimes just "scarrie".

[Bluemoon]

Kdogg - that's interesting. I wonder if part of the unique usage is geographical in nature.

 

Brd - we both know that your Cs got a great education!

[NYadgal]

Hep - rant away!  Agree!  Disgusting!

kdogg, that's interesting, and I agree with Moony - I wonder if this is a geographic usage?  I've never heard it before.

I so dislike 'text speak' and what it's doing to our language.  Even on Facebook, I use complete sentences. 

 

Tonight is the first night of our two nights of performances of the Kurt Weill "Road of Promise".  I was so sad not to be able to sing in it, but am looking forward to being in the audience.  A VERY special project for the Chorale, and one that I'm so proud of.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Kdogg - I echo Addy - interesting.

From my perspective, there is a huge difference between regional quirks and just plain laziness.  I sometimes pick up some of the quirks of my foreign colleagues - especially using "wee" as a complete understatement when there is an issue, and "good on ya" for approval - courtesy of a New Zealand lawyer I worked with years ago.

For the record, I hate text typing as well.  

Happy Hump Day Adults.

 

[Bluemoon]

And, to continue in this vein, you all know my feelings about students not being taught to write in cursive anymore. GRRRR.

Today a colleague of mine was flabbergasted by one of her sophomores who couldn't read a note she had written to the girl on a test she handed back. Turns out the girl can't read cursive writing and had no idea what the teacher was saying.

 

Side note - isn't the word "flabbergasted" just wonderful?

[bdwaygirl]

If you recall, I first heard that from you, and was shocked it wasn't being taught anymore.  That blew my mind.  I remember checking with the Goddaughter, and was relieved to hear Myles and Baileigh are being taught cursive. 

That was one of my first thoughts, too.  How will anyone sign legal documents or read notes written to them.  Whoever came up with that nonsense should be punished!!

[NYadgal]

I'm with you on that topic 1,000%!

The lost art of writing. It's a sad sign of our times.

[kdogg36]

I'm working on figuring it out (re: "any interesting"). The friend in question grew up in rural Virginia but has lived in Houston for many years, so I'm interested to see where this comes from. He himself doesn't have any clear answer to this question. He reports that it seems very natural for him, though of course he recognizes that this usage is nonstandard.

I'll report back if I can find out what's going on! The friend knows I'm fascinated by this sort of thing, so I'm hoping he hasn't punked me. :)

[brdlwyr]

I have not written in cursive in years and take deposition notes by printing.  

[Bluemoon]

You're a man ahead of your time, Brd.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

I have printed since college. I can't read my own Catholic school handwriting.

[bdwaygirl]

It depends on what I'm doing as to whether I print or write.

[Bluemoon]

Printing takes so much time for me - all that lifting the pen off the page, etc. Cursive is very fluid and efficient.

[gettinhep]

Moony, I couldn't agree more. I was the victim of educational fad in the first, impressionable years of school. Teachers were not teaching cursive as it was not 'modern'. My mother has one of the most beautiful cursive hands I know. She can glide over the page quickly, efficiently and, most of all, legibly. I do so wish I could do the same. While I tend to run my letters together, it is not the same thing and my legibility suffers.

[brdlwyr]

I LOVE to come across any writing of my mother! 

[MotorTink]

Monday night on Jeopardy they had a category of "internet short hand" and I knew known of them (I guessed correctly from logical deduction but never heard anyone use them before).  I am officially out of the "in the know" crowd... not too upset about it.

My mother had the most beautiful calligraphy like penmanship, she would write out peoples wedding invites for them all the time.  My father has perfect engineer block letter capital letter Printing (each letter is exactly same height and width every time).

Mine looks like I'm coming off a 5 day bender.

[Bluemoon]

My daughter has always had fine motor skills problems. Right up through 1st grade, if she went to draw a circle, she could not get the pencil/crayon to meet back at the starting point. It was painful to watch her labor over the most rudimentary tasks. She had eye-hand coordination therapy through her elementary schools years, but you can imagine what a mess her handwriting was - and still is. She is one person who is better off printing (but not by much!).

[brdlwyr]

Mrs Brd and I could not write a note to save our life! Chicken scratches! C17's writing looks like he is 5. The girls have nice handwriting. 

So, (as I am on social media) had to send a memo about social media during work. My legal assistant did acknowledge his problem. We will see.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Happy Friday, peeps!

[gettinhep]

Hey, SOMMS! How is Friday treating you?

 

Friday evening has been a nice time with a DVD and a small tub of Chunky Monkey - a quiet end to a busy and tiring week.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Hep! Only two hours into the work day here, but so far, so good. I like your evening. It's been an exhausting week here also.

[gettinhep]

Should I save you some ice cream?

[YouWantitWhen????]

Happy Friday Adults - about to get in the car to drive up to Pismo Beach for a family weekend.   Please throw all extra patience my way!

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Oh, you meant the ice cream, hep.

Best of luck with the family weekend, You. My plans for traveling home have changed due to some family drama.

[Bluemoon]

Oh dear, You. I hope you've packed Valium and something strong to wash it down. A pint of Chunky Monkey works too!

 

Quiet day here as all the bosses are off campus today. I think I might be in charge. I should check that out.