Vocaboly.com

[Charles Riggs]

In the declining days of AUE it should be noted that a few poster's
posts should not be missed. Among them are those from:

John Lawler, who I've never observed to be wrong
Lars Eighner, ditto
RH Draney, the cleverest man here
Carmen, a close second if I don't have it reversed
Richard Fontana, the most knowledgeable person here when it comes to
practical knowlege of English usage
John Dean, although I've been somewhat disappointed by him of late (By
some of his political positions, nothing more.)
Martin, an observant man
Matti when in good form
Pat Durkin and Rob Bannister, but perhaps for other reasons than the
fifth word in the subject line suggests.
Donna, if you want the facts. Evan too.
and the New Fran, my kinda woman.
--
Charles Riggs

[Ted Schuerzinger]

Somebody claiming to be Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote in
news:hmo0n1tntptm93mi6bekfuac5aqkdk5nhn@4ax.com:

[Robert Lieblich]

Charles Riggs wrote:

[R J Valentine]

On Wed, 09 Nov 2005 08:59:51 +0000 Charles Riggs <chriggs@éircom.net> wrote:

} On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 18:07:08 -0500, Robert Lieblich
} <robert.lieblich@verizon.net> wrote:
}
}>Charles Riggs wrote:
}>>
}>> In the declining days of AUE it should be noted that a few poster's
}>> posts should not be missed.
}>
}>Please note, Charles, that I refrained from oy!ing "poster's".
}
} I see nothing wrong with it. The posts belong to the posters
} individually; they are this or that poster's posts.

Ah, I'm pleased to see you getting down to English usage and worry only
slightly that you might be trying a Coopish leg-pull. Your last postion
would require something like "each" (instead of "a few"). "A few" tends
to want a plural ("posters'"). Judge Lieblich is right (as usual), and
you are wrong. (Bob Cunningham, on the other hand, might merely agree
with Judge Lieblich without necessarily agreeing with me. Prof. Lawler
might launch into the unnecessity of an apostrophe at al, much less worry
about its position, since all of them ["poster's", "posters'", and
"posters"] lack a testable apostrophe voice contouring. Donna might take
me to task for my comma placement, but I'd hide behind comma contouring
and agree vehemently with Bob Cunningham on the commafication, if not on
the ticness of the quotes, with which he _might_ disagree, though he does
have a reasonable streak.)

Spoken and written English are different dialects sharing the same armies
and navies. Don't confuse the two or waste either to mimic the other.

ObDrift: The "trying" above reminds me that the popularity of "dryer" over
"drier" may be due in part to the [aI] sound (in contrast with other y's
with an [i] sound in the "er" form ) and in part to the "ing" form's
influence ("drying" --> "dryer"). Linguists have no-doubt observed and
published that centuries ago.

--
R. J. Valentine <mailto:rj@theWorld.com>

[Charles Riggs]

On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 18:07:08 -0500, Robert Lieblich
<robert.lieblich@verizon.net> wrote: