Comments on: Self-Catharsis and the Family Jewels http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186 A Blog about Words and Language(s) from alphaDictionary.com Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:00:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.6 By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186&cpage=1#comment-124868 rbeard Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:38:01 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186#comment-124868 Another incident of misleading foreign words in the other direction happens here in Lewisburg whenever French visitors visit. The most interesting thing they find downtown is the pet store which reaches for a level of sophistication with its French name, "Pet Popourri". Whenever we see laughing people photographing the sign, we know they are from Franch, were pet means "fart". Wonder why they didn't go all the way and call the store the "Pet Poopery"? Might as well. Another incident of misleading foreign words in the other direction happens here in Lewisburg whenever French visitors visit. The most interesting thing they find downtown is the pet store which reaches for a level of sophistication with its French name, “Pet Popourri”. Whenever we see laughing people photographing the sign, we know they are from Franch, were pet means “fart”. Wonder why they didn’t go all the way and call the store the “Pet Poopery”? Might as well.

]]> By: rbeard http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186&cpage=1#comment-124867 rbeard Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:33:44 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186#comment-124867 Katheleen, This comment somehow avoided my otherwise sharp eye and fell through the cracks. Actually, the subjunctive is dead in the US and, I believe, in most dialects of English except those of the upper class in Britain. We still say, "If I were you, ..." but that is because this phrase has become idiomatized. "If it rains tomorrow" carries both the obvious meaning of the phrase and also that which I would express as "If it were to rain tomorrow". Katheleen,

This comment somehow avoided my otherwise sharp eye and fell through the cracks. Actually, the subjunctive is dead in the US and, I believe, in most dialects of English except those of the upper class in Britain. We still say, “If I were you, …” but that is because this phrase has become idiomatized. “If it rains tomorrow” carries both the obvious meaning of the phrase and also that which I would express as “If it were to rain tomorrow”.

]]> By: Kathleen in Norway http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186&cpage=1#comment-107483 Kathleen in Norway Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:34:59 +0000 http://www.alphadictionary.com/blog/?p=186#comment-107483 Re 'Subjunctive': I only see this possibility to communicate with the Blog, is that right? My question is about the use of the subjunctive. I see it omitted where it should be used in printed matter. So the question is, is the use of the subjunctive passé now in formal written English? I do editing here in Norway, and I wish to be using correct English. But not only correct, current! I don't want to be making things sound very old-fashioned. So I wonder..... Re ‘Subjunctive’: I only see this possibility to communicate with the Blog, is that right?

My question is about the use of the subjunctive. I see it omitted where it should be used in printed matter. So the question is, is the use of the subjunctive passé now in formal written English?

I do editing here in Norway, and I wish to be using correct English. But not only correct, current! I don’t want to be making things sound very old-fashioned.

So I wonder…..

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