From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Alan Mackenzie Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: English usage bug in bytecomp.el Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 08:02:35 +0000 (GMT) Message-ID: References: Reply-To: Alan Mackenzie NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1110269155 25264 80.91.229.2 (8 Mar 2005 08:05:55 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 08:05:55 +0000 (UTC) Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Mar 08 09:05:54 2005 Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1D8ZiY-0005d8-Do for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 08 Mar 2005 09:05:26 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1D8Zwz-0001fr-8i for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 08 Mar 2005 03:20:21 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1D8ZwM-0001YS-Lu for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 08 Mar 2005 03:19:42 -0500 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1D8ZwG-0001U9-9w for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 08 Mar 2005 03:19:37 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1D8ZwD-0001SJ-0U for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 08 Mar 2005 03:19:33 -0500 Original-Received: from [193.149.49.134] (helo=acm.acm) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1D8Zcf-0001BK-3C; Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:59:22 -0500 Original-Received: from localhost (root@localhost) by acm.acm (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id IAA00672; Tue, 8 Mar 2005 08:02:36 GMT X-Sender: root@acm.acm Original-To: snogglethorpe@gmail.com, miles@gnu.org In-Reply-To: X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org X-MailScanner-To: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:34311 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:34311 Hi Miles and Emacs! On Tue, 8 Mar 2005, Miles Bader wrote: [Discussion of "`foo' is an obsolete function since 21.4;"] >> . This combination of "is" and "since" is incorrect English usage. >I think "is ... since" is pretty common usage actually, and certainly >makes sense. Yes, it does make sense and it is regrettably common usage, but it is WRONG. It is something that a native English speaker would never say. In this case, it is just as easy to be correct. When somebody who loves this bastard mess of a language that is English reads something like that, the effects are not nice: First there is shock. Within seconds, shock gives way to disbelief, disbelief to pain, and pain to anger[*]. Finally, anger gives way to an irresistible urge either to string up the writer or to submit a patch. Thank the latter is possible with Emacs. And yes, I know all about speaking and writing a foreign language with "unnecessarily" complex rules. I've got the greatest admiration for and sympathy with people who get to grips with English. Please install my patch. [*] Quoted from Lynne Truss's book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". >-Miles -- Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)