From: Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org
Subject: Re: English usage bug in bytecomp.el
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 08:02:35 +0000 (GMT) [thread overview]
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1050308073303.661A-100000@acm.acm> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <fc339e4a05030715093f0987a1@mail.gmail.com>
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.
<Gnashes teeth>
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 <insert your
deity here> 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)
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2005-03-08 8:02 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 20+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2005-03-07 20:17 English usage bug in bytecomp.el Alan Mackenzie
2005-03-07 23:09 ` Miles Bader
2005-03-08 8:02 ` Alan Mackenzie [this message]
2005-03-08 8:49 ` Nick Roberts
2005-03-08 10:24 ` David Kastrup
2005-03-08 11:45 ` Nick Roberts
2005-03-08 9:57 ` Miles Bader
2005-03-08 10:33 ` David Kastrup
2005-03-08 15:37 ` John S. Yates, Jr.
2005-03-08 16:08 ` Bill Wohler
2005-03-08 17:26 ` Andreas Schwab
2005-03-08 21:10 ` Nick Roberts
2005-03-08 22:15 ` Miles Bader
2005-03-08 22:36 ` Bill Wohler
2005-03-09 16:59 ` Richard Stallman
2005-03-09 3:12 ` Richard Stallman
2005-03-09 9:49 ` David Kastrup
2005-03-09 10:22 ` Miles Bader
2005-03-08 13:08 ` Stefan Monnier
2005-03-09 3:12 ` Richard Stallman
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