On 2002-12-11 21:46, mvhplank wrote:
Ah, Cees–I kind of envy you. You’d think with a moniker like mine I’d end up with a workable nickname but nothing seems to have stuck.
What about shortening it to just Plank, Maxie ?
On 2002-12-12 04:06, Zubivka wrote:
On 2002-12-11 21:46, mvhplank wrote:
Ah, Cees–I kind of envy you. You’d think with a moniker like mine I’d end up with a workable nickname but nothing seems to have stuck.What about shortening it to just Plank, Maxie ?
Well, “Plank” isn’t the name I was born with but easier on the whole than my maiden name of Haralson. (No one ever got that one right.)
I’ll take “Planxty,” though 
M
Cees, I have two sisters who still go by names I called them when I was little. The more interesting is Chree (I pronounced Christine as Chree-Chree).
Planxty, I have a neice Margarite (named after my grandmother Marguerite, go figger) who goes by Maggie. I had a friend named Marguerite in college who went by Mike, which I thought was a really cool and creative nickname, but couldn’t convince my bro and SiL to call my neice that.
mvh, how about “Margie”?
Still, I’d think you’d want to either lay or vocally deny claim to that “Maggie” made famous by one Rod Stewart…
Just a thought. Nobody misspells or mispronounces “serpent”. Nobody dares…
serpink
Well Mr Serpant, since it’s a dare…
On 2002-12-11 09:09, jim_mc wrote:
I, for one, have been waiting with baited breathe for the retrun of the speling cop.
Here, have a Certs, please! 
On 2002-12-12 08:20, serpent wrote:
mvh, how about “Margie”?
I think the best nicknames are bestowed upon you as though a benediction. No one’s tried “Margie” (with a hard G) except my father-in-law (actually ex-, but we agreed to maintain a connection).
Still, I’d think you’d want to either lay or vocally deny claim to that “Maggie” made famous by one Rod Stewart…
Thanks a lot! I thought I had successfully suppressed that memory. Here: I categorically deny any semblance to or identification with the character known as “Maggie Mae” in Rod Stewart’s song.
serpink
Slurpant?
M
I diner ken what dis crap is aboot,now’t rong
wid maa sheppling, a the?
Wiz
Is mo’r a dh’ fhuillingeas cridheceart mu’m brist e.
A well-regulated heart suffers much ere it breaks
[ This Message was edited by: wizzy on 2002-12-13 04:22 ]
On 2002-12-13 04:02, wizzy wrote:
I diner ken what dis crap is aboot,now’t rong
wid maa sheppling, a the?
Wiz
I’ve had long arguments with a co-worker about “correct” spelling. I regard the dictionary as merely a guide to current usage while he considers it supreme arbiter, although subject to errors that must be brought to the editor’s attention.
So…are you a daring innovator leading the way to new and creative usage or an unlettered anarchist?
Only time will tell
M
On 2002-12-11 15:00, TonyHiggins wrote:
On 2002-12-11 09:09, jim_mc wrote:
I, for one, have been waiting with baited breathe for the retrun of the speling cop.I was around and I was maliciously accused of being said Spelling Cop after someone noted that my spelling was impeccible. Talk about circumstantial evidence.) I used to proofread after typing a post. Now, I don’t have time for that.
Tony
edited to proffread. just kiding.
Tin](http://tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/newspage.htm%22%3ETin) > Whistle Tunes formerly Clips&Snips
Don’t believe everything you think.[ This Message was edited by: TonyHiggins on 2002-12-11 15:08 ]
I’d completely forgotten about The Spelling Cop untill this thread came up. And, Tony, I also remember your being accused of being said cop.
It really was you, though, wasn’t it?
~Larry
On 2002-12-13 06:57, madguy wrote:
I’d completely forgotten about The Spelling Cop untill this thread came up. And, Tony, I also remember your being accused of being said cop.It really was you, though, wasn’t it? >
~Larry
How could said “spelling cop” be anonymous? Editing others’ posts? Hideous!
I’m paid fairly well to freelance proofread so I’m for danged sure not going to do it for free. I might be obsessive, but I’m trying to make it work for me.
m
Been away from the Board for a few weeks. Got laid off from work (from where I usually checked the postings). And I’ve been busy at church with Chrstmas programs and the like…
Since I am a writer, this thread caught my attention. I was an English major in college and had the same nine people in almost every class (not a popular major in the early 80s).
Anyway, in my last year, we all had to take a class called “Senior Seminar.” We read various works and had to present oral reports (three per book). The rest of us critiqued the presentation (my fellow students were all headed for teaching careers. I’m heading there now).
Those critiques were then handed to the student for review. My first oral presentation was on John Ruskin, and when I started reading my critiques, I discovered nine different spellings of my last name–none correct! And from friends I’d known for four years!
I did not let them live that one down! 
My pet peeve nowadays, though, is when people don’t proofread their own work. Granted email and message boards are harder to polish, but one can tell the difference between the occasional “gremlin” (there’s probably one in this message) and a writer’s complete disregard/apathy for his/her readers.
My soapbox message is always:
- Write using words your readers use and understand.
- Proofread your work.
- Stick to accepted language usage. (for example, I don’t the word “gay” as a synonym for “merry. lighthearted” even though it is still the primary definition. It’s usage means something completely different!).
I have another thought, but this message is already too long.
Okay, here’s my other thought on “to proof or not to proof.”
Our interpretation of communication uses three cues:
- Visual, or body language (80%)
- Vocal inflection (13%)
- Words used (7%)
When we send anything in written form (letter, email, message boards), our readers have only seven percent of the possible cues to properly interpret our meaning (hence the advent of emoticons).
Have you ever noticed that when we’re misunderstood, it’s rarely something we said directly to someone, but it’s often something we’ve written (this board has seen enough examples of this).
Yet it boggles my mind that there are people who think they don’t need to re-read what they have written to make sure their meaning is clear! And it’s usually these same people who get frustrated when they have to spend more time to clarify their meaning!
In the business world, this equates to lost productivity and even profit.
Hmmmm. Maybe now that I’m laid off, I may resurrect a course I developed in effective communication and offer it through the local school disctrict for adult continuing education.
but one can tell the difference between the occasional “gremlin” (there’s probably one in this message) and a writer’s complete disregard/apathy for his/her readers.
I don’t the word “gay” as a synonym for “merry. lighthearted” even though it is still the primary definition. It’s usage means something completely different!).
It would seem to a fool such as me that leaving words out, is as bad as not spelling
them correctley!
Wizz
Is mo’r a dh’ fhuillingeas cridheceart mu’m brist e.
A well-regulated heart suffers much ere it breaks
[ This Message was edited by: wizzy on 2002-12-13 11:27 ]
My pet peeve nowadays, though, is when people don’t proofread their own work. Granted email and message boards are harder to polish, but one can tell the difference between the occasional “gremlin” (there’s probably one in this message) and a writer’s complete disregard/apathy for his/her readers.
My soapbox message is always:
- Write using words your readers use and understand.
- Proofread your work.
- Stick to accepted language usage.
[snip]
I had to think about this for a while. Now I have some questions.
Is this the path to a sort of literate-minded eugenics? Not every individual is capable of meeting some grammatical standards.
Will their posts have to go through a filter and be “cleaned up”? That could make pretty sterile reading.
Are we in danger of dismissing the valuable comments of the spelling- or typing-impaired as unworthy of posting? I have met people who are gifted musically (for example) yet who couldn’t write their way out of a college freshman’s English course.
I don’t think posting in the heat of an idea is necessarily a “complete disregard/apathy for his/her readers.” They’re being imperfect human beings, as we all are.
Things this board is teaching me:
–Many, many people know more about whistles than I do.
–They’re willing to share their information for free.
–They’re interesting, funny, articulate (mostly), and I’d probably enjoy having coffee with them.
–The spelling-impaired also have interesting insights.
–And (importantly) it’s not my job to correct them. Or to even suggest they might need it.
m
-What Marguerite said.
With BELLS ON
And for my two-bits :
-
I’m still not sure such a board is really in the realm of prose, or written language generally. It may well be oral expression just as much. Hence the “live language”, as opposed to sour-pickled.
-
My French spelling is good enough for a writer/editor, yet I never forget “L’orthographe est la science des ânes” (if you remember I already posted this, then you’re better than me on Alzheimer scale).
-
The best French grammar is Le Bon Usage by late Jules Grévisse. What made him superior, compared to language cops like Mr Littré, was it never dictated rules, and merely suggested proper usages in appropriate context.
I believe these work for other languages as well.
Aye its right enough what the younge feller is saying, I had a French Granma!
On 2002-12-13 10:03, fiddling_tenor wrote:
[snip]
In the business world, this equates to lost productivity and even profit.Hmmmm. Maybe now that I’m laid off, I may resurrect a course I developed in effective communication and offer it through the local school disctrict for adult continuing education.
I’ve been wondering if I came down too hard in response to fiddling_tenor’s post.
After all, he’s right that careless writing in the workplace can have unintended consequences. And the fault can sometimes be traced back to the schools. (I say “sometimes” because I went through the wretched Alabama public school system in the 60s, but you would have had to lock me in a closet to keep me away from books.)
I just don’t think that in this forum, it’s important enough to get worked up about.
(Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition. See what I mean? )
M
PS–Fiddling_tenor, you ought to offer that adult ed course!