Chirac

[Turnip]

Pictures in yesterdays (Saturday) Times of Chirac kissing the hands of various female politicians until he got to Margaret Beckett. He simply shook her hand and bowed stiffly. Has she upset him ?[;-)]

[mint]

be honest, turnip.  would YOU kiss margaret beckett?

[Dick Smith]

That isn't really the point, is it? Margaret Beckett (note caps) is a senior politician and was treated as such. As a colleague, rather than 'just a female'? If I were her, I'd be pleased.

[Frederick]

He knows she is only there until Brown takes over then she is gone .....so ...is it worth getting to know her well enough to want to kiss her hand ...dont think so !

[mint]

dick (will put capital D if you wish)

i don't use caps these days because a very good friend, a senior judge no less, tells me categorically that using caps makes no difference to the meaning.  i do use them for normal correspondence, however; i mean not electronic correspondence.  it took a while for me to be convinced so perhaps i should go back to upper and lower cases.  i agree it looks neater and more conventional altogether if you use caps, as prescribed.

i also agree about not bothering to get to know margaret beckett though i have always thought she was one of the better members of the present cabinet. at least, she always keeps a sense of humour when she is asked awkward questions on radio and on tv and she doesn't just try to pull rank or simply ignore questions she doesn't want to answer

[Dick Smith]

Fascinating. Especially about the senior judge.

Personally, if you don't put a capital letter on my name I feel that you have been disrespectful, bordering on extremely rude. I spend half my life teaching 11 year olds how to use capitals, and they can manage it...

[mint]

Dear Dick

There, is that better?  I didn't mean to be disrespectful, honest, Sir!

[Dick Smith]

Don't take the mickey. I am telling you what I think - what I think of your pal the judge is something else.

And yes, it is better.

[mint]

Dick

I wasn't taking the Mickey!  Believe me, I respect your opinion.  In fact, if I was teaching kids like you were, I would insist on the correct forms as well.

I do think, however, that if you know the correct thing to do and then choose NOT to conform, it's your individual choice.  Nothing makes me cringe more than when people say things like "less" when they mean "fewer" and "laying down" when they mean "lying down".

I wasn't cocking a snook; perhaps having a bit of a joke with you but I certainly do think that the standard of both written and spoken English is very often appalling!

Forgiven?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Don't take the mickey. I am telling you what I think - what I think of your pal the judge is something else.

And yes, it is better.

[/quote]

Being a linguistic realist for a moment, surely the loss of proper capitalisation is just an evolution of our marvellous mother tongue? Personally I strive to use them where I can otherwise the shift key on this keyboard would feel underemployed, but I'm sure it's just one of my pointless affectations along with trying to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition...

I think Chirac avoided kissing Mrs Beckett's hand because he thought that being an Anglo-Saxon she might think the gesture presumptive. In other words it was an example of Gallic courtesy.

[Dick Smith]

Jon - nonsense! Capitals make as much sense as ever (And You Know It!).

I honestly find it an affront when people don't use them - nothing to do with being a teacher (so no more Sir comments, please) but to do with having the good manners to make your communications as easy to read and understand as possible. It isn't hard.

Could we also get people to try the space after a comma or full-stop trick? Or even paragraphing? One can but dream...

A thought has occurred to me about Chirac and Becket - perhaps he anticipated a smack in the mouth if he put it close enough to her knuckles? Or maybe he has been held up behind a caravan lately.

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]That isn't really the point, is it? Margaret Beckett (note caps) is a senior politician and was treated as such. As a colleague, rather than 'just a female'?

[/quote]

Edited for content.

Hoddy

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Jon - nonsense! Capitals make as much sense as ever (And You Know It!).

[/quote]

I was just joshing! I do very much prefer reading things that are properly punctuated and laid out. Not, I would hasten to add, from some sense of snobbery; merely because it makes things easier to understand. I make plenty of mistakes, but I do make an effort.

MB I reckon has a mean right hook, but a glass jaw. In a straight fight I think I'd be betting on JC.

[Dick Smith]

Yes, it's easy to make fun of someone because they aren't beautiful - and I think we've all seen each other's pictures!

But she isn't a useless politician by far, she is intelligent and quietly effective. Remember that at one time (after the death of John Smith) she was a very serious leadership contender, but not enough of a Labour Party reformer to win through.

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]
But she isn't a useless politician by far, she is intelligent and quietly effective. Remember that at one time (after the death of John Smith) she was a very serious leadership contender, but not enough of a Labour Party reformer to win through.
[/quote]

You didn't see her being interviewed by Andrew Mar yesterday then Dick, she was completely out of her depth. Caught out and flustered on several occasions.

Condescending and full of c**p, like most of them.

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with their corruption and stuff, it's the insult to my intelligence that they offend with their lies, that really makes me angry.

Power corrupts no matter what their political party.