mint Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Harder but not impossible! Don't want to discourage anyone, Gluey!BTW, are you in the Pas de Calais at the moment and, if so, what's the weather like up there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I would like to give you an example of a man who uses words in their most exquisite form. Gore Vidal. Please read on:-http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/gore-vidal-literary-feuds-his-vicious-mother-and-rumours-of-a-secret-love-child-832525.htmlReading or watching Gore Vidal is for me the experience of perfection. The gold standard of intelligent English prose. Words chosen so carefully and expressed with feather like finesse. Had I ambition left he would be the one I would attempt to reach. I was once a professional writer with a proof reader. Communication was possible since I had ideas and imagination then. I could ignore the finer senses of the English language. This before the wonders of a spell checker and word processor. Reading Vidal often made me despair of ever reaching a level where I was fit to lick his boots. When you realise you are so far away from the line you run out of puff.Like him, now in my twilight years, ambition, happily for almost everything has passed. There remains still a odd need for communication at whatever level with my fellows and friends. I bombard them often with letters about very little. Here on this forum I have to be precise or else brought to book. Elsewhere folks are not so demanding. The pleasure of receiving and sending letters is unique. The spelling and grammar really matters not. That is my point really. Communication is a postive human activity. Demanding precision frightens everyone away.I rather like this line in his interview - ""No," Vidal replies. "I wouldn't say: 'When you die, that's it.' I'd say: 'When you're born, that's it.'"[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 I will be between Tuesday and Friday, Sweets.Going over with some friends and I'm hoping to give the grass another cut and do some strimming!I gather it has not been too good lately, however, this weekend apparently it's been lovely!My fingers are crossed............On the other matter, a woman who used to work for me had a young daughter who very much conformed to Essex type, shall we say. She was also blonde!She went off to Spain with her chum, staying at the chum's parent's villa and naturally, the girls made their HQ the local disco-bar.Being as she was, she thought she'd landed on her feet chatting each evening to the young Spanish owner, who was apparently dark and handsome.Chatting one evening he said, " I am learning Engleesh; you don' speek Engleesh! What language do you speek?"When she told me this tale, injured and rather annoyed, I was compelled to tease her and state, "Well, Michelle, sadly you don't speak English! You speak Esturine English which would and will confuse most Europeans!" Me case rests, M'Lud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 I watched Gore Vidal being interviewed during the weekend by Jon Snow, discussing the state of US politics and the current battle between Hillary Clinton and Obama.Vidal has now reached that wonderful age when he brings his intellect to bear on such inconsequential matters and doesn't mince his words!A towering master in an age of wannabes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Logan, thank you for posting the Gore Vidal article. I enjoyed it enormously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 But what I is wanting to know like, is it ".... these are incorrect" likeor ".......... these is incorrect"?Innit!NaahtImeen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 Well, I copied it verbatim from the paper, JR."Is" is grammatical, if the object is "Which": i.e. consider the sentence "Which is correct?" compared to "Which are correct?"It would depend, therefore if "Which" refers to one, in which case it's singular: but if more than one, then it's the plural form and then "Are" is grammatical.If we next make "Correct" negative, i.e. "Incorrect", the grammar remains the same.Therefore, technically, both are right.However, since more than one incorrect spelling was listed, gramatically, it ought to have been written as "Which of these are incorrect?"Confusing......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Ah, Gore Vidal - on this Logan, we agree wholeheartedly - although I don't suppose you agree with him all the time?[:D] I've watched Melvyn Bragg's interview with him from the South Bank Show the other week, a couple of times and will no doubt do so again, having dubbed it to a DVD for posterity. If we could all express ourselves as he can, the world would be a better place as people would not have to resort to fisticuffs to get their point across - we would all understand one another at the first attempt.It's interesting because I've always wondered what would have happened if his political career had been a success. Would he eventually have sold his soul, as so many US politicians have done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="Gluestick"]Well, I copied it verbatim from the paper, JR."Is" is grammatical, if the object is "Which": i.e. consider the sentence "Which is correct?" compared to "Which are correct?"It would depend, therefore if "Which" refers to one, in which case it's singular: but if more than one, then it's the plural form and then "Are" is grammatical.If we next make "Correct" negative, i.e. "Incorrect", the grammar remains the same.Therefore, technically, both are right.However, since more than one incorrect spelling was listed, gramatically, it ought to have been written as "Which of these are incorrect?"Confusing.........[/quote]Yes I am even more confused now!Really I was just looking for an excuse to cover my feelings of inadequacy at struggling to identify one incorrect spelling only to learn that there were several. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 Ah!But can the good spellers weld stainless, JR![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="cooperlola"]Ah, Gore Vidal - on this Logan, we agree wholeheartedly - although I don't suppose you agree with him all the [/quote]No Coops I take issue with many of the things he has said. However the elequency of his words and use of language are the things I admire. His original ideas and opinions are always interesting. I doubt he would have ever 'sold out' had he been elected. He said something interesting the other day. It was that if any country maintains a large standing army together with the hardware necessary to operate it then eventually they are going to use it. He was referring to the USA of course who he believes is "finished as a world power and bankrupt to boot". I also liked his reference to Iraq. "Why should you be so suprised that if you send an invading army into another country the people there are going to fight back and keep fighting back until you are gone". Self evident surely to us all except George W and Tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote user="Logan"]I doubt he would have ever 'sold out' had he been elected. [/quote]I cannot imagine so either, hence so few Americans would have voted for him.I hope I'm still as erudite when I get to his age. Would that I had ever been so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 Here you are; Gore Vidal being interviewed by Jon Snow. (This is the interview I mentioned earlier).A must watch for Vidal's pithy, waspish and accerbic comments and total clarity.Watch Here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now