Re: [Leica] OT - how to spell 'lens'

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

Well, I was reading the thread with very much interest. I was standing
beside myself with laughter pondering how well Enlish has survived and
thrived in this world. Even the posts so lovingly made by those who have no
English as a first language are quite understandable. I really do not give
them a second thought.
I am puzzled to find the comparison of rules in language to those of social
behavior a bit odd, betimes. The doffing of one's hat is a social action
bespeaking humility, though women must cover their heads in catholic
churches, and quaker men only doff their hats in church. English does have
rules, and if you don't be following them rules, then you are gone be seen
to be speaking a 'patois' or creole, while not really English, you might say
it is 'english' with a small 'e'- can you dig it? I knew dat you could!

And e're we feel the Bard's kind touch b'stowed
To speak and write as he, who hath oft showed
The proper way. What fools we are to presuppose
To tell our fellows the proper form for writing prose,
Or verse, alas when we ourselves are oft bereft of knowing
The manifold rules. We still can send our thoughts, glowing
Like lamps into the dark abyss and guide those with lesser sight
Into the brightling day from the close and shadow'd night.
With Leicas raised in grim defiance, what and how we speak is not
as great a goal as knowing how to get the shot!

Dan
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "MEBérubé" <MEB@goodphotos.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - how to spell 'lens'


>
> >Ray Moth jotted down the following:
> >
> > > And what about the spelling of "its", often miss-spelled "it's"? I
> > > suppose I'm being pedantic but this really irritates me. "Its" denotes
> > > possession; "it's" is an abbreviation of "it is".  For example: "It's
> > > time the dog ate its food."  "That house lets in water through its
roof
> > > whan it's raining."
>
> But this is a rule that simply makes no sense! (Much like boys not being
> able to wear their hats indoors, it is an archaic notion hanging round
just
> to be bothersome)...
>
> Sic Luceat Lux:
> If Lucy has a certain characteristic we say "the quirk is her's" when
> speaking of it. If some non-gendered thing has a characteristic we say
"the
> quirk is its" (or less awkwardly we refer to "Its quirk.") Both are
> relating possession but only the one uses the -'s-. For those folks used
to
> other (more intuitive and consistent) languages this sort of nonsense rule
> is what makes Modern English so irritating.
>
> I say unto you:
> Lettuce go bak tu tha daise ware everee won speld inglish tha wae that it
> seemd most apropreeat tu them.
> (If it's a good enough habit for a wordsmith of good report like Wm.
> Shakespere, it should be good enough for us peasants.)
>
> Not to sound too much like 'enry 'iggin,s but with the advent of the
> internet and its cross pollination of the language, "English" will be
> barely recognisable is 20 years anyhow. C'est la vie.
> ;)
> Carpe Luminem,
> Michael E. Bérubé
> ---
> Ni h-eibhneas gan Chlainn Domhnaill
> Ni comhnairt bheith 'ne n-eagmhais
> -Giolla Colum mac an Ollaimh, Dean of Lismore 16thc
>
>