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stoneunhinged
Inner circle
Göttingen
3005 Posts
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Posted: Jan 29, 2011 7:40am
Lobo, I just happened to have the chance of asking a linguist about the Cindy example. He agreed with me that "Cindy doesn't like me singing in the shower" is grammatically correct. His explanation is that "me singing in the shower" is a gerund phrase in the accusative case. It does make perfect sense to me that one can take the same phrase and make it either accusative or genetive by simply changing the determiner, so maybe it will make sense to you, too. Maybe not. Maybe the linguist I asked was also wrong.
An idealistic, obsequious, sycophantic Mai-Ling kisser-upper....
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LobowolfXXX
Inner circle
La Famiglia
1597 Posts
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Posted: Jan 29, 2011 12:58pm
Call back to an interesting discussion, and one I'd forgotten about. I'll think about this one some more.
-DFO
"All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of my life."
LSAT tutor & author of "LSAT 60 Dissected," available online.
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landmark
Inner circle
By now they've deleted all but
2868 Posts
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Posted: Feb 2, 2011 8:48am
And of course, "I don't like Junior crossing the tracks; in fact I don't like Junior."
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
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LobowolfXXX
Inner circle
La Famiglia
1597 Posts
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Posted: Feb 2, 2011 11:01am
I'd write, "I don't like Junior's crossing the tracks..."
-DFO
"All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of my life."
LSAT tutor & author of "LSAT 60 Dissected," available online.
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critter
Inner circle
Spokane, WA
2334 Posts
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Posted: Mar 29, 2011 6:53pm
"I can't shop in the juniors' department."
If you've ever used the word "pedantic," you probably are. 
I throw stuff.
Follow Critter on Twitter: @Critterdun
Ichi-go ichi-e
"Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage."
-Theodore Roosevelt
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rjs
Regular user
124 Posts
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Posted: Apr 28, 2011 1:09pm
The most commonly mis-spelt town in England is Middlesborough.
It's actually spelt Middlesbrough.
Daft information, but you can at least win a drink in a bar bet.
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LobowolfXXX
Inner circle
La Famiglia
1597 Posts
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Posted: Apr 28, 2011 2:30pm
Around here, most people seem to think that Tijuana is Tiajuana, and Westminster is Westminister.
-DFO
"All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of my life."
LSAT tutor & author of "LSAT 60 Dissected," available online.
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S2000magician
Inner circle
Yorba Linda, CA
3597 Posts
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Posted: Jun 24, 2011 9:55pm
Quote:
| On 2011-04-28 14:30, LobowolfXXX wrote:
Around here, most people seem to think that Tijuana is Tiajuana, and Westminster is Westminister. |
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In Vernon's Cutting the Aces in Stars of Magic, the former is two words: Tia Juana.
BCIII
The Polite Side of Magic
Risk Mitigation Associates
Bottom Line Gurus
I took the Pledge
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S2000magician
Inner circle
Yorba Linda, CA
3597 Posts
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Posted: Jun 24, 2011 10:10pm
Quote:
| On 2010-07-29 13:18, LobowolfXXX wrote:
I think there's a correlation between one's spelling accuracy and the quantity of reading one does. It's not just about "knowing how" to read; it's about doing a lot of it. |
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It depends on what you read.
My mom used to be an excellent speller. Then she started teaching art history at Dominquez Hills College. After many years of reading term papers that were filled with spelling errors, her skill at spelling deteriorated considerably. She believes - as you do - that if you read good writing in quantity, your brain remembers how a word looks when it's spelled correctly, but that if you read poor writing in quantity, your memory of the correct spelling begins to erode, to be replaced with memories of incorrect spellings.
I'd love to see a long-term study done on this, but I'd hate to be the person forced to read poor spelling. Of course, these days it would be relatively easy: have the subjects read the posts on internet fora.
BCIII
The Polite Side of Magic
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Bottom Line Gurus
I took the Pledge
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rjs
Regular user
124 Posts
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Posted: Aug 20, 2011 3:01pm
Spellcheckers won't spot the mistake that mentalists sometimes make: confusing 'peeking' with 'peaking'.
eg Simon Edwards Mind Kontrol p.8 (2010)
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Michael Daniels
Special user
Isle of Man
752 Posts
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Posted: Oct 31, 2011 12:01pm
I remember many years ago reading an exam script on a question I had set my students about the developmental psychologist Jean Piaget. Throughout the answer, the student kept referring to "PRJ" - obviously he'd been to my lectures but never bothered to read anything. I guess my English West Country accent must have been much stronger in those days!
Mike
www.mindmagician.org | www.psychicscience.org
Jiggery Pokery | More Mind Magic | Three Easy Pieces | Mostly Perfect | Speed Dating | Trinities | Divinorum | Reversal Plus | Double Scam | Equirock
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MobilityBundle
Regular user
Las Vegas/Boston
117 Posts
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Posted: Oct 31, 2011 1:03pm
Similarly to your story, Mike, there's a French mathematician named Lebesgue. Math students often encounter his name when they read about the Lebesgue integral. His name is pronounced "le BEG." (To be sure, I have no idea how his name is supposed to be pronounced. What I mean is that his name is, in practice, pronounced that way.)
You can always spot a student who has done some reading ahead, because he'll ask questions about the "le BEZ gue" integral. Or in the reverse direction, I once figured out fellow student of mine never read any books, because he referred to Lebesgue integration as "the big integration."
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Thom Bliss
Loyal user
Southern California
226 Posts
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Posted: Nov 3, 2011 6:04pm
Does Cindy like your singing when you're not in the shower?
Does Cindy like you when you're not singing in the shower?
Does she like you when you're in the shower but not singing?
My first philosophy instructor said he once had a student who wrote about the philosophy of Harris Tuttle. I'm not sure if that was true or not, because he also told us Newton's friends called him "Fig."
Thom
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www.ThomBlissMagic.com
www.fun-magic-for-kids.com
mcafe@thomblissmagic.com
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critter
Inner circle
Spokane, WA
2334 Posts
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Posted: Feb 6, 2012 7:35pm
"20 Common Grammar Mistakes that (Almost) Everyone Makes" -LitReactor:
http://litreactor.com/columns/20-common-grammar-mistakes-that-almost-everyone-gets-wrong
I throw stuff.
Follow Critter on Twitter: @Critterdun
Ichi-go ichi-e
"Courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage."
-Theodore Roosevelt
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Bill Hilly
Elite user
450 Posts
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Posted: Apr 28, 2012 6:51pm
There ain't nothing no sadder than to look into someone's writin' room and see a brand new, never opened, 10 year old Strunk & White.
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Jim Sparx
Inner circle
Far Out, Texas
1125 Posts
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Posted: May 20, 2012 4:11pm
Quote:
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On 2011-11-03 18:04, Thom Bliss wrote:
My first philosophy instructor said he once had a student who wrote about the philosophy of Harris Tuttle. I'm not sure if that was true or not, because he also told us Newton's friends called him "Fig."
Thom
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Mark Twain had a step brother named, Choo Choo. He was a bongo player in a Cuban dance band in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Would I lie?
Spartacus died for your sloth
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Frankie
New user
The Netherlands
48 Posts
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Posted: Oct 26, 2012 4:12pm
Making fun of grammar rules: 
http://youtu.be/N4vf8N6GpdM
“Magic is the only honest profession. A magician promises to deceive you and he does.”
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S2000magician
Inner circle
Yorba Linda, CA
3597 Posts
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Posted: Oct 31, 2012 5:07am
Quote:
| On 2011-10-31 13:03, MobilityBundle wrote:
His name is pronounced "le BEG." (To be sure, I have no idea how his name is supposed to be pronounced. What I mean is that his name is, in practice, pronounced that way.) |
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It's supposed to be closer to <luh bayg>. (It's difficult to find an English cognate to the pronunciation of the French "Le"; it's not exactly <le>, and not exactly <luh>, but, maybe, something in between. The vowel in the second syllable is closer to a long "a" than a short "e".) I write this as something of an authority: although I speak precious little French, I'm assured by people who speak French natively that, when I do, I speak it with a perfect, Parisian accent. I can only credit my French professor with that one.
BCIII
The Polite Side of Magic
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S2000magician
Inner circle
Yorba Linda, CA
3597 Posts
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Posted: Oct 31, 2012 5:10am
Quote:
| On 2011-10-31 12:01, Michael Daniels wrote:
I remember many years ago reading an exam script on a question I had set my students about the developmental psychologist Jean Piaget. Throughout the answer, the student kept referring to "PRJ" - obviously he'd been to my lectures but never bothered to read anything. I guess my English West Country accent must have been much stronger in those days! |
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That's hilarious!
BCIII
The Polite Side of Magic
Risk Mitigation Associates
Bottom Line Gurus
I took the Pledge
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S2000magician
Inner circle
Yorba Linda, CA
3597 Posts
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Posted: Oct 31, 2012 5:15am
Quote:
| On 2011-04-28 14:30, LobowolfXXX wrote:
Around here, most people seem to think that Tijuana is Tiajuana, and Westminster is Westminister. |
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In a similar vein, in Orange, CA, most people seem to think that the main N/S street near the 57 Freeway is Tustin Avenue. In fact, it's Tustin Street. It's Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana (just to the South of Orange), and Tustin Avenue in Anaheim (just to the North of Orange), but in Orange it's Street. When I was in high school I'd have won a free lunch at KFC (which was Kentucky Fried Chicken back then) if the girl working the counter had had faith in her convictions.
BCIII
The Polite Side of Magic
Risk Mitigation Associates
Bottom Line Gurus
I took the Pledge
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LobowolfXXX
Inner circle
La Famiglia
1597 Posts
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Posted: May 5, 2013 12:30am
Restauranteur.
-DFO
"All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of my life."
LSAT tutor & author of "LSAT 60 Dissected," available online.
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mastermindreader
V.I.P.
Seattle, WA
6063 Posts
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Posted: May 7, 2013 2:02pm
Pet peeves- Magicians who spell "sleight" as "slight" and everyone who writes "loose" when they mean "lose."
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LobowolfXXX
Inner circle
La Famiglia
1597 Posts
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Posted: May 7, 2013 2:09pm
Yeah, "loose" grates on me, too. I still say the most common one in wide use is "definately."
Not a spelling issue, but more and more I'm seeing a widespread phenomenon where verb phrases are disappearing. For instance, I've seen things like "The dog needs walked" instead of "the dog needs to be walked."
-DFO
"All I wanted to do was work with John for the rest of my life."
LSAT tutor & author of "LSAT 60 Dissected," available online.
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mastermindreader
V.I.P.
Seattle, WA
6063 Posts
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Posted: May 7, 2013 7:12pm
Haven't heard that yet, but will listen for it.
Notice how many people write "per say" instead of "per se?"
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mastermindreader
V.I.P.
Seattle, WA
6063 Posts
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Posted: May 15, 2013 3:51pm
Just today I found three instances (right here on the Café) of people writing "momento" instead of "memento."
Arggh!
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