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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007Aaahhh! Sugarplums! Gettem offa me!
"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky so up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too." This syntax in this stanza has always bothered me...there seems to be one verb too many...or was Moore aware of a species of "wild hurricane fly" unknown in my taxonomy?...r  Signature"Keep your eye on the Bishop. I want to know when he makes his move", said the Inspector, obliquely. > "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, > when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > be one verb too many...or was Moore aware of a species of "wild > hurricane fly" unknown in my taxonomy?...r Huh? As dry leaves, that fly before the wild hurricane, mount to the sky when they meet with an obstacle, so up to the house-top the coursers they flew.... Maybe one pronoun too many; and maybe one comma too few (after "leaves"). For clarity, I mean. CDB filted: >> "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, >> when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >coursers they flew.... Maybe one pronoun too many; and maybe one >comma too few (after "leaves"). For clarity, I mean. Perhaps I just found, having too far down the garden path proceeded and in brambles entangled, myself unable to retrace my steps and start again.... It's a horrid bit of writing, at any rate.... ("Up on the roof there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter, and I ran to the window and threw up!" - Tom Smothers) ....r Signature"Keep your eye on the Bishop. I want to know when he makes his move", said the Inspector, obliquely. > CDB filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > It's a horrid bit of writing, at any rate.... Hey! Fond memories. That was first poem (VolE "'poem'") I ever learned by heart, and I wasn't even trying. > ("Up on the roof there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed > to see what was the matter, and I ran to the window and threw up!" > - Tom Smothers) Could never stomach sugarplums again, eh? > > ("Up on the roof there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed > > to see what was the matter, and I ran to the window and threw up!" > > - Tom Smothers) > > Could never stomach sugarplums again, eh? Never really cared for the sound of them in the first place...gave me visions, they did....r >>> ("Up on the roof there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed >>> to see what was the matter, and I ran to the window and threw up!" [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Never really cared for the sound of them in the first place...gave > me visions, they did....r Must send one to the Rt. Hon. Steve. >> "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, >> when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > coursers they flew.... Maybe one pronoun too many; and maybe one > comma too few (after "leaves"). For clarity, I mean. No comma needed there -- it's a restrictive clause. (Not just any dry leaves mount to the sky when they meet with an obstacle, only ones that are flying before the wild hurricane.) On the other hand, I wouldn't object to a comma after "sky". SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. >>> "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, >>> when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > dry leaves mount to the sky when they meet with an obstacle, only > ones that are flying before the wild hurricane.) That's why I added "for clarity". Although not required, or even condemned, by the rules, a comma is useful there because it cuts off the garden-path detour, making it clear that the comma after "fly" is not there just to mark a pause. I agree with the comma* rules, as far as I understand them, and I try to obey them; but sometimes you can make your meaning clearer by breaking the rules. > On the other hand, I wouldn't object to a comma after "sky". Nor I. _______________ *I understand the usual term round here is "commafication" (seven pages of hits in the AUE archives,as compared with four hits for "commification", including one of mine), but, when I went to write it, I began to wonder if it shouldn't really be "commatification", using the proper Latin stem, and took the coward's way out > *I understand the usual term round here is "commafication" (seven > pages of hits in the AUE archives,as compared with four hits for > "commification", including one of mine), but, when I went to write it, > I began to wonder if it shouldn't really be "commatification", using > the proper Latin stem, and took the coward's way out "Commanism"?...r >> *I understand the usual term round here is "commafication" (seven >> pages of hits in the AUE archives,as compared with four hits for [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > "Commanism"?...r Wasn't that the Albigensian heresy? >> *I understand the usual term round here is "commafication" (seven >> pages of hits in the AUE archives,as compared with four hits for [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >"Commanism"?...r To each sentence according to its needs. From each author according to their ability. Whaddabout "communion" for parenthetical sets? SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. ... } *I understand the usual term round here is "commafication" (seven } pages of hits in the AUE archives,as compared with four hits for } "commification", including one of mine), but, when I went to write it, } I began to wonder if it shouldn't really be "commatification", using } the proper Latin stem, and took the coward's way out How does that stack up with "trusty old"? Signaturerjv > On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 09:16:30 -0500 CDB <bellemarec@sympatico.ca> > wrote: ... [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > How does that stack up with "trusty old"? Oh, cheese, I don't know that it stacks up at all, given that they called them virgulas or something anyway, when they had them, which wasn't often, the way I heard it. Anyway again, I think you'll have to answer that question yourself: your "trusty old" is the AHD, which I don't have one of, one; and my TOSOD doesn't admit the word exists, two, although it allows that the L&G plurals of "comma" are "commata" and "commata", and will go so far as to recognise the word "commatic", though explaining that it has nothing to do with what we like to call "commas" in these degenerate times. Thus, the bunk. > >>> "As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, > >>> when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > dry leaves mount to the sky when they meet with an obstacle, only > > ones that are flying before the wild hurricane.) [...] > > On the other hand, I wouldn't object to a comma after "sky". > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I began to wonder if it shouldn't really be "commatification", using > the proper Latin stem, and took the coward's way out Just looked, and it's commatose in our Random House paperback edition. Re Christmas nosh, I asked a while back if anybody could point me to where I'd read that the American version of mincemeat, as found in mince pies, contained flesh meat. I've found it: the libel is in _Larousse Gastronomique_, so it must be true. As follows: 1 lb beef suet, 1 lb cooked beef, 1 lb raisins, 1 lb currants and sultanas mixed, 1 lb apples, 5 oz candied citron, 4 oz candied orange peel, rind and juice of 1 orange, 1 lb light brown sugar, 1 oz mixed spices, 2 1/2 teasp salt, half-bottle brandy, 6 tablesp rum, 6 tablesp Madeira. Mix up and leave in a cool place for a month, stirring every 8 days. Larousse Gastro's English mincemeat is much the same, without the beef, and with fresh lemon. Note that in Scotland you may get a mutton pie if you ask for a "mince pie". Larousse does not issue this warning. SignatureMike. > Note that in Scotland you may get a mutton pie if you ask for a "mince > pie". Larousse does not issue this warning. Curiously, they don't warn you about the deep-fried pizza, either. SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. |
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