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Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2009For Django Cat: formulas for scholarly writing
Hi, DC. A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or revolting cliches) of academic writing. Do you know /They Say I Say/, by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenster? It seems to be an introduction to writing about controversial topics, and it includes some dozens of template sentences. For instance, in the Index of Templates under "Introducing Standard Views", the first entries are * Americans today tend to believe that... *Conventional wisdom has it that... * Common sense seems to dictate that... -- Jerry Friedman > Hi, DC. A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or > revolting cliches) of academic writing. Do you know /They Say I Say/, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > * Common sense seems to dictate that... Oh, those are great! Along with 'most people would agree that...'. Thanks Jerry, I'll check it out. DC -- > jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote: > > Hi, DC. �A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > DC > -- I prefer the more scientific kind: Research says... All dentists agree that... Statistics show... or even more accurate: According to a team of doctors from the Mayo Institute, honey bee is the ultimate antibiotic and the panacea of all diseases. > > jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote: > > > Hi, DC. A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > According to a team of doctors from the Mayo Institute, honey bee is > the ultimate antibiotic and the panacea of all diseases.- Hide quoted text - I rather like the advertorial "I'm not a dentist, but studies show that...". -- WH > > > jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote: > > > > Hi, DC. A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > "I'm not a dentist, but studies show that...". That's 'but I play one on TV', shirley? >> jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote: >>> Hi, DC. �A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > All dentists agree that... Not _all_ dentists, four out of five dentists. --Jeff  SignatureThe comfort of the wealthy has always depended upon an abundant supply of the poor. --Voltaire >> All dentists agree that... > > Not _all_ dentists, four out of five dentists. Not even that. "Four out of five dentists surveyed". SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |Sorry, captain. Convenient 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |technobabble levels are dangerously Palo Alto, CA 94304 |low. kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ >>> All dentists agree that... >> >> Not _all_ dentists, four out of five dentists. > >Not even that. "Four out of five dentists surveyed". Then this this one "Colgate Total Professional Weekly Clean...clinically tested by dentists". Good, but what were the results of the clinical tests? SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) On May 9, 1:50 pm, "Peter Duncanson (BrE)" <m...@peterduncanson.net> wrote: > On Fri, 08 May 2009 21:32:00 -0700, Evan Kirshenbaum > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Good, but what were the results of the clinical tests? Nine out of ten beds tested caused backache in dental nurses. -- franzi >>>>> All dentists agree that... >>>> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Nine out of ten beds tested caused backache in dental nurses. Have the dental nurses considered a change of position? SignatureSkitt (AmE) >>>>>> All dentists agree that... >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Have the dental nurses considered a change of position? Well, let's see. They should be familiar with terms like uppper and lower, labial and lingual. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) BrE filted: >>>>>>> All dentists agree that... >>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >> >>Have the dental nurses considered a change of position? ObPunchline: make up your mind so I'll know how to adjust the chair.... >Well, let's see. They should be familiar with terms like uppper and >lower, labial and lingual. I've heard them use "labial", but its opposite seems to be "buccal" (with "distal" and "mesial" marking an orthogonal direction)....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > BrE filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I've heard them use "labial", but its opposite seems to be "buccal" > (with "distal" and "mesial" marking an orthogonal direction)....r Mine contrasts "buccal" with "lingual". "Labial" should be the same as "buccal", referring to the lip rather than the cheek. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |It does me no injury for my neighbor 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |to say there are twenty gods, or no Palo Alto, CA 94304 |God. | Thomas Jefferson kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ Evan Kirshenbaum filted: >> BrE filted: >>> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Mine contrasts "buccal" with "lingual". "Labial" should be the same >as "buccal", referring to the lip rather than the cheek. Sorry, yes, it was "lingual", not "labial".... I've never gotten around to asking what the other two directions are called..."occlusal", I suppose, and "gingival" (or maybe "radical")....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > Evan Kirshenbaum filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > called..."occlusal", I suppose, and "gingival" (or maybe > "radical")....r "superior" and "inferior", I believe. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |And the wildest dreams of Kew 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 | are the facts of Khatmandhu, Palo Alto, CA 94304 |And the crimes of Clapham | chaste in Martaban. kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com | (650)857-7572 | Rudyard Kipling http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ Evan Kirshenbaum filted: >> I've never gotten around to asking what the other two directions are >> called..."occlusal", I suppose, and "gingival" (or maybe >> "radical")....r > >"superior" and "inferior", I believe. Wouldn't that require the functional associations to change when moving from the upper jaw to the lower, and vice versa?... (One hygienist made a point of reporting to the dentist something of interest that she had found on my "cusp of Carabelli")....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > Evan Kirshenbaum filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Wouldn't that require the functional associations to change when > moving from the upper jaw to the lower, and vice versa?... The only time I hear these terms is when they're identifying teeth. Typically that's done by number, and so "buccal" and "lingual" are the ones I hear most. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |Whatever it is that the government 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |does, sensible Americans would prefer Palo Alto, CA 94304 |that the government do it to somebody |else. kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com | P.J. O'Rourke (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ >The only time I hear these terms is when they're identifying teeth. >Typically that's done by number, and so "buccal" and "lingual" are the >ones I hear most. If you ever get perio charting done (I get it once a year), the dentist goes through your mouth with a sharp instrument, saying to the assistant things like "3 on the distal buccal of 12, 4 on the mesial buccal of 13". -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are wollman@csail.mit.edu| nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry Opinions not those | grants to rare events of meanness such power to shape of MIT or CSAIL. | our history. - S.J. Gould, Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness Garrett Wollman filted: >>The only time I hear these terms is when they're identifying teeth. >>Typically that's done by number, and so "buccal" and "lingual" are the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >assistant things like "3 on the distal buccal of 12, 4 on the mesial >buccal of 13". Mine uses speech-recognition software, so all I hear now is numbers in sets of three, interrupted by an occasional special note: "two three three, three three three, three three four, bleeding distal, three three three"....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > Garrett Wollman filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > three, interrupted by an occasional special note: "two three three, three three > three, three three four, bleeding distal, three three three"....r I thought the numbers my dentist mutters were codes for the treatments he was going to charge me for. My bill usually has a lot of numbers like this to the left of the larger numbers with dollar signs. SignatureRob Bannister >>The only time I hear these terms is when they're identifying teeth. >>Typically that's done by number, and so "buccal" and "lingual" are the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > assistant things like "3 on the distal buccal of 12, 4 on the mesial > buccal of 13". That's where I mostly hear it, but the way they do it at my dentist's office is "Starting at distal buccal/lingual 2: 3, 3, 3; 3, 2, 3; ..." They always start at the outside of the molar, so I hear "distal", but "mesial". I had actually been under the impression that the opposite of "distal" was "proximal", but I'm not sure whether I actually heard them say that or whether I just assumed it. "Mesial buccal of 13" is not something I'd hear them say, anyway, as 4, 13, 20, and 29 were all removed to make room when I got braces. (1, 16, 17, and 32 were removed later when they came in.) SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |The whole idea of our government is 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |this: if enough people get together Palo Alto, CA 94304 |and act in concert, they can take |something and not pay for it. kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com | P.J. O'Rourke (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ >That's where I mostly hear it, but the way they do it at my dentist's >office is "Starting at distal buccal/lingual 2: 3, 3, 3; 3, 2, 3; >..." Well, I suppose it depends on how bad your gums are. Mine used to be very bad, but they're OK now, so my dentist only notes the surfaces that still have clinically-significant pockets. (Unlike most general dentists, she does not employ a hygienist, just herself, her assistant, and a receptionist. She does have an empty suite in her office should she later change her mind.) -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are wollman@csail.mit.edu| nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry Opinions not those | grants to rare events of meanness such power to shape of MIT or CSAIL. | our history. - S.J. Gould, Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness Evan Kirshenbaum skrev: > (1, 16, 17, and 32 were removed later when they came in.) A Danish dentist would call them 8+, +8, -8 and 8-, respectively. It probably makes little difference to trained practitioners, but it seems kind of neat that the four cuspids all are known as 3. SignatureJens Brix Christiansen >BrE filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >I've heard them use "labial", but its opposite seems to be "buccal" (with >"distal" and "mesial" marking an orthogonal direction)....r I found "lingual" in this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonly_used_terms_of_relationship_and_comparison_ in_dentistry aka http://tinyurl.com/hlby86 SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) > > > jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote: > > > > Hi, DC. �A while ago you asked about books on the useful [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > --Jeff Nine out of ten cats, but 99% of all known germs! DC -- >According to a team of doctors from the Mayo Institute, honey bee is >the ultimate antibiotic and the panacea of all diseases. I think you mean "bee honey" rather than "honey bee". It is the honey that is the panacea, rather than the bee. SignatureLinz Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford My accent may vary >>According to a team of doctors from the Mayo Institute, honey bee is >>the ultimate antibiotic and the panacea of all diseases. > >I think you mean "bee honey" rather than "honey bee". It is the honey >that is the panacea, rather than the bee. I thought it was the pollen. I can see I'm no longer up on my quack remedies.... -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are wollman@csail.mit.edu| nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry Opinions not those | grants to rare events of meanness such power to shape of MIT or CSAIL. | our history. - S.J. Gould, Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness > In article <1eoa0553hcdm5grrp2ai02d6l1ff8mn...@4ax.com>, > > >>According to a team of doctors from the Mayo Institute, honey bee is > >>the ultimate antibiotic and the panacea of all diseases. > > >I think you mean "bee honey" rather than "honey bee". Thank you. >> It is the honey > >that is the panacea, rather than the bee. > > I thought it was the pollen. �I can see I'm no longer up on my quack > remedies.... The polen is effective only with a special chant. It's a well kept secret, so I'm not going to write it here. > -GAWollman > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Opinions not those � | grants to rare events of meanness such power to shape > of MIT or CSAIL. � � | our history. - S.J. Gould, Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness > In article <1eoa0553hcdm5grrp2ai02d6l1ff8mn...@4ax.com>, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I thought it was the pollen. I can see I'm no longer up on my quack > remedies.... Also the venom. A friend tried getting stung by bees and found that it actually reduced her pain, but made her so sick it wasn't worth it. Apparently the ther-apist had felt that the risk of that was so slight as to be not worth mentioning. -- Jerry Friedman Of some potential interest: ---------- Notes on English Composition written by Glenn Paquette Introduction This is the first in a planned series of notes on English composition. These notes are intended as a reference for the writing of academic works to be used by ``non-native" physicists and mathematicians. http://www2.yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ptpwww/eng-note/e-note.html ---------- Marius Hancu >> Hi, DC. A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases (or >> revolting cliches) of academic writing. Do you know /They Say I Say/, [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Oh, those are great! Along with 'most people would agree that...'. >Thanks Jerry, I'll check it out. How about "It is thought that... " SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk > >> Hi, DC. A while ago you asked about books on the useful phrases > (or >> revolting cliches) of academic writing. Do you know /They Say [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > How about "It is thought that... " "Experts have stated..." -- Steve Hayes filted: >>> * Americans today tend to believe that... >>> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >How about "It is thought that... " Good way to distance yourself from what is about to follow...I'm partial to "some have suggested that..." myself.... If it's your intention to be condescending, there's always "it goes without saying that..." ....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? > Steve Hayes filted: > > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > If it's your intention to be condescending, there's always "it goes > without saying that..." "... ; but I'm going to say it, anyway". -- >Steve Hayes filted: >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >If it's your intention to be condescending, there's always "it goes without >saying that..." And the next paragraph could begin "it would be redundant to add that". And the following one "it would be entirely superfluous to remind you that". SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk >>If it's your intention to be condescending, there's always "it goes without >>saying that..." > >And the next paragraph could begin "it would be redundant to add that". > >And the following one "it would be entirely superfluous to remind you that". In rec.arts.sf.written it's "As you know, Bob, ...", in imitation of a particularly cliched style of infodump. (So far as I know, none of the regulars are named "Bob".) -GAWollman SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are wollman@csail.mit.edu| nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry Opinions not those | grants to rare events of meanness such power to shape of MIT or CSAIL. | our history. - S.J. Gould, Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness >>>If it's your intention to be condescending, there's always "it goes without >>>saying that..." [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > particularly cliched style of infodump. (So far as I know, none of > the regulars are named "Bob".) I've been known to use the good old Civil Service "As you'll be aware" - which generally prefaces a lesson on egg sucking aimed at ones superiors, who have often forgotten just how to do it. SignatureOnline waterways route planner: http://canalplan.org.uk development version: http://canalplan.eu >>>>If it's your intention to be condescending, there's always "it >>>>goes without saying that..." [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > aware" - which generally prefaces a lesson on egg sucking aimed at > ones superiors, who have often forgotten just how to do it. The difference is that an "as you know, Bob" is, unless I'm mistaken, aimed at the reader (or viewer) and serves no purpose other than to make the reader understand terminology and history that really would be familiar to the people being addressed. "As you know Bob, the United States was once a colony of England." "Cars are popular four-wheeled vehicles that can carry up to four or five people." "The atomic bomb was dropped on Japan in World War II." "It goes without saying that ..." means "I want you to understand that I think that it's obvious that ... but I realize that there are people who might disagree, and I think that you're an idiot if you are one." SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |Sometimes I think the surest sign 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |that intelligent life exists Palo Alto, CA 94304 |elsewhere in the universe is that |none of it has tried to contact us. kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com | Calvin (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ > >Steve Hayes filted: > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > And the following one "it would be entirely superfluous to remind you that". "Not to mention that [the unmentionable]." |
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