Discussion Groups / English Usage / December 2003

I wonder if someone of right-pondian persuasion could provide me with
a summary of the traditional upper class schooling in England during
the first half of the 20th century?
It's my understanding that a well brought up Briton was minded by a

I wrote "There is such a thing as cowboy customers" and got told it should
be "There are such things as cowboy customers"
Am I wrong?
DL

I've been scouring on- and off-line dictionaries of slang, idiom,
phrase and fable and quotations, but have been unable to find an
etymology/first usage for "lie through your teeth". Someone used the
phrase the other day and it struck me for the first time how odd it

By one definition it's a place (if you are of that particular religious
bent.)  A noun.  And so should be capitalized.
The new college edition of The American Heritage Dictionary says:  "Capital
H.  Mortal belief; sin or error," whereas Webster's Third New International

The usage of them is very rare but there are some hits on google (in
newsgroup search) for subpoenability. I wonder if that spelling is correct
and if it shouldn't be "subpoenaability" with double "a".

I am editing a paper, and have changed the following:  "What a joy it is to
witness the impoverished receive help" to "What a joy it is to witness the
impoverished receiving help."  Am I correct?  Are both versions correct?  

Ordering lunch today at one of the few restaurants open for business on
Christmas day [1], my mother, perhaps tired from all the driving around, told
the waitress that she'd like some "shamp scrimpy"....r
[1] because other family members had other obligations today, we had family

[posted and mailed]
[Followups redirected to alt.usage.english]
[Previously, in a Very Special Episode of alt.tv.er:]
In article

Go to
http://www.exw6sxq.com/sparky/Gallery/index_gallery.htm .
Choose "Christmas 2003".

When I was in Italy, people tended to say "grazie" or "mille grazie" for "thank
you", but one woman said "grazie milia". I can't track this down. What's the
literal translation, if the meaning's different from "mille grazie"? And is it
slang? (I don't speak much Italian and am ...

If you recline the seat so far back that you have to crane your neck
to see in front of you, you're putting a dangerous strain on the lower
neck.
Does 'to see in front of you' sound good to you Americans?

Can I use this phrase in English? I know that I could say "post mortem" but
sometimes I don't like its connection with death.

"I am deeply stirred by a saying which expresses the
agony of a bereaved son/daughter who cannot practice filial piety when he/she
finally accomplishes in career after striving."
I feel that the above sentence is a bit long, does anybody get an idea to

Hi friends
I am a native spanish speaker and in order to improve my english
I'would like writing this group and that some of you can help me to
correct my grammar. I've been practicing english several years ago but

A year or so ago, someone asked me about rap music and whether I had a favorite
hip-hop song at the moment.  I told her "I'M FEELING LUDACRIS RIGHT NOW".
Comments?