Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

The same way a colonel turns into a kernal?

Amazon/Canada finally came through; I read "Eats, Shoots
and Leaves" this afternoon, and it's delightful.
Yes, she's a little odd in her own usages now and then, but her
attitude and style are what make the book so pleasant to read.

hey guys,
two questions:
1) when is it appropriate to use "classical" more than "Classic"?  IE
"this is in line with classical teachings about..." vs "this is line

Does anyone know of a word "complicit"?
Someone compiled a document recently that contained the phrase "failure to
speak would render us complicit in ...."
I didn't like the phrasing, and edited it to remove the word, but others put

I saw the phrase "by in large" in an online letter to the editor today.
"By _and_ large" is the way I've always written, said, and heard it.
Is this "in" version common?

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Can someone please tell me why people who profit when a building
society or a mutual insurance organisation becomes a limited company
are called "carpetbaggers"?  I see no connection with either a carpet
or a bag!

Dear community,
it looks revolting to me, even as a non-native speaker.
However, would anyone in the community use the nominal (gerund?) form of
"thinking" in the plural?

Wrt the CAPITALIZED expression:
-------
Isabel was unfortunately AS SURE that Pansy thought Mr Rosier the
nicest of all the young men--AS SURE AS IF she had held an interview

I have one question:  
Is it common in spoken BRITISH English to say
"A happy new year!" with an A, rather than
"Happy new year!" without the A?

The following news story appeared today.
"Officials: World's Largest Snake Caught
D
"Dec 29, 6:28 AM (ET)

(Someone (Ulrich?) sent me an e-mail tonight which got zapped by Mailwasher
before I could read it. Finger trouble when too tired. Please resend.)

Wrt the CAPITALIZED expression:
----
"Isabel certainly has devotees," said the Countess, smiling very
vividly. "I declare I don't pity her."

Wrt the CAPITALIZED expression:
-------------
One afternoon, THAT his companions might pass the time, he invited
them to tea in Winchester Square, and he had the house set in order as

I think evaluative expression "quite satisfactory" often appears  in
grading system. Do you associate the "quite satisfactory" below with
some sort of grading if the narrator is a 13-year-old boy? Or do you
find it simple description that he is satisfied with that school?