Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

From the BBC Sport Football Web site,
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ya539c :
   Despite failing to score in his last seven matches,
   Moyes still has faith in Johnson.

So I'm listening to a radio program in my car, and the host describes competing
schools of thought on how best to adapt a folk song to a popular setting....
Then he mutters "white shoes"....
Comments?...r

An update on Her Madge's pron in this year's Queen's Speech.
http://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-audio/Politics/PMQs/2006/11/15/queensspeech_f
inal.mp3
or
http://tinyurl.com/yxgd82

Dear Madam/Sir,
My name is Cheng. I am working in Haicoo Sports Co., Ltd in China.
Our factory specialized in producing many name brand sports shoes.
All of the shoes are top quality. You can expect us to provide you all

Is there such a word as "matrixical" meaning matrix-like? I've looked
on various net dictionaries but they don't have it. Any help would be
much appreciated.

Sometimes I feel like English should really be considered *two*
languages, written English and spoken English -- a kind of diglossia,
I guess.  Thus, when people are reading aloud a passage of written or
"High" English, they are merely *translating* the text into spoken or

An 1844 use of "face the music":
 1844» Bangor Daily Whig And Courier (Newspaper) -
 July 22, 1844, Bangor ...
 Subscription - Bangor Daily Whig And Courier -

The following is a sentence from a letter by the police comission:
"I thank you for your offer, however the PIC does not consider it
necessary to speak with you or seek your assistance in relation to any
current inquiry."

I was reading the news about PS3, and I don't understand the following
paragraph.
"Update: While not actually criminal, last night's award for cruel and
unusual went to PC Gamer, who were on hand in SF to try to convince a

I came across the following from a forum I belong to:
"In English, _cold jokes_ usually refer to jokes that show no emotion at
all. And very commonly they refer to cruel or gross jokes."
Is it true?

I learned that Ramadan holiday starts nest Monday.
This seems to be a very important holiday for Muslims.
I wonder whether RAMADA of  the name "Ramada hotel"  came from  ramadan or
not.

What would you do if you_____ to meet with bad weather?
 A  were     B are   C are going
 This is one of the text questions I have this morning.  I was puzzled
whether to choose A or B.

http://amazon-books.blogspot.com - Amazing discovery FBI raided Florida
home belonging to a rich oil tycoon Humphry Waimia originally from
bermuda shorts country.
Immediately after the raid FBI hours later arrested one Tits Mcgee.

Hi, native speakers of English,
here is another question on usage. I understand "petal" can be used as an
(affectionate)address in British English. Is it about the same as "pet"
and/or does it have anything to do with rose etc petals? Again one of my

Any modern alternatives for "from the right motive"?
I am asking because it is found mainly in religious contexts and not
that much in modern ones.
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