Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2007

John McLaughlin this morning on "The McLaughlin Report": "Hillary
Clinton shot another fuselage over Obama's bow."
That's not even an eggcorn, just a malaprop.

Elderly, shmelderly!
From today's news:
"El Dorado, Ark. (AP) - An elderly man beaten unconscious by an
assailant wielding a soda can awoke and shot the man during an

COMPANY shall indemnify CONTRACTOR from all liabilities for death,
illness or injury  ...
INDEMNIFY (www.m-w.com):
1 : to secure against hurt, loss, or damage

In the flavour of English that I speak it's very common to use "have
got" to express possession (e.g. "I've got a swimming pool in my
garden") or obligation (e.g. "I've got to work over the weekend"),
even though "have" alone would suffice.

A female friend of mine told me that she wanted to date men who are
gentlemen. The word I think refers to someone whose behavior shows
others he is a member of nobility. Someone who acts like a gentleman
therefore, would be a snob, right?

I often hear (both British and USAmerican) English speakers use the
construction "aren't I", as in "I'm writing this post, aren't I?", and
I wonder how this abhorrence can be called "proper English" -- surely,
the proper form should be "am I not" rather than "are not I" (which is

Please see below, I wrote a part of conversation from two people.
Please advice if there is anything wrong.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Title: Get more choices, more chances.

Hallows":
"The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and
turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of

Britain's Prince Charles gives wife sheep for birthday
Sat Jul 21
LONDON (AFP) - Britain's Prince Charles surprised his wife, Camilla,
Duchess of Cornwall, with an unusual gift on her 60th birthday -- two

This news headline appears on my iGoogle page:
"Vice president Cheney's heart device replaced"
This explains a great deal.

I looked on a street map of Chicago, but I can't find my answer.
IIRC there are two well-known streets in Chciago that are not
pronounced liek the famous writer they are named after.
One is Goethe, pronounced Goethy, as in English.

I'm at my mother's place in Marin. She still has 56k-V90 dial-up AOL
and I want to change that to broadband. I have no idea which local
companies are the good and bad ones. Does it matter that she gets her
phone service from AT&T, or does that mean she has to use AT&T

I find  pronouncing "English speaker" difficult. The last "sh" sound
of "English" either replaces the beginning "s" sound of "speaker" or
it is lost.If I pronounce conciously then there is perceptible pause
between the words....

I apologise for the disruption.  I'm having so much trouble sending
this that I'm beginning to think my access is being interfered with.
Or else both Google and aieo are screweed up at the same time.  OK,
that sounds more reasonable.

<http://business.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2133118,00.html>
       It wasn't meant to happen like this. The climate scientists told
       us that our winters would become wetter and our summers drier.
       So I can't claim that these floods were caused by climate