Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

"Mr. Croker," the little lawyer continued, "my name is Martin Thorgen,
counsel representing PlannersBanc, and I have an order" -- he trust some
papers at Charlie --"executed by the..."
Does anyone know of unusual dialogue/tag arrangements like the above?

What's the difference between "he is commited to investing money" and
"he is commited to invest money", is the first version similar to
"look forward to seeing" ?
Thanks

Another sign I came across:
http://tonycooper.fileave.com/compassion.jpg
I'm titling it "Pee Off".

How do you distinguish between "expound" and "expand"? Many sources
consider them synonyms in the senses relating to the discussion of
ideas, and some dictionaries use one to define the other. But when you
look closely at examples cited in these sources, some patterns seem to

You fellows wanted a bodice-ripper, so here you go. It happens towards
the end of the book:
The Hunchback
The coach pulled  in front of the small cottage and stopped. A woman got

Susan and I have undertaken the project of walking the River Wharfe in
stages, 3 or 4 miles at a time, from its source in the Yorkshire Dales to
its outflow into the River Ouse some 10 miles south of the city of York. The
section we did today was close to Tadcaster, in the lower ...

Last Revised 2007-08-07 (7 Aug 2007)
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Or is it just a scene?
http://a.imagehost.org/view/0620/Winterscene

Cold and foggy start but now sunshining.
http://a.imagehost.org/view/0529/misty_sunrise

When I read this word just now, my first instinct was no doubt
the same as yours when you saw my subject header: this must be a
typo for Latinization, especially since the book is a study of
the influence of the Roman Empire on Germanic culture.

I'm finished smacking heads all except Crossword Bob's who's a bully and
windbag and will get the end of my boot every time I see him.
That said, what writing device/technique do you find the most difficult
to execute -- that is, when you see it well done you know the writer is

These days we often see writers advocating that we "kick-start the
economy."
A quick Google search turns up 61,800 hits for this phrase versus
132,000 for the more traditional "jump-start the economy."

I think 'wood' for 'erection' is an Americanism.  Is it a recent one?
Specifically, would it have been known in Britain in the fifties?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7807116.stm
Why English Speaking Country Governments not interested in Spelling
Reform?
Do they believe it is for less enlightened Spanish, Portuguese

I don't get the construction:
"to give your lads the devil down below"
"Down below" in the novel means in the valley, in the normal world,
away from the mountain where the sanatory is.