"Can I get?" Is it an Across the Pond or Generational Thing?

'....WHY bother, in school, to try and master your 'native' language....'

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You definitely shouldn't.

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Instead you should '....try to master your native language....'.

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It is funny how many people will claim 'separation of church and state' is in the constitution.

I separation of church and state a natural extension of the acknowledgement of absolute religious freedom as the 1st amendment in the Bill of Rights, but even there is doesn't use those words.

Jefferson was the one that popularized the phrase, so those who attempt to interpret the constitution as the founding fathers likely intended/understood it, may make claims that it is part of the constitution/bill of rights, but I tend to disagree.

Well manners and Engineering go hand in hand (sort of).

This is quite a common saying down here too.

I don't mind. Would you prefer they say "gimmy this, gimmy that" or "I want this, I want that" or placing their order while ignoring everyone and texting?

It's nice the young folks are developing some good habits (even if they aren't technically using them in the correct context) rather than the other way around.

This annoys both myself and my colleague (OK: who is also getting on a bit). We want to say something like

"You kids get of my grass" perhaps?

When they use the "can" word out of context with me. I tell them I don't know whether their able to or not. Only they are able to answer that. That usually confuses the heck out of them. It's more amusing when the ask more then once with out catching on. Then there are few that catching on and have to think hard for the proper word. But their learning. Then I'm not in customer service. You know the boss don't want you to upset the customer correcting their grammar.

I guess it comes from childhood and their parents never correcting them in the proper way to ask for something.

You're leaving yourself open here.

Your spelling, grammar and even a little context are pretty rough.

Can I get you to correct it?

I come from around the coordinates in my avatar. Middle USA.

I, too had rather hear that than, "gimme a".

We've got "versing" now as a verb here. As in, "who are you versing in the next match". Or, "I versed Billy today in tennis".

Evolve, old man, or perish!

I don't subscribe to much new lingo, don't need it. I have a hard enough time understanding the words I already know!

Versing, huh? That's a good one. The kid probably has a future in management. Wannabe executives inventing new corporatespeak is another annoyance. At my former employer, I remember the soon-to-be CEO saying how we must incent our people to satisfy the customer. Had no argument with the message that I inferred... but it made me feel more incited than incented.

jhammond

Amen! Couldn't agree more.

Much the same as 'me and John' rather than 'John and I' shows lack of respect to John, but many younger people just don't know that, and even if they did, may not necessarily accept such niceties as being part of their social norm.

This new 'speak' is an another evolving English dialect, just as UK English has a number of these, c/w unique accents and pronounciation (Cockney being an example).

Quality of education, upbringing, and peer pressure determine how the young cope in the information age, in a fractured world where the ignorant are served knowledge on a platter, and where verbal communication only requires to understandable, not of a standard.

Older members in this forum will recall being required read and understand literature in high-English in order to garner this knowledge. Now, it simply doesn't matter as much.

There are actually a number of situation in which 'John and me' would be correct and in which 'me and John' would be correct.

Not in the dialect that I speak ie 'I am Tarzan' vs 'Me Tarzan' ?

Nevertheless, that is my preferred dialect...it's very much like Mom's home cooking vs McDonalds.

It is the US dialect that insists on producing a verb where possible from a noun. With sufficient media exposure, it is seen merely as US culture and adopted. Probably find the Brits are becoming increasingly inured to the pattern and falling into it themselves to some degree.

Inevitably when grammar use or word choice becomes common enough, it becomes the acceptable form of English, which is bastardised, growing language and while I resent changes that for me, degrade my mother tongue, the clock keeps ticking...if we survive until then, all should be speaking common 'global English' in 3013.

John and I will talk it over. (correct)

John and me will talk it over. (incorrect)

GA for you sir!

The vocative takes a comma beforehand to separate it from the main clause, and, as a form of address, 'Sir' takes a capital.

8/10.

'... smug confident...'

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A smug person can be expected to insist what others perceive as smugness, is actually confidence. After all, one typical meaning for 'smugness' describes a kind of 'counterfeit confidence' (often with the smug person not realizing the counterfeit).

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'...Ignorance is Bliss...so now you know it....'

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No. Though I understand you speak from first hand experience, your testimony, while compelling, falls well short of allowing me to 'know' that 'ignorance is bliss'. Furthermore, while there is compelling evidence you easily meet the criteria, your evaluation of your experience as 'Bliss' is highly suspect.

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While I lack the 'insight', that your first hand experience provides you, concerning ignorance, my vantage has the the benefit of detached objectivity. From this vantage, ignorance does not appear to be very blissful at all. Ignorance appears often to be very unpleasant.

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'....Pretzel logic (might just have got away with 'Me and John' here)....'

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Fascinating! As you write more, your knowledge of proper English is revealed to be less.

Convention dictates the default placement of 'Me' in a list, is after other people, unless changing the order serves to clarify. Placing 'Me' before 'John' without reason is incorrect in formal writing and could be considered rude.

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By the way, that previous phrase of yours exemplifies the 'bastardization and degradation of the mother tongue' at which you railed so vehemently. A while back you Brits decided to boycott the proper use of part participles in the case of 'have gotten', but continued to utilize certain meanings, only mis-conjugated.

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'....Something wrong with wrong with "walk with us" ?....'

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I guess this is still part of the pretzel you are demonstrating(?).

It would be difficult to say that there isn't something wrong with what you wrote. Attempting to salvage something positive from the twisted train wreck of a comment you left; if you were noting that 'us' is similar to 'me', in the same way 'we' is similar to 'I', then I commend you on changing it up by sprinkling a little validity into your response.

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'...Not a construct..... likely situational/ vocational derivative phrasing ... ...'

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Not a valid criticism.....certainly poorly contrived / desperate attempt to obfuscate with techno-babble phrasing.

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'...

Here's a direct example...."Gentlemen, please be seated and let the matter drop"

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'A direct example...', of a non sequitur. Thank you for that.

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'....Plums allocated strictly domestic duty only in time of peace.. ...'

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I guess Little Jack Horner will be pleased. We at least one person won't be utterly disappointed.

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'...I do note quite an improvement in your own use of vocabulary and grammar over the course of this thread...nice...'

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Well, if our little back and forth has resulted a new understanding and appreciation for proper language, I'm happy to have been a small part of your eye-opening process.

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Cheers!

I would not consider anyone who speaks proper English as "smug". Who would criticize any of your former Prime Ministers as speaking poor English and certainly they all speak a slightly distinctive form of the language. How a person speaks the language separates the educated from the rest and only the educated can recognize same individuals. A really educated person is never snobbish, but in a higher class. In the U.S. , class structure has been abolished, but it still exists. Instead of being by education level, it is broken down by economic level. The rich, the poor and the middle class is used to categorize people in the U.S. I guess it's a democratic thing.

A really educated person is never snobbish

Oh, I disagree. Education and decency are not synonymous.

"Education and decency are not synonymous."

Neither is education and intelligence.

I may have been too subtle previously..

(your #50) 'When you are finished, give the paper to me and John will escort you out." followed by my "situational/ derivative phrasing"

Examining your phrase:

1. 'me and John' are disassociated completely in the phrase. Thus, the non-sequitur is yours, not mine.

2. I am sure others also interpreted the phrase to originate in a restricted/ public toilet facility, hence my "situational/ vocational..." and "Gentlemen, please be seated...."

Therefore, your returns of "non-sequitur" and "techno-babble" simply do not stand.

Quit while you're ahead....I did conclude my last with a compliment.....

'.... Quit while you're ahead....I did conclude my last with a compliment.....

...'

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Thank you for your suggestion.

I am more inclined to quit now that your identity have been revealed.

Whether your journey out of the closet was intentional or accidental (or even intentionally misleading), having someone take credit for those comments is an improvement.

Methinks thou livest twixt then and now...

I rather like 'incent'. I know it is not yet proper, but language evolves and I think it would be a change for the better.

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'Incent' is more concise than 'incentivize' and the intended meaning is obviously the same.

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I think the endings 'ive' + 'ize' often cancel each other out, ending up right where they began. I think language is better without superfluous ending kept just for conventions sake.

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Often, the endings 'al' + 'ity' and sometimes just 'al' alone are unnecessary.

Consider the silly construction 'functionality', it doesn't say anything that isn't said by 'function'.

Similarly 'dynamical' sounds ridiculous because 'dynamic' is sufficient.

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One that makes me laugh almost every time I hear it (it is mainly a spoken construction) is the word 'nuther'; as in '...and after that she ate a whole nuther bowl...'

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When I hear people say that I try to work in something like '...two and a half nuthers....' into whatever I say next.

"Subway" as in 'The Underground'? or "Subway" as in the sandwich shop? I didn't know pork pies were available in either.

The 'may I / can I' substitution has been around a long time. (I once heard the reply, 'Yes, you can... [long pause] ...Is that what you want?') Still annoying to me too.

I'll usually say, "I'd like..." Which seems a bit more polite and friendly than "I want..." People here in the US South are very polite, and not being polite in turn is very crass.

"People here in the US South are very polite, and not being polite in turn is very crass."

So are the ones that come up here just the jerks no one could stand down there or are we so incredibly polite that what is good manners down there still comes off as rude and arrogant up in my parts?

Having been around our oil fields now for a few years the #1 thing I always hear when I reveal that I am a local is that we are such nice friendly and polite people compared to most everywhere else in the USA. When talking with people whose jobs have had them traveling around the country I alway inquire as to whom is the worst. New York, California and Texas are always the three that come up. Dumbest people to deal with is usually Texas, California, Kentucky or Alabama.

Usb's comment may have been correct 40 years ago, but, as one living in the US South, I can assure you those days are over. People in the south today are no more polite than elsewhere - but I have encountered some good folks everywhere I go.

If you get away from metropolitan areas, and get into areas where people live in the same town as some of their relatives and regularly see more people they know than people they don't, you will find that Southern hospitality and politeness is alive and well.

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In more metropolitan areas where one might interact all day long with people never to be seen again, some people behave as if their action do not make them who they are.

I feel sorry for you, where ever you live. I live in a small town in the mountains north of Atlanta. Originally from the Midwest, I moved here about 12 years ago and it was like moving into 'Mayberry' in the way the people are friendly and polite. Likewise for the other small towns all around the area.

Maybe it's just big city living that makes people less friendly.

Strange. Most of the rude dumb asses I encounter come from the mid-west. Must be all that wind whistling through the empty places in their craniums.

'....Dumbest people to deal with is usually....'

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That's a pretty asinine statement when the classification is by geography.

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Even ignoring the suggestions of bigotry, the statement deserves ridicule. If you have your heart set on calling a group of people stupid, don't you think it would be a good idea to be careful to use proper grammar...at least while you are making your claim?

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This isn't some obscure rule about prepositions or participles or something pedantic, this is basic conjugation.

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It may be easier for you to see if you separate what is in between the subject and verb....

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"Dumbest people (to deal with) is usually..."

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Not sounding too smart there yourself, at that particular moment.

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But really, what drives you to look for the negative side of things?

'...When talking with people whose

jobs have had them traveling around the country I alway inquire as to whom is the worst....'

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Have you no interest in who might be the best and the brightest?

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I've read some pretty insightful stuff from you so this little Dunning-Kruger display is a little puzzling.

Wound a bit tight today?

I am getting the strong impression by your reply that you don't have regular interactions and or conversations with what I would have to assume you would see as being the common folk or the people may see as being below you who travel and do physical labor or remedial work on the job site? IE the tool pushers, equipment operators, the guy picking up the trash on the work site.

If so you would likely have a far better understanding of how conversations with the average person or people who travel go which by the way I have found to be the best sources for finding out who in the offices has their poop together and who doesn't on work sites.

I consider myself the common man. I speak the common language I hear around me and I talk to and share stories of experiences with common person I see every day.

But that's just me and I am an english class flunkie (Who tested at ~146 IQ at age 13 anyway) for my whole life long school experience from kindergarten all the way to graduation so what do I know?

What's a IQ test? Can I get one?

I think you have to be a long term complete PITA in the school system before they will give you an official in depth one at that age. That's what worked for me.

The last one I took was when I went back to college around 10 years ago. Also as an older than average student I wanted to see what I qualified for grants wise. I scored 100% correct on all categories except the skin color one, too white, and they basically told me after that that I'm clearly smart enough to find my own money.

I still like to play around with the free online ones though I tend to score between 110 - 145 depending on the test and what kind of day I am having.

Oddly after spending a day with my wife I tend to consistently score the lowest.

I don't want to know...

A low one will just piss me off, and a high one will have me pissing off others.

Have you ever played dualnback?

Maybe I am wound a little tight today. Forgive my abrasiveness.

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I could have told you in a more friendly way to tell you I think there is harm done by asking people (and thereby leading/suggesting the topic is a worthwhile metric) which location has the dumbest people.

I don't the information is useful going forward, and I think you germinating an idea that an effective and meaningful way to evaluate people might be (not for their actual qualities but) by the myth of the people from their location/ of their age/ of their sex/ of their skin color.

But I wasn't there for your conversations. Perhaps I've completely got the wrong idea. If it wasn't something you had considered, well you have the info now, and you have free will.

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To your strong impression: I think there is a chasm of difference between the way you suspect I relate to the world and the way I see myself relating to the world.

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I suspect that the average IQ of CR4 users is above overall average by a statistically significant amount. A number of us have reasonably high IQs and a few of us go pretty far out in rarefied edge of the distribution. But that doesn't make us a group or as individual, so meaningfully different that we cease to be common folk.

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I also know some people that I would judge have well above average IQ's that are so bad a life in general that it occasionally makes me wonder how they have survived this long.

I also know some amazing people who at best have an average IQ. One of them in particular is phenomenally successful at pretty much whatever he focuses on, and has numerous large operations running concurrently.

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I know you see yourself as different. The thing is, each person out there directly experiences the world through their own person, and that unique perspective not only leads them to see themselves as unique and different from everyone else, it means they actually are unique and different from everyone else. Several billion special little f-ing snow flakes. All of them common people, right down to the Queen of England.

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The divisions are arbitrary and capricious at best. Occasionally the divisions end up furthering purposes far more sinister.

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I have to judge people as individual. If I start filtering by location, or occupation, or accent, I'd certainly miss out.

There are plenty of people worth spending time with in the salt of the earth group, just like there are plenty of people in groups more highly thought of, that time would be better spent somewhere other than with them.\

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I use to work as a welder many years ago. Actually this just reminded me: for a several month stint I was a garbage collector/ recycling collector...blue jumpsuit, rancid heavy truck and all. So it's probably easier for me to see myself as not too terribly different from what you call common folk.

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...hmmm, I wonder if after that revelation, I might expect treatment as the commoner I have been found out to be?

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At any rate, I still find it a little weird that you are trying to figure out who has their shit all in one sock, based on the area of the country from which they came. I have to be misunderstanding you there. Please tell me if I am.

I really should have proof read that before submitting.... ARG.

I think you are reading way too much into my posts and the conversations I have with people I meet in my life.

Which BTW I turned it around a bit and did back to you and I get the impression you didn't take it in proper context either.

It rather surprises me how when I hide an Easter egg in a post some people will find it and call me out over it whilst others will for what ever reason decide to go wabbit hunting over it instead.

I shawt wat?

I does seem that you and I do a poor job communicating with each other on a fairly regular basis.

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Perhaps we aren't seeing the clues about tone, or as you suggest context. Or if we are seeing them we are misinterpreting them.

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I'm beginning to think we might be providing each other with resistance training for piece of mind, or perhaps resistance training for happiness. I can feel myself getting happy-strong already.

Don't feel bad. You're not even in the same league of poor communication and misunderstanding as my wife. You may get there some day!

Last night after eating supper she asked me if she could take my plate. I said sure. I'm done. Thanks.

Today she is still mad at me for not bringing it to her after she had asked if she could take it from me.

I still dont get it.

I don't feel bad at all, and perhaps some day I will make it to that level with your continued interaction. I'd certainly owe much of the success to you. It couldn't be done without you.

You are making a generalization about dumb. I have found dumb, smart, polite, impolite, friendly, unfriendly, stupid, rude people in every state I have lived in and in foreign countries also. No state or country has a monopoly on any of the above mentioned traits of behavior.

I agree 100%.

I'll second that.

I don't think the OP was complaining so much about using 'can' instead of 'may'. I read it as a complaint of using 'can i get ...' instead of 'i would like...' or 'may i have...'.

For instance, 'Can I get a foot long Italian on wheat?' is a little different than 'Can I have a foot long Italian on wheat?' The answer to the second question is 'Yes', the answer to the first is 'No you can't, I have to get it for you'.

It's a constant battle, but my children are finally started to develop the habit of using 'may I' instead of 'can I'. When my kids were toddlers and my wife and I were struggling to get them to conform, my mother gave me some advice. She said you have to start early, be consistent and be persistent. It takes time, but eventually they will learn, although you might be grand parents by the time they do.

If I may, 'Can I have a foot long Italian on wheat?' The reply would be, I do not know sir, Can you have a foot long Italian on wheat? You are asking a question to which another must reply, and the other makes the decision. If you know what you want to have, there is no need to ask a question. There is a need to make a 'demand' (sounds harsh, but I care not for 'political correctness'). You are requesting a certain item that you want to have. Certain English words start a sentence as a question, to which another decides, and answers for you. 'Can' is one of these words. You are automatically asking permssion. 'I will have, I require, I shall have, I demand, I require', are all actions with no questions. It is simply that silly folks apply some marvelous logic that messes up the words to mean something else, (in case I offend someone). If the recipient cannot keep their 'feelings' under control then they need to get a grasp on the English language, as it is complex, and quite stupid, at most times. Most people cannot get there heads around simple words such as Where, Were, We're, Weir. And why? Because people don't understand PUNCTUATION. A simple comma can change a whole, (hole), sentence structure. So perhaps, if people understood punctuation, (the basics), the silly 'feelings brigade' would drop out of existence very quickly. And, understand demands, commands, requirements are not as offensive as they are made out to be. Their there or they're there, or there, there! And I took them there! And, (note the comma), I took them there! The 'I' is emphisised and the sentence meaning changes. The comma allows a breath, (pause) and the sentence carries on. If you use CAN I have, you will get a answer that you may not like to hear. NB The Oxford English Dictionary has to change wrd meanings becouse people mess it it from its original meaning, so they chage the dictionary to suit that which people 'think' the word means. Ask someone what the simple word VEXED means. Then try SOPHISTICATED. You may get a shock. Have fun, this is 'cool' (wonderful, full of wonder).

Speaking of proper comma placement. One of our proposal writers had this posted on his wall:

Let's eat Grandpa!

Let's eat, Grandpa!

Commas, they save lives!

I showed my six grade daughter who cracked up laughing and had to tell all her friends. Well not all....just her close friends.

Is the English language not a wonderful language! I like the quote. Punctuation! Love it. It is alien to most. I like kids! (But I still can't eat a whole one). And, How much can a koala bear? English!!!

Re: "I like kids!" ... WHICH CAME FIRST? "...kids..." or

[ The T-Shirt , above-right , is available in Big-Dog sizes ...]

{ _{actually , I iz a cat-lover myself} }

Sign:

What do you think

everything's free today

What do you think? everything's free today.

What? do you think everything's free today.

For instance, 'Can I get a foot long Italian on wheat?' is a little different than 'Can I have a foot long Italian on wheat?' The answer to the second question is 'Yes', the answer to the first is 'No you can't, I have to get it for you'.

Exactly!

I am confused now, can you actualy get a 12 inch tall Italain on wheat these days? Does he or she come with a tiny Fiat Uno as well? I came across some average height Europeans on speed and dope. Just how good is this wheat? Is it a banned substance and is it FDA approved? Is it only for folks across the 'pond'?

I think it comes from having to ask their parents for stuff....They grow out of it eventually....Then comes the "I want"....I'm all the way up to "I'd like"....just graduated from "Let me get a"....which followed "Give me a"....

Could worse. I am being forced towards 'My wife said I can have a...'

Did you have a note from your wife??????

I saw an episode of a chat show in the UK a while ago which included The American singer Will.I.Am & the very English actress Miriam Margolyes. During the interviews Miriam was correcting Will.I.Ams grammar to the point where, by the end, he was hardly able to speak at all.

Yeah, that was brilliant.
Del

One approach would be to lead by example.

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Speak loudly enough to be heard by everyone and let your order be a model of accurate speech.

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Make it a point to use very direct language and everyone is sure to take notice.

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Since you are ordering food, don't beat around the bush with things like 'I'd like' or 'May I have'. You are ordering food, that isn't something to be ashamed of or, so order it. Say something like:

"I order you to make for me a foot long cold cut combo with everything one it. I further order you to prepare a drink and get a bag of chips for me. When you have completed sandwiching as per my orders, tender the proper change from the bills I hand you and tell me to have a nice day"

Sieg Heil mein Fuhrer !!

Mind you, I have never yet 'ordered' food by telling someone "I order you to....", mainly because generally when I order food, I also intend to that very same food.

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It is an idea that amuses me from time to time, so I may end up doing it if a deserving person and opportune time converge.

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I brought it up mainly to temper those who insist we should use only very literal language

The vocative needs a comma to separate it from the main clause, and there is a spelling mistake with the missing umlaut, which represents a missing 'e', which lifts the sound of the 'u'.

"Sieg Heil, mein Führer!" would be correct.

I stand corrected PW....no argument here...

I knew the umlaut was missing but was too lazy to import it... I do know it's purpose.

I'm entitled to provolone on that meatball sandwich!

It costs nothing to be polite, and it's usually well worth the risk.

Can I get May I have.......please?

Simples!ξ

I don't think that

'Can I please get ____'

is less polite than

'May I please have_____'.

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The first is definitely less proper and less formal than the second. Some people might infer things about a lack of schooling for people using the first.

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The first doesn't strike me as impolite though.....unless perhaps you are saying it to a grammar teacher and she has already expressed her displeasure at hearing it that way.

Glad I am not the only one who gets annoyed with that. The person is there to serve you, (servant), so there is no need to ask if you can have something. Why do you need there permission to buy what you want. Restaruants are no better, one asks permission to eat a meal. Political correcness gone to far and guess what? You all do it. If I was your waiter and you asked for steak, egg and chips, I would simply reply 'No you cant have it" and walk away. Laughing my arse off at the stupidity of people. Might not last to long in the job, but it would be a great laugh as the customer would not know what to say next. Polietness is still very nice, but people have misconstrued the English language to stupid bay talk. Try Ireland and the UK, lazy folks, stand at a counter, they will ask you, "are you all right there", (rather than may i assist you). My reply everytime, Of course I am alright here, I move and state I am still alright here too. Get your touchy feelings in check and get back to proper English. Now all you touchy 'feeling people' can have a go. I am 100% sure you don't like what I have said here, I am 100% sure i care not! Bring on the comments Lyn!

If you are truly '100% sure' that you 'care not', then why post anonymously?

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Those sure are bold statements for someone unwilling to own what they write.

I agree with Annonymous, The Englsih spoken language is very much assumed that we understood that, which the other person spoke. He has a valid point. There is no reason for lazy speech. It does not make for proper communication, which people assume they do well. Good for him, he managed to rile a few folks to speaking better. We all talk cell phone text. And, people are to quick to judge and throw their feelings into everything. Good for him, I say. He has my support.

I commend you on your willingness to state your feelings without concern that those feelings might be attributed to you.

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While we are using pseudonyms in this internet forum, it is still in some sense an identity.

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If someone isn't even willing to associate their online persona with a particular comment, that comment might as well have come from a random comment generator..

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..sure the idea popped into someone's head, but they don't believe in it enough to claim the idea.

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....and if the author of the comment doesn't value it enough to claim it, why are they foisting it upon everyone else? If the author doesn't think it has value, why should I give it the benefit of the doubt?

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A funny thing to note is that choosing to comment 'anonymously', doesn't actually conceal all the information about the author of the comment. While their screen name does not appear, the post does divulge information about them. One example is; even though we do not know the exact author, we do know they are a coward (maybe not typically, but at least for that one act).

Oh Come now, a coward! Really! There may be several reasons that person posts anonymously, You may just not be aware of the reasons. What a dastardly thing to state and insinuate. It may be you!!!! Perhaps you are a secret agent, subtley seeking out perpitrators of the Missing Oxford Comma!!!!!

'.... Oh Come now, a coward! Really! There may be several reasons that person posts anonymously, You may just not be aware of the reasons.....'

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I will admit I cannot think of several reasons that do not involve disgraceful 'fear or timidity'. Perhaps you are willing to enlighten me.

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While you are at it, perhaps you could explain the odd combination of the comma and then the capitalization following 'anonymously' in what you wrote (as noted above).

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'...What a dastardly thing to state and insinuate....'

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Actually my statement was not dastardly (nor was in merely an insinuation). Dastardly implies underhanded/ cowardly, but I made no cowardly attempt to hide the source of the statement. The statement is not an insinuation because it is direct, it is not a hint.

The comma after 'anonymously' Simple typing error. The buttons are too close together and my hand whizzes along the buttons, (keys). Dastardly! It sound cool and i wear a cape and I make the 'whooshing' noise's, so that makes me right. (ROFLMAO)

I shall make everything right for the world, I shall remove any doubts and suspicions. I could be Anonymous #1. I could be a secret agent for this web site. Perhaps Anon #1 is shy and timid. Perhaps he, or she, is being educated here in the English language. Perhaps this is his or her 'let of steam, chilling out therapy". But the fact remains, I wear the cape and still make the 'whooshing noises', so I shall stick up for Liberty, Freedom of Speech and proper punctuation of the English language. (PPEL). Whooooosh!

Actually dear fellow scholar(s), this is my therapy too, and I do get a good laugh from it all. We all obtain therapy from this and learning and guess what, we all get to talk to cyber persons, never real people, which is most important for any society to thrive on. Human contact has been substituted to this....Sort of sad really. Never quite meeting ones opposer's, or friends.... What was that noise? I need to go, a comma needs my help. ....Whoosh, (again). God bless you one and all. P.S. I do actually have a real name as well! Thank you all. I am enjoying this banter. and learning. . Intergalactic Quark, Whoosh whoosh!

'let of steam, ... Correction, before I get annihilated. This should read, 'let OFF steam'.

Whoosh!

Correction, before I get annihilated.

OK, but, what about that grocer's apostrophe near the end of the first paragraph

I had to give it back, The grocer wanted it for other items.

I like your comments much better when they are not made 'anonymously'.

Also, minor typographical errors seem of far less consequence when someone is willing to own their comments.

Hi, I said, 'It could be,' not, 'It is me.' But, we have settled that for sure. I am at work now and I wore my cape, and I made a big whoosh noise as I was late for work, after staying up late answering and making laughable comments on this web site. Hope you all had a good chuckle. Have a good day and keep reading those dictionaries and Thesauruses.

Watch for me, on your streets, in your neighbourhood! Single handedly, I shall save the punctuation, where ever it may be. Together we shall save the English language from the invaders.....Whooooosh!

plural of thesaurus. You keep doing this deliberately: don't you?

Explanation:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thesaurus
the·sau·rus (th-sôrs)
n. pl. the·sau·ri (-sôr) or the·sau·rus·es
1. A book of synonyms, often including related and contrasting words and antonyms.
2. A book of selected words or concepts, such as a specialized vocabulary of a particular field, as of medicine or music

You may find that both are correct, unless of cousre you preffer Thesauri. Perhaos I should have said, Please keeping reading the thesaurus and the other three (3), as well. But, it alows one time to look up and become more educated and versed. I do this as an act of kindness and learning for others. Besides, Thesauri sounds like someones name.

'Hi Thesauri! How fairs the day in Greece?'

'Good IQ, Mrs Thesauri is well too!'

It is easy to differentiate between a typo and a misspelling by the position of keys on the keyboard. Hitting the wrong key when it is adjacent to the intended key is an obvious typo and I ignore it. "Mispelling" indicates weak English skill. "Misspellkng" would be an obvious typo.

Alright then, I shall explain in my simplified English seeing that I am NOT English, but speak English and a few other foreign languages as by product of my upbringing. (Even thought, people believe I was brought up). The grocers apostrophe, (') was to lead you to realise the sentence was shortened and copied from my previous verbosity and drivel. Hence the several periods, (full stops), following the copied wording. To denote the wording was copied over, as a reference point.

Miss-spelling, on the other hand can be attributed to reading to fast, to much and being able to recognise words, from the first letter and last letter, no matter what is present in the middle. It is a skill learned from reading all this current text SMS drivel, such as ROFLMAO, or LOL, or BRB. And, as this seems to be an American based web site, my laptop is American based too, I do use the spell check, occasionally, so henceforth, and justifiably so, if the computer gets close with the spelling, I don't hassle, as I know that whomever reads this, is intelligent, understand basic English, is smarter than a cell phone and has the power of deduction and hopefully wisdom to boot. I addition to this, when one has six fingers on each hand, I have an extra finger to control, so typing on a small key board can be a tad hairy as each of my fingers work independently, so my advantage is, I type very quickly, as you can now understand, and occasionally my second pinky finger trails on a key, causing an error. For this I apologise to all concerned, or offended parties. As for my weak English skill, again I apologise to all offended parties. I shall reprimand myself immediately ............

An oyster is like a nut! I am my wifes little oyster! Do you think there was a hidden meaning to her statement?

Sounds like she wants a pearl necklace.

ROFLMAO

Regarding the grocer's apostrophe:

A common technique many on this site have used when referencing a previous post is to either link to it or copy a portion of it (generally the portion being referenced), make the text bold and some even change the font to italics (i do both). For instance:

"...denote the wording was copied over, as a reference point." Then add my comment/complaint/praise/rebuttal/whatever

Regarding mis-spellings....most of your explanation sounds like more an excuse for being lazy (of which many engineers are guilty....myself included).

I've always thought it is my job as the person creating the post that I wish others to read to be as clear as I can in getting my meaning across. If you expect others to interpret your misspelled words they way you intended, then you leave yourself open to being misunderstood (of either not making sense or not being careful in your composition or both...maybe more).

I use the spell checker, but I, also, take the time to re-read my posts before I submit them. Furthermore, I don't expect the reader to understand what I am saying should a mistake make it past those steps into the post. Catching only the first and last letter of a word may allow one to read quite fast, but it also increases the possibility of misunderstanding or would that be 'mitigating' or perhaps 'mind-bending' or even 'mishandling' or 'matriculating' or 'masturbating'?

To summarize, the writer is responsible to ensure his (or her) message is clear and unambiguous (unless it is their purpose to otherwise) and it's the reader's responsibility to make an effort to understand the meaning of what's written.

It has become quite clear I should be more concise, clear, prevent misspelling, take further control of my fingers, slow my brain down, type slowly and speak to my grocer.

However, I have kept you alert, (no idea why anyone wants to be a lert), made you laugh and you have met a person who can count to 12 on his fingers. I have been wounded to my tiny heart by your words Sir. I have no excuse for my life, (wish I had one though). I also wish I was lazy, (it may be a bonus), and I wish I was just perfect in every way. I am not, and therefore, cannot be more than I have strived to be.

Should I have left myself open to being misunderstood? (It may have been a deliberate ploy), so be it. This world will continue with, or without you or I, (if you prefer, you and me). I have no excuse for living, (but I do try to find one everyday. I am not alone perchance?). I have enjoyed the banter, (craic), joshing and fun and learning, and offered laughs and twists, and for this, I thank you all.

To summarize; the writer is responsible to ensure his, (or her), message is clear, concise and unambiguous, (Unless it is the writers purpose and intent, to conceal, by ambiguity). It is the reader's responsibility to apply understanding, to that which was written, and formulate an opinion, or answer, based on the reader's understanding of the written or typed words. It may not be true at all, but it is to that place, a writer may lead a mind.

I trust this sums up all for you. One never knows what the writer is thinking, doing or meaning. The writer may perhaps be a psychopath, a man of faith, a recluse, a battered person. One may never know from writings, as one and all shall deduce a different meaning, from the same words and paragraphs.

You may take a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead! I think you got my point right there.

Thank you for the compliment on reading and commenting on my points. I thank you Sir. (I assumed from your writing, you are male).

I advise doing a scrambled word/letter test. You may just be surprised!!!!

'....reading to fast, to much....'

.

I too have been known to omit a needed 'o' (or two), when typing hastily.

While I don't have polydactyly on which to lay the blame, it seems that having extra fingers (if each was completely functional and well trained) would not be an impediment to hitting all the necessary keys.

A test for you. Try typing with the fingers you don't use normally. Thumb, 1st finger, index finger, (normal guys typing as in your normal). Let me know how you get on.

Thumb - space bar, You will need this thumb, it is not a finger.

1st and index finger - letter keys. You have two spare fingers. Ooops. I have three. Now type with your two spare fngers. Are you having fun?

I am a bit puzzled by your comments.

.

You wrote this in the comment to which I am responding:

'.... You will need this thumb, it is not a finger.....'

.

Prior to that, in another comment you wrote:

'...you have met a person who can count to 12 on his fingers...'

.

I understood that comment to imply that you have polydactyly. It also seems to imply that the extra fingers were not removed shortly after birth, but that you are still in possession of your supernumerary digits and that they function normally. So far it seems interesting and not terribly implausible.

Now with your exclusion of thumbs from the set of things that you are willing to consider fingers, you seem to be claiming that you have a total of 14 digits on your hands (thumbs are definitely digits). Is this correct?

If it is, are you also saying that they all function normally?

I type with all my fingers, though my little fingers type the least actively.

.

Do you have names for your 'extra' fingers? How did you decide which ones were the extra ones, and which ones were the regular index, middle, ring, and little (or pinky) fingers?

Thumb - space bar, You will need this thumb, it is not a finger. (Added: One does not type letters with ones thumb, normally, it is used on the space bar, note: not letter keys).

1st and index finger - letter keys. You have two spare fingers.(Added: ring and pinky). Ooops! I have three. (Possibly ring finger, and another ring finger and a pinky. Or, is that two pinkies and a ring finger or two middle fingers....) Now type with your two spare fingers. Are you having fun?

I have to assume this was to complicated for you to understand? Now we teach simple sums or arithmetic? The words must have been misleading. Look up THUMB. If you can 100% confirm for anatomists that a thumb is indeed a finger, I am sure they will thank you tremendously, and their debate will be fully settled by your expertise. The world will be a better place knowing you knew the answer all the time.

Perhaps you can solve my problem too, which finger is MY ring finger. And which is my middle finger? When I give someone the finger do I give them one or two? I am never quite sure?

'....I have to assume this was to complicated for you to understand?....'

.

Complicated? No. 'Unclear' would be more accurate.

.

I will avoid your confusion about whether a thumb is a finger or not. I will use the term 'digit'. Hopefully you aren't going to deny that a thumb qualified as a digit.

.

Is it your claim that you have on each hand a total of six digits or are you claiming a total of seven digits on each hand?

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I ask because it is exceedingly rare to have six normally functioning digits on each hand and would be even more rare to have seven.

.

I normally wouldn't be so forward about asking, but you are the one that brought this up and seem insistent about chiding me for lack of understanding....

Five functioning fingers and an opposing thumb on each hand, Sir. But, I chide you not. I do agree a thumb is a digit. Six digits on each hand, all perfectly formed and capable of moving independently of each other. Try buying gloves!

Fascinating.

Thank you.