Falling standards
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- Minor Maniac
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Re: Falling standards
Well I never gotten past first grade and have for-gotten much of what I should have learnt so it has gotten me nowhere.
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- Minor Legend
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Re: Falling standards
I had a little spare time; in fact I'd got ten minutes.
Re: Falling standards
I’ve only got motivation to make a cup of tea, at that hour !!
Re: Falling standards
''Gotten'' is one of those words that really irritates me too.
I was moved to send an email to one of the sports reporters of my local paper, who regularly uses this word in his match reports and other articles. I did get a courteous reply with an 'explanation' that he was brought up in South Africa where, apparently, it is in common use. He had also worked in America.
Like Myrtles Man has done, I was also given examples of 'gotten' as used in 16th and 17th century English.
I thanked him, politely, for his response but I could not help pointing out that we do not live in South Africa, America or indeed the 17th century!!
All my effort has been in vain however, as the reporter still regularly uses the wretched word.
I was moved to send an email to one of the sports reporters of my local paper, who regularly uses this word in his match reports and other articles. I did get a courteous reply with an 'explanation' that he was brought up in South Africa where, apparently, it is in common use. He had also worked in America.
Like Myrtles Man has done, I was also given examples of 'gotten' as used in 16th and 17th century English.
I thanked him, politely, for his response but I could not help pointing out that we do not live in South Africa, America or indeed the 17th century!!
All my effort has been in vain however, as the reporter still regularly uses the wretched word.
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- Minor Legend
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Re: Falling standards
I'm guessing then that you probably regard his salary as ill-gotten gains!
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- Minor Maniac
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Re: Falling standards
Gotten appears in the Concise Oxford Dictionary so it is a current word and has not been relegated to the past.
Re: Falling standards
In my copy of the OED, gotten is labelled as the past or passive participle; archived or United States usage. Therefore it is either historic and not used in modern English, or it's a ghastly Americanism.
Can we call this particular a draw?
Can we call this particular a draw?
Re: Falling standards
I'm sure it's a bit of both, Berni.Is it just the relative age of the people posting here, or our higher standard of literacy, irrespective of age?
In my final years of my working life, I could not help myself (on occasions) pointing out grammatical errors, in both internal and external communications, to younger members of staff. Apart from the very occasional note of appreciation, I was usually greeted with those immortal words ''It doesn't matter......you know what I mean'' IT DOES MATTER!
I still laugh to myself every time I text or email my boys - both in their 40's - as they always tell me that they can spot my messages from 100 yards as they're the only ones with punctuation, capital letters for proper nouns etc. etc. To be fair to them, they both pretty much always respond to me in correctly written and punctuated English. How they write to other people, I've no idea.......
Agreed. A score draw, I think. Let's no go to a penalty shoot-out!Can we call this particular a draw?
One final irritation.....How many times, in an advert, do you read that a classic car has had the 'breaks' upgraded or whatever? Grrrr! Even better: ''The car starts, drives and breaks''. The vendor is not exactly 'selling' it to me with that parting shot.
I'm not sure that it was intended but this thread has exorcised a few pent up demons! Enjoyed it immensely, as I was beginning to think it was just me!
Re: Falling standards
Your ‘final’ irritation is in danger of starting things up again !
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- Minor Maniac
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Re: Falling standards
Now breaks is an old word - used to describe the breaks/brakes on early railway wagons. Early railways did not have passenger carrying wagons only wagons/chaldrons.
Discussion regarding the use of the word breaks or brakes goes way back on this web site - even BMC Ecosse joined in the discussion when someone persisted in the use of breaks instead of brakes.
Latterly the use of the word brakes has become common usage for the means of retarding the movement of a vehicle.
Discussion regarding the use of the word breaks or brakes goes way back on this web site - even BMC Ecosse joined in the discussion when someone persisted in the use of breaks instead of brakes.
Latterly the use of the word brakes has become common usage for the means of retarding the movement of a vehicle.
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- Minor Legend
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Re: Falling standards
Another Yank term is MATH, the next time I hear "Do the Math" on TV, the coffee table is going to rapidly connect with it!
Either Mathematic's or Math's at School, mass if suffer with a lisp....no idea what Massamatics is?
Becoming less tolerant of things, phone up company's & after a while a voice says "your call is important to us", if it's THAT important, hire more staff & don't keep me waiting for so long!
Also, hearing "contact us on our website" whilst waiting on the phone just as bad, main gripe simply down to being unable to speak to someone,
Either Mathematic's or Math's at School, mass if suffer with a lisp....no idea what Massamatics is?
Becoming less tolerant of things, phone up company's & after a while a voice says "your call is important to us", if it's THAT important, hire more staff & don't keep me waiting for so long!
Also, hearing "contact us on our website" whilst waiting on the phone just as bad, main gripe simply down to being unable to speak to someone,
Further investigations uncovered it was an inside job!!
Re: Falling standards
Have you tried different tablets Chris.
Re: Falling standards
Worse is when the looping audio has a decided pause and click like someone picking up the phone - at last! you foolishly think, my call is being answered...
I used to correct a friends spelling for him, naturally he was an English teacher Luckily he never picked up on my poor grammar and punctuation
[img]download/file.php?avatar=1401_1646150056.jpg[/img]
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- Minor Legend
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- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:17 pm
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Re: Falling standards
I'll get my doctor to prescribe me some '70s tablets.
Further investigations uncovered it was an inside job!!
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- Minor Addict
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Re: Falling standards
I saw a kestrel chasing a pigeon .He got away but boy was his heart pounding.It can get your goat when people go off topic.It gets mine.Also did you know common sense is now a super power.
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- Minor Maniac
- Posts: 10767
- Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
- Location: Hampshire
- MMOC Member: Yes
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- Minor Legend
- Posts: 3023
- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:17 pm
- Location: Gloucester
- MMOC Member: No
Re: Falling standards
I dread to think what garment Les was wearing, "Flairs"?
Further investigations uncovered it was an inside job!!