AUTHORS' ANNEXE (English Language Discussions)

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:14 pm

Marian Down!
We had to be very careful with our children's names, but we did call our dog Ben.
Marian

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:23 pm

Of course---and I remember hearing of a boy called Neil Down---not sure if that is true!!

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:01 pm

Hi Marian
Yes, we use the prepositions on and up unnecessarily
all the time. The following draws attention to these
anomalies:

ON(WORD & UP(WORD)

The facile phrases such as
'early on' and 'phone up'
trip off our tongues each day,
but whether they are
pleonasms or tautologies is less easy to say.
What can be said, alas, is
the particles (on and up) are superfluous
either way.

Keith

Note. Dictionary definition of pleonasm:
a redundancy of words, e.g. dip down.
Tautology: the inclusion of words in a sentence
that mean the same thing: I, myself, personally.
Particle: an adverb or preposition that forms part
of a multi-word verb. (The preposition up may also
be an adverb when it is a verb modifier as in:
speed up, for example.)

Neil Down is funny Marian(a).
No-one can resist the obvious pun on my
adjectival surname.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:24 pm

George knew lots of those funny sounding names-I cannot remember them all, and I am sure everyone knows these--but I always laughed at Eileen Dover and Teresa Green.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:26 am

There are some funny made up authors names too, like The Lion Attacked by Claude Thighs and A Guide to Crime by Robin Banks etc.

Marian

jon · Post by **jon** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:51 am

Taking up Keith's analysis of homophones, and of commonly employed words that have a similar sounding counterpart which is less frequently used, the words COMPLACENT and COMPLAISANT come to mind.

COMPLACENT, of course, means 'contented, self-satisfied, unconcerned, even smug' (e.g. "he had become complacent after years of success"), and comes from the Latin 'complacere', to please.

COMPLAISANT, by contrast, means 'an inclination to please or oblige; tending to others' wishes': "In her behaviour, she was respectful and complaisant, even to servility; she attempted to flatter and fawn upon me at first, but I soon checked that" (Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall). Now almost never used in everyday conversation, though still used in written form.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:49 am

Hi Jon
Thanks for the homophones and interesting information
relating thereto; they hadn't occurred to me, however
I'm sure I shall be able to compose an instructive
little verse featuring them - I already have my rhyming
couplet: yawn and fawn.

The funny names are a delight Marian and Marian(a).
They would be perfect as characters in a humorous tale.
Keith

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 2:24 pm

Hello again, Jon.
I do not mean to flatter and fawn, however I couldn't
improve or even match your comments on the subject
of complaisant and complacent. So with my eternal thanks
and with your kind permission, I hope the following will be
suitable for inclusion in my mission to enlighten and entertain:

ADJECTIVAL AFFINITIES

'She was respectful and complaisant,
even to servility; she attempted to flatter and fawn.'
Should Anne Bronte be complacent about her own words
reading them would perhaps be a yawn.

Keith

Complaisant, dictionary definition: eager to please,
to comply with others' wishes. Complacent: self-satisfied,
unconcerned. Compliance is closely related to complaisance;
however it (compliance) conveys docile submissiveness
rather than a desire to please. (The quoted text is taken
from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.)

PS If a publisher agrees to publish this stuff,
the drinks are on me.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:50 pm

I don't think I was ever aware of the word Complaisant before, but I can see the difference in the meaning from Complacent now.
Does Compliant have a similar meaning?
Marian

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 10:01 pm

You are right, Marian, compliant belongs in the trio
of adjectives that includes complaisant and complacent.
It is more closely related to complaisant; however
compliance conveys a docile submissiveness rather than
a desire to please. I think I should add a note that effect in
my piece. Many thanks - this erudite forum is proving
to be a boon to my literary endeavours.
Keith

jon · Post by **jon** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:13 pm

Another interesting pair of words which are often mixed up are COMPULSION and COMPUNCTION.

COMPULSION = a strong, irrational impulse

COMPUNCTION = regret, remorse, uneasiness of conscience.

There is a debate at the moment as to whether lads' mags are a good or bad thing, and a male contributor to the BBC forum has said, "I have never had a compunction to read lads' mags". No, but I bet he's had a compulsion!

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:24 pm

Thanks, Jon, for the interesting pair of abstract nouns,
especially for the humorous presentation.
I feel an irresistible compulsion to adapt your ideas;
however, I do not do so without a twinge or two of
compunction. I hope you don't mind. I have emended
the title of the piece based on your previous homophones,
thanks to Marian's pertinent addition of compliance.
Keith

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:10 am

Of my earlier pronouncements on the subject
of punctuation, one small point (three actually) remains
unclarified.

EERILY ELLIPTICAL

Just when you think you have put a particular
textual rule to bed,
up pops a nightmare exception that means
retiring to the study instead.
The punctuation ellipsis is an example,
a sleep-depriving case:
where dreamers full point, exclamation and question mark
et al cuddle the sentence-end,
those three dots stay aloof by one space,
less needful of a close friend.

Keith

'There is a tide in the affairs of men ...'

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:58 pm

SHORT and SOUR

When what the linguist uttered
was curtailed yet incisive
he was being laconic;
but when what he muttered
was scornful and derisive
he was being sardonic.

Keith Good

jon · Post by **jon** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:19 pm

A lecturer from Buckingham New University (where is that, I ask myself; I have never heard of it before) sparked controversy last week by saying thart commonly mis-spelt words should be accepted as part of the language, e.g. 'arguement' for 'argument'. Can't say I agree. And his comments are perhaps more of a reflection of the low calibre of his students.