AUTHORS' ANNEXE (English Language Discussions)

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:13 am

I heard something on the radio, that to me sounded totally wrong---

"Naomi Campbell pled guilty"

Shouldn't it be "She pleaded guilty" ??

I know with words like speed, and bleed, you can have sped, and bled---but pled sounds really odd.

Or am I mistaken.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 1:43 pm

Hi Mariana
Believe it or not, pled is used as the past tense
of plead in Scotland; I think it also holds good for
American English. Perhaps our good friend, Paul jh,
will 'plead' that case. Mariana, may I raise
(I nearly said 'bring up') the subject of confusing
gastronomic nouns, a titbit you and fellow forum members
may like to get their teeth into?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A gourmet chef is a composer of excellence,
a creator of culinary concertos
comprising several movements
and reaching crescendos
with mouthwatering main courses
of lean meat, fowl or fish.

A gourmand is a frequent performance attender,
an enthusiastic audience member
who self-indulgently glories
in each successive, succulent dish.

Keith

Gourmet, dictionary definition: a person with a fastidious
appreciation of food and wine. Gourmand: someone who
eats voraciously, a lover of good fare. (Women dutifully prepare
the bread-and-butter meals, pun intended. Menfolk tend
to play their part in the pots-and-pans symphony mainly
when the limelight beckons.)

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:07 pm

Thanks Keith for that explanation-I guess that does make sense, with all the Scottish announcers, and presenters on Radio 2. Funnily enough, Later on I heard the same report with "Pleaded"--it sounded much better!

Also, thanks for the Gourmet/Gourmand difference.

jon · Post by **jon** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:10 am

Taking up the culinary theme, "restaurant" is where one eats but "restaurateur" (minus the 'n') is one who owns/runs a restaurant. Funny, that.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:58 pm

Hi Jon, good to have you back with us; I know
you are a busy man. For rhyming reasons I referred
to the the gourmand as an 'attender'. However most writers
use the noun 'attendee' in such circ-umstances. I confess
to being a bit in the dark; can you shed some light on the
matter? Thanks.
Keith

jon · Post by **jon** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:00 am

Hi Keith

Interesting question. I guess the two are interchangeable as they both mean "one who attends". However, "he is a frequent attender" (as in your example) sounds more appropriate than "he is a frequent attendee", so "attendee" is perhaps more suitable for specific occasions (e.g."conference attendees"), while "attender" suggests more regular behaviour.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:46 am

Well done, Jon, I knew I could rely on you.
Yes, I thought the nouns may be interchangeable,
however I wasn't able to come up with the precise
distinction you kindly provided. (Distinction in more
ways than one.) Many thanks.
Keith

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:48 am

Priest: 'It being Easter, I now ask Mrs Brown
to lay an egg on the altar.'

THE BAFFLING BROTHERS

Hi my friends, my name is Lie,
my brother's name is Lay;
and sometimes folk are confused by
us both, one has to say.

Lay prepares the breakfast table,
lays down the law and wine;
hens lay and thereby enable
us to each morning dine.

Night is the time we lie down
like ships that lie at anchor
or like a sleepy county town
that lies close to another.

Lay is the past tense of lie,
past participle is lain;
heed this advice so Lay and I
won't confuse you again.

Keith

Note. Lay is a transitive verb,
i.e. one that takes an object.
Lie is intransitive. The past participle
of lay is laid.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:19 am

I remember this rhyme in a book from my childhood..
" I know six honest serving men
They taught me all I knew,
Their names are What and Where and When
and How and Why and Who."

Marian

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 12:36 pm

Nice one Marian, new to me.
I've just noticed that I have been contaminating
my capital PSs with superfluous dots; a case of
not practising what I preach. (I noticed Mariana
didn't make that mistake on a posting in the word
game; a 'well done' to her, I think.)
Keith

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:56 pm

I am being extra careful with my Grammar these days, Keith.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:14 pm

Hi Mariana
You know I love playing with words;
well, this addition to my fun family is
only minutes old:

DISMEMBERMENT

Take the little firebrand, hot,
give doomed aitch the guillotine chop,
tail off the tee with the glottal stop,
and what have you got?
O, not a lot.

Keith

Gray · Post by **Gray** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:59 am

I've just finished reading 'The Book What I Wrote' by Eddie Braben (script writer for Eric & Ernie).
It contains many a literary faux pas 'wriiten' by the critically aclaimed playwrite Ernie Wise.

You'd have a field day with this publication, Keith

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:45 pm

Thanks for that, Gray, it sounds like a fun read.
Is the title, The Book What I Wrote? The pronoun
is usually spelt, wot.
Keith

Gray · Post by **Gray** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:35 pm

What.
That's not a question, it's an answer