Use and abuse. Oh, and prejudice

Tsk. Should be ‘inasmuch as…’.

Just came across ‘but that’s part of the course’. TENL, anyone?

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Are the two constructions really interchangeable, though? It’s subtle, but I think there’s a difference between them. Mind you, I’m having trouble trying to define that difference - but I do feel that I would instinctually choose one or the other, depending on the context.

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I would tend to do it instinctively rather than instinctually…

And no, they are not interchangeable. One should not exist, the other has done for at least a century.

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As would I. I didn’t spot that. Feckin’ American predictive text.

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The poor dears can’t help having neologistic minds, I suppose.

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I think I am with joe on this one.

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It might be better if they learnt how to use existing words before trying to get creative.

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But I was thinking of for instance " And as much as I would like to speak in stronger sentences" – why the first as there? Come to that, why the And?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37840

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Joe I caused an American to re-evaluate the use of the word ancient

He blithely told me he lived in an ancient house as it was built in 1970

I told him I lived in a house that was a bit old as it pre-exists 1650

The poor dear was a bit surprised at my house pre dating his feckin country!

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My parents used to do that to my American friends when we visited; they lived in a cottage which had been in the parish records as the bakery (and was well away from the village green) in 14-something. Their eyes used to get very round.

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It’s great fun to do it to them - irresistible in fact!

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One of my favourite stories (sort of from your neck of the woods) was the American tourist who wondered why Bunratty Castle was built so close to the freeway [sic].

There’s a good chance they passed “Zero-Zero LA” en route

image

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Only if they were trying to find out for themselves exactly how far it actually IS to Tipperary …

(for edification of those not quite so local to these parts: Bunratty is on the Limerick to Galway route; Oola is on the Limerick to Waterford route, which passes through Tipperary, not that far at all at all from yer actual Tipperary town)

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I’m thinking back to my gigging days, when I would regularly (as in several times a week!) drive from Clonmel to Limerick, Shannon, Ennis and points west. Oola was on the way.

(As it was for many American tourists - the stop before Bunratty was usually Cashel)

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Ooh, Clonmel

That was always a good day out

Carinthia.xx,

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Today I awoke to a new and interesting word-usage.

“Chinese officials are not longer as respective of Jack Ma.”

I do not think that word now means what she thinks it means…

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From the assembly instructions for my new VHF/UHF antenna:

Do not have your family members or friends touch or come close to the antenna, unless they have realized its potential danger.

… in which case it’s presumably perfectly OK for them to subject themselves to 100 volt RF burns :wink:

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Enemies are just fine.

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I do like the ambiguity of “realized” in this context.

While “potential danger” would appear to be a case of inadvertent precision.

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Why is it “throw it out the window” instead of “throw it out of the window”, thinking of abuses of the Of?

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