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C C Writer's avatar

Over on the mothership, apparently this morning's edition is full of boo-boos that would have Edith "Edit" Burton shaking her head. I didn't spend time trying to find them, but jumped in on a discussion others had already started. Cynthia was referenced in that connection, of course. I posted a remark about Edith needing to take charge. Separately I contributed to a discussion about "hopefully" by posting what Bryan A. Garner has to say about it. I don't mind when the whippersnappers discuss what they think the rules are, but I'd like them to come away with the understanding that there are actual style guides in the world of editing, and the compilers of those guides have already considered many of these issues and pronounced upon them in detail.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Speaking of boo-boos, I just got an email from the vet's office (former vet, being as how all our pets have died), which began, "Thank you for taking great care of your pet's during this unusually hot weather!"

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C C Writer's avatar

Perhaps they meant to include the word "pelage" after "pet's" and before "during."

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CynthiaW's avatar

I think they just meant "more than one pet" ;-).

Good use of pelage.

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IncognitoG's avatar

“How kind of you to think of u’s.”

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CynthiaW's avatar

My understanding is that "Hopefully" means an action "in a hope-filled way" - "I listened hopefully to my doctor's explanation of my condition." - rather than "I hope that ..." whatever follows.

The Dispatch knows how to reach me if they ever want to offer the Very Reasonable Hourly Wage to fix their typso, comma chaos, homophone howlers, etc.

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C C Writer's avatar

Here's what I wrote:

"Garner's Modern English Usage gives it a 4 on the Language Change Index: 'Ubiquitous, but . . . ' Garner adds 'Though the controversy swirling aound the word has subsided, it is now a skunked term. Avoid it in all senses if you're concerned with your credibility: if you use it in the traditional way, many readers will think it odd; if you use it in the newish way, a few readers wiill tacitly tut-tut you.'"

(This should not be construed as setting a precedent for cross posting often.)

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CynthiaW's avatar

I think we all trust you to cross-post only in the most judicious fashion.

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C C Writer's avatar

Thank you. Though for me, it's more a matter of not spending too much time than one of netiquette.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Completely understandable.

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C C Writer's avatar

I should think so. A few on the mothership are asking if your change is a matter of subscription price, and learning that it's a matter of time and priorities. That should be understandable to them.

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IncognitoG's avatar

Yes.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Back from the Honda dealer. We drove both a Toyota Camry and a Honda Accord. D and F and I all agreed that we liked the Accord better by a solid margin. Its interior is big enough that, if Fang (who is 6'2") were sitting in the passenger seat, there would still be room for Epic behind him without hunching up.

Now I can do some more research into exactly what version of the Accord I want, and then, I go shopping with Drama Queen.

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LucyTrice's avatar

I have driven EXLs (2000 and 2006)and EXs (2016 and (2017). I much prefer the EXLs. The storage options were roomier, the electric seat adjustments adjusy in more dimensions and allow adjusting on the go during long stretches. The leather seats are just much easier to keep clean.

Also, the intermittent wiper settings on the EXL had greater variability than on the EXs.

Of course some of the may have changed in the past 8 (gulp) years.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Thank you, it could be helpful. I printed out a comparison chart of features for 2024 models. I actually don't prefer leather seats, but I'll accept them if the other features are what I prefer.

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C C Writer's avatar

I've been to the Tower of London and seen those ravens. (Or their ancestors, at any rate.)

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CynthiaW's avatar

So have I. The ones there in 1983 wouldn't be the same ones as today!

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C C Writer's avatar

They'd be the ancestors of the ones I saw in 1991.

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Phil H's avatar

Good morning from the Gulf. 80 degrees and sunny, with chance of showers later (With variation, the forecast here all week). We leave tomorrow to visit in-laws in Louisiana for a few days.

The mothership has an interesting (to me at least) article on the global oil market, and how OPEC, PR China and Donald Trump’s are impacting it.

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Kurt's avatar

"China's foreign trade continues to grow despite a contraction in trade with the United States. Data released by the General Administration of Customs on the 7th showed that in July, the total value of China's goods imports and exports reached 3.91 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.7%, accelerating by 1.5 percentage points compared to June and marking the highest growth rate this year."

Combine this with recently released studies showing 2/3's of global economic growth will be happening in Asia, China's backyard. The degree to which our economic "policy" ignores what's happening in the world is starting to put me off my feed.

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The original Optimum.net's avatar

"The ravens typically bring notice of future bad events. In one legend, Apollo sends a white raven to spy on one of Apollo’s girlfriends. When the raven reports that she is cheating, the anger of Apollo (also the sun god) scorches the bird’s feathers and turns him black."

So, Trump's firing of the BLS Commissioner has mythical origins.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Swing and a miss ...

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The original Optimum.net's avatar

But...but...but...it had everything!

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LucyTrice's avatar

It's rainin' rainin' rainin' here this mornin'. Rodney Dillard gets the point across:

https://youtu.be/ZGUJLny4gH8?si=aP2roR5IJI6jPrL_

I remember learning in a Bible study that, in the OT, some translations rendered "eagle" were more accurately understood as "raven." I don't remember why eagle was favored over raven but raven had more gravitas

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IncognitoG's avatar

Was looking at the etymology of “raven”. It is, surprisingly, closely related to “corvid” and “crow”. The (reconstructed) Indo-European root is a word for theft or plunder, so “raven” is directly related to words like “rob(ber)” and “rape” (in the older sense, which had less of a sexual connotation).

There was a lot of consonant reversals between the ancient root words and modern languages. But the Proto-Indo-European root is “kroh”, which retains the initial /k/ sound in “crow” and “corvid” (and “craven”—presumably). The /k/ sound is dropped in the Germanic strain of the linguistic evolution, giving us “raven” and the modern Germans “Rabe”. The consonant sounds /b/ and /v/ are close relatives, as are /v/ and /w/ sounds.

https://www.wordnik.com/words/raven

The American Heritage dictionary usually has good etymological work, but Wordnik apparently no longer, uh, “borrows” from it as much as it used to do…

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C C Writer's avatar

The plural of the German word "Rabe" is "Raben." I learned about this because when I was a child my father taught me a sort of nursery rhyme that he had learned from his grandfather, who spoke only German. It's about a rider who falls off his horse and into a ditch, where the "Raben" eat him. The recital of the rhyme is accompanied by a riding experience for the child sitting on the parent's knee, being bounced up and down; this could be traditional also. I assumed the bird was a robin, but later (after it became possible to find out all sorts of things online) I learned otherwise. I also know another German nursery rhyme involving a little bird, but that one is a friendly messenger.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Happy Thor's Day, everyone. My husband and I will be leaving this afternoon on an excursion to Congaree National Park, where we will be taking a kayak excursion tomorrow morning. The weather is supposed to be not stinkin' hot! We'll be back midday Saturday.

Meanwhile, the girl Boy Scouts and the van are going to Camp Daniel Boone, near Asheville, where they will also, it is said, enjoy some not-hot weather, frolicking in a stream, and some hiking. I already dropped the van and its key off with a leader, and Vlad, the Driving Brother, will take the Teengirl to her meeting tonight and the trip's departure tomorrow.

Vlad understands which side of his rent-free existence is buttered toast, so to speak. He's an extremely intelligent young man. Fang doesn't like to drive, and also, he's working tonight.

Depending on Events, I may take F and D with me to the Honda dealer this morning to test-drive an Accord. Since they are the most common passengers, it will be helpful to know what they think about riding in it.

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Kurt's avatar

"....frolicking in a stream..." I'm driving across the upper Midwest on our interstate system, periodically stopping at rest stops and becoming dismayed at the monstrous obesity of our species. This one guy...I thought I was witnessing a heart attack in process.

Frolicking in a stream is better.

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CynthiaW's avatar

And hiking in an Official Wilderness. They'll be fine. Last year at this camp, a couple of the Scouts were taking a walk during a break and accidently left the camp and found themselves in the Wilderness Area. They figured out their way back before search parties were sent out.

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C C Writer's avatar

I would hope Scouts would be good at finding their way in a wilderness area. It's not only part of the original meaning of the term (in the sense of going out to reconnoiter for information), but it's a traditional skill they at least used to encourage. Right?

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CynthiaW's avatar

Correct. They practice various "finding your way" skills.

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Kurt's avatar

That made me laugh. "Official Wilderness" That's kinda oxymoron-ical.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Designated by the state or the feds or someone.

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Kurt's avatar

Oh... Well then... It's got to be right. Someone is never wrong. :-)

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IncognitoG's avatar

Lovely weather for an outing if it’s anything like here. Sounds like good times!

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CynthiaW's avatar

My husband mentioned that the recent heavy rain may affect the kayak outing, but we won't know until whenever. We'll have a nice trip regardless. We're staying in an AirBnB, so I've been packing some food.

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