Comments on: The Bullshit (from the 9/10th of October) http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/ "A force for good", David Astle (DA) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:28:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: AS http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2707 AS Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:39:03 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2707 I'm still thinking "to the sticks" is a prepositional phrase that acts as an adverb rather than an adjective. I think "a train to the sticks" leaves out "going" or "that goes", much like we might say "a train home". Further, you can say "I'm running to the sticks" but not "I'm running to rural", which implies to me "to the sticks" is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb rather than an adjective. I’m still thinking “to the sticks” is a prepositional phrase that acts as an adverb rather than an adjective.

I think “a train to the sticks” leaves out “going” or “that goes”, much like we might say “a train home”.

Further, you can say “I’m running to the sticks” but not “I’m running to rural”, which implies to me “to the sticks” is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb rather than an adjective.

]]> By: TT http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2705 TT Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:50:58 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2705 I see now why DA sticks a question mark on so many clues. They get him out of all sorts of jail, semantics wise. I see now why DA sticks a question mark on so many clues. They get him out of all sorts of jail, semantics wise.

]]> By: NC http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2704 NC Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:38:38 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2704 I am sticking to my guns in maintaining that the phrase "to the sticks" can perform exactly the same function as an adjective, i.e. a noun modifier (rather than an adverb which is a verb modifier), as in "a rural train" = " a train to the sticks". I am sticking to my guns in maintaining that the phrase “to the sticks” can perform exactly the same function as an adjective, i.e. a noun modifier (rather than an adverb which is a verb modifier), as in “a rural train” = ” a train to the sticks”.

]]> By: AS http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2702 AS Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:43:27 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2702 Hmmm, you're right! "The sin of omission" makes "omission" a mass noun. And I'm beginning to lean to your way of thinking on 19A as bullshit too. Hmmm, you’re right!

“The sin of omission” makes “omission” a mass noun.

And I’m beginning to lean to your way of thinking on 19A as bullshit too.

]]> By: MF http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2701 MF Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:25:29 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2701 AS, i think you CAN say "i love omission", gramatically at least, whereas you cannot say "i love mistake" In fact, my OED says that omission can be a mass noun: "[mass noun] the action of excluding or leaving out someone or something" I am still confused with 19A though 'rural' is an adjective 'the sticks' is a noun alternatively, 'to the sticks' is an adverb, or perhaps a bucolic toast ("To the sticks!") AS, i think you CAN say “i love omission”, gramatically at least, whereas you cannot say “i love mistake”
In fact, my OED says that omission can be a mass noun:
“[mass noun] the action of excluding or leaving out someone or something”

I am still confused with 19A though
‘rural’ is an adjective
‘the sticks’ is a noun
alternatively, ‘to the sticks’ is an adverb, or perhaps a bucolic toast (“To the sticks!”)

]]> By: RB http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2700 RB Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:24:28 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2700 Sheesh! The discussion above sent me scurrying to Wikipedia to find out about mass vs count nouns. And now my brain is hurting! Up until now, I was comfortable with the thought that skipping could be a noun and omission certainly was a noun, so what's the problem? Now I find I have to consider mass vs count! Help!! I'll just make an observation about MF's last example. You can say "the room contains no chairs" or "the room contains no chair". Does this mean "chair" is a mass noun in the latter case? Sheesh! The discussion above sent me scurrying to Wikipedia to find out about mass vs count nouns. And now my brain is hurting! Up until now, I was comfortable with the thought that skipping could be a noun and omission certainly was a noun, so what’s the problem? Now I find I have to consider mass vs count! Help!!

I’ll just make an observation about MF’s last example. You can say “the room contains no chairs” or “the room contains no chair”. Does this mean “chair” is a mass noun in the latter case?

]]> By: AS http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2699 AS Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:56:11 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2699 English is a slippery beast, and I think that's a slippery example. The sentence's pithiness I think glides over what grammatical rules would normally apply. I could say, for instance, "Perfection admits of no mistake", but "mistake" is definitely not a mass noun. You can't say "I love mistake" or "I love omission" as you can "I like skipping", or even "I love chicken" ("chicken" can be act as either mass or count noun), so I would attribute the soundness of "Perfection admits of no mistake" and other expressions of similar ilk to poetic licence rather than grammatical multiplicity. English is a slippery beast, and I think that’s a slippery example.

The sentence’s pithiness I think glides over what grammatical rules would normally apply.

I could say, for instance, “Perfection admits of no mistake”, but “mistake” is definitely not a mass noun.

You can’t say “I love mistake” or “I love omission” as you can “I like skipping”, or even “I love chicken” (“chicken” can be act as either mass or count noun), so I would attribute the soundness of “Perfection admits of no mistake” and other expressions of similar ilk to poetic licence rather than grammatical multiplicity.

]]> By: MF http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2696 MF Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:31:37 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2696 "Completeness demands no omission(s)" this sentence works whether the 's' is there or not. if it is there, then it works as a count noun, if it is not, it works as a mass noun “Completeness demands no omission(s)”

this sentence works whether the ‘s’ is there or not. if it is there, then it works as a count noun, if it is not, it works as a mass noun

]]> By: AS http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2695 AS Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:51:24 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2695 How can omission be a mass noun? How can omission be a mass noun?

]]> By: MF http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2694 MF Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:48:31 +0000 http://datrippers.com/2009/10/12/the-bullshit-from-the-910th-of-october/#comment-2694 this issue caused me to query 22a in the comments of the post two back, as i figured yes, skipping is a mass noun, omission is a count noun. but then i realised that omission can be a mass noun as well. so i have no problem with it. 19A on the other hand... (i'm not swayed by the comments on the post two back thus far...) this issue caused me to query 22a in the comments of the post two back, as i figured yes, skipping is a mass noun, omission is a count noun. but then i realised that omission can be a mass noun as well. so i have no problem with it.

19A on the other hand…
(i’m not swayed by the comments on the post two back thus far…)

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