Merry Generic Winter Day-Off With No Religious Content

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Cletus Miller
Not that this doesn't make my head hurt, but I think that this is, in some cases, a Midwestern-ism. I know many people (midwesterners all) who do read quite a lot who will refer to, for example, Nordstrom as "Nordstrom's" (I presume the ', to maintain some bit of sanity on the subject). I believe that it results from a feeling that all stores that seem to contain a person's name should take a possessive form--e.g. Marshall Field(proper name)= Marshall Field's.

It is Midwetern thing, particularly strong in Chicago. Meet me over by the Jewel's on Western at Ashland and I'll explain it to ya.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by ABBAKiss
I thought I would grace you with the latest from the hot 22-year old:

i stayed up late last night doing coke. i wish you were around to talk to. what is the time difference from portland to minnesota. i think you get all me text messages way to late. not a whole lot is going on right now, thats why i REALLY want to go to vegas. is there any way that you can get me out there!?
I have a new job at a pizzeria with mostly mexican workers there cool, and i can practice my sp[anish. im almost done with school, and just working hard at all of it. Send me some porn pictures. ok talk to you later.

andrew

I LOVE GETTING EMAILS FROM HIM!!!!!!!!

I think you should find a way to get him to Vegas. Or maybe not.

[Fugee]

Originally posted by nononono
It's both. :-( And this particular person is always in front of people, making pitches, presentations, etc. Engaging person, but you just know this stuff, if the listener hears it enough to realize it wasn't just a slip of the tongue, is going to be less-than-helpful in establishing credibility.

If it's more than a few mistakes, you may need to buy the person---

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed (amusing examples and illustrations) or Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English .

[Cletus Miller]

Originally posted by nononono
I get that, and I've sort of kind of gotten mostly over my irritation with that particular thing (hell, even Truman Capote did it to Tiffany & Co.). But it truly does make my head hurt to realize that people don't actually understand what they are saying so much of the time. I mean - changing Finelli & Sons (a revamped name of a restaurant here) to Finellis & Sons?? I could understand (if not endorse) "Finelli's," but.

I'm over it, simply from saturation. You're exactly right that people don't realize that they are making a mistake adding the ess--when I used to care, any time I pointed it out I got the "that's what I said".

As to Finelli, one would likely point out that they need to differentiate "Finellis & Sons" from the other "Finellis" enterprises.

The all-too-common misuse that gets me lately is "try and" as in "I will try and deliver that to you tomorrow".

[Bad_Rich_Chic]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Very interesting. Your answer to my disagreement with you is to attempt to try to pull me back into your world of the "well-mannered" gentry, where only you (and maybe Not Bob) live. I don't think so.

To be sure, few people walk around asking others to correct them. But for those of us comfortable with being told that they are making a mistake, pointing something out is as welcome as a friend privately telling you to scrape the spinach off of your teeth.

Well, that's in no small party what good manners are for - preventing people who are comfortable with intrusiveness among a consenting group of friends from inflicting that intrusiveness on non-consenting acquaintances. How do you know which I am in unless I tell you (i.e.: ask for your correction)?

Now, if you'll excuse me, Not Bob and I have a Cotillion to attend -

[ABBAKiss]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I think you should find a way to get him to Vegas. Or maybe not.

We would for sure be set up with all the coke and opium we want! But I suspect it would be awkward since there is a different tall dark and handsome I plan to see out there -- this one is actually LITERATE!!!!!

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Most of that sort of stuff can be totally unconscious. It was pointed out to me recently that I say "It's interesting that... " or "It's funny that..." before sentences that should be interesting or funny without don't need the intro alot. It's apparently only in speech. I rarely do it in writing. I'm a little more aware of it now, but I had absolutely no idea it was a verbal tic that annoys the crap out of people (or at least the person who pointed it out to me) until it was brought to my attention. I've since tried to work on it, but I often forget about it.

It's funny you should say that. To be perfectly honest, I've never encountered that.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Mr. Man
Agreed. By far the one I have seen most is Ruth's Chris Steak House (a la "Ruth Chris's"). Ruth Fertel bought the Chris Steak House and kept the name for branding purposes.

I allow an exception for names this stupid, though. If you have to contort your mouth into a pretzel-shape in order to pronounce it, call it whatever the hell you want.

TM

[dtb]

Originally posted by nononono
I get that, and I've sort of kind of gotten mostly over my irritation with that particular thing (hell, even Truman Capote did it to Tiffany & Co.). But it truly does make my head hurt to realize that people don't actually understand what they are saying so much of the time. I mean - changing Finelli & Sons (a revamped name of a restaurant here) to Finellis & Sons?? I could understand (if not endorse) "Finelli's," but.

There's a diner not far from my house called the Collins Diner. However, the sign says "Collin's Diner". I realize that perhaps there is a guy called Collin and it's his diner, but I doubt it.

I say "AAAAAARRGH" every time I pass. My kids anticipate it right after we cross the railroad tracks (to the wrong side of the tracks, of course).

[Adder]

Originally posted by Mr. Man
Agreed. By far the one I have seen most is Ruth's Chris Steak House (a la "Ruth Chris's"). Ruth Fertel bought the Chris Steak House and kept the name for branding purposes. Nordstrom comes in second in my informal poll, followed by Brook"s" Mays (industry-specific however).

Right, but any modification of Ruth's Chris should be excused as it is perhaps the stupidest business name ever created. Okay, second stupidest after Fifth Third Bank.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
I always assume that it's an unconscious cue that the next phrase is, in fact, not honest, rather than whatever else was said.

The last time I clearly remember telling someone "I honestly..." it was in fact not honest; I was lying.

Another favorite is "Paranthetically, [insert short deviation here]." A boss used to say that all the time. I had to hold myself back from saying "Thanks, otherwise, I'd have never gleaned an aside was coming, as my body langauge and conversational nuance sensors were destroyed in a childhood sledding accident."

[Cletus Miller]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Western at Ashland

??? Have you been to Chicago?

[SlaveNoMore]

ABBAKiss
I thought I would grace you with the latest from the hot 22-year old:

i stayed up late last night doing coke. i wish you were around to talk to. what is the time difference from portland to minnesota. i think you get all me text messages way to late. not a whole lot is going on right now, thats why i REALLY want to go to vegas. is there any way that you can get me out there!?
I have a new job at a pizzeria with mostly mexican workers there cool, and i can practice my sp[anish. im almost done with school, and just working hard at all of it. Send me some porn pictures. ok talk to you later.

andrew

I LOVE GETTING EMAILS FROM HIM!!!!!!!!

Does he make the pizzas?

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
And d, Vernors (isn't it Vernor's? Ironic?) and vanilla ice cream is a Boston Cooler, not a Vernors float. Was this rude, or helpful?

Neither rude nor helpful. Just quaintly provincial. And wrong.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Adder
Fifth Third Bank.

That's just litrall. Much better then Ruth's Chris.