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-Short Attention Span Theater-
From the Grammar Department
2010-08-26
Not that I have ever committed any of these heinous violations .... :-)
Posted by:gorb

#10  Thanks, Moose, here's a bit more on Babble!

It's a shame the source was never opened.
Posted by: KBK   2010-08-26 22:08  

#9  "You never mean: Could care less

You always mean: Couldn't care less"

Not necessarily.

"Why: You want to say you care so little already that you couldn't possibly care any less."

No, sometimes I want to say that I could care less if I put my mind to it, but the subject of my not caring isn't worth the extra effort.

/pedant
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2010-08-26 19:23  

#8  hmm... I tried to post Pak.pl or Pakiwakiland.perl but it caused a syntax error in the burg parser....

If anybody want's it send me e-mail at my normal address.


Posted by: Water Modem   2010-08-26 17:48  

#7  In 1991, there was a wonderful DOS program called "Babble" (v2.0), from a now defunct company, that would take text input from several sources and rearrange it into random output.

It also had modes by which the output could be modified, such as Elmer Fudd, Jive, Swedish Chef, etc., that are still in use today in other such programs.

The end result was hypnotic. Very rarely would it produce grammatically correct sentences, since grammar editors had not been invented yet, but it could be set up to blend sources such as Harold Robbins, the Koran, Monty Python, Das Kapital, and the Democratic Party Platform to produce wonderfully insane output.

One time, in a particularly poetic blend with several sources, the end result, with minimal editing and formatting, produced almost Biblical verse. While utter nonsense, it would put the mind into a confused, auto-pilot mode, where you would start to see non-existent plot lines, etc.

"You are in the way. Having alluded to the disuse of sin, we stand ready to receive you who are generally deaf; why do more stairs remain to change our economic work in the world? Therefore we cannot tell whether it is in creative new ideas, from the abominable sand, faith, or glory. The animals are arising for me, the unclean one is but another sacrifice."

Crap like that. Marvelous stuff. I will long wonder what would have happened had it continued in development, now being something like v21.0.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2010-08-26 17:17  

#6  
Yesss! My pet peeve finally explained clearly.

You might say: Bring
You might mean: Take
Why: The choice depends on your point of view. Use bring when you want to show motion toward you ("Bring the dog treats over here, please"). Use take to show motion in the opposite direction ("I have to take Rufus to the vet").


You bring things here and take them there, got it everyone?
Posted by: Parabellum   2010-08-26 17:16  

#5  Procopius2k - de puh'l language "jive" filtuh duz some baaaad job on it fo' yo' purposes BUT... it would definitely git de site shut down. What it is, Mama!...

Sorry couldn't resist running that comment through jive. And no valspeak anymore :(.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2010-08-26 15:50  

#4  I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned.
.
Posted by: OregonGuy   2010-08-26 15:01  

#3  Procopius2k - the perl language "jive" filter does a good job on it for your purposes BUT... it would definitely get the site shut down....
Posted by: Water Modem   2010-08-26 14:45  

#2  Is there an Ebonics translation? The DEA may need it.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-08-26 13:59  

#1  "I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned you."
Posted by: mojo   2010-08-26 13:13  

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