Grammar cop alert: home-and-home
- Thread starter Bamagator
- Start date
Several ways to look at it.
American English vs. British English: If it's American football, the Crimson Tide is a successful team. If it's British football, Manchester United are a popular team.
One unit vs. collection of individuals: The committee has decided. The committee have argued among themselves.
In the case of American sports teams, the UA team self-identifies as a single unit (not a collection of individuals): The Crimson Tide (is). So does Stanford: The Cardinal (is). Most American sports teams, however, self-identify as a collection of individuals. The Bulldogs (are). The Tigers (are).
Bottom line: with collective nouns, there's really no right or wrong, but there are regionally determined standard practices, and within those standard practices, context is everything. Is emphasis on the collection as a unit, or is emphasis on the individuals that make up the collection?
American English vs. British English: If it's American football, the Crimson Tide is a successful team. If it's British football, Manchester United are a popular team.
One unit vs. collection of individuals: The committee has decided. The committee have argued among themselves.
In the case of American sports teams, the UA team self-identifies as a single unit (not a collection of individuals): The Crimson Tide (is). So does Stanford: The Cardinal (is). Most American sports teams, however, self-identify as a collection of individuals. The Bulldogs (are). The Tigers (are).
Bottom line: with collective nouns, there's really no right or wrong, but there are regionally determined standard practices, and within those standard practices, context is everything. Is emphasis on the collection as a unit, or is emphasis on the individuals that make up the collection?
Help me get this straight. If I'm "home-and-home", that means I'm at home but probably in the dog house but if I'm home-and-away, that means I'm stuck in a motel somewhere (like tonite)?
On that note- is 'tonite' grammeratomically correct?
On that note- is 'tonite' grammeratomically correct?
So when you go to the bathroom, do you say you take one?
Or that you leave one?
When you look at the sunset, do you say it's a great "earth revolution?"
What about when Gary Danielson says, "Verne, (fill in the blank with team name) came to play."
Well what do you think they came for? A florist competition? Synchronized swimming?
Why do people say stand up when if you're standing you're ALREADY up?
And my personal favorite - why do they call it a near miss in the aircraft when it's actually a near HIT? A collision is a near miss (with apologies to George Carlin).
Or that you leave one?
When you look at the sunset, do you say it's a great "earth revolution?"
What about when Gary Danielson says, "Verne, (fill in the blank with team name) came to play."
Well what do you think they came for? A florist competition? Synchronized swimming?
Why do people say stand up when if you're standing you're ALREADY up?
And my personal favorite - why do they call it a near miss in the aircraft when it's actually a near HIT? A collision is a near miss (with apologies to George Carlin).
Throw all this into the circular file when Arky and A&M-Kingsville sign a contract. They'll have a ham-and-ham series.
thank you for actually noticing that one. people use that nonword all the time and drives me crazy.You're just piling on, King...
Not sure what it says about me that I did notice, King...
Perhaps I should talk to my doctor about it... :smile:
Mind you, I was schooled by nuns and Jesuit priests, so you can well imagine how spelling, grammar, etc. were drummed into my head...
....and while we are into this, my pet peeve is that no sportcasters seem to know how to describe a person from a particular nation. They say "France footballer instead of French footballer or perhaps a footballer from France.
I believe journalism schools all over the world got together and realized they were not smart enough to know the word used to describe a person from a particular nation. For example, a person from the Ivory Coast is an Ivorian. A person from England is English.
OK I'll stop now.
I believe journalism schools all over the world got together and realized they were not smart enough to know the word used to describe a person from a particular nation. For example, a person from the Ivory Coast is an Ivorian. A person from England is English.
OK I'll stop now.
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And years ago a mop-topped lad named Lennon trying out new lyrics on Bertie Russell was a Liverpudlian Beatle to a Cantabrigian don...
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Wow...2 1/2 years over there and I evidently didn't learn anything...I thought a person (guy)from England was a bloke...:wink:
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