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Pedants' corner

Now, this might just be me......

(65 Posts)
phoenix Thu 20-Apr-17 18:52:39

And if it is, feel free to say so (as if you wouldn't!)

I think that we have all seen the badly worded or spelled small ads, for example "chest of draws" or even "Black boys duffle coat" shock

But this was in an article in this week's North Devon Journal, under the heading "Photo ban handed to train traveller" :

"A court imposed the unusual ban after Edwin White took 3,000 photographs of mainly women on his mobile phone while on train journeys over a 10 month period"

Mainly women? What, they weren't entirely women? Just sort of partly women? Which parts?

OK, it's just me, isn't it.......blush

Elegran Sat 22-Apr-17 11:18:13

You put the plastic bison into the sink, Jayem, add some detergent (Fairy liquid, or other brand) fill up the bison with hot water, then wash the dishes, leaving them to dry on the draining board.

In a china or pyrex bison you can mix ingredients, or steam a suet pudding over a pan of water.

It is all in how you say/hear it. A washbison? A handbison?

inishowen Sat 22-Apr-17 11:20:25

Saw one on facebook the other day. "Caravan for sale, complete with horning". Made me laugh!

harrigran Sat 22-Apr-17 11:53:17

Must have had the caravan on safari, rhinos can be a nuisance grin

annifrance Sat 22-Apr-17 12:15:10

Might be the area for 'swinging' couples. Did anyone see the article about the campsites for swingers in France? Maybe this is just the job for anyone going to one of these for their summer hols.. (n.b. pedant double full stops.)

Teddy123 Sat 22-Apr-17 12:25:42

Hilarious!

jocork Sat 22-Apr-17 12:52:03

I'm a bit of a pedant too. Both my DC have on occasion corrected posts on facebook where friends have used superfluous apostrophes etc. On one occasion having done that, my daughter added "Sorry - raised by the grammar police". That's me that is!

Maranta Sat 22-Apr-17 13:33:39

I rarely laugh at the written word, but I did at this. Thank you all, I needed cheering up.

nannypiano Sat 22-Apr-17 13:33:47

What a very funny post ... we need more like this. Life is too serious. Thanks to you all for making me laugh so much.

sussexoldbag Sat 22-Apr-17 13:38:59

Jayem..bison, basin geddit?

Blinko Sat 22-Apr-17 14:07:02

I think Pedants Corner should be renamed Comics Corner...

Galen Sat 22-Apr-17 14:17:50

Rather like Enoch and Eli.
Eli met Enoch fishing in the cut. (Canal)
Caught owt?' 'E asks
A whale is the reply
What did you do with?
Threw it back in
Why?
Weren't no good
Why
Name spakes in it.

Galen Sat 22-Apr-17 14:18:34

Last line should be nae spakes in it

mysticgirlracer Sat 22-Apr-17 14:28:47

This has really brightened my day cannot stop laughingsmile

VIOLETTE Sat 22-Apr-17 16:17:10

Got it ! In these days of no gender allowed (all got to be transgender apparently !) he may have been photographing 3,000 would be women/men for research purposes .......to decide which gender to become Maybe he should've gone to either Specsavers or Thailand ...mind you, even that can be confusing as most of the ladyboys in Thailand are more female looking than the female gender (sorry, forgot there is no longer a definition between the two) .....

Since I live not far away from one of the 'naturist' camping sites in France maybe I'll do some research of my own ........grin

phoenix Sun 23-Apr-17 15:22:46

In the same local paper a while back was an ad for a flat to rent in Appledore, it said "would suit single person or small couple"

Do you think it might have been one of those weather house things?

Katek Sun 23-Apr-17 17:17:18

Reported WW2 newspaper headline:

"Eighth army push bottles up German rear"

I'm saying nothing.......

mcem Sun 23-Apr-17 17:56:16

A bit like Cpl Jones of Dad's Army then.

Katek Sun 23-Apr-17 18:57:32

"Don't tell 'em your name Pike!" Loved that programme.

annodomini Sun 23-Apr-17 19:16:59

During the last but one General Election, a local paper ran the headline: "Candidates grilled on bypass".

Smurf44 Mon 24-Apr-17 15:40:58

At the end of last term my GD and 3 other pupils each had to do a PowerPoint Presentation to various school dignatries on top of other work to gain a Baccalaureate. Fortunately all 4 reached the required level and the Head Mistress was so pleased with them she gave them a Headteachers Commendation Award (sic) badge at the end of term assembly - with not an apostrophe in sight! My DGD (13) was shocked to see the bad grammar when she looked at her badge at home. She casually mentioned it to 2 members of the English Department last week and they were horrified, to say the least! I believe an email of complaint has been sent by the Head of English, but as yet no corrected badge has been awarded! No wonder the apostrophe is disappearing!

Smurf44 Mon 24-Apr-17 15:45:44

Jocork - I must belong to the Grammar Police too and have raised DGD to notice such mistakes! Now she is 13 she regularly has to point out grammar mistakes to teachers in their work on the whiteboard or in handouts etc - not pupils' work! And this is a really good secondary school! ?

aquagran Sun 30-Apr-17 18:23:09

I bet she's popular!

annifrance Mon 01-May-17 16:22:24

I asked in another post - does anyone know when one should use while and whilst? always stumps me.

trisher Mon 01-May-17 20:16:32

Well these poor 'mainly women' who are "on train journeys over a 10 month period" have all my sympathy a few days a month are enough for most of us. However do they manage?

Marydoll Mon 01-May-17 20:19:39

Annefrance How about this for an explanation?
While and whilst mean the same when we use them as conjunctions. They both mean ‘during the time that something else happens’, or ‘in contrast with something else’. While is much more common than whilst, and whilst sounds more formal