Advance warning to all responsible New Zealand road users

Let us all know.

And someone will have to tape it for me.


Speaking of which, have you picked up that video from Cane yet?

 

Blimey. Older, I think.

 

This, I can say without fear of contradiction, will be lost on Blaney.

 

But if I had two brother who were born before me, the one born first
would be my "elder"? Or is it the other way round?

Anyone got a Fowler's kicking about?

 

No, but:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=25033&dict=CALD

elder
adjective
1 elder sister/brother/son/daughter a sister/brother/son/daughter who is
older than the other sister(s), brother(s), etc.

2 the elder the older person of two people:
Of the two brothers Harvey is the elder.

3 the elder used after someone's name to show that they are the older of
two people who have the same name, especially a father and son:
William Pitt the elder


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=25041&dict=CALD

eldest
adjective [before noun]
1 being the oldest of three or more people, especially within a family:
Her eldest child is nearly 14.

2 the eldest a person who is the oldest of three of more people:
He was the eldest of four kids.

 

Or eldest - both would be correct (depending on which comparison you
wish to make). In fact there are circumstances in which elder could be
used too..

English - don't you just love the consequences of stealing other
languages grammar and syntax?

Phil.

 

No it's not. 'less' is used for 'uncountables', 'fewer' for that which can
be counted. 'less money' but 'fewer people'. Just like those signs in
supermarket check-out queues, '10 items or less' are toe-curlingly wrong.

If I were a pedant, I'd point out your incorrect use of double quotation
marks. As I'm in the University library, and find it much more enjoyable
to look at 21-year-old totty, I shall demur.

 

<fx: post kept until this evening>

 

It is.

 

Oh no it won't.

 

Me too.
--
Please add "imo" to above post.
Champ
GSX-R 1000, GPz 750 turbo, ZX7RR Endurance Racer x 2
GYASB#0 BotToS#2 BOTAFO(T|F)#35 WG*#1 DFV#8
Team UKRM Racing : www.team-ukrm.com

 

I tend to that view as well, but with regrets sometimes that the
result is so clumsy. Nobody uses the subjunctive form any more, and
'whom' is a dead duck.

Ah, but that's me too - elegance, style, lucidity, clarity - all good
stuff, but without sounding pompous or archaic[1]. It's the balance
between these two ideas that is so difficult.

When I used to work as a writer, I would spend ages trying to write
'good American', sound idiomatic and still have no split infinitives,
for example.

[1] I don't hold myself up as an example, although I do try.

--
Marina Mayes - Reading, UK. To email me remove XX from my address
SR250 - on the road again. BOTAFOT12, BOD#2, BOTAFOS#2
KotLBOD#s, KotLBOTAFOS#s,IMC#2, Tart#10-19, SR#3
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I never give in to fear or blackmail; I always give in to temptation.
www.pericles.demon.co.uk
"You're a national treasure" - porl, 18.1.03

 

One of the Harry Potter characters - a poltergeist.

 

I'm indebted.
--
Please add "imo" to above post.
Champ
GSX-R 1000, GPz 750 turbo, ZX7RR Endurance Racer x 2
GYASB#0 BotToS#2 BOTAFO(T|F)#35 WG*#1 DFV#8
Team UKRM Racing : www.team-ukrm.com

 

wrong.

 

No, nom: the word was not at the beginning of a sentence, and so the
lowercase 'w' was quite correct. HTH.

 

^

Slip of the finger.

 

False. I'm fortunate in that my job allows me to earn a (modest) crust
doing something that interests me, and as such, I'm fully aware that rules
change, and that these changes can influence language itself. What I don't
agree to, however, is that any old Tom, Dick or Ben can murder the
language, and then in defence of his error, claim, 'someone else understood
me, and so my word now exists !'

 

Oh.

 

Fat chance Veggie, so don't hold your breath waiting.