18.273 complaints about grammar

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 18, No. 273.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                        www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                     Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu

         Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 10:05:54 +0100
         From: Ed Finegan <Finegan_at_usc.edu>
         Subject: Re: 18.266 complaints about grammar worth the candle?

Just between you and I and all the rest of us, it probably ain't worth a
line unless you wanna seriously tackle language variation and change.

Here is the usage note from the latest Merriam-Webster collegiate:
"For both transitive and intransitive senses 1b the past and past
participle hung, as well as hanged, is standard. Hanged is most appropriate
for official executions *he was to be hanged, cut down whilst still
aliveTand his bowels torn out — Louis Allen* but hung is also used *gave
orders that she should be hung — Peter Quennell*. Hung is more appropriate
for less formal hangings *by morning I'll be hung in effigy — Ronald Reagan*."

Ed Finegan
USC College
University of Southern California

Humanist Discussion Group (by way of Willard McCarty ) wrote:

> Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 18, No. 266.
> Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
> www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
> www.princeton.edu/humanist/
> Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu
>
> Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 07:48:50 +0100
> From: "Jim Marchand" <marchand_at_uiuc.edu>
> >I have just been reviewing (looking at) a scholarly book, mainly
>translations. It has such items as: He had him hung. I know this is bad
>grammar, at least from the perspective of the old days. The author seems to
>have the same point of view, since he says elsewhere He had him hanged.
>Just between you and I, am I being too finicky (or is that finicking?) when
>I complain about such things? Is it worth a line?
Received on Fri Oct 08 2004 - 05:18:16 EDT