h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, I know there are lost of people on this site who know quite a bit about English grammar, so this one goes out to all of you ...

Is 'soonest' a real word?

It's not in my dictionary, but then neither is 'longest'. My grammar dictionary goes into unhelpful definitions of adjectives and adverbs without giving a straight answer.

Gif

soon is one of thoes adverbs that can have sooner and soonest. You can't say "more soon" can you!?

not if you dont want to look dumb

unrelated grammar query

should it be 'drunk' or 'drunken' driving?

Why do we say ATM machines and PIN numbers?

It should be drunken driving. The driver is drunk, the driving is drunken.

We say PIN number because somebody in their wisdom decided to use PIN as an abbreviation for Personal Identification Number. Because PIN is already a word, we feel uncomfortable saying PIN on its own, so we add Number to it.

ATM Machine is slightly different. ATM is not a word, so there's no reason why you shouldn't just say "I got some money out of the ATM". I often do. But many people feel they should add "Machine" because they feel that ATM is not universally recognisable without it.

Both drunk and drunken are correct in this context according to the Penguin dictionary (look, it's all I have to hand, OK?)

PIN Number and ATM Machine are both tautologies, and thus are grammatically incorrect. It's like saying laser-light, ley-line, deadly assasin or potato crisp; you have repeated yourself by implication.

Gif

Another question

Is steepened a word? as in the decline steepened - MSWord says no but then MSWord tells me I can't spell my own surname (incidentally I can, but noone else can)

Steepened is a word, but "became steeper" is an acceptable alternative.

least said, soonest mended.

and I call it a Hole in the Wall. Or cash machine.

I suppose 'drunk driving' is a bit like people saying they are nauseous.

You might find the links here useful:
http://www.dictionary.com
It means you can stop bothering that penguin anyway.

"Lloyds TSB Bank" annoys me.

Here's some

"Lloyds TSB Bank"
ABS breaking
Dishonest politician
Political Blunder

You venture into the field of oxymorons
My Faves Microsoft Works and Henman Wins neither of which is, or is evr likely to be true

I was treading the thin line

I like that one "Microsoft works"

I think Microsoft would be better changing business and building vacuum cleaners. Because their products really suck

Orientate

People say "I need to orientate myself"

No non no no no

"I need to orient myself"

Going back to tthe original query, Fowler's Modern English Usage (not definitive, but always worth a visit) says that you can add comparative and superlative (-er and -est endings) to any adjective with one syllable. Two myyllables plus and you should use "more -" and "most -". It works as a good rule of thumb.

Clovis the pedantic cat

I know someone in PR who signs off from phonecalls and emails with 'Speak soonest'

here's a great oxymoron

military intelligence

Well if we're straying into pet hates and so forth, can I please nominate..

"We shall be using the standard methodology to develop this."

No, you will not, you might be using the standard method, but methodology is the study of methods. How it ever came to equate to method I do not know. Even worse, many dictionaries now seem to include this definition as well.

*grrrrr*

rant over, carry on....