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

RE: several postings on the subject of:
>> I just came by to fix the subject line for you <<

How about the League of Anti-Nazi Grammarians (LoA-NG).
AS in

Aulde LoA-NG Zine.

~jwf~

"Michael Rosen's point[...] is that apostrophes *may* die out because of smartphones "

Then Michael Rosen exposes himself as a man pronouncing on something of which he demonstrably has no knowledge. He can't, for instance, have ever used an iPhone. Either that, or he's already forgotten what happens when you type "Im" when sending a text message. It PUTS APOSTROPHES IN FOR YOU.

Far from dying out, I'd say smartphones might go some way to teaching people where they're *supposed* to go.

What Michael Rosen actually said:

"And again,meanwhile, in the explosion of the written word with texting, blogging, forums, chat rooms and the like, people are making up their own rules, they're testing each other's tolerance of what's acceptable and what isn't. Hundreds of new abbreviations are coming in and, I notice, the apostrophe is losing out. It's becoming fiddly to bung in an apostrophe as you're thumbing away on your mobile or whatever.
So, my guess is that, the usage of the apostrophe is slipping away. "

So he feels usage of the apostrophe is slipping away because of the way people behave in *all* modern communication. Yes, he's wrong in the particular case of the capabilities of mobiles, but his general point is not limited to phones.

I'm one of those people who makes sure I do put apostrophes and other grammar in text messages it doesn;t take much longer to do...

obviously when I'm typing on here apostrophes tend to turn into semi-colons as I just can't seem to always nail the right key after all these years.

The Now Show on R4 last nigh mentioned some stuff Starbucks is doing in the UK...like asking customers their names...just give me the coffee...

They also mentioned that Starbucks are trying to show how environmentally friendly they are...have they fail on their grammar:

http://www.grammar-monster.com/grammar_court/starbucks_less_napkins.htm

First of all: How about 'Groaning At Non-Judicious Acronyms' GANJA?

Second of all: Are Americans the only ones to say "Second of all..."?

Third of all: Does anyone say "Third of all..."?

SoRB?

>>Then Michael Rosen exposes himself as a man pronouncing on something of which he demonstrably has no knowledge.

Do you understand the word 'may'?

Sheesh, you're determined to trash people with your superior knowledge, irrespective of whether you've understood what they're actually saying.

Meant to add...in the link, yes he gives phones as *one example*. He also mentions 'Waterstones' which is not to do with phones.

You've read what you were criticising, right?

>>Third of all: Does anyone say "Third of all..."?

Old cartoon...Two Cambridge dons talking:

'And nineteenthly...'

Alfster:

>>They also mentioned that Starbucks are trying to show how environmentally friendly they are...have they fail on their grammar:


That got approval from the audience. Obviously less/fewer is popular with intellectual snobs. Why? Simply Schadenfreude because it's the hated Starbucks? Or something more?

I somewhat agree with the idea that corporations should not suborn our personal sphere (by pretending to be friends). But am I being stupid? They want to write our names on our cups. Isn't this just a convenient way to tell whose drink is whose? And better than being treated as a number?

And is it remotely acceptable to humiliate someone in public by calling him an 'ar5ewipe' when he's just doing his job?

Ed



Well, I think anyone who can't tell whose drink is whose really has more problems than just having to have their name stuck on to identify it.

Humanity as survived this long drinking in cafes etc with plain old anonymous cups...maybe Starbucks has seen an increase in customers being totally confused over which cup they should be drinking out of.

What next...putting our names in the back of our coats?

As for better than being treated like a number...I can't remember being treated as such in a coffee shop....even in Portmerion...

Ed



I don;t know...working in a Starbucks must be humiliating enough.

Wasn't the person saying their name was ar5ewipe?

"They [Starbucks] want to write our names on our cups. Isn't this just a convenient way to tell whose drink is whose? And better than being treated as a number?"

This must be a recent initiative they've started. I know I'm drifting off-topic here, but I had a weird experience with this the other day. I went in very early in the morning, and I was the only person in the shop. I ordered, he asked me my name to write on the cup (which puzzled me a bit).

So then he made the coffee, walked two feet along the counter to the serving hatch bit at the end, and despite me standing right in front of him, he shouted across the empty shop "TALL AMERICANO TO GO FOR KB!"

As I said, off-topic. But I found it very odd and fascinating behaviour.

>>That got approval from the audience. Obviously less/fewer is popular with intellectual snobs. Why? Simply Schadenfreude because it's the hated Starbucks? Or something more?

Perhaps there were mixed reasons why the audience approved; in addition to the snob-response, some may have recognised it as a laughably radio4 thing for Jon Holmes to suggest.

KB - I think just shows either the iron-fist of Starbucks over its employees and that the employee had been told to do the same script everytime no matter what or that the certain employee didn't have the gumption to realise that all they needed to do was say 'Here you are.'

Back on topic...

Save the apostrophe !

Otherwise, how can I feel superior to greengrocers ?

Indeed, we need something over those people who 'really know their onions'.

Yup. I think we've got to the nub. Pedantry is all about giving people an unwarranted feeling of superiority. Fair enough - so long as pedants recognise what they're doing for what it is. They'd want to be accurate, after all.

What about people who know they're bananas.

I think, on balance, that Starbucks can feck off. It's bad enough having ads on TV telling me that Dettol wants to be my friend. (on Facebook.) But don't blame the wage slaves! We all have to sell our bodies.

Fun can be had, perhaps, by giving implausible names for the jollity of both parties in the transaction. 'Grande skinny latte for Scorpion de Rooftrouser.' Especially if you are also kneeling down and wearing a false red beard.*




* This is a reference to something.

(piping up from the back of the crowd)

"what is it a reference to?"