0
Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Nothing about Piscataway, NJ
Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout line at Costco, I bought a copy of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves .
I was startled to see on page 1 a quite questionable use of the word "redundant". It referred to her quotation of a banner. In her words
"Come inside," it says, "for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's."
She calls the apostrophes in that banner "redundant". Something is redundant if it's superfluous, unnecessary, or excessive. Calling the apostrophes redundant implies that they're acceptable but not necessary. Actually, they're simply erroneous and not acceptable.
I wonder, too, about her comma after "inside". According to the British punctuation rules she says she follows, if the banner actually said "Come inside for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's", then the comma after "inside" is wrong: It should go after the quotation mark. The comma is correct only if the banner said "Come inside, for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's".
I choose to believe that the banner did not have the comma after "inside" and that her punctuation is not in accordance with the rules stated in the Oxford Style Manual .
I must say that I was pleased to see the comma after "DVD's". That's the one that's called the serial comma, or the Oxford comma. Elsewhere in the book, including in the title, she eschews it. Too bad.
I was startled to see on page 1 a quite questionable use of the word "redundant". It referred to her quotation of a banner. In her words
"Come inside," it says, "for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's."
She calls the apostrophes in that banner "redundant". Something is redundant if it's superfluous, unnecessary, or excessive. Calling the apostrophes redundant implies that they're acceptable but not necessary. Actually, they're simply erroneous and not acceptable.
I wonder, too, about her comma after "inside". According to the British punctuation rules she says she follows, if the banner actually said "Come inside for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's", then the comma after "inside" is wrong: It should go after the quotation mark. The comma is correct only if the banner said "Come inside, for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's".
I choose to believe that the banner did not have the comma after "inside" and that her punctuation is not in accordance with the rules stated in the Oxford Style Manual .
I must say that I was pleased to see the comma after "DVD's". That's the one that's called the serial comma, or the Oxford comma. Elsewhere in the book, including in the title, she eschews it. Too bad.
Top answer
[/nq] Too bad, Bob. com. [nq:1]I was startled to see on page 1 a quite questionable use of the word "redundant".
- [/nq] Too bad, Bob.
- com.
- [nq:1]I was startled to see on page 1 a quite questionable use of the word "redundant".
- It referred to her ...
- or excessive.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
87 Answers
0
Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004:
[nq:1]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout line at Costco, I bought a copy of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves .[/nq]
Too bad, Bob. You could have had it for 40% off (.50, down from $17.50) from Amazon.com.
[nq:1]I was startled to see on page 1 a quite questionable use of the word "redundant". It referred to her ... or ex
[nq:1]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout line at Costco, I bought a copy of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves .[/nq]
Too bad, Bob. You could have had it for 40% off (.50, down from $17.50) from Amazon.com.
[nq:1]I was startled to see on page 1 a quite questionable use of the word "redundant". It referred to her ... or ex
00
[nq:1]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout line at Costco, I bought a copy of Lynne Truss's ... referred to her quotation of a banner. In her words ... I wonder, too, about her comma after "inside" ..[/nq]
So much for the top book on the non-fiction best seller list. Next someone will be suggesting that "The Da Vinci Code" is trailer trash.
Is nothing sacred?
So much for the top book on the non-fiction best seller list. Next someone will be suggesting that "The Da Vinci Code" is trailer trash.
Is nothing sacred?
00
[nq:1]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout ... "Come inside," it says, "for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's."[/nq]
[nq:2]I wonder, too, about her comma after "inside". According to ... "inside" is wrong: It should go after the quotation mark.[/nq]
[nq:1]You bought a copy sold in the USA, I believe. It was probably
[nq:2]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout ... "Come inside," it says, "for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's."[/nq]
[nq:2]I wonder, too, about her comma after "inside". According to ... "inside" is wrong: It should go after the quotation mark.[/nq]
[nq:1]You bought a copy sold in the USA, I believe. It was probably
00
[nq:1]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout ... copy of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves .[/nq]
[nq:1]Too bad, Bob. You could have had it for 40% off (.50, down from $17.50) from Amazon.com.[/nq]
I bought it at Costco for .99.
Anyway, I was about to stand in line at Costco, and I needed something to read
[nq:2]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout ... copy of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves .[/nq]
[nq:1]Too bad, Bob. You could have had it for 40% off (.50, down from $17.50) from Amazon.com.[/nq]
I bought it at Costco for .99.
Anyway, I was about to stand in line at Costco, and I needed something to read
00
[nq:1]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout line at Costco, I bought a copy of Lynne Truss's ... the quotation mark. The comma is correct only if the banner said "Come inside, for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's".[/nq]
Huh? I've always seen the "pre-'X-said' comma" in BrE texts, old(1) or new. This sort of thing is perfectly standard punctuation:
"And this," she
Huh? I've always seen the "pre-'X-said' comma" in BrE texts, old(1) or new. This sort of thing is perfectly standard punctuation:
"And this," she
00
Matti Lamprhey wrote on 13 Jun 2004:
[nq:2]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004: You bought ... believe. It was probably altered for American readers, who would[/nq]
"not" should've been there, of course.
[nq:2]understand "Come inside", it says, "for ..."[/nq]
[nq:1]The UK edition is exactly as Bob quoted it. That comma inside the quotes is standard when the text is interrupted in t
[nq:2]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004: You bought ... believe. It was probably altered for American readers, who would[/nq]
"not" should've been there, of course.
[nq:2]understand "Come inside", it says, "for ..."[/nq]
[nq:1]The UK edition is exactly as Bob quoted it. That comma inside the quotes is standard when the text is interrupted in t
00
Bob Cunningham wrote on 13 Jun 2004:
[nq:2]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004: Too bad, Bob. You could have had it for 40% off (.50, down from $17.50) from Amazon.com.[/nq]
[nq:1]I bought it at Costco for .99.[/nq]
That's what I love about Costco.
[nq:1]Anyway, I was about to stand in line at Costco, and I needed something to read then and there: Buying from any other source was n
[nq:2]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004: Too bad, Bob. You could have had it for 40% off (.50, down from $17.50) from Amazon.com.[/nq]
[nq:1]I bought it at Costco for .99.[/nq]
That's what I love about Costco.
[nq:1]Anyway, I was about to stand in line at Costco, and I needed something to read then and there: Buying from any other source was n
00
[nq:1]Bob Cunningham wrote on 12 Jun 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]The comma is correct only if the banner said "Come ... book, including in the title, she eschews it. Too bad.[/nq]
[nq:1]She doesn't like it, and the one you see in the quoted banner was put in by an illiterate, so it should not be pleasing at all, only perplexing, I think. The writer obviously knew not what it had wrought.[/nq]
I f
[nq:2]The comma is correct only if the banner said "Come ... book, including in the title, she eschews it. Too bad.[/nq]
[nq:1]She doesn't like it, and the one you see in the quoted banner was put in by an illiterate, so it should not be pleasing at all, only perplexing, I think. The writer obviously knew not what it had wrought.[/nq]
I f
00
[nq:1]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout line at Costco, I bought a copy of Lynne Truss's ... referred to her quotation of a banner. In her words "Come inside," it says, "for CD's, VIDEO's, DVD's, and BOOK's."[/nq]
[nq:1]I must say that I was pleased to see the comma after "DVD's". That's the one that's called the serial comma, or the Oxford comma. Elsewhere in th
[nq:1]I must say that I was pleased to see the comma after "DVD's". That's the one that's called the serial comma, or the Oxford comma. Elsewhere in th
00
[nq:2]Needing something to read while standing in a long checkout ... ... I wonder, too, about her comma after "inside" ...[/nq]
[nq:1]. So much for the top book on the non-fiction best seller list. Next someone will be suggesting that "The Da Vinci Code" is trailer trash. Is nothing sacred?[/nq]
Yes, yes (or maybe "No, no"); but how should I pronounce "Piscataway"? I can do "Poughkeepsie"
[nq:1]. So much for the top book on the non-fiction best seller list. Next someone will be suggesting that "The Da Vinci Code" is trailer trash. Is nothing sacred?[/nq]
Yes, yes (or maybe "No, no"); but how should I pronounce "Piscataway"? I can do "Poughkeepsie"
0
Related Questions