The Lexicographer's Dilemma

[nq:1]Interesting blook review in today's Washington Post: [/nq]
I wonder if it's true that "Dryden ... spent time sticking his split infinitives back together."

James

[nq:1]Interesting blook review in today's Washington Post: [/nq]
Why am I uncomfortable with: "... unless we're in love or just bought a motorcycle"?
And does 'instalment' have two 'l's in AmE? (consults dictionary) Ah, yes, I see it does.
Philip Eden

[nq:2]Interesting blook review in today's Washington Post: [/nq]
[nq:1]Why am I uncomfortable with: "... unless we're in love or just bought a motorcycle"? And does 'instalment' have two 'l's in AmE? (consults dictionary) Ah, yes, I see it does.[/nq]
Unless "installment" is a separate word rather than being "install" with a suffix, I'm surprised at the implication that BrE puts only one "

[nq:1]=A0 I wonder if it's true that "Dryden ... spent time sticking his split infinitives back together."[/nq]
It's not, and it's not what's in the book. Still, I'm happy for a high- profile review, especially a positive one, even if some details are wrong.
Jack Lynch

[nq:2]Why am I uncomfortable with: "... unless we're in love ... in AmE? (consults dictionary) Ah, yes, I see it does.[/nq]
[nq:1]Unless "installment" is a separate word rather than being "install" with a suffix, I'm surprised at the implication that BrE ... one of a terminal pair of consonants before adding a suffix, but someone will probably post a counterexample very soon.[/nq]
Ah, but

[nq:2]Interesting blook review in today's Washington Post: [/nq]
[nq:1]Why am I uncomfortable with: "... unless we're in love or just bought a motorcycle"?[/nq]
I think "bought" is the simple past, not the past participle, which may make it a little easier to take.

[nq:2]Unless "installment" is a separate word rather than being "install" ... suffix, but someone will probably post a counterexample very soon.[/nq]
[nq:1]Ah, but in BrE it is often (though not always) "instal" with a suffix.[/nq]
Like "instil" and "enrol" and other single/double L words.

The author of the book under review, Jack Lynch, is very nice. I think he may have posted he

[nq:2]Ah, but in BrE it is often (though not always) "instal" with a suffix.[/nq]
[nq:1]Like "instil" and "enrol" and other single/double L words. The author of the book under review, Jack Lynch, is very nice. I think he may have posted here long ago; what I remember for sure is that he kept a useful website.[/nq]
Hmmm. I had never noticed that. Does this apply with "ed" and "ing", too? "E

[nq:2]Why am I uncomfortable with: "... unless we're in love or just bought a motorcycle"?[/nq]
[nq:1]I think "bought" is the simple past, not the past participle, which may make it a little easier to take.[/nq]
To me that makes it harder to take. I can live with the fact that the author might have accidentally left out the "have". It's much harder to accept a simple past where the context

[nq:2]Like "instil" and "enrol" and other single/double L words. The ... remember for sure is that he kept a useful website.[/nq]
[nq:1]Hmmm. I had never noticed that. Does this apply with "ed" and "ing", too? "Enroled" looks like it should be the past tense of "enrole". If you got a part in a play, you would be enroled.[/nq]
Enrol -> enrolled in the past tense. The 'l' doubles to keep