Etymology is okay too. For example i looked up the origins of Wolverhampton, thinking is it really to do with wolves? Spoiler alert...it's not.
The city is named after Wulfrun, who founded the town in 985, from the Anglo-SaxonWulfrūnehēantūn ("Wulfrūn's high or principal enclosure or farm").[5][6][7] Before the Norman Conquest, the area's name appears only as variants of Heantune or Hamtun, the prefix Wulfrun or similar appearing in 1070 and thereafter.[6] Alternatively, the city may have earned its original name from Wulfereēantūn ("Wulfhere's high or principal enclosure or farm") after the Mercian King,[8] who according to tradition established an abbey in 659, though no evidence of an abbey has been found.[9] The variation Wolveren Hampton is seen in medieval records, e.g. in 1381.[10]
Wulfrun and Wulfric are Saxon first names meaning wolf speed and wolf rich respectively. So the etymological history is that Wolverhampton's naming is to do with wolves, if not an immediate direct relationship.
And as for Oxford Commas. Use them if you drink coffee, and tea. Not if your Coffey wastes time on grammar, billions on fraudulent social security payments, and then leaves for the NHS CO Grammar role.
One of the things that pisses me off about the Long Covid brain fog is that I'm so much more prone to typing homophones than I used to be. It's like my brain gets to the box labelled "words that sound like there", and just grabs the first one it sees, with no regard to whether it's actually the right one. (Entertainingly, I'm also much more prone to typos, so initially I was "typing homophobes"). It's one reason I only tend to nitpick when it changes the meaning of the sentence that's actively misleading, or just quite funny
One of the things that pisses me off about the Long Covid brain fog is that I'm so much more prone to typing homophones than I used to be. It's like my brain gets to the box labelled "words that sound like there", and just grabs the first one it sees, with no regard to whether it's actually the right one. (Entertainingly, I'm also much more prone to typos, so initially I was "typing homophobes"). It's one reason I only tend to nitpick when it changes the meaning of the sentence that's actively misleading, or just quite funny
Ali you could have just saved my self esteem there. I've noticed that I make loads more silly mistakes like that these days. I used to think it was old-age soppiness, or worse, setting in. Now I'm happy to blame covid.
One of the things that pisses me off about the Long Covid brain fog is that I'm so much more prone to typing homophones than I used to be. It's like my brain gets to the box labelled "words that sound like there", and just grabs the first one it sees, with no regard to whether it's actually the right one. (Entertainingly, I'm also much more prone to typos, so initially I was "typing homophobes"). It's one reason I only tend to nitpick when it changes the meaning of the sentence that's actively misleading, or just quite funny
Now that’s interesting, I’m suspected of suffering from long Covid mostly extreme fatigue, my written and spoken English have never been great, but it’s certainly deteriorated since I got over Covid and might have developed long covid, I put it down to being nearly 70, but I might kave got another excuse.
Grammar only exists because printing was invented and lack of order in language was anathema to the self important Latin and Greek scholars of the day.
And the rules of grammar, like not starting a sentence with “And”, were inventions of those scholars; the first self appointed grammar police.
Knowledge of the rules defined your superior status and set you apart from the uneducated unwashed majority.
If printing and books were developed by Geordies we might be following the Steve Bruce oral style who thought “we’re team played well today and you’s can see it on MOTD later”
I am sure you are correct. The written word is entirely different from the spoken one. My old job involved undertaking taped interviews. These usually had to be transcribed. What this process revealed is that while most of us write in sentences, very few people speak that way. Instead phrases, single words, head movements and hand gestures blend to provide a full story. Something that was entirely understandable when viewed/listened to was often close to gibberish in the written form.
As a by-product the transcription process, while boring and onerous, provided some light-hearted moments. My favourite was the typed-up version of what someone said in interview - "He was held in higher steam". (My second favourite - not a typo - was me saying "Excuse me but could you get your cat to stop hitting your Dobermann while it is lying across my lap?")
The problem with the spoken word is whether it’s intelligible or not. Ever hear Greg Stubley say the word ‘Charlton’? Makes Trevor Brooking sound like Laurence Olivier. Many people can make words all sound the same, like ‘fail’, ‘foul’, and ‘foal’. Quite amusing when you hear somebody say they ‘fouled’ their exams.
The problem with the spoken word is whether it’s intelligible or not. Ever hear Greg Stubley say the word ‘Charlton’? Makes Trevor Brooking sound like Laurence Olivier. Many people can make words all sound the same, like ‘fail’, ‘foul’, and ‘foal’. Quite amusing when you hear somebody say they ‘fouled’ their exams.
I did that a few years ago. Mind you, it was a colonoscopy.
Attention to word order can matter :- Sky runs a banner headline saying - ...the Palace have released a new picture of the Queen after being buried yesterday.
very ancient game of skill with 32 pieces, played by two on a checkered board of 64 squares, 13c., from Old French esches "chessmen," plural of eschec "game of chess, chessboard; checkmate" (see check (n.1)), from the key move of the game. Modern French distinguishes échec "check, blow, rebuff, defeat," from plural échecs "chess."
The original word for "chess" is Sanskrit chaturanga "four members of an army" -- elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers. This is preserved in Spanish ajedrez, from Arabic (al) shat-ranj, from Persian chatrang, from the Sanskrit word.
Attention to word order can matter :- Sky runs a banner headline saying - ...the Palace have released a new picture of the Queen after being buried yesterday.
very ancient game of skill with 32 pieces, played by two on a checkered board of 64 squares, 13c., from Old French esches "chessmen," plural of eschec "game of chess, chessboard; checkmate" (see check (n.1)), from the key move of the game. Modern French distinguishes échec "check, blow, rebuff, defeat," from plural échecs "chess."
The original word for "chess" is Sanskrit chaturanga "four members of an army" -- elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers. This is preserved in Spanish ajedrez, from Arabic (al) shat-ranj, from Persian chatrang, from the Sanskrit word.
very ancient game of skill with 32 pieces, played by two on a checkered board of 64 squares, 13c., from Old French esches "chessmen," plural of eschec "game of chess, chessboard; checkmate" (see check (n.1)), from the key move of the game. Modern French distinguishes échec "check, blow, rebuff, defeat," from plural échecs "chess."
The original word for "chess" is Sanskrit chaturanga "four members of an army" -- elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers. This is preserved in Spanish ajedrez, from Arabic (al) shat-ranj, from Persian chatrang, from the Sanskrit word.
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And as for Oxford Commas. Use them if you drink coffee, and tea. Not if your Coffey wastes time on grammar, billions on fraudulent social security payments, and then leaves for the NHS CO Grammar role.
I said this is a safe space. No judging the judgers
Typical, where's the grammar police when you need them, nowhere to be seen!!!!
How on nature's parched earth can we take seriously the opprobrium: Your a wanker, when as any pedant knows ? You're a wanker.
As a by-product the transcription process, while boring and onerous, provided some light-hearted moments. My favourite was the typed-up version of what someone said in interview - "He was held in higher steam". (My second favourite - not a typo - was me saying "Excuse me but could you get your cat to stop hitting your Dobermann while it is lying across my lap?")
Ever hear Greg Stubley say the word ‘Charlton’?
Makes Trevor Brooking sound like Laurence Olivier.
Many people can make words all sound the same, like ‘fail’, ‘foul’, and ‘foal’.
Quite amusing when you hear somebody say they ‘fouled’ their exams.
It's ok to be Self deprecating by taking the piss out of yourself BUT try not to say Self defecating just because Shit happens.
Sky runs a banner headline saying - ...the Palace have released a new picture of the Queen after being buried yesterday.
chess (n.)
very ancient game of skill with 32 pieces, played by two on a checkered board of 64 squares, 13c., from Old French esches "chessmen," plural of eschec "game of chess, chessboard; checkmate" (see check (n.1)), from the key move of the game. Modern French distinguishes échec "check, blow, rebuff, defeat," from plural échecs "chess."
The original word for "chess" is Sanskrit chaturanga "four members of an army" -- elephants, horses, chariots, foot soldiers. This is preserved in Spanish ajedrez, from Arabic (al) shat-ranj, from Persian chatrang, from the Sanskrit word.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/chess
Thought about the word after reading this article (hopefully not to sexy and salacious for the Mods) https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/300693618/world-chess-champion-magnus-carlsen-resigns-from-match-after-one-move