Hi Miles and Emacs! On Tue, 8 Mar 2005, Miles Bader wrote:
[Discussion of "`foo' is an obsolete function since 21.4;"] >> . This combination of "is" and "since" is incorrect English usage. >I think "is ... since" is pretty common usage actually, and certainly >makes sense. <Gnashes teeth> Yes, it does make sense and it is regrettably common usage, but it is WRONG. It is something that a native English speaker would never say. In this case, it is just as easy to be correct. When somebody who loves this bastard mess of a language that is English reads something like that, the effects are not nice: First there is shock. Within seconds, shock gives way to disbelief, disbelief to pain, and pain to anger[*]. Finally, anger gives way to an irresistible urge either to string up the writer or to submit a patch. Thank <insert your deity here> the latter is possible with Emacs. And yes, I know all about speaking and writing a foreign language with "unnecessarily" complex rules. I've got the greatest admiration for and sympathy with people who get to grips with English. Please install my patch. [*] Quoted from Lynne Truss's book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". >-Miles -- Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany) _______________________________________________ Emacs-devel mailing list Emacs-devel@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-devel
