My own suggestions:
1. He is a has-been.
- to be used when someone isn't as popular as they once were...
2. He is a have-been.
- to someone who specifically lost what they once had :)
(say, losing furtunes due to stock fallout, dot-bombs, etc)
just joking, so to speak,
Ben
On 2/16/06, Jason LaPier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
PS - BILL ARE WRONG! SO NUMEROUSLY WRONG! ;)
almost as wrong as... my pile of bills...
I think what you really want is:
"There have been numerous things."
As in "There have been numerous topics posted on this list and I don't know
why I chose to answer this one."
- Jason
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of John Sechrest
> Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 3:44 PM
> To: Eugene Unix and Gnu/Linux User Group
> Subject: Re: [Eug-lug] Grammar question
>
>
> You are correct. And you are wrong.
>
> First: You are correct that the verb should match the number
> of the subject.
>
> Second: Most people interpret the subject to be "things" not
> "Number of"
>
> So if things is plural then have is the answer.
>
>
>
> Bob Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>
> % This list has some language lawyers. Here's a question
> about the % English language.
> %
> % Which of these is grammatically correct?
> % "There have been a number of things."
> % or
> % "There has been a number of things."
> %
> % It always been my understanding that the verb should match
> the number % of the subject. The subject is "a number",
> which is singular, so % the correct verb is "has been".
> %
> % "There has been a letter."
> % "There has been a number."
> % "There has been a number of things."
> %
> % Microsoft Word (runs on Linux under Crossover Office)
> flags "has been"
> % as an error but accepts "have been".
> %
> % Is Bill's own word processor wrong, or am I?
> %
PS - BILL ARE WRONG! SO NUMEROUSLY WRONG! ;)
almost as wrong as... my pile of bills...
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