In a message dated 2/8/02 12:51:43 AM, Bree writes:
<< Well a lot of Americans butcher the queen's english. I'm guilty! >>
My favorite story about QE II and her English and Americans being clueless
about the language happened in 1976, America's bicentennial year.
There was so much hype everywhere throughout that year. People kept talking
about the bicentennial this and the bicentennial that. Finally, July arrived
and old QE II herself came to Boston, stepped up to the lectern at Old City
Hall and said something like, "I'd like to congratulate the American people
on the occasion of their bicentenary."
DOH!
"Bicentennial" is an adjective and "bicentenary" is the noun -- and about 200
million of us had been using the word "bicentennial" incorrectly! (Most of us
still do use it incorrectly. I see "bicentennial" used as a noun all the
time, even in places such as the NY Times.)
Got to hand it to the old girl. She knows her English.
--Bob
