I hate to be a stickler, zug. But since this is a stickler thread now ... There is supposed to be a space before the ellipsis. Please don't shoot the messenger. Admittedly, I may be the worst over-user on this whole forum!
As for Jesus H. Christ, my guess is that to someone somewhere, originally, inserting the made-up middle initial was intended to signal that this was not really taking the Lord's name in vain. The "H" sets it apart from that. Why "H"? I dunno, but I suspect it could have something to do with hell. Mostly, though, I think it's random, arbitrary. Like, where do you think "John Q. Public" came from?
As for co-conspirator, I think that's a valid compound noun. It's synonymous with "fellow conspirator." Haldemann and Erlichman were co-conspirators; they are each full-fledged conspirators, but in relation to each other (and to Nixon and Liddy, etc.), they are co-conspirators.
Paul_D_North_JrWhat does it mean in Morse code (railroad)?
Same as it does in regular Morse ... S. (However, in railroad code it is not the beginning of a call for help.)
What does it mean in Morse code (railroad)?
- PDN.
zugmannTo be fair, a lot of people on here abuse ellipsis, too...
Like when they fail to leave the obligate space before the three dots?
http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/marks/ellipsis.htm
zugmann To be fair, a lot of people on here abuse ellipsis, too...
To be fair, a lot of people on here abuse ellipsis, too...
Guilty as charged. It's supposed to provide that "pregnant pause..."
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
And there's the use of the phrase "co-conspiritor." There's no such thing as a "co-conspiritor," a member of a conspiracy is a conspiritor, and either you are, or you aren't.
Oh, and concerning "J-H-C?" I've heard variants, but I'm not going there, I don't want to swerve into blasphemy and offend some folks here.
One of my pet peeves is the overuse of "incredible" (and variants), as in "He was incredible." Really? He was not credible = not believable?
And "one of the only . . . " instead of "one of the few". It's become so common - even heard it on NPR a couple of times - that I'm afraid it'll become the new standard.
Perhaps the H. in "Jesus H. Christ" doesn't have a meaning, but is included simply to give it a different poetic "meter" - 4 beats instead of 3 - or emphasis on a different syllable. Or some other explanation . . .
Overmod-- " I'm still trying to find out the truth behind what the H stands for in Jesus H. Christ, though."
Thinking it's similiar to Harry S. Truman.. it's just a letter OR it's like the Montreal Canadians logo with the 'H' in the 'C'. This stands for the French 'Center H'ice'.
How about how almost everything now is "literally" something, when 99% of the time it's not.
I saw a woman on TV describing a surprise she experienced: "I literally died!!" (I don't think so.)
Somewhere satirical (maybe The Onion) I saw this headline: Webster now defines "literally" as meaning "figuratively."
Flintlock76 Since we're down this branch line... (Trying to keep a little "railroad reference" in this topic.) One of things that annoys me is the current use of the word "decimate" instead of "devastate." Two different things, but today's media types don't seem to know this. Then again, most of them are as faddish as teenagers so maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Look how they all went crazy with the word "gravitas" a few years back.
Since we're down this branch line...
(Trying to keep a little "railroad reference" in this topic.)
One of things that annoys me is the current use of the word "decimate" instead of "devastate." Two different things, but today's media types don't seem to know this. Then again, most of them are as faddish as teenagers so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
Look how they all went crazy with the word "gravitas" a few years back.
Johnny
daveklepperWhat about jiminy=cricket? (Sp?)
Our south-of-the-border version of tabarnac de tabarnacs.
"Jiminy Cricket" is one of those euphemisms for 'taking the Lord's name in vain" -- some people think the 'Jiminy' is dialect for "Jesu domine".
Another form, although not useful for the grillo parlante crowd, is 'Jiminy Christmas'.
I'm still trying to find out the truth behind what the H stands for in Jesus H. Christ, though...
What about jiminy=cricket? (Sp?)
Paul of Covington How far back do you remember? Is this personal first-hand information?
But, of course....
tree68 Paul of Covington Okay, now where did topsy-turvy come from? Dates to 1520-1530... From some olde English, with a touch of Germanic.
Paul of Covington Okay, now where did topsy-turvy come from?
Dates to 1520-1530... From some olde English, with a touch of Germanic.
How far back do you remember? Is this personal first-hand information?
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Paul of CovingtonOkay, now where did topsy-turvy come from?
She was the twin sister of Tipsy Turvy, who also had a bad drinking problem.
tree68The idiom got switched in the 1700s, but still carries the same connotation - one's life is topsy-turvy.
Okay, now where did topsy-turvy come from?
tree68 Paul of Covington Since we're already off on a tangent, there's an expression that I've found puzzling for some time: head over heels. Isn't that the normal position? Apparently the basis for that goes back to the 14th Century, where it originated as "heels over head," denoting that things were upside down. The idiom got switched in the 1700s, but still carries the same connotation - one's life is topsy-turvy. Variations on the theme include the well-known "a** over teakettle" when describing a fall.
Paul of Covington Since we're already off on a tangent, there's an expression that I've found puzzling for some time: head over heels. Isn't that the normal position?
Apparently the basis for that goes back to the 14th Century, where it originated as "heels over head," denoting that things were upside down.
The idiom got switched in the 1700s, but still carries the same connotation - one's life is topsy-turvy.
Variations on the theme include the well-known "a** over teakettle" when describing a fall.
Paul of Covington Lithonia Operator A pet peeve of mine is "I could care less." It's supposed to be "I couldn't care less." THAT is how little you care. The former, incorrect, version is basically saying, "My care level is not particularly low." Since we're already off on a tangent, there's an expression that I've found puzzling for some time: head over heels. Isn't that the normal position?
Lithonia Operator A pet peeve of mine is "I could care less." It's supposed to be "I couldn't care less." THAT is how little you care. The former, incorrect, version is basically saying, "My care level is not particularly low."
Since we're already off on a tangent, there's an expression that I've found puzzling for some time: head over heels. Isn't that the normal position?
Wow, Paul. I never thought of that! Good one.
Expressions can be so weird. Wanna guess at the derivation of "by and large?" Literally that makes zero sense.
A prepostion and an adjective. How about "with and small?" Could go viral!
Lithonia OperatorA pet peeve of mine is "I could care less." It's supposed to be "I couldn't care less." THAT is how little you care. The former, incorrect, version is basically saying, "My care level is not particularly low."
The language is taking a serious beating these days. Even the media misuse the word "media." I think Webster's will eventually declare it singular, meaning "all of the various journalistic enterprises, taken together as a whole."
Probably the most common mistake in written English involves "its" and "it's." For reasons known only to the English Gods, "its" is the possessive. (The car blew its engine.) "It's" is the contraction for "it is." Me personally, I would have decreed exactly the opposite; but, surprisingly, I got no vote.
A pet peeve of mine is "I could care less." It's supposed to be "I couldn't care less." THAT is how little you care. The former, incorrect, version is basically saying, "My care level is not particularly low."
Then there's different areas of the world. In the US, it's "math" singular or plural. In the UK, it's "maths".
Lithonia Operator I agree with Overmod that "an historical" is, these days, an affectation. But that reminds me of a story I heard about some famous newspaper editor (maybe New York Times) who would cable his correspondents and ask, "Are there any news?" No one wanted/dared to call this out as pompous. But finally one day a reporter wrote back, "Nope. Not a single new."
I agree with Overmod that "an historical" is, these days, an affectation.
But that reminds me of a story I heard about some famous newspaper editor (maybe New York Times) who would cable his correspondents and ask, "Are there any news?"
No one wanted/dared to call this out as pompous. But finally one day a reporter wrote back, "Nope. Not a single new."
Another example is the word "media," which is the plural of "medium," However, since apparently few people today have knowledge of Latin, many people think that "media" is a singular form. (They may know rhe connotation of the word "mediums."--persons who act as go-betweens for ithers who want to communicate with the spirit world.)
Overmod: You are absolutely correct that there are times h take an an and times that it takes an a. But I believe an historical is OK. Optional But a huge job, a heavy hauler. A happy hour. And if I recall correctly, there are places where y is also treated as a vowel, but I cannot remember them at the moment.
Another situation for the option with h: An huristics, whatever that means.
Thanks, Bruce. The wiki article mentions a LOT of criticism from historians!
Has anyone ever written a good historical novel centered on the building of the transcon? (Don't say Ambrose!)
daveklepperBut also an hour, with h treated as a vowel for this purpose.
It's not that the h is 'treated as a vowel', it's that it is silent in that word. That is why using 'an' with a word like 'historical', in which the h is pronounced on 'this side of the pond', is considered an affectation rather than correct standard Engilsh.
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