The Monster Fun Grammar Pedantry Thread

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Sun May 27, 2007 5:26 pm

Geordie1 wrote:
Are you a Geordie Killer Wolf?

Y’know, this question nicely demonstrates the value of the common comma.

Are you a Geordie Killer, Wolf?
Are you a Geordie, Killer Wolf?

*cat · Post by *cat » Sun May 27, 2007 5:39 pm

Grammatical humour in (presumably) non-native language AND oolite programing. I'm impressed!
9 hour game sessions from Geordie - scary! One could imagine winning the lottery and setting oneself up with a game-linked salary, and a room with suitable decor to spend all the time in the world of Oolite!
*cat

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Sun May 27, 2007 6:21 pm

I’m fully bilingual, and my English is somewhat better than my Swedish. But it’s true, I wasn’t born with it. ;-)

Geordie1 · Post by **Geordie1** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:07 am

Thank you for the grammar lesson. Although I was born and bred in Geordieland (God's Own), I have basically matured here in Japan after spending the last 17 years here, I came here when I was a young whippersnapper at the age of 23, so these days I feel more comfortable speaking in Japanese, hence my English grammar can sometimes fall short.

Cmdr. Maegil · Post by **Cmdr. Maegil** » Mon May 28, 2007 2:21 am

Ahruman wrote:
Are you a Geordie Killer, Wolf?

This one's wrong too. The capital K makes "Killer" a proper noun, precluding the adjectival use of "Geordi" as an attributive noun as both are proper nouns.

However, it could pass as an elliptic form of "Are you a (member of the) Geordie Killer (gang), Wolf?"

Yes, yes, yes... Pedantism strikes again!

Geordie1 · Post by **Geordie1** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:09 am

Your all too intelligement for me

I have to warn you though, when I get my military laser I am going to blast you guys

reills · Post by **reills** » Mon May 28, 2007 11:37 am

I ain't got the bestest Anglish, but then again, I'm 'Murican.

Star Gazer · Post by **Star Gazer** » Mon May 28, 2007 12:51 pm

reills wrote:
I ain't got the bestest Anglish, but then again, I'm 'Murican.

...I'm not familiar with that tribe, are they related to the Mahican...?

Roberto · Post by **Roberto** » Mon May 28, 2007 2:21 pm

This one's wrong too. The capital K makes "Killer" a proper noun, precluding the adjectival use of "Geordi" as an attributive noun as both are proper nouns.

Clearly you've never heard of proper adjectives, then...

Cmdr. Maegil · Post by **Cmdr. Maegil** » Mon May 28, 2007 4:28 pm

So we middle-aged Oolite players and Elite fans have finally had our mental ages regressed back to that of school kids? Or are we having a deeper, more mature outlook on the importance of grammar in communication?
One thing, at least, is certain: no noob whippersnapper should try to use l33t or other suchlike cyber pseudolanguages around us!

Anyway, this whole second page should be moved to a new thread on the Outworld forum... "Grammar challenge", maybe?

Ahruman wrote:
Are you a Geordie Killer, Wolf?

Cmdr. Maegil wrote:
The capital K makes "Killer" a proper noun, precluding the adjectival use of "Geordi" as an attributive noun as both are proper nouns.

Roberto wrote:
Clearly you've never heard of proper adjectives, then...

Well, even though I'm no linguist nor a native english speaker, I did - but I think it doesn't apply to this case. Still, in this construction, instead of a proper adjective, it would be possible to use a proper adverb.

In "a Geordie Killer" we could have
"a" as an indefinite article, used before a singular noun that refer to a member of a group
and
"Killer" as the singular proper noun to which the article refers
which would make
"Geordie" assume the proper adverb function.

In other words,
A member of the "Geordie" faction/etnicity/school/etc., of the "Killer" more general group/association/etc., "a Geordiean Killer".

Come on, people, let's find out how many ways are there to read this phrase.

Captain Hesperus · Post by **Captain Hesperus** » Mon May 28, 2007 4:50 pm

Errrrm, the Panda eats shoots and leaves?

Captain Hesperus

Roberto · Post by **Roberto** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:58 pm

What was the original topic again?

An adverb can be used to modify the meaning of an adjective, a verb or another adverb - not a noun. Geordie in the context of "Geordie Killer" (assuming Killer to be a proper noun) must be an adjective.

*EDIT* "I say, Marjorie - you're killing very Geordily today" - *that* would be an adverb!

Geordie1 · Post by **Geordie1** » Mon May 28, 2007 11:24 pm

PML at this thread

Cmdr. Maegil · Post by **Cmdr. Maegil** » Tue May 29, 2007 12:24 am

That's it! I'm callingprofessor 'grammar Nazi' Break from the EBBS' apostrophe patrol!

Cmdr. Maegil · Post by **Cmdr. Maegil** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:47 am

Captain Hesperus wrote:
Errrrm, the Panda eats shoots and leaves? !

No, that would be the panda, unless you meant that the Panda gang member eats, shoots and leaves.

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