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#1
Local Resources / We're famous!
Last post by Jamison - Dec 11, 2024, 06:56 AM
A recent blog post from Christie Stratos mentions ExKayEnDay along with several other NaNoWriMo alternatives. Worth a read.

https://christiestratos.com/2024-nanowrimo-alternatives/
#2
For all your timed sprints (up to an hour). Has a timer, a pretty darn accurate word counter, copy and save-to-text features, and lots of nifty themes.

(Hasn't yet been tested with non-Latin character sets.)

Enjoy!

https://www.exkayenday.com/sprintmaster/
#3
Nuts & Bolts / Usage Wars: prepositions
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 11:20 PM
How do you use prepositions?

Let's start with the biggie--can you end a sentence with a preposition?

Next, do you say on accident or by accident?

Also, do you consider particles to be prepositions, such as the "up" in get up or straighten up?

And lastly, are there any weird prepositional uses that you've noticed?


For me, the idea that you can't end a sentence with a preposition is ridiculous.

I use both on accident and by accident, but I use the on construction more often.

No, I don't consider particles to be prepositions, so even if there were a valid rule against ending sentences with prepositions, Turn off your alarm clock and get up! would still be an acceptable sentence.

I've noticed a few people saying by example where I'd usually say for example. By example, this sentence right here. I'm guessing they mean By way of example but just left out a few words. But maybe it's dialectal.
#4
Nuts & Bolts / Re: Usage Wars (and a point of...
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 11:17 PM
Emily Post shares the idea that generational titles remain even after the older members have died. Miss Manners believes that everyone moves up one notch.

I understand that Bill Gates' father started as a junior and ended as a senior. Or, more accurately, he began as William Henry Gates II and now goes by William Henry Gates Sr.
#5
Nuts & Bolts / Usage Wars (and a point of eti...
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 11:15 PM
Prompted by an article at CMOS Shoptalk, How Strunk Lost His Comma.

For decades, if not longer, the terms junior and senior and their abbreviations were set off by commas when they followed a name.

William Strunk, Jr.

Lately, that practice has fallen out of favor by both Strunk & White and Chicago. Now it's just William Strunk Jr.

Which way do you prefer?


Now, a point of etiquette. When does a junior become a senior? Upon the death of the senior? At some decorous point afterward? Never?

And what becomes of the Trey, the guy with III at the end of his name? Does he become the new junior, even though he is still the third with that name? Or does he just keep the number and go on that way until he sires a IV?
#6
Nuts & Bolts / Re: [i]I[/i] before [i]E[/i] a...
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 11:05 PM
One I haven't heard in a while, and I don't know how effective it is, but people scream eeee eeee eeee when passing a cemetery.
#7
Nuts & Bolts / I before E and a separated rat
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 11:03 PM
I'm sure everybody knows the rule of thumb for spelling I before E, except after C or when sounding like A, such as Neighbor or Weigh. Though that last bit is often left off. Which is weird.

Another mnemonic is to look for a rat in the word separate.

What other ones have you heard?
#8
Nuts & Bolts / Usage Wars: the singular "they...
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 10:48 PM
Can they be used to refer to a single person? What if it's referring to a generic person or a person of unknown gender?

Outside of walking into Mordor, in what cases might you use one, instead? Do you prefer it to the singular they?

Or is he the generic pronoun in all (or most) cases?

Is the reflexive themselves ever used to refer to one person? Or would you use the singular themself, which doesn't appear in most dictionaries? Or would you go with the generic himself?

My opinions are that the singular they is perfectly acceptable in all (or almost all) cases, I rarely use one for anything, either reflexive is fine, and the generic he has always been ridiculous.
#9
Nuts & Bolts / Usage Wars: "Another thing com...
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 09, 2024, 10:04 PM
Do you write You've got another thing coming or You've got another think coming?

I use think, myself, as I see the phrase as a play on Think twice, but I'd like to see what things others think.

While we're hanging out, here's some Judas Priest.

#10
Nuts & Bolts / Pronunciation Wars: forte
Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 08, 2024, 08:11 PM
As in That's not my forte.

How do you pronounce it?

Like the Italian homograph forte, meaning "strong" (for-tay or for-tee)? Like the English word fort? Or with the French pronunciation (for)?