 |
 |
Can this be taken off line as was previously politely requested? Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/ghei36> ________________________________ From: A UK-based worldwide e-mail broadcast system mailing list <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Michael Baxter <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2019 8:44:04 PM To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Die/dice RE: allstat Digest - 19 Aug : UK school exams The problem is that people have been taught "Never say die". But nobody would say "the dice is cast". Michael Baxter ________________________________ From: A UK-based worldwide e-mail broadcast system mailing list <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of John Whittington <[log in to unmask]> Sent: 20 August 2019 16:19 To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Die/dice RE: allstat Digest - 19 Aug : UK school exams At 15:00 20/08/2019, Martin Bland wrote: >I am one native English speaker who would use "die" in everyday >speech, but I am quite old! Pedantic, perhaps, but "pedantic" is >what somebody who is wrong calls somebody who is right. I am also old but, although there are certainly many 'evolutions of language' that have occurred during my lifetime that irritate me immensely, I cannot recall any time in the 65+ years I've been speaking English when I would have used the word "die" (to mean the singular of dice) in normal speaking. As Paul has said, with the issue in question, the problem is that 'being right' (and being accused of pedantic by those who are 'wrong') is that, unless it were apparent from context, very few members of the general public would actually undestand the meaning intended by the word - and language is surely, above all else, about 'clear and effective communication'? I have to say that, in terms of the 'irritations', I am one of those people who (again probably due to age, but now the other way around), whilst protesting that I speak English (not Latin), feel my teeth standing on edge every time I read (or am 'forced' to write) the word "data" being used as plural - to the extent that I often go out of my way to use 'messy' (but undeniably singular!) alternatives to the word - phrases like "numerical information", "set of numerical values" (or equivalents for non-numerical data). Kind Regards, John ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dr John Whittington, Voice: +44 (0) 1296 730225 Mediscience Services Fax: +44 (0) 1296 738893 Twyford Manor, Twyford, E-mail: [log in to unmask] Buckingham MK18 4EL, UK ---------------------------------------------------------------- You may leave the list at any time by sending the command SIGNOFF allstat to [log in to unmask], leaving the subject line blank. You may leave the list at any time by sending the command SIGNOFF allstat to [log in to unmask], leaving the subject line blank. You may leave the list at any time by sending the command SIGNOFF allstat to [log in to unmask], leaving the subject line blank.