Who Here Uses The Word "the" Before A Non-specific Noun?

Discussion in 'Evolution of Language' started by John Brunner, Feb 21, 2022.

  1. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
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    The I doesn't know why it bothers the you so much.
     
    #16
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  2. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    It the just sounds wrong.

    It's like listening to British broadcast saying someone is "in hospital" without the "the," although American broadcasters are picking up that phraseology (just like when the idiots learned "attorneys general" instead of "attorney generals" and went out of their way to use it.)
     
    #17
  3. James Hintze

    James Hintze Very Well-Known Member
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    I'm a bit confused. "attorneys general" is correct. Are you arguing otherwise?
     
    #18
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  4. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Nope.

    I was saying that when one of them figured it out, suddenly they were all saying it often and with an air of pride that they now knew how to properly say the plural. I wish I could recall the specific issue the states' attorneys general were uniting on that pushed this to the forefront. When the issue first hit, "attorney generals" was the common utterance.
     
    #19
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  5. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    inalienable rights……unalienable rights.
    Tomb of the unknown soldier. Tomb of the unknown.
     
    #20
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  6. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Yeh, those negative prefixes are another goofy thing.
     
    #21
  7. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    I think we should all go back to Elizabethian or Victorian 3rd person English. Sticks and stones canst break our bones but thine words shalt never hurt us.
     
    #22
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  8. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
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    John will confuse you if you let him. If they clone him would we have Johns Brunner?
     
    #23
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  9. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
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    Thy be clothed in wisdom.
     
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  10. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    We love avoidant pronouns, doesn't we?
     
    #25
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  11. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Gee, I was going to start my own business and call it Brunner's Johns.
     
    #26
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  12. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
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    Just don't call it Brunner's Underwear. Customers would wonder if they were getting new or used.
     
    #27
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  13. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    Maybe a porta potty business, Johns johns.
     
    #28
  14. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    Oh my goodness, what a way to wake up to you guys.:D
     
    #29
  15. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    According to my grown kids you'd have false teeth if you hung around with us very long.

    We have been in the woods too long. Plus my idea of living after I raised mine was helping raise daughters since they worked all the time ,sons family was in Texas,
    Now the kids have the nerve to correct our grammar.
    It has been 35 years since we were sociable with people our age. Use it or lose it. Maybe I never had it?
     
    #30
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