1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

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
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,671
    The I doesn't know why it bothers the you so much.
     
    #16
    John Brunner likes this.
  2. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    25,654
    Likes Received:
    37,736
    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
    Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2020
    Messages:
    513
    Likes Received:
    502
    I'm a bit confused. "attorneys general" is correct. Are you arguing otherwise?
     
    #18
    John Brunner likes this.
  4. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    25,654
    Likes Received:
    37,736
    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
    Ken Anderson likes this.
  5. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,696
    Likes Received:
    26,287
    inalienable rights……unalienable rights.
    Tomb of the unknown soldier. Tomb of the unknown.
     
    #20
    John Brunner likes this.
  6. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    25,654
    Likes Received:
    37,736
    Yeh, those negative prefixes are another goofy thing.
     
    #21
  7. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,696
    Likes Received:
    26,287
    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
    Von Jones, Faye Fox and John Brunner like this.
  8. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,671
    John will confuse you if you let him. If they clone him would we have Johns Brunner?
     
    #23
    Von Jones and John Brunner like this.
  9. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,671
    Thy be clothed in wisdom.
     
    #24
  10. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    25,654
    Likes Received:
    37,736
    We love avoidant pronouns, doesn't we?
     
    #25
    Bobby Cole likes this.
  11. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    25,654
    Likes Received:
    37,736
    Gee, I was going to start my own business and call it Brunner's Johns.
     
    #26
    Von Jones likes this.
  12. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,671
    Just don't call it Brunner's Underwear. Customers would wonder if they were getting new or used.
     
    #27
    Von Jones, John Brunner and Faye Fox like this.
  13. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2019
    Messages:
    6,086
    Likes Received:
    12,264
    Maybe a porta potty business, Johns johns.
     
    #28
  14. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2015
    Messages:
    6,880
    Likes Received:
    9,930
    Oh my goodness, what a way to wake up to you guys.:D
     
    #29
  15. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2021
    Messages:
    12,151
    Likes Received:
    11,859

    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
    John Brunner and Dwight Ward like this.

Share This Page