Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)

[Wilson Gray]

Isn't the modification of first names the whole point of surnames? But, be
that as it may,
"Vals Kilmer," not "Val Kilmers" and, e.g. "Messrs. Smith," not "Mr.
Smiths," were taught simply as convention. No one ever suggested that there
was any reason for doing it that way, back in the day. Cf., for another
example, the writing of multidigit numbers from left to right in Semitic
languages, even though these languages otherwise are written from right to
left.

-Wilson

On 3/27/06, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> For me, it's more like meeting an old friend who's gone tragically insane.
>
>   Since when does "Kilmer" modify "Val" ?  Savvy pluralizers realize it's
> the other way around. Of course nowadays, when anchorclones address
> everybody but heads of state by hizzahur first name, I suppose one could get
> the opposite impression.
>
>   (Sometimes they'll use a title with a given name or hypocoristic form.
> Coming at some point : "So, King Charlie, how does it feel to be on the
> throne ?"  You read it here first.)
>
>   JL
>
> Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Wilson Gray
> Subject: Re: Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> That's probably because you're too young to have been taught this as a
> prescriptive norrn. For me, "Vals Kilmer" is like unexpectedly running
> across an old friend that I hadn't seen in such a long time that I thought
> that he was dead.
>
> -Wilson
>
> On 3/26/06, Bapopik at aol.com wrote:
> >
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society
> > Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
> > Subject: Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
> >
> > This doesn't sound right.
> > ...
> > ...
> > =3D20
> >
> >
> _http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/03/25/val_kilmers_hea.php#comment=
> s_=3D20
> > (
> >
> http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/03/25/val_kilmers_hea.php#comments=
> )=3D20
> > =3D20
> > Astute streetart fans have noticed an increasing prevalence of Val
> Kilmer
> > =3D20
> > heads on the streets of New York. We naturally assumed that some
> demented
> > VK=3D
> > fan=3D20
> > was putting out a desperate cry for help, but _Fox News has
> > put together=3D20
> > some other theories_ (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188942,00.html
> )
> > :=3D20
> > When the Vals first popped up, conspiracy theorists (who are in
> > no short=3D20
> > supply in New York) immediately began guessing who the perpetrator
> > of the=3D20
> > postings might be =3DE2=3D80=3D94 and why in the world they would do it.
> =
> Some
> > sugg=3D
> > ested a=3D20
> > corporate marketing ploy, others an obscure band trying to get its name
> > out.=3D
> > =3D20
> > Some were certain that it was the actor himself trying to get back into
> > the=3D20=3D
> > =3D20
> > spotlight.=3D20
> > "Val is against the defacement of any public property," said his
> publicis=
> t
> > =3D20
> > Michael Yanni, adding that while Kilmer won't comment directly on the
> > peculi=3D
> > ar =3D20
> > postings, he is aware of them and "definitely intrigued. He is
> > wondering=3D20
> > about the why and who of it all."
> > We learned two things from this story: 1) the plural of Val Kilmer is
> Val=
> s
> > =3D20
> > Kilmer (like "attorneys general"), and 2) Fox News is really having a
> slo=
> w
> > n=3D
> > ews=3D20
> > week. [Related: we've been tracking the Vals for _quite some time_=3D20
> > (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluejake/tags/valkilmer/) .]Posted by
> _Jake
> > Do=3D
> > bkin_=3D20
> > (http://www.gothamist.com/staff.php#jake) in _Art_=3D20
> > (http://www.gothamist.com/archives/arts_and_events/art/) |=3D20
> >
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> >
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