The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Montgomery Michael]

Hey Dennis

Don't perches and basses have as many syllables as
crappies, muskies, and flounders?

Or are you going to remind me that you are an exile in
a land of bad arithmetic, where somehow a conference
having eleven schools is called the Big Ten?

Michael


--- "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:

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> Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yeah, I like the variation in "game animal" plurals
> too.
>
> I shot two
>
> bear/s
> deer/s
> partridge/s
> quail/s
> elk/s
> etc...
>
> versus
>
> I saw two
> bear/s
> etc....
>
> The 's' plurals are all better for me when I see
> them rather than shoot them.
>
> BUT, for me, almost all fish plurals are bad,
> catching or seeing:
>
> I caught/saw two
> perches
> basses
> pikes
> etc...
> UGH!
>
>
> BUT the more syllables the better:
>
> I caught/saw two
> crappies
> muskies
> flounders
> etc...
> (not too bad)
>
> dInIs, who, just like all you minimalists out there,
> is becoming more
> and more convinced that there's a load of
> information in the lexicon
>
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> >Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> >Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >And then there's "I caught two fish / fishes."
> >
> >Joel
> >
> >At 8/8/2007 02:08 PM, you wrote:
> >>Michael,
> >>
> >>I think this is counting noncounts, as in "two
> rices" (i.e., two
> >>different styles of rice), but maybe not. You seem
> to like it for two
> >>cases of the same kind. I think "I had two scarlet
> fevers when I was
> >>a kid" (for two bouts, cases, etc...) is jest
> horrible.
> >>
> >>One week to go. I see you avoid "Lesbians," but
> they do not.
> >>
> >>Dennis
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>>Sender:       American Dialect Society
> <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>>Poster:       Montgomery Michael
> <ullans at YAHOO.COM>
> >>>Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth
> (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>
> >>>Hey Dennis
> >>>
> >>>The possibility that comes most immediately to
> mind is
> >>>"fever," which in the mountains/country usually
> >>>means/meant specifically "typhoid."  I don't have
> a
> >>>citation to offer, but I think it quite possible
> to
> >>>have sentences like "he nearly died of two fevers
> when
> >>>he was a child," with the meaning of "two
> >>>bouts/epidemics of typhoid."
> >>>
> >>>If you're dead keen to explore this further, I'll
> >>>contact some local authorities.  When are you off
> for
> >>>your summer consort withthe Lesbosians?
> >>>
> >>>Michael
> >>>
> >>>--- "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
> >>>
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> mail
> >>>>   header -----------------------
> >>>>   Sender:       American Dialect Society
> >>>>   <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>>>   Poster:       "Dennis R. Preston"
> <preston at MSU.EDU>
> >>>>   Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth
> (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>>
> >>>>   Thanks Michael; my own favorite is "the
> epizootic,"
> >>>>   although DARE
> >>>>   shows it is not at all limited to the South
> >>>>   Midlands.
> >>>>
> >>>>   There are some very interesting low-level
> >>>>   constraints going on here.
> >>>>   Note how bad (I think) "I had two colds last
> year"
> >>>>   is compared to "I
> >>>>   had two really very bad colds last year." But
> that
> >>>>   "distance" metric
> >>>>   applies to lots of agreement features.
> >>>>
> >>>>   Is any illness/disease name an ordinary count
> noun?
> >>>>
> >>>>   My daughter caught three _____ last year.
> >>>>
> >>>>   I nearly died from two _____ last year.
> >>>>
> >>>>   dInIs
> >>>>
> >>>>   >---------------------- Information from the
> mail
> >>>>   header
> >>>>   >-----------------------
> >>>>   >Sender:       American Dialect Society
> >>>>   <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>>>   >Poster:       Montgomery Michael
> <ullans at YAHOO.COM>
> >>>>   >Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth
> (UNCLASSIFIED)
> >>>>
>
>>>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>>   >
> >>>>   >In the South Midland names of diseases and
> >>>>   illnesses
> >>>>   >are often preceded by the definite article.
> "The
> >>>>   >cancer" is certainly known, but I think "the
> sugar"
> >>>>   =
> >>>>   >"diabetes" would be far more common.  My
> favorites
> >>>>   are
> >>>>   >"the hippoes" and "the mulligrubs."  I've
> also
> >  >>>  heard
> >>>>   >"the typhoid," etc.  "The measles" is
> ubiquitous,
> >>>>   but
> >>>>   >I suspect this may have a much broader
> regional
> >>>>   >distribution.  We eagerly await DARE V for a
> >>>>   >splendiferous display of definite article
> usage.
> >>>>   >
> >>>>   >"The" with diseases is definitely a
> Scotch-Irish
> >>>>   >inheritance.  Check out _the_ def. art.
> sense 4 in
> >>>>   the
> >>>>   >Scottish National Dictionary.  This can be
> found
> >  >>>  >on-line at the wonderful Dictionary of the
> Scots
> >>>>   >Language website, which incorporates both
> the
=== message truncated ===



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