nomconjobj: MWDEU

[Arnold Zwicky]

the discussion here about nomconjobj has begun from scratch, with
people offering opinions and judgments as if the topic had never come
up before.  i understand that people can't be expected to have read
the items in the two lists of references i've posted, or to have
unearthed the many ADS-L postings over the years on the subject, but
one thing is inexcusable: no one has thought to look at a standard
reference on the subject, namely MWDEU's excellent entry on "between
you and I".  no one should be posting here on a topic that's treated
in MWDEU without first consulting that reference work.

whenever i say this, people whine piteously that IT'S NOT AVAILABLE ON-
LINE, as if they're incapable of gaining access to the volume.

i've said this before, and i'll say it again: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
ENGLISH GRAMMAR AND USAGE (at least to the point of posting to ADS-L
on the subject) YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR OWN COPY OF MWDEU -- AND CONSULT
IT.  it's cheap and it's easy to get (unless you're in China or the
like).

increasingly, i am coming to feel that if people feel free to post on
some topic in english grammar and usage without first consulting
MWDEU, their postings should be disregarded; i am now inclined to
delete these postings and not to reply to them. such people deserve
shunning.

now there are a number of aspects of nomconjobjs that MWDEU doesn't
cover, and these are fair game for postings.  i hope to comment on
some of these in coming postings.

arnold, enveloped in deja vu all over again

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org