blame (was: Prescriptivism and the cinema)

[Arnold Zwicky]

On Jul 15, 2010, at 9:06 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>
> arnold, I'm afraid that I simply don't care...

> If the blame-is-not-a-verb "rule" had been attached to a mnemonic that
> was completely unfamiliar to me at the relevant moment, would I
> remember it today? No, because it was mentioned only in passing and
> never brought up again. OTOH, the "rule," _each other_ with two,
> otherwise, _one another_" was actually *taught*, without the aid of
> any mnemonic. Not adhering to this "rule" in composition and in exams
> lowered one's grades.
>
> But, other than that I was first taught this "rule" in grade school
> and had that teaching reinforced in high school, I have no memory of
> learning it, any more than I have a memory of learning my name.

i wasn't doubting that you were taught a "rule", and a mnemonic example to go along with it, but the question is whether the people teaching you overgeneralized the "rule" or whether you overgeneralized the teaching in memory.

but clearly we aren't able to have a sensible discussion about this. i won't be reading any more postings on this topic.  in my current frame of mind, i'd prefer not to post here any more, in fact.

arnold

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