[Ads-l] French Prescriptive Grammarians strike again

[Andy Bach]

> Another user says if the rule is dropped, why not also drop the offside
rule in football? That way, he argues, schoolchildren will be able to spell
phonetically and football players will be able to play with their hands.

But the offsides rule doesn't refer to hands usage, it's on-field
positioning (at the time of the start of a pass).

On Tue, Sep 4, 2018 at 3:56 PM victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Apparently, there's a new drive to simplify a minor rule in French grammar.
> Of course, that triggers pedantic reactions.
>
> =====
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45414751
> ...
> The rule was imported from Italy by pedants in the 16th Century and is
> being dropped in everyday use, the pair argue.
>
> The suggestion led to anger and derision on social media, with some arguing
> the change would amount to ignoring the subtleties of the language.
>
> One teacher and grammar expert said the change was akin to "wanting to raze
> all the little streets in an old city".
> ...
> Another user says if the rule is dropped, why not also drop the offside
> rule in football? That way, he argues, schoolchildren will be able to spell
> phonetically and football players will be able to play with their hands.
> ...
> =====
>
> So the invented rule protects the subtleties of language. Right...
>
> VS-)
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


-- 

a

Andy Bach,
afbach at gmail.com
608 658-1890 cell
608 261-5738 wk

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