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From: Phil Hobbs on 1 Mar 2010 19:11 On 3/1/2010 4:58 PM, D Yuniskis wrote: > Hi, > > I do a lot of formal writing (specifications, manuals, etc.). > > And, I suspect much of my spelling, vocabulary, grammar, > etc. traits have remained largely unchanged since grade > school. :< > > Today, as I was trying to remember a keystroke sequence > for an accented character in FrameMaker, I *conciously* > noticed that I still automatically spell "naive" with a > dieresis. > > At first, I shrugged this off as a throwback to something > I learned in childhood. > > But, then I started thinking about it more. In particular, > the fact that I *only* use it in this word! And, have > *never* used it in other places where it "should" be used. > > (of course, no one *still* uses it at all, so this is a moot > point) > > I can only imagine this was a peculiar trait of whichever > grade school teacher first taught me the word? Of course, > few of them are still breathing :> and, I suspect the only > way to try to get an answer would be to ask each to spell > the word (and hope their spelling practices haven't silently > changed over the years). > > Am I alone in these ancient practices? E.g., how do you > spell the reference book(set) called encyclo... ? I've > already given up trying to understand how the element > Al is spelled on the other side of the pond. > > <grin> Amusing to question where these practices came from! > (toilet paper: over the top or under the bottom? :> ) > > OK, now we can get back to talking about electrocuting > people... > > --don The diaeresis is one of my favourite neglected punctuation marks. As in co:operate, nai:ve, piezo:optic, and a host of others. I can't get them past copyeditors these days, though. Fight the good fight. (Or possibly the food fight-it's more fun.) Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Electro�ptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electro�ptical dot net http://electro�ptical.net
From: D Yuniskis on 1 Mar 2010 20:44 Phil Hobbs wrote: > On 3/1/2010 4:58 PM, D Yuniskis wrote: >> Today, as I was trying to remember a keystroke sequence >> for an accented character in FrameMaker, I *conciously* >> noticed that I still automatically spell "naive" with a >> dieresis. >> >> But, then I started thinking about it more. In particular, >> the fact that I *only* use it in this word! And, have >> *never* used it in other places where it "should" be used. > The diaeresis is one of my favourite neglected punctuation marks. As in > co:operate, nai:ve, piezo:optic, and a host of others. I can't get them > past copyeditors these days, though. Yes :> My point was the realization that I have *never* used it in other places where it "should" be used ("preempt" was the word that triggered this realization -- as I had used it just moments after naive). <shrug> I suspect some teacher of mine learned it that way "as a kid" and passed it on to us "as kids". And, apparently, didn't apply it consistently! > Fight the good fight. (Or possibly the food fight-it's more fun.) Ha! Watch out for flying peanut butter! --don
From: John Larkin on 1 Mar 2010 21:01 On Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:11:46 -0500, Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote: >On 3/1/2010 4:58 PM, D Yuniskis wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I do a lot of formal writing (specifications, manuals, etc.). >> >> And, I suspect much of my spelling, vocabulary, grammar, >> etc. traits have remained largely unchanged since grade >> school. :< >> >> Today, as I was trying to remember a keystroke sequence >> for an accented character in FrameMaker, I *conciously* >> noticed that I still automatically spell "naive" with a >> dieresis. >> >> At first, I shrugged this off as a throwback to something >> I learned in childhood. >> >> But, then I started thinking about it more. In particular, >> the fact that I *only* use it in this word! And, have >> *never* used it in other places where it "should" be used. >> >> (of course, no one *still* uses it at all, so this is a moot >> point) >> >> I can only imagine this was a peculiar trait of whichever >> grade school teacher first taught me the word? Of course, >> few of them are still breathing :> and, I suspect the only >> way to try to get an answer would be to ask each to spell >> the word (and hope their spelling practices haven't silently >> changed over the years). >> >> Am I alone in these ancient practices? E.g., how do you >> spell the reference book(set) called encyclo... ? I've >> already given up trying to understand how the element >> Al is spelled on the other side of the pond. >> >> <grin> Amusing to question where these practices came from! >> (toilet paper: over the top or under the bottom? :> ) >> >> OK, now we can get back to talking about electrocuting >> people... >> >> --don > >The diaeresis is one of my favourite neglected punctuation marks. As in >co:operate, nai:ve, piezo:optic, and a host of others. I can't get them >past copyeditors these days, though. > >Fight the good fight. (Or possibly the food fight-it's more fun.) > >Cheers > >Phil Hobbs Hey, Phil, got power? I sent you some stuff, should be there Wednesday. John
From: Phil Hobbs on 1 Mar 2010 21:03 On 3/1/2010 9:01 PM, John Larkin wrote: > On Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:11:46 -0500, Phil Hobbs > <pcdhSpamMeSenseless(a)electrooptical.net> wrote: > >> On 3/1/2010 4:58 PM, D Yuniskis wrote: >>> Hi, >>> >>> I do a lot of formal writing (specifications, manuals, etc.). >>> >>> And, I suspect much of my spelling, vocabulary, grammar, >>> etc. traits have remained largely unchanged since grade >>> school. :< >>> >>> Today, as I was trying to remember a keystroke sequence >>> for an accented character in FrameMaker, I *conciously* >>> noticed that I still automatically spell "naive" with a >>> dieresis. >>> >>> At first, I shrugged this off as a throwback to something >>> I learned in childhood. >>> >>> But, then I started thinking about it more. In particular, >>> the fact that I *only* use it in this word! And, have >>> *never* used it in other places where it "should" be used. >>> >>> (of course, no one *still* uses it at all, so this is a moot >>> point) >>> >>> I can only imagine this was a peculiar trait of whichever >>> grade school teacher first taught me the word? Of course, >>> few of them are still breathing :> and, I suspect the only >>> way to try to get an answer would be to ask each to spell >>> the word (and hope their spelling practices haven't silently >>> changed over the years). >>> >>> Am I alone in these ancient practices? E.g., how do you >>> spell the reference book(set) called encyclo... ? I've >>> already given up trying to understand how the element >>> Al is spelled on the other side of the pond. >>> >>> <grin> Amusing to question where these practices came from! >>> (toilet paper: over the top or under the bottom? :> ) >>> >>> OK, now we can get back to talking about electrocuting >>> people... >>> >>> --don >> >> The diaeresis is one of my favourite neglected punctuation marks. As in >> co:operate, nai:ve, piezo:optic, and a host of others. I can't get them >> past copyeditors these days, though. >> >> Fight the good fight. (Or possibly the food fight-it's more fun.) >> >> Cheers >> >> Phil Hobbs > > Hey, Phil, > > got power? I sent you some stuff, should be there Wednesday. > > John > Hi, John, Yeah, it came on late last night, after 48 hours or so. I was looking longingly at some nice 2 kW Honda generators that run on methane, propane, and gasoline. Fortunately we have lots of camping gear still, though using a white gas lantern in the living room was a bit strange. ;) Thanks Phil -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal ElectroOptical Innovations 55 Orchard Rd Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net
From: D Yuniskis on 1 Mar 2010 21:37
Hi Phil, Phil Hobbs wrote: > Yeah, it came on late last night, after 48 hours or so. I was looking > longingly at some nice 2 kW Honda generators that run on methane, > propane, and gasoline. Fortunately we have lots of camping gear > still, though using a white gas lantern in the living room was a bit > strange. ;) A CFL lamp and even a modest sized UPS will easily get you through the evening. I suspect my UPS's have seen more use "providing light" than they have "backing up computers" :-/ |