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FumbleFingers
FumbleFingers
11:28 PM
I'd better admit straight away that I admire writing that uses the least possible commas (and indeed, all other punctuation)!
 
tchrist
tchrist
There is a great quote from Steven Brust about that.
Something about how when you’re stacking up tons of clauses and phrases in one big gargantuan paragraph-sized sentence, you must pay especially close attention to your commas, or else the reader will become totally lost.
But it was because he was mimicking an overblown academic writer, one who used superlong sentences like that. You know the kind who seem to think using a full stop before the end of the paragraph is something of a moral failure.
In the last 3 years, I have seen more and more books dual-published in the US and UK by English and Scottish writers that have not had those sorts of things done to them.
Essentially they just published the UK versions here. This is rather new.
Like SF writers Richard K Morgan and Iain (M) Banks.
I'll comment here on the various things as I see them in your referenced page of sillinesses.
I would not have changed towards to toward myself.
I had that fight with my own publisher.
All of us authors naturally and unselfconsciously use towards in our speech, so it seemed dumb of them to try to change it on us.
This one I see why they did, but am personally uncertain that it is important enough to bother with: "None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window."
I mean, come on, can’t you have a big red dragon? Does it really and truly have to be a big, red dragon? I don’t think so.
We indeed write it half past eight, without a hyphen. The hyphen looks wrong.
Don’t try to argue that it is fine. I know it is fine. I just relate what people are expecting.
Shunning the word lot (for bunch or whatnot) seems stupid.
Changing Shan’t to Won’t is utterly enfuriating.
I’m not sure a “news reader” would have been understood here.
For about 2 or 3 seconds.
Notice the change from as though it was to were. We really are taught that it is an error.
A car door slamming [in > on] the next street would indeed risk being misunderstood. We don’t use in that way.
What’s a sherbet lemon? Is it different from a lemon sherbert?
Changing all the dustbins to trashcans seems unnecessary. Plus it makes it sound funny.
But I grew up being told to put things in the dust bin, or the rubbish bin, so perhaps I am biased. That’s something my grandparents said, not my parents.
Motorbike? We can’t say motorbike? Hm.
Is a bobble hat really what you call a bonnet? Even at Easter?
To me a roundabout is for vehicular traffic, and a carousel is for something else. But it’s still obvious what was meant. I see why they changed it, but seems more bother than it’s worth.
> Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies.
There I support the new commas, but I wish they had left cinema intact.
Yes, you have to change fringe to bangs, lest you risk confusion or even off-color laughter.
It’s true: lolly can only mean a lollipop here, not a popsicle.
Nor any other candy.
I would have left grey and snivelled.
Since that is how I spell them myself.
You call your next door neighbour your next door? Really???
> "No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers,
Very surprised they left the post!
Yes, writing dates 5 December but expecting them to be read the 5th of December simply doesn’t work here.
And you cannot say "5 December" literally. But writing "December 5" does indeed get read out as "December 5th".
I bet you’re surprised we don’t have dog cookies or dog crackers!
There is no need to change barman to bartender.
I wonder whether they should have left football unchanged instead of using soccer. After all, football is a more common game. Well, on TV at least.
Kids play more soccer, though.
 

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