I overheard my 18 yr old (one of my daughters is a little academician -- this one would rather paint, weld, and live outside) say "Me and Jimmy went to the movies..." I corrected her when she was off the phone and she said, it doesn't matter, it's just the same, like saying the glass is blue or the blue glass". I attempted to explain to her the difference between the way English modifies nouns (we use modifiers both before and after the noun) and the way we use pronouns -- asked her if she would say "Me went to a movie". She interrupted me and said with a heavy sigh, "MOM, nobody talks that way anymore except old people." Yes, I taught my daughters ALOT of grammar during their growing up years. My older daughter uses English very accurately and well. THIS one....well, it just didn't take because she's not a word person and it simply doesn't matter to her. I suspect she represents the vast number of teenagers out there. Apparently the school system didn't even address grammar. I feel like Ish in Earth Abides... Julie Krueger On Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 6:08 AM, Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote: > This journalese is actually understandable enough (especially if we take > the second "up" as a mistaken repetition repetition). Compare the following > from a recent poster to the list:- > "To be sure, not forgiven being self not christian at all." To be sure, > that is many steps closer to gibberish, yet passed without comment. Perhaps > it's some misguided politeness or simply because it is easier for all > concerned, but why no comment? Maybees it's pity that motivates persons > not to ask for the quoted words to be translated into English, or their > belief the request would be an exercise in futility? Grammar, surely, begins > at home. > > Dnl > London > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Julie Krueger <juliereneb@xxxxxxxxx> > *To:* lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > *Sent:* Friday, 16 September 2011, 0:47 > *Subject:* [lit-ideas] Re: Translation Problem > > Perhaps someone might start with translating it into English... > > Julie Krueger > > > > > On Sun, Sep 11, 2011 at 7:36 PM, David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote: > > For those of you who are stuck for a Sunday evening task, why not try > translating this sentence into a different language. It's from the BBC > website's description of a rugby match. "Good sides take disappointment on > the chin and they front up up next week." > > David Ritchie, > preparing for the morrow in > Portland, Oregon > > > > >