I’m a Bad Boy
(Aug. 19, 2010) Editor:
Hank, baby — I know that you know which pronouns follow a preposition. So I nearly fell on the floor upon reading “even for we city dwellers” in your column in today’s paper.
To avoid talking country hick-style, many of our fellow citizens overcorrect and use the nominative case in all circumstances to avoid saying, for example, “him and me went to Orleans.” So when the meaning is “for him and me,” they over-correct by saying “for he and I.” Doesn’t that sound like fingernails on a blackboard?
I just didn’t think you were one of those — especially in print!
Kathryn Corbett, Eureka
Sweet Spot: Josh Kinch is in kinchtastic form this week, but we’re going to spread the wealth a little bit and honor Kathryn Corbett’s freelance copy editing. Confidential to Kathyrn, who wins a Bon Boniere sundae for sending our favorite letter of the week — punctuation inside the quotation marks! This is the United States of America!
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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FOUR Comments
Comment / By Joel Mielke / Aug. 19, 8:41 a.m.
The use of a subject in place of an object pronoun, or vice versa, doesn’t bother me so much because at least that locution shows effort and has a fifty-fifty chance of being grammatical.
It’s the use of “myself” that has become such a trendy overcorrection over the past two decades that grates my ear. The correct, reflexive use (e.g., “I hurt myself”) always flows out naturally and without thinking, but it’s always wrong if one has to pause to think about it.
Comment / By Grammar Nazi / Aug. 20, 11:49 a.m.
Use of the word “grammatical” in the above comment sucks…substitute with “grammatically correct” or just “correct”…or affirmative synonyms. A jumble of letters is grammatical.
Comment / By Joel Mielke / Aug. 20, 12:01 p.m.
If you’re going to go by “Grammar Nazi,” you might want to at least show some interest in usage, if not grammar.
Comment / By Grammar Nazi / Aug. 20, 12:03 p.m.
Hey man, you done went and dropped “locution” on us here readers…’spect it!