Grammar quirks

[Thipu1]

'Shined' vs 'Shone' is a tough one. 

One could say that someone had, 'beautifully shined shoes'.  'Shone' would never be used there. 

After an evening storm, one could say that, 'In the morning, the Sun shone beautifully'.

As I understand it, 'shined' is usually used when someone polishes something.

'Shone' is used when something or someone is doing their own shining. 

A middle situation may be when Jimmy makes a good performance.  You can say that, 'Jimmy really shined in that role' or that 'Jimmy really shone in that role'.

That's because Jimmy made the role shine from both meanings. 

[pinkyblue]

"Laundrymat."  Please ... it's "laundromat."  AARRGGHH!

[Specky]

Liberry
Alot
Him and me
Myself and her
APOSTROPHES!

[starry diadem]

From Thipu1 :

'Shined' vs 'Shone' is a tough one. 

One could say that someone had, 'beautifully shined shoes'.  'Shone' would never be used there. 

Well, 'shined' is acting as an adjective in that phrase, rather than a verb, but even so I'd say 'Joe had beautifully polished shoes'.  Or maybe 'Joe's shoes are beautifully shiny!"


After an evening storm, one could say that, 'In the morning, the Sun shone beautifully'.

Yes!  Thumbs up!



As I understand it, 'shined' is usually used when someone polishes something.

'Shone' is used when something or someone is doing their own shining. 

I've seen this distinction before  - and of course, I've heard of 'shoe-shine boys' - but I'm coming to the conclusion that it's a transatlantic difference.  Shoe-shine machines or stations (you see the odd one here and there here.  I know there's one in Canary Wharf, for all those banking executives who need shiny shoes!) are probably the only example I can think of in the UK where this might apply. 

Of course, that may be regional here, and 'shined' as a verb may be more common elsewhere in the UK.  And I may be thoroughly old fashioned and other UK EHellions are sniggering at me!



A middle situation may be when Jimmy makes a good performance.  You can say that, 'Jimmy really shined in that role' or that 'Jimmy really shone in that role'.

That's because Jimmy made the role shine from both meanings.

Again, it would be 'shone', for me.

An intractable problem, I fear!




On another note, I read a lot of US authored fanfiction, and increasingly I see things like:

"That is so cliché!"  rather than what I'd write, which would be "That is so clichéd!" 

Or

"You are so prejudice!"  instead of "You are so prejudiced."   


For me, 'cliché'  and 'prejudice' are nouns, not an adjectives.

[Mental Magpie]

starry diadem, I have heard "cliche" instead of "cliched", but I think what happens with "prejudiced" is that people just don't pronounce the hard "d" at the end.  A good example of what I mean is with how people pronounce ghosts, desks, and the likes.  They inevitably, for most people, become "dess" and "ghos-s".

[jmarvellous]

I always hear desks and ghosts with all their letters pronounced (except, arguably, the H in ghosts).

I am editing a book right now in which people put their hands on their wastes and then pick one up and waive it to say hello.

Also, everything that is done has an absurd number of modifiers attached to it. Any time something is said, if the quote is fewer than 5 words, it is "said simply." All thoughts are "thought silently," all hearts "beat inside of (their) chests" and all things that are said in a certain way are "said in a ___ tone" instead of "said __ly."

[starry diadem]

starry diadem, I have heard "cliche" instead of "cliched", but I think what happens with "prejudiced" is that people just don't pronounce the hard "d" at the end.  A good example of what I mean is with how people pronounce ghosts, desks, and the likes.  They inevitably, for most people, become "dess" and "ghos-s".

And then it leaks over into their writing, you mean? That makes sense.

[starry diadem]

I always hear desks and ghosts with all their letters pronounced (except, arguably, the H in ghosts).

I am editing a book right now in which people put their hands on their wastes and then pick one up and waive it to say hello.

Also, everything that is done has an absurd number of modifiers attached to it. Any time something is said, if the quote is fewer than 5 words, it is "said simply." All thoughts are "thought silently," all hearts "beat inside of (their) chests" and all things that are said in a certain way are "said in a ___ tone" instead of "said __ly."

Sounds like a real literary gem!

[Mental Magpie]

starry diadem, I have heard "cliche" instead of "cliched", but I think what happens with "prejudiced" is that people just don't pronounce the hard "d" at the end.  A good example of what I mean is with how people pronounce ghosts, desks, and the likes.  They inevitably, for most people, become "dess" and "ghos-s".

And then it leaks over into their writing, you mean? That makes sense.

Yes, they are really just spelling what they hear (or think they hear).

[Bijou]

I don't know if this is a grammar quirk, but I've noticed that some phrases come out not at all like the words, but still people know what they mean...
"Imuhna eat then go to the show."  ("I'm going to (or I'm gonna) eat then go to the show."
"Wuhduhyuh think?"  ("What do you think?")
There are others I've noticed, but can't recall off the top of my head.  I oways think it's kyna of fascinating,  doenchu?

[Giggity]

I will go to my grave screeching about the distinction between "over" and "more than."

I also just saw something that made my teeth itch: "over a 100 somethings." Over a one hundred somethings?

[Elfmama]

I always hear desks and ghosts with all their letters pronounced (except, arguably, the H in ghosts).

I am editing a book right now in which people put their hands on their wastes and then pick one up and waive it to say hello.

But the SPELL-CHECK said it was right!!!!

Also, everything that is done has an absurd number of modifiers attached to it. Any time something is said, if the quote is fewer than 5 words, it is "said simply." All thoughts are "thought silently," all hearts "beat inside of (their) chests" and all things that are said in a certain way are "said in a ___ tone" instead of "said __ly."

Sounds like a real literary gem!

What, you never read any of Jean Auel's caveman books?  The woman is apparently horrified by naked nouns.  They have to be accompanied at all times by at least one and preferably  two adjectives.

[EmmaJ.]

I always hear desks and ghosts with all their letters pronounced (except, arguably, the H in ghosts).

I am editing a book right now in which people put their hands on their wastes and then pick one up and waive it to say hello.

But the SPELL-CHECK said it was right!!!!

Also, everything that is done has an absurd number of modifiers attached to it. Any time something is said, if the quote is fewer than 5 words, it is "said simply." All thoughts are "thought silently," all hearts "beat inside of (their) chests" and all things that are said in a certain way are "said in a ___ tone" instead of "said __ly."

Sounds like a real literary gem!

What, you never read any of Jean Auel's caveman books?  The woman is apparently horrified by naked nouns.  They have to be accompanied at all times by at least one and preferably  two adjectives.

That (among many other things) irritated me so much I stopped reading the series after the 2nd book.

[Yvaine]

"Opportunity" to mean "flaw." I hate this little bit of jargon with a passion. I can kind of see how it evolved, but I'm tired of reading stuff like "This design project had an opportunity in the upper left corner."

[Onyx_TKD]

"Opportunity" to mean "flaw." I hate this little bit of jargon with a passion. I can kind of see how it evolved, but I'm tired of reading stuff like "This design project had an opportunity in the upper left corner."

Huh?  What field does this jargon come from?

The only way I see "opportunity" being a synonym for "flaw" is for someone trying to exploit it, and I'm not really seeing how that would happen with something like a design project. E.g., A software bug is a flaw for a programmer, but an "opportunity" for a hacker. A loophole in a rule is a flaw for the rulemaker, but an "opportunity" for someone trying to skirt the rule. How is a flaw in a design project an "opportunity"?   Please enlighten me, so that (most likely) I too can hate this bizarre turn of phrase with an (informed) passion.