"Way" Too Much Idiomatic Speech

"No Way, No Way," by Vanilla girls' band. Do you think there's a "way"? No way! Or, is it satire?




Now to the grammar citation* and the many uses of the word "way"

*citation meaning: "a summons to appear in (grammar) court"

An otherwise well-informed and well-spoken guest on Ian Master's political forum, "Background Briefing," a radio program produced in Los Angeles, responded to a Masters question surrounding the seeming ineffectiveness of world judicial bodies pursuing such villains as the Burmese Military Junta which most recently shutdown a Buddhist monastery in Irrawaddy.

Some background:

"The Burmese junta often claims it believes deeply in Buddhism and encourages the growth of the faith. It’s a claim that has the Burmese people shaking their heads in disbelief in view of the junta’s latest crackdown, on Rangoon’s Maggin Monastery." The Irrawaddy

"Why hasn't the International Criminal Court made a greater effort?" Masters inquired.

Guest: "It's so new just beginning to be tested...but it's way, way stronger than it was ten years ago going after international criminals."

"Way" is noun (substantive) meaning "a passage, or a path prepared for available travelling." In a transferred sense it can be the Milky Way, the passage of a whole galaxy in space! Oxford English Dictionary. More humbly: "What is the way home?"

"Way" is used figuratively in many idiomatic phrases, in the sense of with conscious reference to literal travelling: "to know one's way." "Will the team go all the way this year to the title game?" Or, to express it negatively: "There's no way the team will go that far," that is, it possesses not the means of getting very far, "taking a clear path" to the playoffs.

To use "way" as an adverb intensifier as did Mr. Masters' guest, (...but it's way way stronger) is to say: "It's much, much stronger." Even so, too many much's here where one much will do. "Much" as an adverb means "existing in great degree or quantity." Oxford Mini Dictionary. To use "way" for much is inadvisable, as a much more useful word already exists in a literal form providing greater force of expression: "Much." To use "way" twice, is doubly wrong.

For Valerie Plame Wilson Pronouns Are a Minor Problem

Valerie Plame Wilson, the ill-fated CIA operative outed by Vice President Cheney, Carl Rove, Scooter Libby, and Robert Novak, in a most ill-mannered way, not to mention an allegedly illegal way, recently responded to an interviewer who asked her the importance of writing a book to explain her side in the matter:

"It's important to tell for we as citizens." Plame should have used the objective case pronoun us, as in "...for us citizens."

Again, it is difficult to edit yourself in the act of speaking, and most of us will think one thing without expressing it in its entirety. We might refer to such errors as an elliptical trap. Elliptical expressions indicate only a part of a thought, the remainder assumed to be understood in context.

Valerie Plame might have been thinking: "It's important to tell for we as citizens need to know all that occurs in the executive branch that might breach certain laws, and that certainly might do harm to a legitimate CIA agent performing her country's work in good faith."

It that is what agent Plame was thinking, we'd have to say she's probably right.

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Sheriff Lee Baca Gets Cited for a Pronoun Violation

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca recently commented on his relationship with Los Angeles County governmental officials:

"The government has been in complete communication with myself." He should have put it:

"The government has been in complete communication with me. Here, no need for clarifying with whom the government communicates.

In fairness to Sheriff Baca, we must say that "The reflexive (pronoun) is an idiomatic form devised for convenience...meant to avoid clumsiness and ambiguity." (Harper's English Grammar, John Opdycke).

The sheriff was clumsy, he could simply have used the object pronoun me. But more on myself, which comes in two reflexive pronoun varieties: intensive (also called emphatic), and clarifying. When used intensively, the "self" pronouns are usually placed next to the noun or other pronoun they refer to:

I myself will attend the opera. Or, separated from its antecedent (the word it intensifies or clarifies): I went to the opera myself. (No ambiguity in either case).

When used to clarify, the "self" pronouns are separated from their antecedent by the verb: She trained herself to sing. (Whom did she train? "Herself"). (No ambiguity).

More on "Well" and "Good"

The adverb is the workhorse of all the parts of speech, except perhaps the verb itself, without which no sentence is possible. Pointing out the several varieties of adverbs with examples of each will help to explain their special duties.: adverb of direction: above, back, forward, backward; adverb of manner (which includes some the troublesome "well" which may also be used as an adjective): rapidly, justly, beautifully, arm in arm, hand in hand, however, well; adverb of negation: no, not, never, neither, nor; adverb of number: secondly, thirdly, fifteenth, etc.; adverb of place or location: about, anywhere, here, there, whereabouts, upon, in back, in front, here and there; and adverb of time: immediately, instantly, lately, since, yesterday, often, once... (Harper's English Grammar... John B. Opdycke).

Back to "Well": John David Booty played well. Adverb. Rudy Carpenter was not a well person after his game opposing USC. Adjective.

Rudy Carpenter was hit good during the game by SC's defensive linemen. Wrong! Carpenter was hit well. An adverb of manner does the job in this case: "How was Carpenter affected by USC's defensive line? He was hit well. The adverb "well" modifies the verb "hit."

What about the following expression: "That is well and good." Both words serve as adjectives, predicate adjectives.

If you understand all this, then we may say, "It is good (adjective) that it ends well (adverb) for you."

"Hitting Good" Not the Same as "It Hurts So Bad"

Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State University's vaunted quarterback, was sacked six times and suffered a bloodied lip in his football team's defeat by the University of Southern California Trojans in Tempe, Arizona. "They came to hit tonight, that is the one thing they do...they hit me, they hit me good."

Rudy used an adjective instead of an adverb. How did the Trojan defensive linemen hit Rudy? They hit him thoroughly, they hit him well, by a big margin. Thus, Rudy should have put it: "They hit me well."

well, adverb: in a good manner or style, rightly, thoroughly; by a favorable margin. (Oxford Mini Dictionary)

Note: well can be an adjective when it means: well-equipped; or a noun when it means in good health, or, happiness and prosperity.

good, adjective: having the right qualities, beneficial, efficient. (Oxford Mini Dictionary)

Also note: good and well use the same forms when used to make comparisons between two things, or among three or more things. See below:

positive comparative superlative
good better best

positive comparative superlative
well better best

Admiral Michael Mullen Makes an "Impact"

Uh oh. Here we go again. Admiral Mullen, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, and an alumnus of this writer's high school, spoke the following to the to members of the foreign press at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, D.C., responding to questions concerning creating stability in Iraq.

"Clearly, the ability (of the United States and others) to impact Iraq's economy...(would be helpful)."

If we allow that Admiral Mullen intended the figurative use of impact: "to influence Iraq's economy in some positive way," he would be speaking, well, figuratively. We should assume literal intentions when discussing such grave subjects as the situation in Iraq. Thus, if he is speaking literally, he would convey that we are literally trying to "pack something (good will? money?) into Iraq. This might make for visual drama of some sort but would certainly be ineffective, even silly.

Otherwise, Mullen used "impact" properly as a noun in a subsequent sentence:

“One of the unexpected outcomes that's had a big impact on security has been this group of some 70,000 concerned local citizens, who have taken back … their towns and their villages and their areas...”

Let us all hope that whatever ingenuous help Iraq receives, it will prove to have an impact.

"Impact" used as a verb means: to physically press firmly on or into something, to pack in. Clearly, nothing physical pressed against the country of Iraq other than the bombs dropped in the beginning of the exercise. A figurative use of impact allows for the "influence of a person or thing upon another person or thing," in ways positive and negative, but the word is most often used as a noun usually in a phrase with either "make" or "have" as: Ending sectarian violence in Iraq will have an impact on creating peace and prosperity.


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Some Odd Plurals in English

"Odd Plurals in English"

Anonymous

(a new take on an old subject)

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes, but the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nestfull of mice, yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
We speak of a brother and also of brethren, but though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him, But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

(The following are not plural forms, but still interesting)

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does humanitarian eat humanables?

And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if father is Pop, how come mother's not Mop?

Savage Wipeouts at the Banzai Pipeline!

Although "there (there is, there are) should be used sparingly, if at all, as the first word(s) in a formal essay or story or news item," putting the word(s) in the front of a sentence brings such advantages as emphasizing the most important, even dramatic element in a sentence." Harper's English Grammar, John B. Opdycke

Pete Thomas, Outdoors editor of the Los Angeles Times, often writes about international surfing competitions. Recently, he described the dangerous surf at the Banzai Pipeline in the Hawaiian Islands, site of the next big event on the elite Pro Tour. Mr. Thomas is himself a pro at describing breaking surf and other aspects of the Great Outdoors.

The veteran Thomas wrote in a crisp and provocative style: "Most of the surfing universe has shifted to the North Shore, as it does at the advent of every winter (for the prize money)...but the real lure is the gargantuan waves...16 feet or higher.... Not listed is the number of savage wipeouts at the notorious Banzai Pipeline, but it's considerable...." He saved the key point for last while not even having to use the There is construction. That would have proven awkward. Try reading: "There is not listed the number of savage wipeouts..." Ugh!

Thomas also avoided writing: "Savage wipeouts occur at the Banzai Pipeline." Why? Because "Savage wipeouts" is a dramatic description of the event he reports on. Thomas is not breaking a headline.

However, later in his piece, Mr. Thomas might have used the prescriptive syntax avoiding there in a later sentence when he wrote: "There are 240 surfers from 16 nations competing for the Triple Crown title...." Better to write: "240 surfers from 16 nations will compete for the Triple Crown title...." Nothing dramatic surrounds the phrase 240 surfers. Should he have spelled out the numbers? Prescriptives exist for this question as well, yet we'll save them for another time.

It'll Be "Harder" to Balance the California State Budget Gov. Schwartzenegger...Are You Listening?

In a Los Angeles Times editorial, November 9th, 2007, the Times' editorial writer recalls that in 2004 Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger claimed that just "spending less" would solve the budget deficit problems in California. Problem is, which revenue should be cut? A very useful automobile tax worth billions of dollars annually? "Yes," said the governor...Off with its head. And so, Californians got rid of the Gray Davis while gaining a few hundreds of dollars each at great public expense. Why eliminate an automobile tax which helps pay for public libraries, schools, road repair...

Said the editorialist: "The governor must restructure state finances into something more rational and sustainable...(but) that requires the kind of frank conversation that's hard in the best of times. It will be even harder now...." We agree, except for the use of the word hard.

"Hard" is an idiomatic way of expressing more eloquent and useful words such as: difficult, challenging, pressing. The same goes for the comparative of hard, harder, coming later in the sentence.

We should expect more eloquence from the Los Angeles Times editorial page, even if we agree with the content. Certainly, we cannot expect more than mere rhetoric and band aid policies from the state's chief executive.

The Writers Strike, or, The Writers' Strike

The local affiliate for NBC television in Los Angeles, KNBC, put up a graphic regarding the conflict currently taking place between Hollywood writers and their nemeses, the major studios. The graphic read:

The Writers Strike

Upon hearing the phrase, I personally thought: The Writers' Strike, or, the strike of the writers. But how is it I thought ...strike of the writers, or writers' strike? Because there is a choice when one hears the phrase that does not exist when one sees it. Why the choice I made? That's a personal idiosyncrasy, I suppose.

KNBC's headline graphic was appropriate and quite clear using the simple, declarative sentence in the present indicative tense for its news bearing headline: The Writers Strike.

Other, possibilities exist:

The writers go on strike, uses the helping verb go, which is too often used, yet which lends a dramatic feeling.

The writers are striking, uses the Present Progressive tense, which would be in error because the writers hadn't been striking before the headline broke. Present Progressive states an action still going on in the present, (501 English Verbs, Thomas B. Beyer, Jr. Ph.D.) suggesting it had been going on in the recent past, which had not been the case.

In any case, Go Writers!