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Archiver > TMG > 2001-05 > 0989280423


From: "DeAnna Burghart" <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] Circa, verso, omnia Gallia in tres partes . . .
Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 17:07:03 -0700
In-Reply-To: <008b01c0d74b$9a1d3ba0$4a439acf@dlbright>


*blush* Thanks, Dennis.

>>But using a good word instead one more common...<<

*double blush* That should have been "But to use, instead of a good word,
one more common ..." of course. That's what I get when I try to compose
run-on clauses with an infant drooling on the keyboard. <g>

D-



-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis L. Bright [mailto:]
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 4:15 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [TMG] Circa, verso, omnia Gallia in tres partes . . .


Bravo! Well said, DeAnna

Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: DeAnna Burghart <>
To: <>
Date: Monday, May 07, 2001 1:44 PM
Subject: RE: [TMG] Circa, verso, omnia Gallia in tres partes . . .


>>>Remember that most readers have simple educations and that most
>words have more than one meaning of which we are only using one. <<
>
>I'm sorry, Rob. I realize you probably meant no offense by that, but I just
>can't restrain myself from responding. This is not meant to target your
>words particularly, but rather, as one other lister so adroitly phrased it,
>current societal pressure to "dumb down" the American public.
>
><RANTMODE=ON>
>
>Although it *may* be true that "most of your readers" have "a simple
>education," I think that's a pretty presumptuous assumption and I'd
>challenge anyone to prove it.
>
>Furthermore, having a "simple" education does not necessarily translate to
>*being* simple. My great-grandmother, God rest her soul, had about an 8th
>grade education, near as I can ascertain, give or take. Everyone who knew
>her will testify that she was *anything* but simple. She never received a
>high school diploma that I'm aware of, but she would have had no trouble
>understanding words or phrases like "ibid." or "et al." or "N.B." In fact
>she taught me (and everyone she worked with) to use them properly, because
>in order to communicate well one must have respect -- for the language and
>for the audience's intelligence. Pontification is obviously undesirable,
but
>so is writing to the lowest common demoninator, which I happen to believe
is
>probably far below the average intelligence of most genealogists. :)
>
>Circa vs. about is at this point a matter of personal choice, I suppose.
But
>using a good word instead one more common but far less sufficient to the
>purpose is NOT pedantic, and if used correctly and appropriately will be
>perfectly well understood by most people with at least average
intelligence,
>even if they have only a simple education. And if they don't understand it,
>then anyone with at least average intelligence and a simple education can
>use the dictionary for something more than a door stop and broaden their
>minds a little. It's good for us. Keeps the brain elastic. <g>
>
>I had no idea that "on verso" meant "on the reverse" until I read it in
>context in these messages. Once I figured it out, I was quite pleased that
>I'd learned something new -- I try to do that every day. Now, I'll probably
>never *use* it, but I don't think that people who choose to do so should be
>subjected to labels like "pedantic."
>
>And ANOTHER thing ...
>
><RANTMODE=OFF>
>
>Oops. Sorry about that. <big sheepish grin as she edges away from the
>soapbox>
>
>;)
>
>DeAnna
>
>
>
>

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