Words

May. 26th, 2015 07:14 am
fabrisse: (Default)
[personal profile] fabrisse
Fandom word usage issues that are bothering me -- Kingsman edition.

One is briefed before going on a mission. One may be handed one's brief to read later (which one then carries in a briefcase) or one may attend a briefing. Note that in this case "brief " is singular as to be handed one's briefs has other implications.

One is debriefed upon one's return. Once all the relevant questions have been answered, one may then be debriefed in the more pleasant sense.

Lose and Loose are not the same word. Neither are Past and Passed. Nor Breath and Breathe, for that matter. (Lose, breathe, and passed are verbs, the last of these in the past tense.) Fissure<>frisson either.

Harry lives in a mews (a street of former carriage houses, usually but not always a dead end). His house is a mews house, not a mew house. That is where one might keep cats (though not to be confused with a cathouse).

Lastly, a word on accents: Eggsy's is estuary not Cockney; I doubt he could find the Bow bells. Arthur/Chester is speaking with a true Cockney at the end, courtesy of Michael Caine's actually being Cockney. Merlin's is a neutral Scots accent which I think of as "educated" Scots. I've heard it from ministers and professors mostly and assume, but could be wrong, that it's Edinburgh based no matter where the speaker is actually from, much like an Oxbridge accent.

I feel better now.

Date: 2015-05-26 06:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] malnpudl.livejournal.com
Sometimes these things just need to be said. :-)

Date: 2015-05-26 07:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fabrisse.livejournal.com
It was one too many uses of "loose" for "lose" that got me started. It was good to get it off my chest. ;-)

How're you doing?

Date: 2015-05-26 07:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] malnpudl.livejournal.com
Loath and loathe, rein and reign... they're everywhere, aren't they? *wry grin*

Me, I'm... struggling. And tired of it. Just got some hopes dashed, which doesn't help. (Waited a year for referral to a medical specialist. After all that, nothing came of it.) Life goes on.

You?

Date: 2015-05-27 02:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fabrisse.livejournal.com
How could I forget reign and rein. Dear heavens, do those get misused.

Sorry that your specialist couldn't help.

I'm still looking for other work. Still depress.

Date: 2015-06-04 04:59 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Have you seen the t-shirt: I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned you?

Nancy
Proofreader Paladin
'Have Red Pencil - Will Travel.'

(To hyphenate or not to hyphenate?)

Date: 2015-06-14 04:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fabrisse.livejournal.com
No, but I want one. *heart eyes*

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