Podcast 46- I have a niece aiming to be an architect, friends’ daughters...taking their places in law and medicine... most of them leaning leftward but nonetheless they owe a debt to Justice O’Connor.
Oh dear - bombasticity? Sorry to play the prissy Englishman, but there really is no need for you Americans to keep adding pompous-sounding suffixes to perfectly good words like transport (-ation) and burgle (burglarise). 'Bombast' does the job perfectly well.
Nice try, Thomas (although some purists may disagree that '-ip' is actually a suffix). As for your attempt at demotic British English, congratulations - it is, well,
It might be an example of simply 'poetic license' as applied to the spoken word, more like 'plasticity' than 'pompousness.' Absent its eternal malleability, English would be just another set of rules with much fewer opportunities for ear-catching expressions.
I guess I assumed that was the point, sort of a humorous-y onomatopoeia. I.e. “bombasticity” as a preposterously pompous-sounding word, meant to poke fun at preposterously pompous-sounding people.
But, like they say, nothing helps a joke so much as explaining it to death.
I accept that he was undoubtedly conscious of what he was doing. If he had used the shorter word, the sentence wouId need to have been tweaked in order to avoid sounding a bit flat.
Don't take me too serously. However, I refuse to use 'burglarize' (whether spelled with a z or an s).
I admit that I initially assumed that, like his fellow scribes Dante and Shakespeare before him, GK had simply chosen to invent a new word here. However, 'bombasticity' seems to have an existing pedigree, at least in American English.
Actually, she probably didn't. See the October 31, 2015, story from CNN which discusses the actual recount done by a group of news organizations. The Supreme Court should have stayed out of the issue in my opinion, but in the end, it probably made no difference.
Sandra Day O'Connor's attitude towards her ill husband's new love is THE most amazing example of, not only pragmaticism, but of true love one has the privilege of witnessing. Oh, that any of the rest of us could develop such unselfish, pure love...Thank you for sharing this remarkable story. Lolo Kable
I think we have a pretty good crop of SCOTUS judges right now. Jackson has been a pleasant surprise. I had her pegged as a defiant partisan, when in fact she's joined the rest in forging non-partisan, unanimous or near-unanimous decisions. These people are the stewards of our constitution, and the institution needs our respect.
Sandra Day O'Connor was the one vote that allowed George W Bush (the second-worst president ever) to beat Al Gore (who beat W in the popular vote) in the Electoral College. Bush went on to .... There is not enough space or time to explain how bad W was, but the Iraq War disaster may be the worst. She alone could have prevented that. That's not pragmatic, that was political and a terrible decision.
Oh dear - bombasticity? Sorry to play the prissy Englishman, but there really is no need for you Americans to keep adding pompous-sounding suffixes to perfectly good words like transport (-ation) and burgle (burglarise). 'Bombast' does the job perfectly well.
And while we're at it old chap, let's take the -ip away from Phil and 'ave a go a' that. How's 'at, Phil old boy?
Nice try, Thomas (although some purists may disagree that '-ip' is actually a suffix). As for your attempt at demotic British English, congratulations - it is, well,
almost worthy of Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins!
Good morning, Philip:
If I might suggest it, another word Brits might like to learn from Americans is “Humor”.
Thank you, Nichael. We would like to offer you a word in return: irony
;-)
It might be an example of simply 'poetic license' as applied to the spoken word, more like 'plasticity' than 'pompousness.' Absent its eternal malleability, English would be just another set of rules with much fewer opportunities for ear-catching expressions.
I guess I assumed that was the point, sort of a humorous-y onomatopoeia. I.e. “bombasticity” as a preposterously pompous-sounding word, meant to poke fun at preposterously pompous-sounding people.
But, like they say, nothing helps a joke so much as explaining it to death.
I accept that he was undoubtedly conscious of what he was doing. If he had used the shorter word, the sentence wouId need to have been tweaked in order to avoid sounding a bit flat.
Don't take me too serously. However, I refuse to use 'burglarize' (whether spelled with a z or an s).
I admit that I initially assumed that, like his fellow scribes Dante and Shakespeare before him, GK had simply chosen to invent a new word here. However, 'bombasticity' seems to have an existing pedigree, at least in American English.
You have to be smart to enjoy British humour!
Surely you can find better candidates for language abominations than our beloved and well above average GK!
I would never presume to criticise (sic) the Bard of Minnesota unless my tongue was firmly in my cheek.
With
British
humor so dry it can go undetected!
Oh, to have her and RGB back on the court! I miss their voices!
To have RBG back so that she could resign before she died which was quite evident would happen years before it did. Ego.
Couldn't agree more. She was a salt of the earth person and there just doesn't seem to be many of her type around anymore.
Yes but… she gave us W!!!! Fearful of a democratic presidency! Hard to honor her good qualities wiped out with a sing vote.
Actually, she probably didn't. See the October 31, 2015, story from CNN which discusses the actual recount done by a group of news organizations. The Supreme Court should have stayed out of the issue in my opinion, but in the end, it probably made no difference.
Sandra Day O'Connor's attitude towards her ill husband's new love is THE most amazing example of, not only pragmaticism, but of true love one has the privilege of witnessing. Oh, that any of the rest of us could develop such unselfish, pure love...Thank you for sharing this remarkable story. Lolo Kable
WHY is this only under Humor❓
I like pragmatic also and had such aunts. But, laugh as you might at sensitive terms, I think we still need certain "healing spaces" for everyone.
I think we have a pretty good crop of SCOTUS judges right now. Jackson has been a pleasant surprise. I had her pegged as a defiant partisan, when in fact she's joined the rest in forging non-partisan, unanimous or near-unanimous decisions. These people are the stewards of our constitution, and the institution needs our respect.
We have seen the interview and wish todays justices had her guts and sense of fairness and honesty. RRoeder
Dear Garrison -
I listened and I cried.
Thank you.
Sandra Day O'Connor was the one vote that allowed George W Bush (the second-worst president ever) to beat Al Gore (who beat W in the popular vote) in the Electoral College. Bush went on to .... There is not enough space or time to explain how bad W was, but the Iraq War disaster may be the worst. She alone could have prevented that. That's not pragmatic, that was political and a terrible decision.