Grammar

[Falconius]

"Obsolete" used as a verb, as in "Plastics obsoletes furs" seems strange. But I looked it up and it can be used that way. No one ever talks that way though.

Quick scene from "Terminator 4":

Arnold: "I must obsolete you now."

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat boom-ba-boom ba-boom!

[Arrian]

"Your Spy has been destroyed the production of XYZ in Bombay!"

Uh, no, that's not it. But whatever, it's not important to me.

-Arrian

[meowsqueak]

I saw one recently that made me sigh - one of those circles with a triangle-arrow at the edge of the screen said:

"Galley has created!"

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Falconius
"Obsolete" used as a verb, as in "Plastics obsoletes furs" seems strange. But I looked it up and it can be used that way. No one ever talks that way though.

Yeah I had to double-check that, too. I still don't like using it as a verb, I'll mod it out once I stop being lazy.

[Hobelhouse]

Originally posted by Prof. Vorthys
Kassiopeia

You are entirely correct. I had forgotten "an historian".



However, most other native English speakers would do the same!


Prof. Vorthys

'An' historian? A buh-what?

[GodSpawn]

It's true - along with loads of other examples such as "an hotel".

However, that usage seems more prevalent in US English. Over here, most people would say "a hotel", and DEFINITELY "a herb".

[Prof. Vorthys]

I think we can all agree that the English grammar is questionable in places, even allowing for different regional variations in Engish!

I hope Illuminatus is taking notes for the first patch!

Prof V.


PS An historian with an antitank weapon could make short work of modern armour!

[Byelotsar]

Originally posted by Prof. Vorthys
PS An historian with an antitank weapon could make short work of modern armour!

Though it is of course important to remember that standard tanks come equipped with anti-historian weapons.

Incidentally, I don't see a lot of use of "an h-" combinations in the US, though I personally use them. At first I was baffled when I saw it (in a book, I think), but it kind of grew on me like some sort of horrible fungus. Either way is considered acceptable here, anyway.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by LordShiva


Yeah I had to double-check that, too. I still don't like using it as a verb, I'll mod it out once I stop being lazy.

Even writers such as Shakespeare played fast and loose with words- using nouns as verbs, for instance.

To out-Herod Herod (from 'Hamlet')

Spaniel'd me at heels (from Antony and Cleopatra)


I have noticed that some people use 'obsess' this way:

'I'm obsessing about her'

when I would say 'I'm obsessed with her'.

I belive the former is a more North American usage.

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by Prof. Vorthys
I hope Illuminatus is taking notes for the first patch!

I've been asked for many different things but this is first time I've been asked to make a patch.

[Sabre2th]

Originally posted by Prof. Vorthys
Kassiopeia

You are entirely correct. I had forgotten "an historian".



However, most other native English speakers would do the same!


Prof. Vorthys

Originally posted by GodSpawn
It's true - along with loads of other examples such as "an hotel".

However, that usage seems more prevalent in US English. Over here, most people would say "a hotel", and DEFINITELY "a herb".

The differences are regional. It really doesn't have anything to do with UK vs. US.

[Aileron]

Originally posted by meowsqueak
I saw one recently that made me sigh - one of those circles with a triangle-arrow at the edge of the screen said:

"Galley has created!"

Yeah I saw that too. What are they even trying to say with that one? It's not "Galley has been created", because it's inside a bubble that pops up when the selected unit moves off screen. Maybe it should say "Galley is over here"

[padillah]

Just a thought but why must they only replace the whole word part?

Most of you are assuming the key phrase is : "Your Modern Armour has been destroyed by -BLANK-."

Why not make the key phrase: "Your Modern Armour has been destroyed by a-BLANK-." (notice the "a" and the lack of space after it?)

Now if you replace -BLANK- with " Gunship" it is correct English.

If you replace -BLANK- with "n Archer" it is still correct English.

No need for algorithms or replacement theory, just find the commonality and work from that point out.

(Sorry, just got done watching Numb3rs and I'm in that frame of mind. Comes from OO programming for the last 12 years.)

Tom P.

[Sabre2th]

Originally posted by padillah
Just a thought but why must they only replace the whole word part?

Most of you are assuming the key phrase is : "Your Modern Armour has been destroyed by -BLANK-."

Why not make the key phrase: "Your Modern Armour has been destroyed by a-BLANK-." (notice the "a" and the lack of space after it?)

Now if you replace -BLANK- with " Gunship" it is correct English.

If you replace -BLANK- with "n Archer" it is still correct English.

No need for algorithms or replacement theory, just find the commonality and work from that point out.

(Sorry, just got done watching Numb3rs and I'm in that frame of mind. Comes from OO programming for the last 12 years.)

Tom P.

I've used that method myself in the past and it works perfectly well with predefined words. Maybe it's not the preferred method, but I've always found that it's better to go with what works than what everyone else thinks you should do

[Prof. Vorthys]

Padillah and Sabre2th

Good idea. Simple fix deals with most contingencies! Leaves time for more important fixes.


Prf V.