Piano Forum

Non Piano Board => Anything but piano => Topic started by: cygnusdei on February 04, 2008, 04:35:55 AM

Title: Grammar teaser
Post by: cygnusdei on February 04, 2008, 04:35:55 AM

In the movie Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the character Aunt Josephine said this:

Lachrymose leeches have six rows of very sharp teeth and one very sharp nose.

FYI, Aunt Josephine is a stickler for proper grammar ("Grammar is the greatest joy in life").

Anyone care to venture a comment?

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: Bob on February 04, 2008, 04:39:21 AM

Leeches, plural, have one very sharp nose? 

One nose between them all?




(... and in the darkness guide them?)

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: Bob on February 04, 2008, 04:40:41 AM

Quote from: cygnusdei on February 04, 2008, 04:35:55 AM

"Grammer is the greatest joy in life").

Anyone care to venture a comment?

Ahem!  Does spelling count for good old Aunt Joe?

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: cygnusdei on February 04, 2008, 04:46:13 AM

Quote from: Bob on February 04, 2008, 04:40:41 AM

Ahem!  Does spelling count for good old Aunt Joe?

Spot on! But that was entirely my mistake. Aunt Josephine doesn't have a crush on Kelsey Grammer.

But back to the leeches.....

Do you think Aunt Josephine used improper grammar? Or is it perfectly acceptable in colloquial setting?

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: thalberg on February 04, 2008, 05:38:36 AM

I don't think it's incorrect.  After all, you can say "giraffes have four legs" and it's fine. 

How are you supposed to know how many noses there are if you don't know how many leeches there are?

She meant leeches in general.  It would sound stilted if she said leeches each have one nose.  But I suppose it's an option.  This is a strange thread.

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: richard black on February 04, 2008, 10:28:47 AM

The gentlemen removed their hat.

And yes, that is correct, officially,

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: Petter on February 04, 2008, 12:41:41 PM

I totally forgot about that movie. The end credits animation is amazing.

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: cygnusdei on February 04, 2008, 06:05:41 PM

OK, what about this

The Labèque sisters have two pianos.

How many pianos do they have?

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: minor9th on February 04, 2008, 06:32:57 PM

How about:

"The Beatles is my favorite group" or "The Beatles are my favorite group"? Depends on if you view them as a singular unit ("is") or a collection of four individuals ("are"). 

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: bench warmer on February 05, 2008, 01:35:59 AM

                                                          This statement is not true.

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: timothy42b on February 05, 2008, 09:39:00 AM

I think it may be grammatically correct but factually unclear.

I would say "Each leech has six rows of teeth and one nose."  I'm not sure it is any more correct but you would know for sure what I meant. 

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: pianochick93 on February 05, 2008, 10:40:40 AM

I think 'Lachrymose Leeches' referrs to the species, not how many. 'The Lachrymose Leeches' would refer to a certain group of those leeches.

So if you said 'Lachrymose leeches have 6 sharp rows of teeth and a very sharp nose' you would be implying that each lachrymose leech has 6 rows of teeth etc.

However if you said 'The lachrymose leeches have 6 rows of teeth etc.' you would be implying that this group had in their possession 6 rows of sharp teeth and a very sharp nose. That's what I see it as anyway.

It could be phrased a little better. Such as 'A single Lachrymose leech has 6 rows of teeth and one very sharp nose.'

Title: Re: Grammar teaser
Post by: mike_lang on February 05, 2008, 12:36:55 PM

Lachrymose leeches  [each] have six rows of very sharp teeth and one very sharp nose.