The Down-fall of America

GoodSpeak · January-25th-2009, 10:06 PM

I have it upon credible information that the Obama Family members actually love each other [*GASP*]

In fact, it is even possible that they are a real family who love America and [oh-dare-I-say-it] want to do their best to help America succeed.

Here are some very scary pictures [not for the Hannity-types who may be weak of real heart]...avert your eyes, oh radically clueless rightist ones. You may turn to a pillar of salt: Black people are actually [Dear God in Heaven!]....loving each other! Openly...and in public!

And they are DEMOCRATS!

And they will lead the World!

Beware!

Turn away before it is too late!

This is your last warning!

May God have Mercy on your Souls.

Pete C · January-25th-2009, 10:10 PM

Why did you hyphenate downfall?

Brian Olewnick · January-25th-2009, 10:11 PM

"Downfall" is one word. There's no such term as "down-fall". In English.

Scott Dolan · January-25th-2009, 10:12 PM

I'm a hyphenating idiot, but even I would have known-better than that.

GoodSpeak · January-25th-2009, 10:15 PM

There's always a hyphen bigot in the room.

OK, I'll change it. BFD.

sheesh

GoodSpeak · January-25th-2009, 10:17 PM

No, wait!

The JC system won't let me.

My bad.

stonemonkts · January-25th-2009, 11:04 PM

I love this Kipling quote which begins an article regarding potential quagmire in Afghanistan

Quote:

When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains
And the women come out to cut up what remains
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.
—Rudyard Kipling, “The Young British Soldier,” 1892

Nim Chimpsky · January-26th-2009, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

And they will lead the World!

Er ... no they won't. The USA does not equal the world (or the World as you have it).

jesus marion joseph · January-26th-2009, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

"Downfall" is one word. There's no such term as "down-fall". In English.

We're in America, dumb-ass.

Pete C · January-26th-2009, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

We're in America, dumb-ass.

The trend in U.S. dictionaries and style guides is to drop the hyphen in commonly used prefixed words. I'm removing hyphens all the time as a proofreader. If you look back at old books and newspapers, and some not so old, you'll see words like antiwar and nonviolent hyphenated.

Here's an odd case where the header says Anti-War and the body uses antiwar, and it's from 2007 in the American Prospect:

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?...iwar_candidate

Downfall was never hyphenated in my lifetime.

Here's a case where it was used as two words in 1890:

http://books.google.com/books?id=uH1...DhJZK6M7rVkfII

jesus marion joseph · January-26th-2009, 10:56 AM

My post was intended as tongue-in-cheek.

Tom Storer · January-26th-2009, 11:03 AM

America leads the world in hyphen-dropping. When I met my wife (who is Irish) she still wrote "to-day."

rollhead · January-26th-2009, 11:40 AM

"Downfall" is solid. My high school English teacher taught me that.

http://www.apstylebook.com/

Pete C · January-26th-2009, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

My post was intended as tongue-in-cheek.

tongueincheek

Pete C · January-26th-2009, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

America leads the world in hyphen-dropping. When I met my wife (who is Irish) she still wrote "to-day."

I like seeing the word "role" with the circumflex over the o as was the style some years ago.

rollhead · January-26th-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

I love this Kipling quote which begins an article regarding potential quagmire in Afghanistan

I always suspected that stonemonkts was really Rod Blagojevich.

rollhead · January-26th-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

I like seeing the word "role" with the circumflex over the o as was the style some years ago.

Does this mean that role has been circumcised?

patricia · January-26th-2009, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rollhead

Does this mean that role has been circumcised?

Yes it does.

Dr Dave · January-26th-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

I like seeing the word "role" with the circumflex over the o as was the style some years ago.

Hmmm... "rôle"...how European of you. I imagine a French pronunciation: "hhhghrole."

Pete C · January-26th-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

I imagine a French pronunciation: "hhhghrole."

Did you need to spit on me?

Nim Chimpsky · January-26th-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

The trend in U.S. dictionaries and style guides is to drop the hyphen in commonly used prefixed words. I'm removing hyphens all the time as a proofreader. If you look back at old books and newspapers, and some not so old, you'll see words like antiwar and nonviolent hyphenated.

Many words go through a process of commonly occurring next to each other (flower pot), then being hyphenated (flower-pot) before finally being written as one word (flowerpot). There is some evidence that the Internet has increased the pace of this process. However, for many people the written form of a word that was common when they became familiar with it may fossilize.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete C

Downfall was never hyphenated in my lifetime. Here's a case where it was used as two words in 1890:

Interesting that you've found such a recent example. 'Downfall' in the usage we're talking about here has been written as one word for a long time. Here's an example in Henry VI, Part 3, Act 5, Scene 6 from 1593.

O, may such purple tears be alway shed
From those that wish the downfall of our house!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

America leads the world in hyphen-dropping. When I met my wife (who is Irish) she still wrote "to-day."

Perhaps in the English-speaking world but you'd have a hard time trying to out-hyphen-drop a German speaker. Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän!