Did you not see the thread "Paul & Justin" posted by johnny some 5 hrs before yours? Why you insist on starting a new thread on a topic about which one has already begun is beyond me. You are not that special; in fact, you must have figured out that the rest of us a long time ago stopped buying the whole "we're a bunch of frat boys in Texas" line of bullshit!
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Stowe ~ Goodness, gracious! I think we could afford to be a little 'libertarian' about who starts "threads", and when, and where. (An opinion I have urged upon my beloved Jon, as well - of course, it is JUST an opinion. After all. . . neither the space, nor the characters, are costing ANY of us a red cent further, than those we've already tossed Mark's way. . . . ;-) *And I don't know about you, but I was never inclined toward a career in library sciences, as the taxonomy of documents is (if anything) even more tedious than the taxidermy of BEASTS! (I think.)*
I must say, I am also finding KRU's posts both more amicable, and tantalizing, of late! And EVERYONE here. . . is special - I think!
However, has someone put a myth about, that KRU is a "Texas frat boy?" Stowe, surely this IS a legend, for it's absolutely not possible, on linguistic grounds, alone. I adduce the following:
*My sainted Grandmother was born in 1896. (My Dear Old Dad was the youngest of all her children, and he was born in 1932. I was born in 1965. And Grandmother lived till 1990.) She was brought up, upon the "Queen Victoria Reader", and employed (in everyday speech) a lot of ancient 'Briticisms' particular to the Edwardian era, which I've never heard, since. ("By jingo!", was an exclamation she used, when she was QUITE exercised.)
"Ripping", or "rippingly", used as an adjective or adverb, signifying excellence or excitement, are terms that significantly pre-date World War II. They never translated to the colonies, especially, and Jon may correct me, but I believe these terms are no longer in use in the U.K., either ~ and probably have NOT been in large and general use in the U.K., since long before Jon's grandparents were laid to rest. (I know LOTS of boys from Texas - and Alabama, and Georgia, for that matter - and not a single one of them has ever described a scene - or a motion-picture - or a hot-dog - or a steak, as "rippingly hot, or good." It simply isn't a phrase that has ever been USED in America. EVER.)
Where this term IS currently used, is in India, Pakistan, Singapore, and other former British colonies in Asia, where archaic, early-20th-century British slang forms, continue to dwell. And in some Eastern-European and Balkan countries, where outdated syllabi relating to English grammar and usage are still
de rigueur. (And why not? These phrases are charming! Though, generally speaking, only people over the age of 50, will have been exposed to them.)
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Please note, also, Stowe - the odd juxtaposition of KRU's superb VOCABULARY, and his sometimes - shall we say? - rather wooden, SYNTAX. KRU has a beautiful talent for alliteration ("dick-drunk", to "dick-dancing") and so on. Alliteration is one of the first poetic qualities of the English language those who acquire it as a second language often appropriate - because it is so concrete, immediate, and not as TREACHEROUS as the negotiation of VOWELS. (As, to be fair, Jon's vowels would be a little foreign to ME, as mine, to him.)
KRU is so eloquent, at times, but. . . at times, his exceedingly rich vocabulary, coupled with his awkward syntax, give one pause - (As in the extended phrase: "THE SCENES ARE EXCITEDLY PEOPLED WITH HIGH QUALITY PERFORMERS WHO HAVE SUFFICIENT SELF-CONFIDENCE AND HUMAN KINDNESS TO ADMIT THAT HE ENJOYS THE SEX WITH ANOTHER MAN IN THAT MOMENT AS A HUMAN ACTIVITY AND NOT A LIFETIME COMMITMENT AND MOREOVER, SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT HIS SCENE SEX-PARTNER IS ACTUALLY GETTING ENJOYMENT FROM THE SEX." Well, Stowe ~
*No native English-speaker would use the adverb "excitedly", in quite that juxtaposition. (Though it is not an error, it is not the vernacular usage, and never has been.)
*Few native English-speakers would use the verb "peopled", in this context, any longer. It is quite correct, but is, for most of us, archaic or at least UNUSUAL, in natural speech.
*No native English-speaker with such a superb level of vocabulary would perpetrate the subject-verb disagreement which appears, in the second line.
And, so on. . . .
Now, I am not meaning (in the least) to oppress poor KRU - not at all. I'm simply meaning to confirm (with a little bit of shock, because I was not witness to his claiming this): that he is no
Texan. Or American, or Canadian. Or Englishman, either. His patterns of writing confirm this isn't true.
What I hope KRU realizes is, that - he doesn't
HAVE to be a Texas frat-boy, to be liked and appreciated, by the rest of us ;-) We come from many different places, and we like each other not only despite, but because of our diverse backgrounds. Kindness and friendship are, indeed, the things that bind us, together.
There is no need to dissemble, KRU. I don't speak French that well - and Spanish or Russian, not at ALL, sadly. But we can all get along ;-)))
"A" XOXOXOXOXOXO