Re: "Seed crystals" (was: "Regionalism" and "Another think c

[Susan_Gallagher_at_Enfin-SD -at- PROTEON -dot- COM]

Ken d'Albenas raises questions on the use of couple (of) and few...


<major snip>

>1. Couple (of):
   >Americans usually seem to write (for example) "a couple remarks;"
   >others seem to prefer adding the preposition: "a couple of remarks."
   >But everyone everywhere agrees on the following constructions:
     >- a few remarks
     >- a couple more remarks (though some also write and say, "a couple
       >of more remarks")
     >- a lot of remarks

   >Anyone want to tackle the "couple of" issue?

          Ok, I'll play this game.  I'm not a dictionary expert by any
          means, but in my book (the little red one that sits on the
          shelf under my monitor) the word "couple" is a noun.  "Few"
          is an adjective, sometimes a pronoun.  "Lot" is a noun, too.
          So, by my way of thingking, you can modify a noun with a
          prepositional phrase (a couple *of* ways), but using a noun
          as a modifier is a really awkward construction that ought to
          be avoided

>2. Displays:
   >According to all my dictionaries, the verb "display" is transitive
   >unless referring to mating behaviour in birds and animals.  Yet I
   >see the following usage a lot from certain sources:

   >"A progress message displays in the Message Window."

   >Unless it's an _extremely_ attractive and user-friendly message
   >(!) I change it to "is displayed," or even better - you guessed it
   >- "appears".

   >Opinions?

          Perhaps this use of "displays" is reserved for times when
          the message **flashes** across the screen???

Sue Gallagher                                 |
Sr. Technical Writer                          |      "Updating a manual
Easel Corporation                             |     is like changing tires
Enfin Technology Lab                          |       on a moving car."
San Diego, CA                                 |        -- Edmond Weiss
Susan_Gallagher_at_Enfin-SD -at- relay -dot- proteon -dot- com |



Cheers,

Ken d'Albenas
(-::
Replies to: kendal -at- autotrol -dot- cuc -dot- ab -dot- ca Flames to:  kendal@/dev/null

========================================== People who grumble, "I have better
things to do with my time," rarely do.
- Anonymous
==========================================

*****************************