Comments on: They can preach naked from the waist downwards

By: nickinko

nickinko — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:59:40 +0000

‘I have often malapopped in my malapops’

A ‘metamalapop’?

By: Charles Exford

Charles Exford — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:12:23 +0000

And while I’m at it I wish to coin the term “malapopism”. This should mean a comment in which one pedant has a pop at someone else for a grammatical, punctuational, lexical, syntactical or orthographic mistake, and in the process makes one or more such slips himself.
I have often malapopped in my malapops. I am often guilty of malapopism.

Not long now before malapop men are called Charlie.

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:51:22 +0000

We could be at each other’s throats over this. *Does winky emoticon thing*

By: Charles Exford

Charles Exford — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:39:22 +0000

But because they haven’t got more than one arse each, and because Baal forbid we accuse NB57 of a grammatical slip, the only way around the conundrum for me is to think of it as the arses belonging to the others, and treat is as an unusual version of the conventional word order for a sentence meaning “they each can smack others’ arses”.

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:38:23 +0000

There isn’t a quibble to be had, though, is there? I was always taught to treat “each other” as a singular pronoun, therefore it’s “each other’s arses”. You wouldn’t say “the arses belonging to each others”.

By: Chris The Siteowner

Chris The Siteowner — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:22:36 +0000

I think it would be fun to put our quandary to one of those English Language forums and watch them quibble there.

By: Charles Exford

Charles Exford — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 09:40:21 +0000

Yes you have. Which is why I say yes and no.

Because in a way no it shouldn’t. “Each other’s arse” is of course grammatically correct. But as they haven’t both got more than one arse it’s all pretty much up for grabs. As it were.

Or in other words you’re probably right but not definitely, so let’s quibble insanusly.

By: nickinko

nickinko — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:19:21 +0000

The apostrophe should be ‘each other’s arses’, I think.

I have understood correctly that insane pedantry is actively encouraged here, haven’t I?

By: Godsy

Godsy — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:58:38 +0000

I hear “I wanna bottle up my love”, which I think makes more sense anyway. This orgasmic Christianity would be an ongoing emotion rather than a future action. Also come on Norfolk references!

By: NIck Ink

NIck Ink — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:32:32 +0000

Love this song, hilarious.

nothing else to add, except a burning need to pop up now and again and say thanks for this site.