Apostrophe crimes

[jdaw1]

Preference?
• The new widget is designed to be robust to bankruptcy.
• The new widget is designed to be robust against bankruptcy.
And, of course, why?

[Alex Bridgeman]

The new widget is designed to be resistant to bankruptcy.

[jdaw1]

Robust versus resistant: please, what is the difference? Is resistance to something attacking, whereas robust suggests unaffected by things that might even be incidental to the robust things? If yes, I mean the latter = robust.

I can find santafe.edu/media/workingpapers/02-12-069.pdf on robust versus stable, but not on resistant.

[djewesbury]

I don't like either. Robust suggests to me something either intrinsically strong (as in triple-ply cardboard boxes) or rigorous (as in procedures). It's a simple adjective. You can't be robust against something, nor are you robust to anything. What you seem to be suggesting is that the widget protects against bankruptcy, or that it actually aids in resisting it, as AHB has said.

[Glenn E.]

The new widget to protect against bankruptcy is designed to be robust.

[DRT]

This robust widget is resistant to bankruptcy.

[PhilW]

Preference?
• The new widget is designed to be robust to bankruptcy.
• The new widget is designed to be robust against bankruptcy.
And, of course, why?

I think there might be an issue of whether the action is by self (or the quoted party) rather than another. Against is usually in opposition to an action, for example "protection against attack"; even when used shorthand e.g. "protection against water" it really means "protection against water ingress" or "protection against water affecting it in some unwanted, though unspecified manner"; you could not have "protection to water" in the same way. By comparison "to" seems to usually relates to the preceding word, so "resilient to" but not "protection to"; in the "to" case it seems the item can be an item "resilient to low temperature" or "resilient to attack".
However, in analysing your sentence to make the suitable choice, we get stymied by the fact that a "widget" could not be solvent or bankrupt, nor could a company or person be "designed", which makes the choice somewhat arbitrary without more suitable contextual example.

[djewesbury]

Preference?
• The new widget is designed to be robust to bankruptcy.
• The new widget is designed to be robust against bankruptcy.
And, of course, why?

I think there might be an issue of whether the action is by self (or the quoted party) rather than another. Against is usually in opposition to an action, for example "protection against attack"; even when used shorthand e.g. "protection against water" it really means "protection against water ingress" or "protection against water affecting it in some unwanted, though unspecified manner"; you could not have "protection to water" in the same way. By comparison "to" seems to usually relates to the preceding word, so "resilient to" but not "protection to"; in the "to" case it seems the item can be an item "resilient to low temperature" or "resilient to attack".
However, in analysing your sentence to make the suitable choice, we get stymied by the fact that a "widget" could not be solvent or bankrupt, nor could a company or person be "designed", which makes the choice somewhat arbitrary without more suitable contextual example.

Well quite.

[Alex Bridgeman]

How did this end up in apostrophe crimes?

Shouldn't this be a thread all of its own - "JDAW's grammar and vocabulary queries" perhaps?

[djewesbury]

Glenn needs a day at Lords.

[jdaw1]

Glenn needs a day at Lords.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

[Glenn E.]

Glenn needs a day at Lords.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

But is it supposed to be "Lord's" or "Lords'"?

I fear I've just committed a crime because I can't be bothered to use proper quotes on an American keyboard.

[djewesbury]

Glenn needs a day at Lords.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

It doesn't happen often; but when it does, it's important that we show how egalitarian this court is.

[djewesbury]

Glenn needs a day at Lords.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

But is it supposed to be "Lord's" or "Lords'"?

I fear I've just committed a crime because I can't be bothered to use proper quotes on an American keyboard.

Lord's. It's named after a man called Lord who owned the land and started the cricket club there.

[jdaw1]

Lord's. It's named after a man called Lord who owned the land and started the cricket club there.

As I recalled, rather too late. Hence: {Sackcloth and ashes}, that being an acknowledgement of a penance.

[djewesbury]

Lord's. It's named after a man called Lord who owned the land and started the cricket club there.

As I recalled, rather too late. Hence: {Sackcloth and ashes}, that being an acknowledgement of a penance.

I wasn't rubbing your nose in it; rather, answering Glenn's query. Your penance is noted. You have done your time.

[jdaw1]

As the person who created this thread, as he who took it upon himself to criticise others, my mistakes hopefully few deserve extra disapprobation. Fair game.

[PhilW]

Hmm. I noticed a horrendous crime the other day which had not been picked up; unfortunately I failed to write my proof in the margin, and can no longer find it. I am therefore not accusing anyone of anything. Especially DRT

[DRT]

Hmm. I noticed a horrendous crime the other day which had not been picked up; unfortunately I failed to write my proof in the margin, and can no longer find it. I am therefore not accusing anyone of anything. Especially DRT

Whatever it was I plead temporary insanity due to man-flu.

[PhilW]

I think the Australian's wanted to call it The Sheila's Cup, which would have been more appropriate.

Surely that would have been The Sheilas' Cup, unless you were deliberately quoting an Australian crime<cough>.

[djewesbury]

I think the Australian's wanted to call it The Sheila's Cup, which would have been more appropriate.

Surely that would have been The Sheilas' Cup, unless you were deliberately quoting an Australian crime<cough>.

There are two crimes in one sentence here. Derek are you still double dosing on the Tramalisker?

[DRT]

Oops and oops.

[PhilW]

An decanting experiment done with these six would have been meaningless.

Perhaps harsh to classify as a crime, but the accused is known to prefer a high bar.

[jdaw1]

An decanting experiment done with these six would have been meaningless.

Perhaps harsh to classify as a crime, but the accused is known to prefer a high bar.

+1, for both the ‟harsh” and the accurate statement of the accused’s preference.

[jdaw1]

The pedants' revolt: Grammar guerrillas make their mark in battle against Cambridge council's war on street sign apostrophes.

[RAYC]

The pedants' revolt: Grammar guerrillas make their mark in battle against Cambridge council's war on street sign apostrophes.

Old hat! link

[jdaw1]

"Our mission is to find it so it can take its place alongside the other VC's in the exhibition."

Lord Ashcroft, who has loaned three VCs to the museum for the exhibition, said the "'Six before Breakfast' comprise one of the most celebrated batches of gallantry medals from any action of the entire Great War".

[jdaw1]

we will invite one industry guest, who's costs will be covered by the attendees.

[PhilW]

we will invite one industry guest, who's costs will be covered by the attendees.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

[Glenn E.]

we will invite one industry guest, who's costs will be covered by the attendees.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

Aren't you English? I think this year you'll have to make do with just sackcloth.

[djewesbury]

we will invite one industry guest, who's costs will be covered by the attendees.

{Sackcloth and ashes}

Aren't you English? I think this year you'll have to make do with just sackcloth.

[jdaw1]

There will be three numbers, and I am instructing somebody to take the average of the better two of them. Or should that be the best two of them?

So if the numbers are 10, 11 and 12, the result should be Average(11, 12) = 11½.

Better two of three, or best two of three?

[djewesbury]

There will be three numbers, and I am instructing somebody to take the average of the better two of them. Or should that be the best two of them?

So if the numbers are 10, 11 and 12, the result should be Average(11, 12) = 11½.

Better two of three, or best two of three?

Why is higher better? Same problem, different word. Just wondering.

[jdaw1]

Why is higher better?

I should have said that the context makes very obvious that higher = better.

But the same question could be asked of ‟higher two of three” versus ‟highest two of three”.

[PhilW]

There will be three numbers, and I am instructing somebody to take the average of the better two of them. Or should that be the best two of them?

So if the numbers are 10, 11 and 12, the result should be Average(11, 12) = 11½.

Better two of three, or best two of three?

Best two of three. Two of them may be better than the other, but you have select the best two (i.e. better is always a comparative between at least two elements or groups, while best is a single element or group based on a criteria).

[djewesbury]

But the same question could be asked of ‟higher two of three” versus ‟highest two of three”.

hence

Same problem, different word.

[Glenn E.]

There will be three numbers, and I am instructing somebody to take the average of the better two of them. Or should that be the best two of them?

So if the numbers are 10, 11 and 12, the result should be Average(11, 12) = 11½.

Better two of three, or best two of three?

Best two of three. Two of them may be better than the other, but you have select the best two (i.e. better is always a comparative between at least two elements or groups, while best is a single element or group based on a criteria).

My choice as well. Possibly even "best two of the three."

[djewesbury]

There will be three numbers, and I am instructing somebody to take the average of the better two of them. Or should that be the best two of them?

So if the numbers are 10, 11 and 12, the result should be Average(11, 12) = 11½.

Better two of three, or best two of three?

Best two of three. Two of them may be better than the other, but you have select the best two (i.e. better is always a comparative between at least two elements or groups, while best is a single element or group based on a criteria).

My choice as well. Possibly even "best two of the three."

I also agree with this. I think the choice is made clearer if you increase the number of the pool from 3 and see what you would do in those circumstances.

[jdaw1]

Which agrees with my (formerly tentative) preference. Thank you.

[djewesbury]

How much would a completely fresh lobster salad be?

[PhilW]

How much would a completely fresh lobster salad be?

You could also ask them how many salads you get with each lobster portion, too.

[DRT]

You neglected to mention the fig problem. Was that deliberate?

[Alex Bridgeman]

I prefer the thought of the 80z burger. I'm hoping the corrected menu should read 80 oz burger.

[djewesbury]

You neglected to mention the fig problem. Was that deliberate?

The fig problem was a given. It was the fig problem that allowed all the other peculiarities to come into our purview.

[DRT]

You neglected to mention the fig problem. Was that deliberate?

The fig problem was a given. It was the fig problem that allowed all the other peculiarities to come into our purview.

I get that, but Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, not mass murder, smuggling and extortion. It is important to include the lesser crimes in the charge just in case

[jdaw1]

acting as a Amicus Curia

Of course that should have been, even if typed using a phone, “an Amicus Curia”.

Hopefully, in the spirit of banks’ self-reporting of benchmark crimes, my self-reporting will result in a milder punishment.

[djewesbury]

acting as a Amicus Curia

Of course that should have been, even if typed using a phone, “an Amicus Curia”.

Hopefully, in the spirit of banks’ self-reporting of benchmark crimes, my self-reporting will result in a milder punishment.

I thought Amicus Curiae?

[jdaw1]

I thought Amicus Curiae?

Wikipedia agrees that further penance is required. For reasons of stupidity and English word order, I was attempting to singularise the adjective. Doh. Sackcloth and ashes.

[jdaw1]

Scarabs, Mounted in Gold and Silver.

147 …

Scarabs, In Cornelian, Mounted.

162 …

Scarabæi, In Green Jasper, (not Mounted).

408 …

Scarabs, In Soft Stone and Porcelain.

442 …

Scarabæi, In Green Jasper, Mounted in Silver.

460 …

Scarabæi, Mounted In Gold.

462 …

Note to self: pictures 17714 to 17719.

[djewesbury]

This is a curious one. In Dorothy L. Sayers's The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (the one, you will remember, with a rather nice description of the Cockburn 1886), the plural of a family name is always printed with an apostrophe, viz:

Now this is done with such consistency that it can't be a typo every time. Sayers was also quite the grammarian so not given to casual solecisms. Is this some sort of strange slang possessive, as in "I've just been to the family of The Rushworth"? Rather like clan chieftains might be referred to as, for instance, The O'Rahilly, or The Turnbull?
Any thoughts?