Apostrophe crimes

[jdaw1]

The wonderful, updated version of Tapatalk says that I wrote the second quote there. But I must disclaim that credit and give it to its rightful recipient, the great Douglas Adams.

My post gave the same credit. The fault lies with Tapatalk.

[DRT]

Good lord.

[djewesbury]

Good lord.

What?

[DRT]

Good lord.

What?

Just go away and think about what you have done. Then come back with a 5,000 word dissertation on capitalisation.

[djewesbury]

Is to do with capitalising non-existent supreme beings?

[DRT]

Is to do with capitalising non-existent supreme beings?

Yes. Not believing does not excuse you from using a proper noun.

[djewesbury]

Lord is not a proper noun.

[djewesbury]

In fact I believe it's only capitalised because of belief. Like the capitalisation of the pronouns relating to Jesus (Him, He, His). Would you correct me for not doing that?

[DRT]

Lord is not a proper noun.

(the) Lord is.

In fact I believe it's only capitalised because of belief. Like the capitalisation of the pronouns relating to Jesus (Him, He, His). Would you correct me for not doing that?

My mother would be disappointed if I didn't, so yes.

[DRT]

In fact I believe

Is this separately report-able?

[djewesbury]

Oh god.

[djewesbury]

[DRT]

Oh god.

Jewesbury! You might think you are funny but all you are doing is wasting the time of your classmates.

Flashman, bring pointy hat and the woolly underpants!

[jdaw1]

This thread has not previously awarded a commendation to Harry Styles of One Direction (reputedly, for those not au fait with that which passes for modern culture, a band making popular music), but one is now due. Good work sir.

[jdaw1]

I would have used neither element of punctuation. Would this have been my error?

[jdaw1]

• A whistle-blowing mechanism allows anonymous reports of misbehaviour.
• A whistleblowing mechanism allows anonymous reports of misbehaviour.
Preference?

[djewesbury]

Whistleblowers is one word. Whistleblowing may as well be.

[Glenn E.]

A whistle blower and a whistleblower are not the same thing. Based on the context of the question, I would assume one word if said word exists.

Though I lean toward filing it alongside incentivizer.

[jdaw1]

Thank you gentleman. One word it is.

[jdaw1]

What is the antonym of the adverb derived from the name of the author of the Picture of Dorian Gray.

After some discussion of temptation I typed “Unwildeianly resisted”, which, on re-reading, was a self-evident abomination. For which reason, should I be tempted?

[PhilW]

You need to Calme down, perhaps?

[djewesbury]

I do not believe that an antonymic adverb derived from a proper name should be allowed. 'In a most un-Wildean way' would be much preferable, with the hyphen, since the name is still a name even in an adjective.

[jdaw1]

In a most un-Wildean way

Clunky. I like neither. “Un-Wildeianly”?

[jdaw1]

Next question: in a formal document being written in unpretentious modern British English, “formulæ” or “formulae”? I instinctively typed the former, and the spell-checker wanted the latter.

[DRT]

Next question: in a formal document being written in unpretentious modern British English, “formulæ” or “formulae”? I instinctively typed the former, and the spell-checker wanted the latter.

The spell checker automatically removes pretentious behaviour.