Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihuxq!ken From: ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: re: flammable vs. inflammable and Strunk & White Message-ID: <721@ihuxq.UUCP> Date: Wed, 29-Feb-84 14:32:29 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxq.721 Posted: Wed Feb 29 14:32:29 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 08:33:53 EST References: <606@ihuxq.UUCP>, <951@ut-sally.UUCP> <1007@cwruecmp.UUCP>, <1004@ut-sally.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 31 -- >>> Following Strunk and White, practically everything Vladimir Nabokov, >>> Thomas Wolfe, Tom Wolfe, or Gene Wolfe ever wrote is in poor style. >>> I'd rather read them than pay attention to a pair of pedants pontificating. >>> -- >>> John Quarterman, CS Dept., University of Texas, Austin, Texas >>> jsq@ut-sally.ARPA, jsq@ut-sally.UUCP, {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!jsq Sloppy thinking, John. If you could write as well as they did (or do, depending), you wouldn't have any need for Strunk & White. Of course, even following their suggestions to the letter will not make you a good writer, just as ignoring them won't necessarily make you a bad one. Confused? Well, just consider Richard Mitchell's analogy: "Knowing the difference between 'who' and 'whom' is like knowing how to finger scales; the one doesn't make you literate and the other doesn't make you a musician." If you do know good grammar and style, you can choose to ignore it, just as Victor Borge can ignore his virtuoso piano technique, when he so chooses, for comedic effect. If you don't know good grammar and style, you'd better be very talented. Some are. Most of us are not. We latter folks are S&W's intended audience. If you believe you write well enough to throw away S&W, prove it--your speciousness belies it. -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 29 Feb 84 [10 Ventose An CXCII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7261 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!ihuxq!ken *** ***