Posted by robertstevenson on April 8, 2008
GURNING
The pulling of grotesque faces.
This British term — much better known in Britain and Commonwealth countries than in the US — has at times been applied to the pulling of faces as a competitive activity. A surviving example is that in the Lake District, where the Egremont Crab-Apple Fair has an annual contest, which they call the World Championship Gurning Competition and which they say dates back to 1266. There is also an Australian...
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Posted by robertstevenson on April 11, 2008
INTERROBANG/ˈɪnˈtɛrəʊbæŋ/
A combined exclamation mark and question mark.
This punctuation mark is not yet standard, and probably never will be. It was invented in 1962 through the actions of Martin Speckter, head of a New York advertising agency. He felt that advertising people needed a mark that combined a question with a shout, that mixture any parent produces at stressful moments: “You did WHAT?!”. His idea was to provide a marker for the...
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Posted by robertstevenson on July 12, 2008
Puny but powerful, the itsy bitsy comma remains a foe to many folks striving to use good grammar. The comma is among the most confusing and misused punctuation marks in English grammar. Some people place a comma whenever they pause in their proofreading. While this strategy is a good guide, it is not foolproof. Some guys have a vague recollection of grade-school grammar and guess at the comma’s proper placement. The problem here is that the rules...
Read Full Story
Posted by robertstevenson on April 11, 2008
To members of the Lander University Community:
Welcome to Rob’s Megaphone
Please have a look around
Rob’s Library: (top left): My posts are classified by categories. Below that (Where on Earth are you) shows my visitors’ location. There are quizes, blog friends’ sites, and recent posts.
On the top right: You can subscribe to Rob’s Megaphone, See recent comments, and Watch Rob’s UCTV. On the bottom left are my most popular posts to date.
I hope...
Read Full Story
(automotive.com) The Helios concept is a true automotive rarity–a four-door convertible. The last production four-door ragtop was the 1967 Lincoln Continental, which was stylish, to be sure, but has nothing on this stunning car. In this customized Chrysler 300C, ASC thinks it has hurdled the primary stumbling blocks to such a vehicle–namely side-impact safety and structural rigidity–through the use of items such as an innovative bulkhead and what they call “tunnel doublers.”
The bulkhead...
Read Full Story
Posted by robertstevenson on April 8, 2008
GURNING
The pulling of grotesque faces.
This British term — much better known in Britain and Commonwealth countries than in the US — has at times been applied to the pulling of faces as a competitive activity. A surviving example is that in the Lake District, where the Egremont Crab-Apple Fair has an annual contest, which they call the World Championship Gurning Competition and which they say dates back to 1266. There is also an Australian...
Read Full Story
Posted by robertstevenson on April 11, 2008
INTERROBANG/ˈɪnˈtɛrəʊbæŋ/
A combined exclamation mark and question mark.
This punctuation mark is not yet standard, and probably never will be. It was invented in 1962 through the actions of Martin Speckter, head of a New York advertising agency. He felt that advertising people needed a mark that combined a question with a shout, that mixture any parent produces at stressful moments: “You did WHAT?!”. His idea was to provide a marker for the...
Read Full Story
Posted by robertstevenson on July 12, 2008
Puny but powerful, the itsy bitsy comma remains a foe to many folks striving to use good grammar. The comma is among the most confusing and misused punctuation marks in English grammar. Some people place a comma whenever they pause in their proofreading. While this strategy is a good guide, it is not foolproof. Some guys have a vague recollection of grade-school grammar and guess at the comma’s proper placement. The problem here is that the rules...
Read Full Story
Posted by robertstevenson on April 11, 2008
To members of the Lander University Community:
Welcome to Rob’s Megaphone
Please have a look around
Rob’s Library: (top left): My posts are classified by categories. Below that (Where on Earth are you) shows my visitors’ location. There are quizes, blog friends’ sites, and recent posts.
On the top right: You can subscribe to Rob’s Megaphone, See recent comments, and Watch Rob’s UCTV. On the bottom left are my most popular posts to date.
I hope...
Read Full Story
(automotive.com) The Helios concept is a true automotive rarity–a four-door convertible. The last production four-door ragtop was the 1967 Lincoln Continental, which was stylish, to be sure, but has nothing on this stunning car. In this customized Chrysler 300C, ASC thinks it has hurdled the primary stumbling blocks to such a vehicle–namely side-impact safety and structural rigidity–through the use of items such as an innovative bulkhead and what they call “tunnel doublers.”
The bulkhead...
Read Full Story
