Colin's Koans

[Lanval]

...improperly combined.

Cindy

Who gets to decide what is proper?

Turn your question around ~ who gets to decide what's not proper?

Michael L

[SlowLane]

Turn your question around ~ who gets to decide what's not proper?

Funny, I don't see a tilde in this list of acceptable separators:

1. comma + conjunction
2. Semicolon
3. Colon (if followed by a list, or direct statement)
4. Period

[Lanval]

Turn your question around ~ who gets to decide what's not proper?

Funny, I don't see a tilde in this list of acceptable separators:

1. comma + conjunction
2. Semicolon
3. Colon (if followed by a list, or direct statement)
4. Period

Sadly, other punctuation marks like the tilde (~) and dash (-) are not generically acceptable; they can only be used in certain ways; truly the colon fits that requirement too, but is used so often that it remains on the list. Neither the tilde nor the dash would be acceptable to deal with my sample run-on (or most run-ons for that matter)

I like fish ~ I like beef. (ugh. no.)
I like fish - I like beef. (better, but still no.)


Michael L

[SlowLane]

And then there's this classic application of punctuation to verbal communication: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF4qii8S3gw

[bretski]

Turn your question around ~ who gets to decide what's not proper?

Was that a koan? I am devoid of enlightenment my sentence runs on...

[Amskeptic]

A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences (of any length) improperly combined.

Cindy

I have never improperly combined a sentence, after which we all went home.

[Lanval]

Turn your question around ~ who gets to decide what's not proper?

Funny, I don't see a tilde in this list of acceptable separators:

1. comma + conjunction
2. Semicolon
3. Colon (if followed by a list, or direct statement)
4. Period

Heh. Hee-hee. Tee-hee-hee...

[Lanval]

Alternatively, to quote Orpheus: "You must learn, Slowlane, just as I did, that there is a difference between knowing the path and following path."

Or more seriously ~ knowing the rules of grammar as I thoroughly as I do, I am not constrained by the limits of the rules, for I know when they can be broken with impunity. I don't recommend it for everyone. While it's clear that someone with Colin's knowledge can drop a VW engine any old place and get it back together without too much trouble, I lack his knowledge and hence dare not do such a thing; it's strictly acceptable places to work (driveway/garage/my own property) for me.

That overly-serious aside aside, your comment is pretty funny.

Michael L

[Lanval]

Finally, and more pointedly:

Sadly, other punctuation marks like the tilde (~) and dash (-) are not generically acceptable; they can only be used in certain ways...

The tilde and dash have uses, but they are limited to certain types of expressions and emphases.

Pedantically yours,

Michael L

[Cindy]

A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences (of any length) improperly combined.

Cindy

I have never improperly combined a sentence, after which we all went home.

Do you walk to school or carry your lunch?

Cindy

[ruckman101]

ruckman101 wrote:
Curious pits in the old bushing not in the new one.


Those are beautiful lubrication traps.
Colin


Koaned again. Gentle nudges to trust my own judgement before I hopelessly mangle original to replace with newer of lesser quality.

Generally I was trained by a now decades old AP Stylebook. "Koaned" is right out. "Another koan," would be appropriate.



neal

[Amskeptic]

A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences (of any length) improperly combined.

Cindy

I have never improperly combined a sentence, after which we all went home.

Do you walk to school or carry your lunch?

Cindy

I do that?
Do you walk to school, or carry your lunch, do you read the stars, or ponder grammar, do you seek questions or just opportunities to answer? Well? Do you, punk?

I do combine perhaps unlikely ideas . . . is there an example of one of my improper run-on sentences you could steer me to? I am in hell with some spots in the book, and I need to see if I have been laboring under some grammatical assumptions that will be a trainwreck if they make it into print.
semi-Colon

[SlowLane]

~ knowing the rules of grammar as I thoroughly as I do, I am not constrained by the limits of the rules, for I know when they can be broken with impunity. I don't recommend it for everyone.

Ah, I love the smell of hubris in the evening. It smells like, no wait, that's my gym socks.

"Don't try this at home kids. Grammmatical infractions as egregious as I'm about to commit should only be attempted by seasoned professionals such as myself."

Michael, I realize you have worked long and hard to achieve what you have achieved professionally. That doesn't excuse you from proof-reading before you hit the "submit" button, especially when making a statement like the one quoted.

Cheers. Have you found a source of Trumer Pils down there yet?
Lyle

PS: God is an iron. (Any other Spider Robinson fans out there?)

[Lanval]

~ knowing the rules of grammar as I thoroughly as I do, I am not constrained by the limits of the rules, for I know when they can be broken with impunity. I don't recommend it for everyone.

Ah, I love the smell of hubris in the evening. It smells like, no wait, that's my gym socks.

"Don't try this at home kids. Grammmatical infractions as egregious as I'm about to commit should only be attempted by seasoned professionals such as myself."

Michael, I realize you have worked long and hard to achieve what you have achieved professionally. That doesn't excuse you from proof-reading before you hit the "submit" button, especially when making a statement like the one quoted.

Cheers. Have you found a source of Trumer Pils down there yet?
Lyle

Wait... what? You thought that was accidental?! In the words of that great wordsmith, Will Smith, "Ah hell no!" I was just testing your iron-O-meter. Everything seems to be in working order; nothing to see here ~ move along.

*checks to see if they bought it*

I always say, "If ya gotta be hoisted, use your own petard; it's more comfortable!"

[Amskeptic]

~ knowing the rules of grammar as I thoroughly as I do, I am not constrained by the limits of the rules,

Ah, I love the smell of hubris in the evening.

nothing to see here ~ move along.

*checks to see if they bought it*

I always say, "If ya gotta be hoisted, use your own petard; it's more comfortable!"

A classic! The entire human condition in three posts.
Colin