Webster: "semantics":
"the language used (as in advertising or political propaganda) to achieve a desired effect on an audience especially through the use of words with novel or dual meanings"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semantics
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Lewis Carroll:
'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.
'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.'
'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master -- that's all.'
....................Through the Looking Glass,http://www.sabian.org/Alice/lgchap06.htm
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As I blog furiously nowadays, I am always troubled if I am handling this foreign tongue correctly.
For a chap like me whose mother tongue is not English, who never even visited an authentic English-speaking country, who wrote only dry Technical Physics Stuff till 65, it is foolish to ponder on this. There is just no time to polish, burnish and improve when you compose so many words everyday....as if there is no tomorrow.
It is hypocritical for me to say that I am blogging just for self-expression or fun anymore; for I do click on Stats on my Blogger Dashboard every now and then and look at how many and which Pages are being Viewed "by Now, by Day, by Week, by Month and All Time". It is not just Pride or Prejudice, but also to get at why the ancient 'Reco Mela-2' (out of a series of 5) and 'Post a Comment' are racing to an all-time high and the nascent 'Cook It Up!' is being lapped up like nobody's business.
So I write for being read if possible. Weak at knee!
And if those who are my intended audience don't complain loudly about how I write my English, I guess I am doing fine, given the constraints.
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Thurber:
"Miss Groby taught me English composition thirty years ago. It wasn't what prose said that interested Miss Groby; it was the way prose said it. The shape of a sentence crucified on a blackboard (parsed, she called it) brought a light to her eye. She hunted for Topic Sentences and Transitional Sentences the way little girls hunt for white violets in springtime......"
.........................."Here Lies Miss Groby":
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If Thurber was overawed by his English Teacher, I am nowhere.
This bit of introspection now is because Pratik had some qualms about a few things he wrote recently and I responded as best as I could:
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Pratik:
"...In the second one please replace 'was' with 'is':
I apologize for the big mistake, (this 'There was' bug in limerick created this!)
'A gentleman named G P Sastry,
Who is known for his mastery.' "
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gps:
"...I think 'was' is more appropriate because it goes nicely with 'joined' and 'created'. The thing refers to gps's IIT stint (not life). A sudden 'is' looks awkward. And the subsequent 'is' in the last line is idiomatic; "the rest is history".
Your instincts were right.
Your qualms are needless.."
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Pratik:
"...When I read my line I was not comfortable with its grammar (you would never criticize), I think the following is also not correct:
"...All of us identify your blogs as our stories be it 'Rickshaws' or 'Bookache'."
('it' does not go with 'blogs' or it does? I'm not sure)
or better maybe:
"Each one of us identifies each of your blogs as his or her story be it 'Rickshaws' or 'Bookache'. "
or best:
"...I identify your each blog as my story be it 'Rickshaws' or 'Bookache'. "
instead of what I wrote:
"...Each one of us identify your blogs as our stories be it 'Rickshaws' or 'Bookache'."
Please tell me the correct one (if it is there!)...."
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gps:
"..In my blogs and mails I don't care for grammar at all. But I am not boasting when I say that I go through my posts at least ten times before 'releasing' them (sometimes even immediately after)...
If my father, who taught me English but never published anything, looks at any of my posts he will burn them all for their poor grammar. I wouldn't care for his criticism at all, but adopt any changes he makes in my use of prepositions about which I am always in doubt, but he was a master...."
Coming to your sentence I would still go with your original:
"Each one of us identify your blogs as our stories be it 'Rickshaws' or 'Bookache'.
The sense is clear and it sounds wonderful. And it is the best of all alternatives which are in my opinion: ugly and contrived...."
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I recall Feynman complaining that in one of his Committee Reports which he wrote up (somewhat unwillingly), the Editor replaced all his 'that's with 'which'es and vice versa.
Sigh!
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G. H. Vallins:
"......Andrew Lang said after reading Fowler's The King's English, the predecessor of Modern English Usage that he was "afraid to put pen to paper". As long as such a fear is not downright paralysing, it is a salutary one......"
...................................................Good English
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Hail Blogosphere!
We've no Referees here
Nor those goofy Editors
We stand or fall by our Readers
Hail Blogosphere!
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