Comments on: Irregular Verbs

By: Jurjen

Jurjen — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 02:20:59 +0000

And, of course, I am a traveller. You are a holiday-maker. He is a tourist. (Courtesy of “A bit of Fry and Laurie”)

By: Sebastian Holsclaw

Sebastian Holsclaw — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 22:28:41 +0000

I negotiate. You bully. He is raving warmonger. Or in American hiring practices: I give preferences. You use quotas. He is a racist who hates blacks.

By: Dick Thompson

Dick Thompson — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 00:17:49 +0000

And of course the Russelian original I am firm You are obstinate He is a pig headed fool

By: Ophelia Benson

Ophelia Benson — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 00:21:03 +0000

Oh the canonical one is…um I have an independent mind, You are an eccentric She’s round the twist. I think that’s how it goes. And it certainly is how I see the world.

By: Jacob T. Levy

Jacob T. Levy — Thu, 18 Sep 2003 22:49:12 +0000

The BBC thread omits what I thought were the two canonical cases—not conjugations of verbs but declensions of nouns and adjectives. I belong to a religion [alternatively: “denomination”]. You belong to a sect. He belongs to a cult. and: I’m a patriot. You’re a nationalist. He’s a xenophobe. [alternatively: “racist.”] (Multiple “Yes, Minister” posts in—what a week? I strongly approve.)