January 08, 2004

Irregular Verb Watch

Posted by Kieran

This New York Times Report about a fight in a firehouse defines a new irregular verb in its first three sentences. The conjugation appears to be “I tease playfully; You make abusive taunts; He is asking for a broken nose.” (Via En Banc.)

Posted on January 8, 2004 07:32 AM UTC
Comments

Wouldn’t it make more sense, in this case, as: “I tease playfully; He makes abusive taunts; You are asking for a broken nose”?

Posted by neil · January 8, 2004 07:35 AM

“I am a liberal; you are a leftist; she (I reset the default) is a Communist sympathizer, and wants to make kissy-kissy with Kim Jong Il.”

Posted by John isbell · January 8, 2004 05:27 PM

I don’t really see the newsworthiness of that article. For that matter, I don’t really get the appeal of irregular verbs. I figure it’s a mysterious Brit thing. Like um, you know, other stuff is. Benny Hill, say.

But hey, I’m not complaining. Y’all CT bloggers knock yourselves out.

Posted by Keith M Ellis · January 8, 2004 06:04 PM

I’d like to point out that I’m not British. I don’t want to be tarred with the Benny Hill brush.

Posted by Ted Barlow · January 8, 2004 06:59 PM

Me neither, thanks. Same goes for Eszter, Henry, Maria, Brian, Micah, etc.

Posted by Kieran Healy · January 8, 2004 08:38 PM

Yes, don’t forget that we Brits abandoned Benny long before his popularity waned in the US and more importantly his second home, France.

Posted by Mark · January 8, 2004 09:51 PM

My meme is fertile, yours is (?), his is virulent.

Posted by Anna · January 9, 2004 05:26 AM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.