more trivia

[no one]

who was the “brand-new funky President”?

no cheating or your grade will suffer

[Marlow]

Bill Clinton, with his boxers/briefs revelation and soul-sucking sax solo?

[no one]

makes sense ... but no .. cigar

[no one]

okay okay okay - I'll give in to the pressure being exerted here - to disclose the mystery answer.

The " brand new funky President" was a phrase coined by ........... in a song. The song's title was meant to refer to U.S. President Gerald Ford, who had succeeded Richard Nixon in the White House.

The song recorded by (drum roll) James Brown. Yes that James Brown, who was a die hard Republican and equally enamored with Richard Nixon.

When Nixon left office ... we (the US citizenry) had a "brand new funky president", whom James Brown was rallying support for - to make changes, etc.

Irony, as conjured by me:

James Brown - a dancer of some note and skill.
Gerald Ford - well Chevy Chase earned a living imitating Ford's 'motation' efforts.

glad to contribute to the knowledge base - news you can use

[bambam]

James Brown - a dancer of some note and skill.
Gerald Ford - well Chevy Chase earned a living imitating Ford's 'motation' efforts.

Although ironically Ford was probably the most talented athlete of any American President. Pretty good football player at Michigan and had some feelers from the early NFL, but turned for law school.

[KDFINE]

I don't get it. I always thought "Historical" was for non-current events track and field. Are there hints from Clinton,Brown, Ford, and Nixon that are supposed to lead us to some T&F figure from the past?

[lonewolf]

I have never been under the impression that Historical was intended for only T&F topics. Most Historical threads do have a sports related title but many/most tend to branch off in divers directions.

[Olli]

This is the first commandment of Historical Forum Guidelines:

1. This is an historical track & field[ forum and posts should be restricted to that subject: track & field happenings from the past. Current-events material has its own forum, as do "Things Not Track & Field" (most of the time) and "The Trading Post." The guidelines for those forums are posted there. If the mods think a thread is in the wrong forum, they will simply move it (or eliminate it).

It seems the mods have not done their job in this case.

(By the way, as a non-native English speaker, I don't understand why it says "an historical" instead of "a historical". Isn't h pronounced as a consonant here?)

[lonewolf]

Your are correct, olli. I guess if I ever read the fine print I forgot .

[tandfman]

(By the way, as a non-native English speaker, I don't understand why it says "an historical" instead of "a historical". Isn't h pronounced as a consonant here?)

Here's an comment purporting to summarise the British view of this:

http://www.writing-skills.com/resources ... ing-with-h

Wilson Follett, who is my preferred resource on American usage, likes "an historical" and so do I. (And apparently, so does gh).

[gh]

This is the first commandment of Historical Forum Guidelines:

1. This is an historical track & field[ forum and posts should be restricted to that subject: track & field happenings from the past. Current-events material has its own forum, as do "Things Not Track & Field" (most of the time) and "The Trading Post." The guidelines for those forums are posted there. If the mods think a thread is in the wrong forum, they will simply move it (or eliminate it)....

You don't even need to drill that deep. On the title page for the forums there is a brief description of each, including

<<Historical
Forum devoted to track & field items of an historical nature.>>

[Pego]

Here is another non-native English speaker. I have seen "an historical" many times, I know it is a preferred way, but never understood why. Why?

[KDFINE]

I guess I need more brain food. Why did I think this was on the historical thread where I see this morning that it is on the "Things Not T&F"?

[Marlow]

Here is another non-native English speaker. I have seen "an historical" many times, I know it is a preferred way, but never understood why. Why?

Because the h was originally unaspirated, leaving a vowel sound. (think of Cockneys dropping their 'aitches')

[Conor Dary]

Here is another non-native English speaker. I have seen "an historical" many times, I know it is a preferred way, but never understood why. Why?

Because the h was originally unaspirated, leaving a vowel sound. (think of Cockneys dropping their 'aitches')

Perhaps. But that doesn't explain why it is 'a history lesson'.

[Pego]

Here is another non-native English speaker. I have seen "an historical" many times, I know it is a preferred way, but never understood why. Why?

Because the h was originally unaspirated, leaving a vowel sound. (think of Cockneys dropping their 'aitches')

I thought something like this would be the answer, but...We pronounce the "H" now. Why is the archaic use of an article still "preferred?" Language evolves after all, or so I've been told .

[Marlow]

We pronounce the "H" now. Why is the archaic use of an article still "preferred?" Language evolves after all, or so I've been told

Because pedants retard that evolution with 'rules'.

[gh]

But it's not archaic; it's the completely proper way to say it compared to the proper way.

Just as anybody who speaks the language at the most refined level pronounces "what" as hwat, not wot. Early in the evolution of written English spelling (and nobody knows why) went from hw to wh, but without any change in the pronunciation. But I'm sure they no longer teach that to kids.

[lonewolf]

Here is another non-native English speaker. I have seen "an historical" many times, I know it is a preferred way, but never understood why. Why?

Because the h was originally unaspirated, leaving a vowel sound. (think of Cockneys dropping their 'aitches')

Perhaps. But that doesn't explain why it is 'a history lesson'.

I am certainly not a grammarian but I assume that is because it is a lesson.. history is an adjective.

[Marlow]

Just as anybody who speaks the language at the most refined level pronounces "what" as hwat, not wot.

And by 'refined', you mean 'the most elitist snobs, as they affect their airs'. Having been born and bred into the most Mayflower-descended circles of New England, I can attest that no one I knew, except those I just described, said 'hwat'.

[tandfman]

Just as anybody who speaks the language at the most refined level pronounces "what" as hwat, not wot.

Do you know anybody who routinely says hwat, hwere and hwy?

[gh]

I've always said them that way.

[gh]

Merriam-Webster's listing: <<\ˈhwät, ˈhwət, ˈwät, ˈwət\>>

Wiki talks about the "wine-whine" merger. I certainly pronounce those two words distinctly differently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonological_history_of_wh

[gm]

Just as anybody who speaks the language at the most refined level pronounces "what" as hwat, not wot.

Do you know anybody who routinely says hwat, hwere and hwy?

Stewie Griffin

[Marlow]

I certainly pronounce those two words distinctly differently.

Then that is more a 'regionalism' than a 'preferred' way to say it. The aristocracy of Martha's Vineyard and the Hamptons do indeed have an odd way of pronouncing things, but I'd hardly hold that up as the way NORMAL people would or should say things!

[lonewolf]

Hmm? I am more redneck than aristocrat and I pronounce wine and whine differently. In fact, on introspection I pronounce all wh-words with the wh.... but not hw.

[Marlow]

I am more redneck than aristocrat and I pronounce wine and whine differently.

Quod Erat Demonstrandum!!

[bambam]

I've always said them that way.

What happened to the funky president thread?

[Marlow]

I've always said them that way.

What happened to the funky president thread?

Jeez, bambam, keep up, bro!

[bambam]

I've always said them that way.

You don't count. You're Canadian, eh?

[gh]

I got the boot from a junior high geometry class when we were introduced to proofs for the first time and the teacher put QED at the end and asked if anybody knew what it meant. I put up my hand and said "quite easily done!"

Before I left the room I said "how about quod erat demonstrandum" and he relented.

Blame my father, who had taught me both versions at an earlier point in life, even though he was probably the worst Latin student in the history of the planet. Well at least to that point, where I quirky surpassed his ineptitude. Amo, amas, amat this!

[Marlow]

Blame my father, who had taught me both versions at an earlier point in life, even though he was probably the worst Latin student in the history of the planet. Well at least to that point, where I quirky surpassed his ineptitude. Amo, amas, amat this!

I too was not the best Latin student EVER, but between my 2 years taking it and my 1-semester Etymology class, I found myself with a better than average knowledge of English, which is, I'm sure, why I pursued a Master's in it, after hardly taking any Language/Lit courses in college!

[Pego]

My high school teacher of Latin (a defrocked Catholic priest) had us memorize long passages of the Latin poetry. To this day I could recite passages from Ovid's Aurea prima with only a faint idea of what it means .

[Anthony Treacher]

I got the boot from a junior high geometry class when we were introduced to proofs for the first time and the teacher put QED at the end and asked if anybody knew what it meant. I put up my hand and said "quite easily done!"

Before I left the room I said "how about quod erat demonstrandum" and he relented.

Blame my father, who had taught me both versions at an earlier point in life, even though he was probably the worst Latin student in the history of the planet. Well at least to that point, where I quirky surpassed his ineptitude. Amo, amas, amat this!

Reminds of my Maths teacher 'Shell' Foster, King Edward VI Grammar School, Totnes around 1953 : “We are now approaching Euclid’s Theorem – Pons Asinorum - the Bridge of the Asses. Some of you will pass over that Bridge. Some of you” and I swear he looked directly at me, “Some of you, will not.”

[Anthony Treacher]

More on topic as to Latin. Our Latin teacher taught us to apply a rule:

“If no supine stem’s the snag
Add ‘fore ut ‘
and it’s in the bag.”

Get it?