Re: All hail Bob!

Keith H Duggar wrote:
> JOG wrote:
> > Strider wrote:
> > > Fabian Pascal at his site has whole section dedicated to
> > > analyzing and identifying ignorance and ignorami:
> > > http://www.dbdebunk.com/page/page/3161496.htm
> >
> > There's a certain sense of irony at work when people use
> > the incorrect plural of ignoramus. Faux pluralisation of
> > latin-looking words is a sure sign of.... well, nevermind
> > ;)
>
> Ignoramus IS a Latin word (not just "latin-looking" though
> ignoramus is not a Latin noun). It is _also_ an English word
> (noun).

People make the same mistake with completely non-latin words such as virus, hence the catch all.

> Therefore one could reasonably allow an informal
> discussant the flexibility to use ignorami (which would
> probably have been correct Latin had ignoramus been a noun)

Yes, 'Ignoramus' is not a latin noun and as such, using 'ignorami' is incorrect.

> rather than ignoramuses (correct English). So it is not a
> "sure" sign of ignorance and thus may or may not be
> ironic.

If one is does not know the correct use, one is ignorant of it, and that, despite what alanis morissette might have told you, is ironic.

> For example if and when I employ ignorami it is an
> informed decision usually made primarily if it seems
> kewl. In my first post I used it to pay homage to BB who
> had used ignorami on several occasions in what I assumed to
> be an informed "insider" choice for this newsgroup.

You seem to have missed the light hearted nature of the post. More irony maybe, but hey, standard stuff on usenet. And you'll find Bob Badour tends to use the term 'ignorants' so if you want to be kewl i'd recommend use that....

>
> Keith
Received on Thu May 11 2006 - 00:28:52 CEST