The Language (and travel) Thread

[Carol the Dabbler]

On 10/5/2026 at 3:50 AM, Van Buren Supernova said:

On 9/27/2026 at 4:15 PM, Carol the Dabbler said:

recommend that you hire Perry Mason or Ben Matlock.

Tbh, I have no idea who they are.

They were American TV lawyers (1957-66 and 1986-95, respectively) who (almost) always got their clients acquitted by exposing the real killer on the witness stand.  Both were very popular here, but apparently didn't travel widely.

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

On 10/8/2026 at 11:28 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

Both were very popular here, but apparently didn't travel widely.

I stayed in my hometown until 1992, then we moved to a more ‘civilized’ place. I didn’t know this show and I suspected we were still a few years behind here. For example, I only watched Quantum Leap around that year and it was still in the running by the time I left for uni in 1995 (the show ended in 1993)

In my hometown we only had one government channel, and we only owned TV for a few years before we  moved. Before that, we only caught some shows from relative/neighbor of relative so I have no idea if it’s us, or the show.

[Van Buren Supernova]

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

On the other hand, he may be merely *hoping* that's a misspelling.

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Do you all have to check if you use lay lie lied lain laid correctly or is it just me?

[Carol the Dabbler]

3 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

Do you all have to check if you use lay lie lied lain laid correctly or is it just me?

Mostly I don't really care.  I was reading the other day that "lay" and "lie" were basically synonyms till just a few hundred years ago (about the same time that the grammar police were founded, I suspect).

 

[besleybean]

It's a nightmare!

[Van Buren Supernova]

On 10/13/2026 at 10:30 PM, Carol the Dabbler said:

Mostly I don't really care.  I was reading the other day that "lay" and "lie" were basically synonyms till just a few hundred years ago (about the same time that the grammar police were founded, I suspect).

 

On 10/14/2026 at 3:16 AM, besleybean said:

It's a nightmare!

Good to know!

I have a big-ass whiteboard table that I look at daily and I still don't have confidence without checking it. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Oh FFS!

Learning irregular verbs is hard enough the way they are!