Hairy Scot
Joined: January 31, 2011
Number of comments posted: 148
Number of votes received: 42
Expat Scot now living in NZ. Home town was Greenock. Achieved SCE(H) levels in a number of subjects. Was employed by a multi-national company so spent a fair bit of time in other parts of Europe. Moved to South Africa in 1981 and then to NZ in 2007.
Questions Submitted
Unusual use of “trespassed”
Yet another antipodean oddity? Found these examples of an u...
The Best Euphemism for Shithouse?
What is the best euphemism for shithouse and/or urinal? I...
Perpendicular
When did perpendicular lose its verticality? I have always ...
“would of” instead of “would have” or “would’ve”
The phrase “would of” seems to be coming more and more commo...
Stood down
In the antipodes it is common to use “stood down” as a synon...
“I’ve got” vs. “I have”
Is there not a redundancy in the use of “got” with “have”? ...
Signage
The word signage seems to keep popping up more and more and ...
Correct preposition following different?
I am sure most of us will agree that “from” is the only prep...
Recent Comments
on: Over exaggeration
@Anwulf I agree that the examples you quote are valid and I...
on: The Best Euphemism for Shithouse?
@Brus Are the blanks in your final sentence intentional or ...
on: that vs. if and whether
@Banjo Thanks for the explanation. Just shows that one is ...
on: that vs. if and whether
@Banjo At the risk of going off topic, how does the pronu...
on: Pronunciation of “Nova Scotia”
Much the same as Julia Guillard mispronouncing "negotiate", ...
on: that vs. if and whether
95% certainly suggests common usage. However, as can be see...
on: “would of” instead of “would have” or “would’ve”
Ignore last line of previous comment. Forgot to clear befor...
on: “would of” instead of “would have” or “would’ve”
@mrcaleb @JJMBallantyne To a degree you are both right ...
on: What is the word for intentionally incorrect spelling?
One possibility is cacography, which is deliberate misspelli...
on: Perpendicular
@Chris I don't know when or where you learned geometry, but...
on: When “one of” many things is itself plural
@Hacovo I am aware of the correct form of the verb to use w...
on: When “one of” many things is itself plural
@Hacovo To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw: United Kingdom ...
on: “enamored with” and “enamored by”
@cathyem I agree 110% with all that you say....
on: What’s the difference between “commission” and “committee”
A committee is a group of individuals who rarely reach conse...
on: Rules for -ise and -ize
Replacing the 's' with a 'z' came about as a result of Scrab...
on: Perpendicular
@Anwulf Thanks for your support. On a latinate derivative! ...
on: Perpendicular
@Ing I do not dispute that "vertical" is more commonly used...
on: Perpendicular
@njtt Certainly the out of context usage is bothersome. Ho...
on: Perpendicular
@njtt From the OED online:- A. adj. 1. a. Situated or ...
on: Computer mouses or computer mice?
How about "pointing devices"? ...
on: Perpendicular
You forgot the "old". :) Never heard "an" being used befor...
on: Perpendicular
@Hacovo Yep, plumb would serve in some cases. However, bei...
on: Perpendicular
@Ing I agree with you on the everyday conversation. There a...
on: Perpendicular
@Ing I do not dispute any of the definitions you provide. ...
on: When “one of” many things is itself plural
Is a verb not controlled by its subject? She makes pancakes...
on: Smileys and other emoticons within parentheses
I would be nice if all blog sites and fora (forums) allowed ...
on: Perpendicular
Please forgive the typo "is at"....
on: “I’ve got” vs. “I have”
I still believe that the "got" is unnecessary since "I have"...
on: When “one of” many things is itself plural
Like Warsaw Will I often have to think a bit about sentences...
on: “I’ve got” vs. “I have”
@joeydq I agree with you. The example you quote shows that...
on: “with the exception of” or “with the exceptions of”
@Warsaw Will Ah the good old days! Lochgelly was home to t...
on: Interchangeability of possessive “s” and “of”
@New Reader Sigurd's original question actually invites dis...
on: Interchangeability of possessive “s” and “of”
@Warsaw Will @New Reader Dunno if I would use burn in that...
on: Interchangeability of possessive “s” and “of”
@Warsaw Will I was not trying to be smart or nasty and I do...
on: “with the exception of” or “with the exceptions of”
Awrrabest!! ...
on: “with the exception of” or “with the exceptions of”
@ Warsaw Will Nae problem! Just read yer profile an' had...
on: Interchangeability of possessive “s” and “of”
@Warsaw Will As Hairy Scot pointed out in another post, doe...
on: Interchangeability of possessive “s” and “of”
Should be "Caesar's murderers". Caesar did not murder anyon...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Warsaw Will My feeling is that there is a difference betwe...
on: Interchangeability of possessive “s” and “of”
@sigurd I see your point. Perhaps it's because some phrase...
on: Backward vs. Backwards?
@steve3 The BBC also invariably uses "lawr". Regarding...
on: Correct preposition following different?
@Warsaw Will My home town was Greenock. I left Scotland in...
on: “with the exception of” or “with the exceptions of”
I agree with Warsaw Will. :) "with the excepti...
on: Correct preposition following different?
@Anwulf Since we use the term latinate to indicate latin ro...
on: Correct preposition following different?
@Warsaw Will As I said in another post, being a pedantic ol...
on: Correct preposition following different?
Hi Anwulf, How's the novel? Glad we are once again on th...
on: “hone in” vs. “home in”
@Bob Sheidler I was actually referring to TV sports comment...
on: Correct preposition following different?
From http://www.straightdope.com :- "A sensible discussion ...
on: Texted
@porsche "I would suggest that it's no different than sayin...
on: Texted
Text is a verb and its past participle is texted. The only ...
on: No Woman No Cry
WTFC!...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Warsaw Will I too am over 60, educated in Scotland during ...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Warsaw Will I did not say that anyone had accused me of be...
on: “I’ve got” vs. “I have”
&Chris B I agree. Porsche's comments are normally worth rea...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Warsaw Will " different in British English, to that in Ame...
on: “I’ve got” vs. “I have”
@Porsche What utter balderdash! ...
on: “I’ve got” vs. “I have”
I still think "I have a lovely bunch of coconuts" sounds so ...
on: “I’ve got” vs. “I have”
@Porsche How about "I have to go" vs "I have got to go"? o...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
Give us one example of a site or publication that states tha...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@JJMBallantyne None so blind as he who will not see....
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
Your name is well chosen....
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
There seem to be lots of sites and sources which show "If I ...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
And another:- http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-su...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
I am obviously better educated than the Red Goofy...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
One more for the good guys:- http://iconlogic.blogs.com/w...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
I was taught English in the 1970s at the Berlitz School in M...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
There are many sources that state that "If I were" is the co...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@JJMBallantyne We have already established what is correct....
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Warsaw Will Like you I was expressing an opinion. Do you h...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Hairy LOL...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
The most annoying thing about pedants is that they are usual...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
I took Latin in high school (don't ask me why, I have forgot...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@Porsche @JJM My apologies, you are absolutely correct. ...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
There are a number of discussion forums covering this topic,...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
The statement "It may seem that was is crowding out subjunct...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@goofy Yes, I agree. But you did say "how good writers act...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
@goofy "If I were....." formal, written "If I was ...." i...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
Why is being correct labelled as pedantry? English is my se...
on: “If I was” vs. “If I were”
I thought this one had been done to death. Advocating adher...
on: “would of” instead of “would have” or “would’ve”
@Jor Please don't get me started on the misuse of apostroph...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
Looks like some unregistered bozo has found a way to make us...
on: “would of” instead of “would have” or “would’ve”
Never seen the "ov" form, but "would ov" is no more correct ...
on: “would of” instead of “would have” or “would’ve”
@AnWulf "The Coffin Dancer" by Jeffery Deaver. (Whose fath...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
@AnWulf Surprised to see that you haven't climbed into the ...
on: What is the word for intentionally incorrect spelling?
Isn't it called an Americanism? :) ...
on: “enamored with” and “enamored by”
Try searching for enamoured, you'll find lots of info: enam...
on: What can I do besides...
@dogreed Sorry dude, you got it wrong. Besides appears in ...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
@Anwulf As one whose native tongue was all but eliminated b...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
Since AS is your hobby I will bow to your superior knowledge...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
@Anwulf Maybe you should join the Anglish community. As lo...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
Tung:- Old High German Etymology Cognate with Old English ...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
Yes indeed, well said Valentina....
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
Thank you Valentina....
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
@Anwulf You are even more close minded and dogmatic than th...
on: Prepositions at the end of a clause
Regardless of correctness or elegance, terminal prepositions...
on: Over exaggeration
OMG! We are doomed!...
on: Over exaggeration
So one can then underexaggerate?...
on: Over exaggeration
Would you use phrases like "reverse backward", or "advance...
on: Over exaggeration
@Anwulf The words in the post are not mine, I was merely pr...
February 16, 2012, 5:43pm • 0 vote
on: “advocate for” or just “advocate”?
One can advocate something or one can be an advocate for som...