Comments on: Whatever Happened to “Arrested”?

By: Stephen Thorn

Stephen Thorn — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Maeve, I agree about the use of “czar” and its derogatory connotations in many parts of the world (with a tip of my hat to Aleksey). Like yourself, I loathe seeing it used as a title for some government official who may be planning to “stick it to me” someway. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the earth’s population alive today has no real concept of the horrors that existed under despotic or totalitarian rule, or how socialism crushes individuality and personal initiative; consequently, they pay no attention to the threat that the emergence of socialism presents to our modern Western world. To these vacuous dunderheads, distracted by the passing parade of grotesquerie that our puppetmasters show us to prevent us from thinking too much, anything that happened before their birth is as ancient as dinosaurs (and equally as extinct and unimportant). They don’t know “czar” from “kiddie car” and really couldn’t care less.

By: Maeve’s Tips June 2007 « M. J. Maddox

Maeve’s Tips June 2007 « M. J. Maddox — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:13:37 +0000

[...] 25: Careful with Words Used as Noun and Verb * 22: The Possessive Apostrophe * 21: Whatever Happened to “Arrested”? * 21: Beware the shifting tense * 19: All Pronoun Cases Are Created Equal * 18: The Gentleman Fled [...]

By: Maeve

Maeve — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:10:48 +0000

Since you mention it, I can almost hear Andy’s voice in that opening paragraph! I’d guess his job pays pretty well.

By: dalas

dalas — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:49:28 +0000

If only people would check with you first before they did or said anything, the world would be so great.

This article makes you sound like you’re trying to get Andy Rooney’s job after he retires.

By: Maeve

Maeve — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:17:53 +0000

Thanks for your informative comment, Aleksey. Language is so entwined with culture that it often expresses cultural prejudices. Another example is the English expression “to take French leave.” Originating in the 18th century, it means to go away without permission, as, for example, a soldier absenting himself from duty, what Americans call “going AWOL.” In French the same idea is expressed by **filer à l’anglaise**, “to run away in the English fashion.”