Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Terry

You say that in every day language pent is not often used without up? I would say that that pent with or without up is not often used in every day language.

Bees

Begs = asks rather than raises

Bees and John from A

Since joining the forum I seem to have received many more E_Mails but not from the forum but from a multitude of other sources, mostly inviting me to spend. Co-incdence?

Cynical JimB makes a re-visit (Hi Campo)

JimB,
With one notable exception I would agree that "pent" (with or without up) is rarely if ever heard. The exception is "pent up anger".

The shepherd who keeps his sheep on the field behind our house is from a long standing Arran family and uses 'pent' rather than 'penned' when the sheep are in the enclosure. This Scots dictionary might help:

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/

John from A

When you say \"the shepherd who keeps his sheep on the field behind your house is from a long standing Arran family and uses \'pent\' rather than \'penned\' when the sheep are in the enclosure\". Is he speaking to you or writing to you? If speaking, how do you know?

JimB

P.S. Farmer, field, sheep, behind our house,... dump your computer and let go!!

The phrase 'pent-up emotions' springs to mind...

No, Jim B, beg the question does not mean ask!

John from A - you haven't shot me down, I hope I haven't given offence.

penthouse & pentangle.

Oh! Bees, Oh! Bees
You've set a task
For me to proove
That "beg" means "ask"

I really am
Not being funny
I Thesaurused "Beg"
And got "Ask" for money?

JimB (please note, no space between Jim and B)

Hi Bees,

Offended moi? Not at all. I've been outside fixing a couple of doors most of the day, so haven't been here much. We do have the broadbean wibble thingy most of the time, but our ISP has just been taken over by 'Breathe' and it's been the kiss of death rather than the breath of life. Of well my MAC should arrive soon and then I can change to another ISP.

In the meantime, goodnight to all and enjoy your cocoa.

John, all the best with the Mac (fancy needing a Mac in Arran!)
JimB here's some info for you!
Begging the Question
“…strictly to ‘beg the question’ in controversy is to assume in argument a conclusion which is in fact at issue in the controversy. From this, by a natural development, derives the accepted practice of using ‘to beg the question’ to mean to evade the issue. The current habit of treating to ‘beg the question’ as meaning ‘to raise the question’ is thus inexcusable.”

-Harry Blamires. The Penguin Guide to Plain English. (Penguin 2000) page 93.