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malone

Yes the setters are doing their best to please us, clues about what we discuss on this thread. More "Cats" today, and a "pork pie " for me after the "Pi" yesterday.

I wonder if Jigjag would mind if I went to his market to see Ivan Napple (not that I know where the market is), or to the McDonalds at Cheshire Oaks to see Ivor Berger - I am planning a shopping trip there in the near future.

Tyke

Yes I get irritated with the "moment". I can understand foreign managers saying "we are in a good moment", instead of "we are in good form" or similar, but now it has spread to English managers and players and it sounds ridiculous.

I also dont like "momentum". Apparently Liverpool, who wanted a winter break, are now blaming it for their loss of "momentum". Their 4 poor performances since the break have nothing to do with momentum or any other excuse. They were not playing too well before the break, but somehow kept winning.

I didn't hear the Colemanballs you mentioned but I am looking forward to hearing....."We are in a good moment at the moment, with momentous momentum."

Heard on television on successive days by apparently respected historians:

He was put to death by execution.

He was a war mongerer.

Death can be fatal.

orson, tyke

Which is correct "The wages of sin is death" or

"The wages of sin are death"

Spam at 1315 reported.

Hi grunger.

In the original Greek in the Bible, it says "the wages of sin - death" with no is/are.

However, the rule is the verb should agree with what comes before and not afterwards. So "the wages of sin are death".

But if we turn it round, it would have to be: "Death is the wages of sin".

Crosswords are my favourite pastime.
My favourite pastime is crosswords.

@grunger #1300

I have always wondered about Thomas Hood's pun in "Faithless Sally Brown" (1826)

“Come, girl,” said he, “hold up your head,
He ’ll be as good as me;
For when your swain is in our boat
A boatswain he will be.”

What pronunciation did he intend?

Orson

Thanks for that. I didn't know there was a rule, but it makes sense, and, like your example, it sounds right.

I suppose it is different in maths where if a = b+c, b+c = a

nemo

What a lovely pun! I didn't know the poem, although I have heard the last 2 lines occasionally. I suppose that Sally could not wait for years, and the romance might not have continued anyway. Nowadays a girl might.

I imagine the poet wanted it pronounced boatswain rather than bosun, but perhaps bosun in an earlier line.

Interesting, perhaps somebody (ChrisE ?) could tell us.

If it is boatswain, I would be pleased as that is how I used to pronounce it.