Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

tonta

I read that Covid deaths have reduced. I know Lazarus did it but how did this happen?

I don't like arguing but I have to disagree with tonta and grunger. See what I have written on the Transitive v intransitive verbs thread.

Chambers gives "derail" as an intransitive verb (as well as a transitive one) and explains it as "to go off the rails".

So the train goes off the rails. The train derails. Two ways of saying the same thing.

Orson

That is interesting. I dont go by dictionaries but by what sounds right. To me a train cannot de-rail, it is de-railed by something, so "was de-railed" and "has been de-railed" are correct. I suppose if Chambers says it is Ok, I cannot complain, but I dont like it.

Malone

I am delighted to see from another thread that you are back, and I am very pleased to see you, although we disagree on this point.

Grunger

Thanks, it's good to hear other people's views. I think English is a wonderfully rich, wonderfully varied language, but not all usages will please all of the people! I try to abide by the dictionaries, but I don't always like what I read - this usually applies when I've been wrong. That last refers to my homophone research ... several times I've had my worst fears confirmed by Chambers giving the same pronunciation to words I class as being different.

Malone

Also delighted you are back. Like grunger, I wont be guided by dictionaries but have to, reluctantly, accept them.

Jigjag

Thanks, but I'm not really 'back', I haven't been away! Being 'guided by the dictionaries' means that I am less likely to class things as 'wrong' when they're basically just unwanted and unloved!

Malone

I like that. "Correct but unwanted and unloved"

Thanks, Jigjag. I'm going through a phase just now, a phase of coining phrases. 'Guided by the dictionaries' and 'Correct but unwanted and unloved' could be the start of many....

Malone

Yes and I hope they appear in the next edition of Chambers as they will be in common use by then!

Grunger Jigjag Malone et al

I like your 'Correct but unwanted and unloved' Malone ... perhaps `char` `pi` and `it`, so beloved by setters, (but nowadays rarely spotted apart from in crossword puzzles) should be in this category. I`m sure members can add to the `CBUAU`list.