Extra points for multiple speakers.
Context: Walking baby in the stroller on a warm night, baby in just a diaper.
one neighbor: Aren’t you just having the best time out for a walk in your underwear!
another neighbor: *I* would be.
me: I *would* be, if I didn’t think someone would call the police on me.
Add comment July 27th, 2009
I have discovered the perfect antidote to having to discuss with extended family who are only being polite anyway what your thesis is about: bring a cute baby to the party!
Add comment December 23rd, 2008
I’m re-reading A Separate Peace by John Knowles. We read it in junior high, and I spotted it on the shelf at the library and thought I would revisit it over the winter break. This morning I was considering that and was about to say: I’m re-reading A Separate Peace from junior high. Sure did seem like there should be space for an argument or an adjunt there, one that refers to the original reading event and is licensed by the ‘re’. But there’s not. So there you go. Language is goofy.
Add comment December 23rd, 2008
The APiCS (Atlas of Pidgin And Creole Language Structures) project has put out a questionnaire. The project gathers information on 120 grammatical features plus phonological segments from experts on pidgin and creole languages, and the editors say the questionnaire was specifically designed to answer questions of particular relevance to pidgin and creole languages, but it can in principle be applied to any language.
Add comment December 18th, 2008