You may also ask questions of Pat the Perfect (grammar, word choice, wording in The Post, etc.) or of The Empress of The Invitational (anything about the contest, even "how could you have failed to recognize my brilliant joke xxxxx," as long as you don't mind getting a frank answer). Use the "ask me a question" button and Gene will pass it along to me.
Pat --- I calculate you have the equivalent of three dog years now that you're no longer dealing with the practical and psychological considerations of a particular print publication, which dare not speak its name. That being the case, you may want to finally establish tiered Invitationals to reduce the historic carping. I suggest one for the usual suspects as the Major League competition and at least one other, say a Developmental League, for those who have neither won nor been formerly recognized as a Loser. I'd suggest a third for those certified to have no sense of humor but that would probably be a contest too far even for you who sadistically thrives on disappointing dozens, if not hundreds, of self-styled funny persons weekly. A tiered Invitational might even allow Gene to make that long-dreamed-of-trip to Tetiaroa with an increase in the ill-gotten gains from new paying subscribers. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Getting feedback from both/either of you on what you liked or didn't about an entry, or that it was funny just that damn Jesse or Chris or Chuck, etc etc. were just SO MUCH FUNNIER, is very kind of you. Much appreciated.
My general policy is that I'll critique entries when people ask for them, though sometimes it does come down to "sorry, but I thought the ones I ran were funnier." But I can often point to what I didn't like about an entry, especially in ones that require craft, like limericks. I won't get into debates over what was funnier, since that's useless. And the more accusatory the question, the less polite the response. I don't keep that ax on my head for nothing.
So just curious--Have you ever had such a question lead to a realization that you had simply missed the reference or punchline, and that once that was clarified, you actually did think it was print-worthy? I know that sometimes there are some which get printed which take me a while (if ever) to figure out what the joke is--I can only imagine wading through hundreds of entries trying to determine which are bad humor vs. missed humor...
I selected "other" for the pronunciation of "February", because I (and nearly everyone I've heard say that word in this part of the country) say "fe-brew-air-ee". The "b" is definitely part of the second syllable, not the first. I suspect this is what you intended with your first option--you meant to emphasize the presence of the first "r"--but it technically is different than the options you listed, so...
There are a few people who say "fe-byu-air-ee"--but they are generally treated with severe disdain. And generally, they also put the "b" in the second syllable.
Also, a note on the last poll question--it needs another option--"often". Which would be my answer, and not just in a tongue-in-cheek way. I often pronounce the "t"--but I also often do not. I'm not quite sure why, or have any rules regarding when--it just sometimes comes out that way. (And sometimes doesn't.)
...and then there's the whole concerns about all the options ending in "erry". I'm guessing you're not familiar with the great "Barry/Berry/Bury" controversy on Jeopardy! a couple years ago. In a Final Jeopardy, the correct response was "Berry Gordy". One contestant wrote "Barry Gordy", and was ruled incorrect, even though misspellings are allowed so long as the pronunciation is correct, because in the judges opinion, "Barry" is pronounced differently than "Berry". (Which I suspect came as a surprise to Barry Manilow, Barry Sanders, and most other Barry's.) So in light of that, it may be best to be more specific for how "erry" is to be pronounced. Does it rhyme with "airy"? "Furry"? "Starry"? Something else?
Bill, two questions: 1. Are you a linguist? You notice which syllable the "b" is in, and you sound like you're familiar with the dialect geography distinctions among marry/Mary/merry. 2. In what part of the country is the "r" in February pronounced by most people in casual speech?
Definitely not a linguist—at least, not in any professional sense. Although I have always taken an interest in it. I remember in about third grade, getting in trouble with my teacher, because she was insisting that “wood” and “would” are homophones, and I insisted that they weren’t. I (arguably mistakenly, although maybe not) said it was because the “L” isn’t silent. I still stand by my position that in “Would you like some wood?”, the first and last words are not said the same, at least not in my part of the country (then I was in central Wisconsin, now in the Minneapolis burbs). “Wood”, at least locally, is pronounced “wood”—but “would”, is pronounced more like “wud”. NOT homophones, at least to my Henry Higgins-esque ears. Is the difference because people are at least slightly pronouncing the “L”? I still feel there’s a discussion to be had there.
Again, here in Wisconsin and Minnesota, I rarely hear people mispronounce February. Which is why every grade school spelling class I was in confused the entire class when the textbooks would say “be careful with February because it’s not spelled how it sounds”—and then it was spelled exactly how it sounds. The same goes for “library”—why would they emphasize its spelling when “everyone” says “library”, exactly how it sounds? (At least I’ve heard a few people say “Febuary” from time to time. I don’t recall EVER hearing someone say “libary”.)
Comment re. colds: My personal incubators have grown older, and tho both are still at home*. A coworker has 2 grade school incubators and he's suffered greatly since September. But he masks, and another coworker with sniffles masked during her sniffles, so at least this pandemic normalized masking when not feeling well, as in Asia.
* Any concrete ideas for fledging the fledglings short of moving their belongings out to the street (it is Febrooairy in the midwest here) welcome!
I’ve been cold-free until I visited my two young nieces and got the worse cold I’ve possibly ever had. Other than that, my constant allergies fight off the cold virus. Or something.
different FROM not different than because you're referring to a noun not a phrase containing a verb. Different FROM the options vs Different THAN if you had listed other options. Nobody pays any attention to this important distinction anymore. At least you didn't say "differently". A lot of people say, "I feel differently" as though they feel things through some nontactile medium.
Sorry Gene. I use the French for February and April so I'll have to pass. Just a terribly annoying quirk since I use German for the rest of the months, but there you are.
Damn! When (in the days of yore), we first had to change our passwords every month, I started using the Welsh names of the months. Never got hacked. But I wouldn't use them in conversation.
I've had only one cold since 2020, but it was a horrible cold. So I chose the "one cold, not bad" option but a more accurate response would have been "one cold, VERY BAD". I attribute the lack of colds generally to maksing/distancing -- I still mask in public -- and the horribleness of the one I got (and I know exactly where I got it) to lack of immunity due to no exposure for 2+ years.
I have a different take on the original premise of this discussion--that there has been little press comment about people having fewer colds than before the pandemic.
IIRC, as early as a year after the beginning of the pandemic, I remember news stories about the decrease in colds--and I recognized myself in that. And recently, I have seen a lot of comment about how the increase in flu and RSV (which I had never heard of before) is based on the return to ordinary social contact as we no longer think of COVID as a "pandemic."
I was accused of minor male bashing f by an old fart for saying farts arent' funny because part of humor humor relies upon surprise and the unexpected, and everyone knows guys. I responded with this: https://riverreporter.com/stories/thar-she-blows,78032
The poll on colds is missing an option of "more than one but fewer than usual". After three years there's plenty of time for that to be a common answer. (I have kids in school/ day care, and so normal or usual is calibrated appropriately.)
I answered "coincidence" because there was no other choice and I can't remember the last time I had a cold. OR the flu (although I did get a flu shot last year). I DISTINCTLY remember the last time I had food poisoning. I attribute this to the fact that I work in IT which is male dominated. Probably the last time I had a cold was when I worked in the IT department of a large company that was not so male dominated as the strictly IT companies I worked for. Also, I have no school age children. My point here is that, in general, women tend to spend more time around sick children than men, and I have spent a long time not in close work environment proximity to those most likely to spread the germs.
You may also ask questions of Pat the Perfect (grammar, word choice, wording in The Post, etc.) or of The Empress of The Invitational (anything about the contest, even "how could you have failed to recognize my brilliant joke xxxxx," as long as you don't mind getting a frank answer). Use the "ask me a question" button and Gene will pass it along to me.
Pat --- I calculate you have the equivalent of three dog years now that you're no longer dealing with the practical and psychological considerations of a particular print publication, which dare not speak its name. That being the case, you may want to finally establish tiered Invitationals to reduce the historic carping. I suggest one for the usual suspects as the Major League competition and at least one other, say a Developmental League, for those who have neither won nor been formerly recognized as a Loser. I'd suggest a third for those certified to have no sense of humor but that would probably be a contest too far even for you who sadistically thrives on disappointing dozens, if not hundreds, of self-styled funny persons weekly. A tiered Invitational might even allow Gene to make that long-dreamed-of-trip to Tetiaroa with an increase in the ill-gotten gains from new paying subscribers. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Your premise that I'd like to make a lot more work for myself is inaccurate.
Getting feedback from both/either of you on what you liked or didn't about an entry, or that it was funny just that damn Jesse or Chris or Chuck, etc etc. were just SO MUCH FUNNIER, is very kind of you. Much appreciated.
My general policy is that I'll critique entries when people ask for them, though sometimes it does come down to "sorry, but I thought the ones I ran were funnier." But I can often point to what I didn't like about an entry, especially in ones that require craft, like limericks. I won't get into debates over what was funnier, since that's useless. And the more accusatory the question, the less polite the response. I don't keep that ax on my head for nothing.
So just curious--Have you ever had such a question lead to a realization that you had simply missed the reference or punchline, and that once that was clarified, you actually did think it was print-worthy? I know that sometimes there are some which get printed which take me a while (if ever) to figure out what the joke is--I can only imagine wading through hundreds of entries trying to determine which are bad humor vs. missed humor...
Can you submit this as a question?
Are you Mayim Bialik when you're not Pat Myers ?
I’m Ken Jennings.
I selected "other" for the pronunciation of "February", because I (and nearly everyone I've heard say that word in this part of the country) say "fe-brew-air-ee". The "b" is definitely part of the second syllable, not the first. I suspect this is what you intended with your first option--you meant to emphasize the presence of the first "r"--but it technically is different than the options you listed, so...
There are a few people who say "fe-byu-air-ee"--but they are generally treated with severe disdain. And generally, they also put the "b" in the second syllable.
Also, a note on the last poll question--it needs another option--"often". Which would be my answer, and not just in a tongue-in-cheek way. I often pronounce the "t"--but I also often do not. I'm not quite sure why, or have any rules regarding when--it just sometimes comes out that way. (And sometimes doesn't.)
Yeah, Gene. This poll was beyond flawed. Send it to Nate Silvers.
...and then there's the whole concerns about all the options ending in "erry". I'm guessing you're not familiar with the great "Barry/Berry/Bury" controversy on Jeopardy! a couple years ago. In a Final Jeopardy, the correct response was "Berry Gordy". One contestant wrote "Barry Gordy", and was ruled incorrect, even though misspellings are allowed so long as the pronunciation is correct, because in the judges opinion, "Barry" is pronounced differently than "Berry". (Which I suspect came as a surprise to Barry Manilow, Barry Sanders, and most other Barry's.) So in light of that, it may be best to be more specific for how "erry" is to be pronounced. Does it rhyme with "airy"? "Furry"? "Starry"? Something else?
:)
Bill, two questions: 1. Are you a linguist? You notice which syllable the "b" is in, and you sound like you're familiar with the dialect geography distinctions among marry/Mary/merry. 2. In what part of the country is the "r" in February pronounced by most people in casual speech?
Definitely not a linguist—at least, not in any professional sense. Although I have always taken an interest in it. I remember in about third grade, getting in trouble with my teacher, because she was insisting that “wood” and “would” are homophones, and I insisted that they weren’t. I (arguably mistakenly, although maybe not) said it was because the “L” isn’t silent. I still stand by my position that in “Would you like some wood?”, the first and last words are not said the same, at least not in my part of the country (then I was in central Wisconsin, now in the Minneapolis burbs). “Wood”, at least locally, is pronounced “wood”—but “would”, is pronounced more like “wud”. NOT homophones, at least to my Henry Higgins-esque ears. Is the difference because people are at least slightly pronouncing the “L”? I still feel there’s a discussion to be had there.
Again, here in Wisconsin and Minnesota, I rarely hear people mispronounce February. Which is why every grade school spelling class I was in confused the entire class when the textbooks would say “be careful with February because it’s not spelled how it sounds”—and then it was spelled exactly how it sounds. The same goes for “library”—why would they emphasize its spelling when “everyone” says “library”, exactly how it sounds? (At least I’ve heard a few people say “Febuary” from time to time. I don’t recall EVER hearing someone say “libary”.)
I think the main reason I stopped getting colds is because I stopped going into the office.
That, too.
I protest the inability to change my answer on the polls. NO ONE pronounces it “Feb-oo-ary.
I’d like a word with the Managment.
Comment re. colds: My personal incubators have grown older, and tho both are still at home*. A coworker has 2 grade school incubators and he's suffered greatly since September. But he masks, and another coworker with sniffles masked during her sniffles, so at least this pandemic normalized masking when not feeling well, as in Asia.
* Any concrete ideas for fledging the fledglings short of moving their belongings out to the street (it is Febrooairy in the midwest here) welcome!
I'm very excited to be part of something brand spanking new, AKA, The Gene Pool. And, speaking of spanking, are you for, or against?
I’ve been cold-free until I visited my two young nieces and got the worse cold I’ve possibly ever had. Other than that, my constant allergies fight off the cold virus. Or something.
different FROM not different than because you're referring to a noun not a phrase containing a verb. Different FROM the options vs Different THAN if you had listed other options. Nobody pays any attention to this important distinction anymore. At least you didn't say "differently". A lot of people say, "I feel differently" as though they feel things through some nontactile medium.
Poop.
Sorry Gene. I use the French for February and April so I'll have to pass. Just a terribly annoying quirk since I use German for the rest of the months, but there you are.
Damn! When (in the days of yore), we first had to change our passwords every month, I started using the Welsh names of the months. Never got hacked. But I wouldn't use them in conversation.
I've had only one cold since 2020, but it was a horrible cold. So I chose the "one cold, not bad" option but a more accurate response would have been "one cold, VERY BAD". I attribute the lack of colds generally to maksing/distancing -- I still mask in public -- and the horribleness of the one I got (and I know exactly where I got it) to lack of immunity due to no exposure for 2+ years.
I have a different take on the original premise of this discussion--that there has been little press comment about people having fewer colds than before the pandemic.
IIRC, as early as a year after the beginning of the pandemic, I remember news stories about the decrease in colds--and I recognized myself in that. And recently, I have seen a lot of comment about how the increase in flu and RSV (which I had never heard of before) is based on the return to ordinary social contact as we no longer think of COVID as a "pandemic."
I was accused of minor male bashing f by an old fart for saying farts arent' funny because part of humor humor relies upon surprise and the unexpected, and everyone knows guys. I responded with this: https://riverreporter.com/stories/thar-she-blows,78032
The poll on colds is missing an option of "more than one but fewer than usual". After three years there's plenty of time for that to be a common answer. (I have kids in school/ day care, and so normal or usual is calibrated appropriately.)
I answered "coincidence" because there was no other choice and I can't remember the last time I had a cold. OR the flu (although I did get a flu shot last year). I DISTINCTLY remember the last time I had food poisoning. I attribute this to the fact that I work in IT which is male dominated. Probably the last time I had a cold was when I worked in the IT department of a large company that was not so male dominated as the strictly IT companies I worked for. Also, I have no school age children. My point here is that, in general, women tend to spend more time around sick children than men, and I have spent a long time not in close work environment proximity to those most likely to spread the germs.