"Executive Search" - June 5, 2020

[Flamel616]

Color me old: two spaces, no Oxford comma, and definitely no "singular they" (and yes, I am aware I used the Oxford comma there. Sometimes it helps. That's why I never say "always," and always avoid saying "never").

At the risk of weakening my geezer cred, I must admit that the singular they is growing on me.

And speaking of generational changes in period use, I recently heard that ending a text with a period is rude. Sorry to everyone I offend, but that's another hard habit to break.

Funny, as a young whippersnapper, I used to end texts with a period all the time. It was years before a girlfriend told me that it "sounds fake" if the period is at the end. I guess texts are casual and the period sounds too formal? It's still weird to me sometimes, and my also-millenial brother uses periods at the ends of his texts.

[Bird Lives]

At the risk of weakening my geezer cred, I must admit that the singular they is growing on me.

And speaking of generational changes in period use, I recently heard that ending a text with a period is rude. Sorry to everyone I offend, but that's another hard habit to break.

I outgeeze you, and I far prefer they to he or she. Do we really want to say, "Anyone can get this meta if he or she really tries"?

I read that same article about the text period being rude. I was skeptical. It seemed like another one of those "two people I know told me this so it must be a trend" bits of filler journalism.

[boharr]

Funny, as a young whippersnapper, I used to end texts with a period all the time. It was years before a girlfriend told me that it "sounds fake" if the period is at the end. I guess texts are casual and the period sounds too formal? It's still weird to me sometimes, and my also-millenial brother uses periods at the ends of his texts.

I think it depends on the nature of the text and the recipient. I never use periods when texting my college-age daughter. I do use them in a more lengthy texts to colleagues et al.

[boharr]

I read that same article about the text period being rude. I was skeptical. It seemed like another one of those "two people I know told me this so it must be a trend" bits of filler journalism.

OMG, he's exposing how journalism works!

[MaineMarge]

Well, this is a fine kettle of fish! Looks like I’ve mistakenly logged onto a NASA forum, with all these space comments.
No matter. Since it appears that I’ve drawn Friday stern garden duty yet again, Bob, you can count me back there today. Any of you spaceship cadets who care to join me are welcome

[boharr]

As we digress (and since I'm still with Isaac), here's another bit of journalism legend.

When I first went to work for a newspaper (only in print back then), I was told that the elimination of the Oxford comma as a policy was put in place because of the ink that would be saved over the course of a year by having so many fewer commas.

Apocryphal? Maybe. But fun.

Now, however, I use it. And not just for "revenge." But because, as has been mentioned, the Oxford comma can be essential for clarity in some instances.

[Bob cruise director]

As we digress (and since I'm still with Isaac), here's another bit of journalism legend.

When I first went to work for a newspaper (only in print back then), I was told that the elimination of the Oxford comma as a policy was put in place because of the ink that would be saved over the course of a year by having so many fewer commas.

Apocryphal? Maybe. But fun.

Now, however, I use it. And not just for "revenge." But because, as has been mentioned, the Oxford comma can be essential for clarity in some instances.

What is the saying? Digression is the better part of valor>

[Dplass]

As we digress (and since I'm still with Isaac), here's another bit of journalism legend.

When I first went to work for a newspaper (only in print back then), I was told that the elimination of the Oxford comma as a policy was put in place because of the ink that would be saved over the course of a year by having so many fewer commas.

Apocryphal? Maybe. But fun.

Now, however, I use it. And not just for "revenge." But because, as has been mentioned, the Oxford comma can be essential for clarity in some instances.

What is the saying? Digression is the better part of valor>

You win.

[Bob cruise director]

At the risk of weakening my geezer cred, I must admit that the singular they is growing on me.

And speaking of generational changes in period use, I recently heard that ending a text with a period is rude. Sorry to everyone I offend, but that's another hard habit to break.

I outgeeze you, and I far prefer they to he or she. Do we really want to say, "Anyone can get this meta if he or she really tries"?

I read that same article about the text period being rude. I was skeptical. It seemed like another one of those "two people I know told me this so it must be a trend" bits of filler journalism.

It used to be that using "he" implied either male or female. Then we moved on to the beloved slash "he/she". So going to "they" is probably a better evolution.

[Bob cruise director]

Our noon report, among the discussions on periods, commas and other things, has 18 on the ship and 39 on the shore.

[MarkL]

Our noon report, among the discussions on periods, commas and other things, has 18 on the ship and 39 on the shore.

No Oxford Comma or period spaces count? Inquiring minds want to know!

Also, it has been a while since I leafed through it, but Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss is a book that I will revisit, based on the sub-thread this week.

[TPS]

I guess I weigh in as an attorney and a former equity research analyst who published probably 5k pages of published material a year.

Yes on Oxford comma and on 2 spaces.

[DrTom]

I read that same article about the text period being rude. I was skeptical. It seemed like another one of those "two people I know told me this so it must be a trend" bits of filler journalism.

Bird, Journalists certainly do not have lock on this. As I constantly informed new residents who were about to go and deal/argue with an established, older (and probably slightly bombastic) practitioner:
"In my clinical experience" translation "I had a patient once"
"This has been successful over and over" translation "Saw it once when I was a resident and saw it again last week"
"This has been in practice since the beginning of time" translation "My Chief Resident told me about this, and his Chief Resident told him"

Fable and lore are the strongest part of any profession, but they certainly don't have to be true, where's the fun in that? Oh, and I LOVE punctuation, to me it is like potato chips; once I get started I can't get enough until of course it makes me physically ill! I used to always use two spaces but then one time I missed a period and that lead to a pregnant pause. So I adopted the concept of a single space, kind of a contraconcept.

[Bird Lives]

As we digress (and since I'm still with Isaac), here's another bit of journalism legend.

When I first went to work for a newspaper (only in print back then), I was told that the elimination of the Oxford comma as a policy was put in place because of the ink that would be saved over the course of a year by having so many fewer commas.

Apocryphal? Maybe. But fun.

I feel that way now given the cost of those cartridges for my ink-jet printer. Before I print the pdf of the WSJ puzzle, I delete the previous day's solution and the "E-mail your answer" block below the clues. (OK, not really to save ink but to have space to make notes in. But still . . .)

[DrTom]

Well I am on-shore and once again had to be pulled out of the foam because I was making it WAAAAY to hard (ARRRGGHH). As I stated to my lifeguard who 1Ded me (poke, really, that's not a nudge that's a salad, ask my Aunt Annie for the recipe, she'll be back from the funeral soon, gators apparently got her Granny) back to reality: Sometimes I get so involved looking for the needle in the haystack that I get impaled on the pitchfork.

So ashore but not submitting and now to try to embarrass myself two days in a row - on to the next Matt Gaffney puzzle!

[Wendy Walker]

Well, this is a fine kettle of fish! Looks like I’ve mistakenly logged onto a NASA forum, with all these space comments.
No matter. Since it appears that I’ve drawn Friday stern garden duty yet again, Bob, you can count me back there today. Any of you spaceship cadets who care to join me are welcome

Marge, the comments on the live feed from the space mission were hilarious. Flat Earth trolls kept chiming in, saying the whole thing was a fake. One brilliant riposte: "I hear the Flat Earthers are having a convention. Delegates are coming from around the world."
The footage was amazing. What a change from watching the 1960s NASA liftoffs on the black-and-white TV in my parents' bedroom!

[Nlobb]

Two spaces.
Last night we were watching a re-run of jeopardy. The answer was Richard III. I called it out, and my husband was amazed at how "smart" I was!!! So does that mean that doing these metas improves your coronabrain function??? I hope so...

[boharr]

I guess I weigh in as an attorney and a former equity research analyst who published probably 5k pages of published material a year.

Yes on Oxford comma and on 2 spaces.

I'd think equity research analysis would require at least 4 spaces.

[DrTom]

Two spaces.
Last night we were watching a re-run of jeopardy. The answer was Richard III. I called it out, and my husband was amazed at how "smart" I was!!! So does that mean that doing these metas improves your coronabrain function??? I hope so...

That's funny - I got the same look from my wife for the very same reason. Thankfully I did not almost yell out RICHARD II....

I'm surprised at how often these crosswords, and this forum, helps me with a Jeopardy question.

[BarbaraK]

I feel that way now given the cost of those cartridges for my ink-jet printer. Before I print the pdf of the WSJ puzzle, I delete the previous day's solution and the "E-mail your answer" block below the clues. (OK, not really to save ink but to have space to make notes in. But still . . .)

So I'm not the only one?! And I really do it to save ink. I reduce the size to have margins for notes.

That logo in the top right corner too.