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Subject: 
Re: Here's a few for Maggie:
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.fun
Date: 
Tue, 26 Feb 2002 17:50:20 GMT
Viewed: 
258 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.fun, Dave Schuler writes:
Browsing CNN.com I came upon an article about the BAFTA awards
http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/24/baftas/index.html
and noticed this apparent flub of the Queen's English:

BAFTA chairman Simon Relph said [Warren] Beatty was one of the most versatile
and gifted filmmakers.

"His contribution to the film industry cannot be underestimated and we are
delighted to honour his work with this award," he told the UK's Press
Association.

Now, I'm just a good ol' American, so far be it from me to question the
wisdom of a native English speaker, but it seems to me that if one cannot
"underestimate" something, then that means that one cannot give an estimate
that is less than the actual value of something; ie, that the thing's value
is so low that no lower estimate is possible!  What a slur on poor Beatty!
I demand an apology on his behalf!

I expect Warren will be so happy that "Town & Country"{1} was not metioned
on Sunday that he will let this "slur" pass.

Scott A

{1} A 2001 film which was pulled after 4 weeks - quite a dud.


=+=
Have you inspected Arthur’s Seat yet?
http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=scotta

"A reasonable man adapts himself to suit his environment. An unreasonable
man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." (GBS)
=+=


In other pressing news, I've lately noticed a trend among American
speakers to describe infrequent occurrences of something as being "far and
few between."  Isn't that a transposition of the actual idiom?  That ranks
up there with an increasingly common turn of phrase used to indicate a
sequential comparison among similar things, such as: "Dozens of new car
models will be released this year, each one safer than the next."  Really?
Then in that case, I'd better get myself the first car off the assembly
line, since the quality of each will, by that sentiment, be inferior to the
one before it!

What can be done about this urgent matter?

    Dave!
(in OT.Fun for a reason!)



Message is in Reply To:
  Here's a few for Maggie:
 
Browsing CNN.com I came upon an article about the BAFTA awards (URL) noticed this apparent flub of the Queen's English: (...) Now, I'm just a good ol' American, so far be it from me to question the wisdom of a native English speaker, but it seems to (...) (23 years ago, 25-Feb-02, to lugnet.off-topic.fun)

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