Oh god, not the RL card! Please, not the RL card!

I'm dying here, I can't believe he pulled out his RL success as if that has anything to do with the topic at hand.

What a pompous ass.

I'd be interested in the etymology of university and college, if anyone knows much about Latin. In the Romance languages I've studied, cognates of college (i.e. el colegio) refer to high school, whereas cognates of university (i.e. la universidad) refer to post-secondary education.

Also, I agree with Dolalin that "I go to university" conveys a more specific meaning than "I go to college." University implies a four year bachelors program, but college could mean anything from community college to technical college to a four year university.

As for Skycrasher... well, I can understand how the phrase annoys you, but your arguments about "going to university" being a grammatically incorrect phrase are just plain wrong, sorry.

Yes, success and/or bank balance is a judge of intelligence.

Crowde, I don't know very many dumbasses who are successful. It's relevant.

(And yes Draagun, it often is! Esp. in my line of work.)

Michael Vick.

Anything else?

There are always exceptions to the rule. =P

You must not know many very successful people if you don't know many that are dumb asses. Successful and intelligent are not mutually inclusive.

You can argue all day long that you dislike "going to university" and that is just fine. When you pulled out the "not grammatically correct because it's not used in the US" card is when you crossed over from someone arguing their opinion to being a dumb shit.

I never said that because it's not used in the US that makes it not grammatically correct.

But you did say it was grammatically incorrect, which is, in itself, incorrect.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

Says who? You and some internet forum posters? That's holds as much water as myself saying it is. Shrug.

Ultimately, I don't give a shit if it's proper or not, grammatically correct or not, saying it makes you sound like an idiot and that's all that matters to me.

(I still contend it's not correct though, don't get me wrong!)

Proof?

http://www.udg.edu/Portals/106/Acredita ... s/bec3.pdf

(PDF link, from a Spanish college, however the PDF is an examination written by the University of Cambridge, so I consider it trustworthy in the matter of English)

Search for "to university" -- you will find it in a section where you essentially find the unnecessary word in the line, and the phrase "go to university" is on an example line.

If it's good enough for the University of Cambridge, then it's good enough for me.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

Right, but they're not in the US... I understand perfectly well that they use it outside of the US, however, the English we speak is VERY, VERY different from the English utitilzed in European vernacular.

Try again.

http://m-w.com/dictionary/contend

Your definition of contend seems to be off! IT IRKETH ME SO

Who do you know in america that's actually used the phrase that's from this country?

And grammatical rules in US English and British English follow the same rules, it's only their insistence of adding a "u" in words like favor and flavor.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

Really? What are some of the enormous grammatical differences?

_________________
Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

Lots of stuff. I won't sit here and lecture you in the differences but they are there and there tend to be some major differences.

http://www.google.com/search?q=differen ... lz=1I7GFRD

http://www.google.com/Top/Science/Socia ... _Dialects/

I'm glad I was able to teach you a new thing today, Argrax! Enjoy!

I don't see any specifics listed about grammar. There's different phrases and pronunciations, which no one argued about.

(I mentioned nothing about grammar in saying that there were differences between European English and American English.)

PS: L2Read a dictionary.



"I still maintain it's not correct"

How much clearer does it need to be, Jeka?

I'm pretty sure the topic was about something you believe is grammatically incorrect/idiotic.

Now you're just being obtuse.

It was a jab at your inability to present proof towards your argument. We can cross witty out for you.

You're letting people put words in my mouth that I never said. Yet, people attack me as if I did.

I'm being obtuse? Nah.

The problem with your dictionary link was that it wasn't funny, nor was it witty.

You know your posts are still up there right? You plain just didn't get it, which makes it even more funny. Of course, being on the butt end you wouldn't find it funny.

Yes, I realize that -- that's how I know that I didn't say what people are saying they think I did!

I'm always up for a good laugh, even if it's at my expense. You may laugh, but I have been known to do some stand up comedy gigs, and yes, I've been heckled, but I always have a come back!

Connect the dots, one of my favorite activities.

*Some stuff*

*Some more stuff*

*More stuff still*

*A bit more stuff*

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

Is it picture time?

So is your point now that it only sounds stupid if an American says it, but if a Briton says it, "awesome!"

we'll all be either dead or under some eastern (chinese or korean) rule by 2030 anyway. the fact that canadians were ever even slightly distinguishable as a culture will be merely anecdotal by that point.

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Remember that thing I said on page 1? I take it back. Anyhow, I just about fell off my chair laughing when someone brought up burdens of proof. Just one question: does this burden of the initial post come in the form of a burden of persuasion or merely a burden of production upon which reasonable people can differ? Lives hang in the balance!

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Knowledge without reason is useless.

http://boxrockssocks.blogspot.com/

Sorry, went straight from work to school, just got home about 10 minutes ago! Tough final, 200 questions! WTF!

You still haven't shown me Argrax... ha. You're just posting random quotes by me.

Where did I say anything about if something isn't used in the US then it's not grammatically correct?

Further, I never said there were HUGE GLARING GRAMMATICAL DIFFERENCES, if you notice, Argrax is the one who posed the question... not I. I said that there are very many differences in European English and American English and posted links supporting that.

And there are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_a ... ifferences

Skimming through it, most of it seems to be pretty accurate. Realistically, there's probably an amount of rule-breaking on both sides, but there are clearly differences. Some of those differences are legal, some are not.

Hopefully that answers another one of your ever-so-sincere, never condescending questions.

While "I go to University" Sounds dumb to me... "I go to College" does not.

Not sure why that is the case but I susspect it's a regional dialect thing.

Do you share equal hate for, "We are going on holiday"?

Nope. Weird huh?

I think you just got universitied.

maybe so, maybe so...

i said what i wanted to say. it's out of my system now. it sounds retarded no matter who says it, and i will always think whoever uses that phrasing is a fucking idiot and not deserving of a higher education. (because obviously it's not having any effect if they're still talking like a moron.)

Jessica Simpson is so damn beautiful. Only thing worthwhile in here.

I went to University.

There; I just want to be in the "I'm a fucking idiot" crowd that skycrasher hates.


p.s. Jessica Simpson just doesn't do it for me.

We can put her in a black and white Quaker ensemble if that would help.

stupid chicks bug me. its well known that jessica simpson is pretty dumb so i mean while she may (or may not) have nice tits, she just doesn't do it for me either.

http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/blathe.htm
A, An, The" definite and indefinite articles in English
Read the following description

Here are the rules for when to use "A, An or The":

DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport
He has breakfast at home.
I go to university.<-----
He comes to work by taxi.

This is preposterous!

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Kuwen Furyblades
Hunter of Memento Reejeryn
Champion of Faydark

Maybe a bit more accurate.

I mean, "I took taxi to work." Hmm.

Don't tell me that doesn't sound bad ass with an Italian accent.

Grammar is l33t.

_________________
Knowledge without reason is useless.

http://boxrockssocks.blogspot.com/

First-year latin...doesn't matter how much you know the language, you learn the grammar or you fail the tests...

Oh man, man. That's hard core!

_________________
Knowledge without reason is useless.

http://boxrockssocks.blogspot.com/

I guess that'll show me a lesson!

pwned

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Threads like this are one of the reasons why I visit the boards once every two weeks nowadays.

Of course, I am sure that probably pleases 85% of the board's membership... so for the other 15%, /wave

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Does that mean you'd visit even less if there weren't threads like this or you'd visit more often if there were more threads like this?

I think all things considered, this was a pretty good thread overall.

I'd still be a little skeptical about the "English as a Second Language" section of "about.com" as a source. Not only that, but one of the primary focuses there is to get those people so they are able to blend in with the masses in terms of language.

Also, this thread does suck xskycrasherx, but it's cheap mindless entertainment.

All these years I've been using phrases like "I'm going to town" or "I went to McDonalds" when I should have been sticking an 'a' in there or specifying the McD's on 34th and Maple ...I feel like an idiot. Thanks for showing me the errors of my ways.