Randomly Bolded » wfb http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog Spontaneous emphases on memes du jour Thu, 19 May 2011 06:59:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Linguistic agitprop http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/2009/03/linguistic-agitprop/ http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/2009/03/linguistic-agitprop/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:33:09 +0000 rb http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/?p=44 randomlybolded.com takes two ongoing assaults on his way of life quite seriously: eroding grammatical standards and creeping anti-Americanism. So when these threats marry in an unholy matrimony of linguistic agitprop, Orwell rolls over in his grave—and randomlybolded.com returns fire.

Since when has the Queen’s English permitted such abominations as You voted for Obama, yes? and Che was a revolutionary, no?

We have many ways to ask leading questions in the mother tongue of Shakespeare, Milton, and Buckley. A lawyer can’t question a witness without the indispensible interrogatories Isn’t it true and Didn’t you? A salesman can’t sell a widget without the sleazily suggestive Wouldn’t you like . . .

But the betraying conceit of all who employ the offending constructions—so familiar to speakers of continental European languages—is the refusal to adopt the simplest, truest, most absolute of all, right?

]]> http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/2009/03/linguistic-agitprop/feed/ 1 WFB http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/2009/02/wfb/ http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/2009/02/wfb/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:30:39 +0000 rb http://www.randomlybolded.com/blog/?p=8 RIP. A year ago today, I drove home from BigLaw in a funk, shed more than a few tears, and then reactivated my subscription to National Review.

UPDATE: Yes, I know, I was a few days ahead of the news cycle.

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