| Title: | The Joy of Lex |
| Notice: | A Notes File even your grammar could love |
| Moderator: | THEBAY::SYSTEM |
| Created: | Fri Feb 28 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Mon Jun 02 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 1192 |
| Total number of notes: | 42769 |
From: RHEA::DECWRL::"MATTHEWS%[email protected]" 23-JUL-1987 11:31:43.20
To: callas%star.dec@decwrl
Subj: Most curious statement of the week
Overheard at the Iran-Contra hearings, 7/23/87:
Secretary of State Schultz : "Yes, that was at a dinner that had been
arranged by our respective wives."
Doesn't Schultz's use of "respective" imply that he and the other
person have at least one wife in common?
Jon
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 387.1 | Bring Back Al Haig | RUTLND::SATOW | Thu Jul 23 1987 16:25 | 31 | |
According to the _Handbook of Technical Writing_, `Respective' is an _adjective_ that means "pertaining to two or more things regarded individually." Example The committee members prepared their respective reports. . . . `Respective' [is] often unnecessary because the meaning of individuality is already clear. It seems to me that either: - Schultz and the other person have wives in common and it was necessary to differentiate them - Schultz felt that it was necessary to make it clear that he and the other person do not have wives in common, or - the use of `respective' was unnecessary. ------------------------------ As a side note, it's unfortunate that Alexander Haig is not still Secretary of Stating. If he testimonied, I doubt that he could North the committee, but he certainly would not have dullized the committee as much as the current Secretary, who Schultzes people to sleep. Clay | |||||
| 387.2 | AKOV76::BOYAJIAN | I want a hat with cherries | Fri Jul 24 1987 03:05 | 7 | |
re:.1
I quibble with one part of your "side note". I would say that
the proper expression should be "Secretarying of State", not
"Secretary of Stating".
--- jerry
| |||||
| 387.3 | going to go take a nap | WEBSTR::RANDALL | I'm no lady | Fri Jul 24 1987 09:18 | 5 |
I think the respective secretaries of their respective departments
should go back to their respective offices and leave the rest of
us to our respective peace.
--bonnie
| |||||
| 387.4 | Redundancy | DICKNS::BENNETT | Fri Jul 24 1987 14:53 | 6 | |
"Respectively" in Schultz's sentence is redundant.
According to Follet, this word is pointless whenever it is not
given the task of clarifying a member-to-member correspondence
between one series and another.
| |||||
| 387.5 | DICKNS::BENNETT | Fri Jul 24 1987 14:55 | 1 | ||
Make that "respective". | |||||
| 387.6 | Respectively Schultz | USAT03::MICHAEL | Fri Jul 24 1987 17:51 | 2 | |
Let's cut all this jargon out, let's just call the guy and tell
him screwed up....
| |||||