But what rating did you assign? Connie was just in Chicago taking a copy editing class, and I asked her about "best seller" "bestseller" and "best-seller" and the way she tried to explain it -- I'm not very bright -- made it sound like a mutant virus. If it gets into the general language, we're all doomed.
I didn't have the nerve to ask about "be$t $eller."
Wish I'd been there to hear Connie's explanation, if only so that I'd have some idea which I should be using. Or at least which came first.
I'm always at the ready to criticize Amazon, but here I commiserate.
Choose one and run with it, I say! Run as far as you can… which in Rohmer's case is seven sentences. In the first chapter, 'What is a Best Seller?', we get 'best seller' (1st sentence), 'best sellers' (3rd sentence)', 'best seller' (5th sentence), 'best seller' (6th sentence) - then 'best-sellers' (7th sentence) and 'best-sellers' (7th sentence - again). It's a mess from that point on. Just look at all that talk about "Ross MacDonald".
And I do mean, "talk" - after all the man's dictating, not writing.
Really, the title should've been How to Dictate a Best Seller.
Dictated in the car! Remember Mannix had a phone in his car? A phone! Did we realize, as kids, that that was his superpower? Like being bionic, or in a wheelchair or something? Did you know people thought Mannix was really violent?
Didn't you ever wonder how that computer typeface became the Mannix typeface? Turns out the original premise of the show was that Mannix was the only regular, goes-with-his-gut, tough guy at a detective agency with lots of computers and numbers-crunching, pencil-necked desk jockeys. They threw it out for "Mannix's secretary is black. He calls her on the phone from his car."
I was surprised that there was such a rabid Mannix following back when they weren't releasing the DVDs fast enough for them.
Say - why does the URL for this comments thread read "http://readingrichardrohmer.blogspot.ca/2014/10/yesterday-anna-maria-tremonti.html#comment-form"?
Stan, it all has to do with my love of Anna Maria Tremonti - that and the fact that an early version of the post was about the recent Current piece on Rohmer's mid-Canada. Thought I'd save my comments for another day.
But what rating did you assign? Connie was just in Chicago taking a copy editing class, and I asked her about "best seller" "bestseller" and "best-seller" and the way she tried to explain it -- I'm not very bright -- made it sound like a mutant virus. If it gets into the general language, we're all doomed.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have the nerve to ask about "be$t $eller."
I mean, look at it. Amazon.ca has it two different ways, one beside the other.
ReplyDeleteWish I'd been there to hear Connie's explanation, if only so that I'd have some idea which I should be using. Or at least which came first.
ReplyDeleteI'm always at the ready to criticize Amazon, but here I commiserate.
Choose one and run with it, I say! Run as far as you can… which in Rohmer's case is seven sentences. In the first chapter, 'What is a Best Seller?', we get 'best seller' (1st sentence), 'best sellers' (3rd sentence)', 'best seller' (5th sentence), 'best seller' (6th sentence) - then 'best-sellers' (7th sentence) and 'best-sellers' (7th sentence - again). It's a mess from that point on. Just look at all that talk about "Ross MacDonald".
And I do mean, "talk" - after all the man's dictating, not writing.
Really, the title should've been How to Dictate a Best Seller.
Dictated in the car! Remember Mannix had a phone in his car? A phone! Did we realize, as kids, that that was his superpower? Like being bionic, or in a wheelchair or something? Did you know people thought Mannix was really violent?
ReplyDeleteNothing to do with Rohmer:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rWy6NoLgnE
There's nothing I want so much now as a punch card saying Retaliation.
ReplyDeleteDidn't you ever wonder how that computer typeface became the Mannix typeface? Turns out the original premise of the show was that Mannix was the only regular, goes-with-his-gut, tough guy at a detective agency with lots of computers and numbers-crunching, pencil-necked desk jockeys. They threw it out for "Mannix's secretary is black. He calls her on the phone from his car."
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that there was such a rabid Mannix following back when they weren't releasing the DVDs fast enough for them.
ReplyDeleteSay - why does the URL for this comments thread read "http://readingrichardrohmer.blogspot.ca/2014/10/yesterday-anna-maria-tremonti.html#comment-form"?
Stan, it all has to do with my love of Anna Maria Tremonti - that and the fact that an early version of the post was about the recent Current piece on Rohmer's mid-Canada. Thought I'd save my comments for another day.
Delete