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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to deliberately split an infinitive in a thread title?

82 replies

MardyBra · 23/11/2011 15:24

Psammead has put me in charge of pedant baiting when she is in charge at the weekend, when everyone is off at the meet-up. Thought I'd get a bit of practice in.

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 15:26

"To boldly go where no man has gone before". Beat you, sexism and split infinitive in one.

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 15:27

The structure of the second sentence was pretty shocking as well. Bwahahaha.

Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:28

Good work.

To really appreciate how hard this is for some people to even read, you need to thoroughly have read the complaints column in the Guardian.

MardyBra · 23/11/2011 15:29

MrsTP - which sentance do you mean?

OP posts:
ConOfScience · 23/11/2011 15:32

who's in charge?

Psammead, we need to have a meeting about this. You can't just go appointing people without my input Grin

Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:35

My idea, Con. My letter to HQ.

Therefore I am in charge.

[stern look]

I think Mardy would make the most excellent pedant baiter.

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 15:36

sentance, MardyBra? That made even my teeth itch.

ConOfScience · 23/11/2011 15:37

There's no I in TEAM

Grin
Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:38

No, but there is ME.

You can be in charge of pilfering from the prize cupboard, if you like. [gracious]

ConOfScience · 23/11/2011 15:39
MardyBra · 23/11/2011 15:45

Bugger off you two with you're thread hijack.

OP posts:
Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:46

Sorry hun.

We should of arsked first.

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 15:47

I think you mean arksed (at least that is how it is said in Croydon, innit).

habbibu · 23/11/2011 15:47

Nothing wrong with a split infinitive. So ner.

Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:48

Oh crap.

Arksed.

Maryz · 23/11/2011 15:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:52

I'm with you hun. Well commen.

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 15:53

LOL

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 15:53
MardyBra · 23/11/2011 15:54

Habbibu. Could you please pacifically give me some good examples of where it would be asseptible.

OP posts:
ConOfScience · 23/11/2011 15:57

I could of been the boss.

But I know the Psammead is more better for the job.

MardyBra · 23/11/2011 15:58

Seriously though, DH and I have been arguing about this for about 20 years. I think it's fine to split an infinitive, but would avoid it in formal writing. He thinks we should stick to an arbitrary rule that some grammarians made up a few centuries ago.

OP posts:
Psammead · 23/11/2011 15:58

Aww hun thats sweet of you hun i know you would of been grate to but i just sort of got their furst you know. Thanks hun your swee.

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 16:01

I think a lot of rules came from annoying Public school boys Latin and it was assumed that English should have the same rules. English doesn't have or need to have the same rules as a Romantic language, which does not share it's derivation.

Hugz

MrsTerryPratchett · 23/11/2011 16:02

*hugz

Sorry, shouldn't have capitalised.