Thursday, November 18, 2010

Royal ropes

Kate Middleton in her official engagement interview said she was afraid she didn't 'know the ropes'. She's known William for nearly ten years and been his official girlfriend for most of that; if she doesn't know the ropes by now you have to wonder what the prognosis is.

In the meantime, Rope #1: learn the language of the country of which you may become Queen.

She admitted joining the Royal Family was a “daunting prospect” but she added: “Hopefully I’ll take it in my stride.”

Of course, she might have simply meant that she will take it in her stride in a hopeful manner. In which case, no wuz.
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13 comments:

  1. tigtogNovember 18, 2010 at 9:55 AM

    Now you know I'm as pedantic as the next grammar snob, but "hopefully" is one of the grammar shifts for which I will not be dying in a ditch.

    However, if she says "less" when she means "fewer"? Let me at her.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kerryn GoldsworthyNovember 18, 2010 at 10:06 AM

    Me for dying in a ditch for both. Actually I wouldn't die in a ditch for either individually, but for a widespread general understanding of the mechanics of grammar and the vastly clearer and more interesting sentences that would flow from that, yes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ZarquonNovember 18, 2010 at 12:34 PM

    Kids these days. I blame the parents.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 18, 2010 at 6:02 PM

    All she need learn is "My husband and I" and the rest will come easily


    cheers
    B Smith

    ReplyDelete
  5. persiflageNovember 18, 2010 at 6:39 PM

    She probably says 'Me and Wills is getting married, and us is so glad.'

    ReplyDelete
  6. KarenNovember 19, 2010 at 1:16 AM

    I've long since abandoned hope about "hopefully", but still hold on tragically to lie/lay and homogenous/homogeneous differentiation. A publishing house I once worked for specified "focussed". Cheeses!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ampersand DuckNovember 19, 2010 at 8:06 AM

    Ooh, no, she'd never say 'me and Wills' -- have you heard her accent? She's been groomed by her middle-class parents to be a toff, and she's got the perfect royal accent. Every nouveau riche businessman's dream, this is, his little princess actually becoming one. All those school fees paid off handsomely, great investment, etc. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. firstkittenNovember 19, 2010 at 12:22 PM

    she does overuse 'like', proper accent and all.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousNovember 19, 2010 at 7:09 PM

    Amusing (and probably spot on) analysis here...

    http://middleclasshandbook.squarespace.com/journal/2010/11/17/how-the-royals-are-making-middle-class-kate-into-an-upper.html


    cheers
    B Smith

    ReplyDelete
  10. Chris GrealyNovember 21, 2010 at 6:27 AM

    She hopes she will take it in her stride. Sounds fine to me. At least she didn't say "decimate" at any point. I'm sure she'll do just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kerryn GoldsworthyNovember 21, 2010 at 8:41 AM

    Chris, it was a joke about 'hopefully', which is a bugbear of grammar nerds and which is constantly misused like this ... which is why it sounds fine to you. 'Hopefully' means 'in a hopeful manner', not 'it is to be hoped that'.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Cat CareNovember 22, 2010 at 10:30 PM

    hi
    as myself my life is incomplete without my pets..

    ReplyDelete
  13. persiflageNovember 23, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    Ampersand Duck, I once heard Princess anne's daughter say 'me and so and so, so having an upper class accent is not guarantee of good grammar.

    ReplyDelete

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