At 21:58 -0400 9/2/04, Wirt Atmar wrote:

>Alfredo writes:
>
>> I agree with Wirt.  I would suggest a slight editorial change on Wirt's
>>  sentence.  This minimal change would convey Wirt's message in a
>>  "nice positive" way that (as a bonus) would cost Wirt fewer keystrokes:
>>
> >  "That's actually not an unfair point" => "That's actually a fair point"
>>
>>  Lazy as always,
>
>Alfredo apparently hasn't spent enough time with our English cousins, who
>often speak in understatements. When you ask a proper Brit, "How'd things go?",
>the answer you often get back is the same sort of understated double negative,
>"Not bad."
>
>Saying this allows one to avoid tooting their own horn.

Having grown up as a poor Guatemalan, I readily confess ignorance
of the nuances of the English language ;-)

As an example of my ignorance, I acknowledge that I am confounded
by Wirt's sentence:

   "Saying this allows one to avoid tooting their own horn."


I assume that "one" refers to the (SINGULAR) person doing the
writing.

So far, so good, and I truly believe that "I got it".  My problems
start with "their".

Does "their" refer to "our English cousins" (the only possible PLURAL
backreference)?  Am I missing some other obvious plural entity?  Do I
need to have my eyes checked?  Do I need to take a quickie course in
remedial English?


Befuddled in Sun Valley,

  _______________
 |               |
 |               |
 |            r  |  Alfredo                  http://www.adager.com
 |          e    |
 |        g      |  F. Alfredo Rego
 |      a        |  Manager, R & D Labs
 |    d          |  Adager Corporation
 |  A            |  Sun Valley, Idaho 83353-3000            U.S.A.
 |               |
 |_______________|

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