tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post2816261973932850848..comments2024-03-28T07:47:45.855+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: Book review: The Language Lover's Puzzle Booklynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-54218153051105768922020-10-22T19:47:18.728+01:002020-10-22T19:47:18.728+01:00Yes, I am. He just happened to be the first John w...Yes, I am. He just happened to be the first John who came to mind.Debby Sternnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1222194949519588612020-10-20T22:09:38.973+01:002020-10-20T22:09:38.973+01:00No, quite grammatical!No, quite grammatical!Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-23134395354761750302020-10-20T22:07:56.876+01:002020-10-20T22:07:56.876+01:00Then how about: "His full name was Matthew Jo...Then how about: "His full name was Matthew John Brown - the John was after his maternal grandfather".<br />Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-43364730425188966872020-10-20T21:00:27.512+01:002020-10-20T21:00:27.512+01:00My answer to "could to" was basically th...My answer to "could to" was basically the same as Jonathan's, but now I wonder whether it's grammatical in BrE. Is there a "do" required there?Michael Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18068630733762770700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-35040783404166571912020-10-20T09:51:36.624+01:002020-10-20T09:51:36.624+01:00The casualty was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospi...The casualty was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital OR The book is in the John Rylands Library.Kate Buntinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17223976536411967222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-75092786133681109532020-10-20T05:16:24.764+01:002020-10-20T05:16:24.764+01:00Aarrgh! How can I edit my comments? I got 4 - the ...Aarrgh! How can I edit my comments? I got 4 - the John - as soon as I looked at it again! Frustrating! Or am I being too competitive?GingGangGoolieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214643499214406496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-8955325573181295582020-10-20T05:08:19.054+01:002020-10-20T05:08:19.054+01:00Yes, I made it Argentina and Columbia, though I co...Yes, I made it Argentina and Columbia, though I couldn't replace three of the letters (I didn't write out the English alphabet and try to eliminate). 2 - he have - two seconds; 3 - that that - ten seconds. Still contemplating the rest. I presume the American slang meanings of John don't capitalise. GingGangGoolieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214643499214406496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-84706711343011405512020-10-20T03:26:10.877+01:002020-10-20T03:26:10.877+01:00Is it Argentina and Bolivia?Is it Argentina and Bolivia?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-59819784228944250902020-10-19T15:39:44.703+01:002020-10-19T15:39:44.703+01:00Excellent! May I assume, because you inserted Joh...Excellent! May I assume, because you inserted John Hancock into your solution, that you're American? (Fingers crossed.)Dick Hartzellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07065924271517452841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-37136949148608644022020-10-19T09:47:10.726+01:002020-10-19T09:47:10.726+01:00If you're using it to mean 'toilet', i...If you're using it to mean 'toilet', it does not have a capital J.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-22202545273533264852020-10-19T08:46:51.545+01:002020-10-19T08:46:51.545+01:00Oh, very good!Oh, very good!Paul Dormerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00611343972547300193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-18409792719304228592020-10-19T07:46:38.807+01:002020-10-19T07:46:38.807+01:00I know the first country is Argentina. Is the seco...I know the first country is Argentina. Is the second Columbia? I can't think of any other country with --lu-bi-.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07436953811845027838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-65006942427091661082020-10-19T07:45:28.639+01:002020-10-19T07:45:28.639+01:00The John Hancock who signed the Declaration of Ind...The John Hancock who signed the Declaration of Independence is not the same person as the John Hancock who wrote the book. Would he have written the book had he known that that subject was unpopular? In any case, it is better to write that than to write pornography, and he had to do what he could to make a living. Debby Sternnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-67966030515969241752020-10-18T23:38:19.527+01:002020-10-18T23:38:19.527+01:00I'm sure I've used "that that" o...I'm sure I've used "that that" often in my own writing in e-mails and the like. "It was that that solved the problem" works.<br /><br />And as to "the John", "He worked at the John Smith's brewery."Paul Dormerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00611343972547300193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-24942833901980694162020-10-18T23:19:15.653+01:002020-10-18T23:19:15.653+01:00Or "He could have gone to the supermarket.&qu...Or "He could have gone to the supermarket." As for no 4, it depends on whether you are using "John" in the American sense or as a given name!Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-81097525538281655522020-10-18T21:52:52.856+01:002020-10-18T21:52:52.856+01:00The first one of Puzzle 1 seemed easy to me: "...The first one of Puzzle 1 seemed easy to me: "He did what he could to help."Jonathan Lennoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11815647039522251569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-37790473407590496282020-10-18T21:29:20.156+01:002020-10-18T21:29:20.156+01:00In that Georgian question, I think ურუგჳაი urugwai...In that Georgian question, I think ურუგჳაი <i>urugwai</i> is an error for ურუგვაი <i>urugvai</i>. As far as I know the letter ჳ "w" isn't used in modern Georgian, and "ურუგჳაი" only returns a single result on Google. Still, it doesn't have any bearing on the puzzle.<br /><br />Grhm: You're right about one but not the other. Note that კ is not the same letter as პ.Tim Maynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-41934593565117827802020-10-18T21:07:42.228+01:002020-10-18T21:07:42.228+01:00My money's on Argentina and Portugal, though I...My money's on Argentina and Portugal, though I'd have a hard time justifying my opinion.Grhmnoreply@blogger.com