And yet another Yes thread...

[JKL2000]

Why wouldn't this fit in one of the six or seven erstwhile Yes threads?

Perhaps you should look up big fancy words like "erstwhile" before using them.

From https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/thesaurus/erstwhile :

Synonyms of erstwhile in English:

ADJECTIVE

SYNONYMS
former, old, past, one-time, sometime, as was, ex-, late, then,

previous, prior, foregoing


I don't really see anything wrong with that.

[aith01]

From https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/thesaurus/erstwhile :

Synonyms of erstwhile in English:

ADJECTIVE

SYNONYMS
former, old, past, one-time, sometime, as was, ex-, late, then,

previous, prior, foregoing


I don't really see anything wrong with that.

Same here. I didn't have a problem with this usage, so I'm not sure why anyone felt compelled to critique SScissor for it.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Because this:

Why wouldn't this fit in one of the six or seven erstwhile Yes threads?

is blatantly referring to *current* threads, not former threads.

Besides, the dictionary infamously provides denotation but does a poor job of connotation. "Erstwhile" connotes something which a thing used to be but is no longer, such as "the erstwhile President, Mr. Obama".

[aith01]

Because this:



is blatantly referring to *current* threads, not former threads.

Besides, the dictionary infamously provides denotation but does a poor job of connotation. "Erstwhile" connotes something which a thing used to be but is no longer, such as "the erstwhile President, Mr. Obama".

I think it works in the context of "previous" Yes threads.

It's a minor thing really.

[JKL2000]

Because “Why wouldn't this fit in one of the six or seven erstwhile Yes threads?” is blatantly referring to *current* threads, not former threads.

I don’t think so. When this latest thread was created it became one of the “current” Yes threads. I think “Why wouldn't this fit in one of the six or seven erstwhile Yes threads?” blatantly (or more correctly, “clearly”) refers to previous threads.

However, as someone aith01 said, it’s a minor thing.

[Buddhabreath]

IMO you have to look at the history and derivation of erstwhile, a term first used in 1569 and derived from the Old English words ær, meaning "early," and hwīl meaning "while". It may be the case the here the use of erstwhile was perhaps based on the erstwhile erstwhile whereas the current connotation of erstwhile might render the orginal derivation of erstwhile erstwhile. My erstwhile option on erstwhile was itself rendered erstwhile when I looked carefully at the history and context of the use of erstwhile both present and erstwhile. You opinion may of course differ, however I consider the whole erstwhile debate quite erstwhile depending of course on you interpretation of the use of the word erstwhile.


P.S. This is one of the greatest Yes threads ever!

[Mister Triscuits]

P.S. This is one of the greatest Yes threads ever!

Well, it used to be.

[Buddhabreath]

Well, it used to be.

Perhaps your clever contributions will revive it.

[Mikhael]

Because this:



is blatantly referring to *current* threads, not former threads.

Besides, the dictionary infamously provides denotation but does a poor job of connotation. "Erstwhile" connotes something which a thing used to be but is no longer, such as "the erstwhile President, Mr. Obama".

Floccinaucinihilipilificator...

[Mister Triscuits]

Floccinaucinihilipilificator...

See ya later, floccinaucinihilipilificator!

[Scrotum Scissor]

I take this to mean you're embarrassed by your misuse of the word, and going on the attack.

No, that's not the correct way of taking this, as your main premise was/is an assumption that the term 'erstwhile' in the context was somehow "misused". Which it wasn't. It was utterly intentional, as was my earlier apparent mixup of the words palate and palette in a different thread (page 3 here: http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...late+palette); palate as a notion of taste, palette as corresponding with an attemptive appeal to such.

You see, here's the deal; discrepancies between former and current Yes threads tend to be few and far between, which I suppose is the most obvious reason why old and purportedly bygone threads appear to pop up anew once the occasion offers itself. And let's face it; reasons could be plentyful - Alan White is observed wearing argyle socks in a slow-moving elevator, Jon is reported as having caught a cold while out picking his fave herbs, Steve Howe's nephew Randolph has finally scored a job collecting wornout laptop batteries by bike to bring for the local scrap depot. Every which wonderful way. Whether there are four or five or six "current" Yes threads going, who's to say they can't be reactivated after initially evaporating? There's always some justification to it, and there's always that same bunch of folks awaiting and anticipating participation, many of whom would much rather "discuss" argyle socks in relation to the name of their preference than read about something altogether different/other (as in for instance progressive rock as music, not as "name").

So, essentially, there's really not that much practical need for new Yes threads to begin with; they're already here, you see - 'cause they kinda always were. Excuses abound; a "fresh" live album in September is announced now, precisely for the reason that another thread on that same album will appear "new" once the record hits the street with a bullet come September. That way we'll not only have eight+ simultaneous Yes threads running, we'll potentially see two separate ones on the exact same topic as concerns the band; one on the June announcement, one on the release itself.

'Erstwhile' was picked deliberately instead of past/former/previous. Not for being fanciful or big, but for the term's diffuse sense of temporal tense and for readers to react as to what may. My second wife once told me that "Even when you have your teeth knocked out, there's some fucking plan to it!" And she was partly right, speaking not in general and not rhetorically - but about me as a person. My dry-as-death tongue of satire wrecks expectations and humours extremely few other than myself, I'm afraid.

But there was no "attack". There was merely your assumption and judgement and my prudent response.

[chalkpie]

English is Scrotum's second language 'fer christsake - he speaks better English than some Americans. Or most.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

ScrotumScissors,

If (as Chalkpie says, and your location in Oslo suggests) English is your second language, you write it very well. Nonetheless, take it from me as a professional writer, your use of "erstwhile", while denotatively correct is connotatively odd.

[Scrotum Scissor]

take it from me as a professional writer, your use of "erstwhile", while denotatively correct is connotatively odd.

Lawyer man. Dear Lord. I know it's odd. It's supposed to be. That's why I keep writing nonsense such as 'inkredipel' and 'amuzingh'.

Not to brag, but I -did- use to have an interpreter's license from the Foreign Office right here in Oslo. My lingual oddness is precisely due to the fact that I approach the English word as an external medium of expression, and because it was academically trained - as opposed to learned in "natural" surroundings.

I get money from writing too, being both an historian and an author (of extremely minor renown). Yet I wouldn't exactly call myself a 'professional'. Is one a 'professional' human being if paid for living life? I dunno.

I only know that one of these days we'll all be erstwhile. As in positively extinct.

[Buddhabreath]

English is Scrotum's second language 'fer christsake - he speaks better English than some Americans. Or most.

I'd say 90% of Amercians and probably better than 70% of Scandanavians in general.

[Zappathustra]

I only know that one of these days we'll all be erstwhile. As in positively extinct.

That's the good scenario. The bad one being that the soul is immortal and one has to take this non-sense pile of shite for all eternity.

[chalkpie]

My Norwegian sucks erstwhile ass.

In all seriousness, I am always amazed at how well Europeans speak English. We toured Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland last summer and virtually everybody spoke beautiful English. I had a more difficult time in Merseyside a few years back

[Mister Triscuits]

My Norwegian sucks erstwhile ass.

Jeg er ikke en frosk. That's all I know how to say. It comes in handy in case there's any confusion.

[moecurlythanu]

I had a more difficult time in Merseyside a few years back

As long as they don't misconstrue the ferry 'cross the Mersey, you're OK Frankie.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Jeg er ikke en frosk. That's all I know how to say.

In places like Lyngdal, Varanger and Eidfjord you can get anywhere with that.

[JKL2000]

ScrotumScissors,

If (as Chalkpie says, and your location in Oslo suggests) English is your second language, you write it very well. Nonetheless, take it from me as a professional writer, your use of "erstwhile", while denotatively correct is connotatively odd.

I'm a professional writer too. I know we have some others here. PE doesn't require professional writing, so in my opinion it's not very polite to take people to task for grammatical errors, misspellings, etc.

[Scrotum Scissor]

it's not very polite to take people to task for grammatical errors, misspellings, etc.

But Jed, he wasn't being impolite - and probably didn't even intend to be. He was simply unacquainted with the rather obtuse 'fake errors' of my lingual eccentricities, meant to trigger spoofs that most likely aren't very funny to anyone except those for whom English indeed is second language.

Btw, the application of 'erstwhile' still stands. Suck donkey-kong dong-schlong or not for long, it wasn't wrong.

[yamishogun]

English is Scrotum's second language 'fer christsake - he speaks better English than some Americans. Or most.

yeah, right

definition of 'most': the majority of

[Rarebird]

The writing I do is mostly bookreviews, which don't earn me money, so I'm not a professional writer, I get the books though. And that writing is in Dutch.

[TheLoony]

So a thread supposedly about Yes turns into a debate about the use of the word erstwhile.

Sounds about right.