Government Chief Whip ('Rt Hon' Andrew Mitchell) resigns.

[MidnightFlyer]

I find it very hard to believe Ed Miliband's claim that if a member of the public said that to a police officer on a night out that they would be arrested, surely most are given a verbal warning and are sent on their way? That's certainly the impression I get from studying Law!

 

[Eagle]

I find it very hard to believe Ed Miliband's claim that if a member of the public said that to a police officer on a night out that they would be arrested, surely most are given a verbal warning and are sent on their way? That's certainly the impression I get from studying Law!

Actually if you read the transcript taken by the officer, the officer did threaten Mitchell with arrest.

...I warned Mr Mitchell that he should not swear, and if he continued to do so I would have no option but to arrest him under the Public Order Act, saying "Please don't swear at me Sir. If you continue to I will have no option but to arrest you under the Public Order Act". Mr Mitchell was then silent and left saying "you haven't heard the last of this" as he cycled off.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

However Mr Ed said that they would be arrested, which clearly isn't the case.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

:roll: :roll:

Mea maxima culpa....I claim it was the shock that affected me when researching American English hock: that clouded my judgment in my most ungrammatical spelling of that particular word.

I have retired to a dark corner of the forum to write out the following punishment wording 100 times, using my Parker Sonnet fountain pen to do so on sheets of deckle-edged handmade paper...
"The correct usage of the English Language is one to which that all shall espouse. Blessed are the lexicologists, for they shall be respected in all tenses in the Kingdom of Heaven."
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A point of general interest.

In 2009, in a poll carried out by the research company OnePoll.com, the most commonly mis-spelt word used in common usage in the English Language was the correct word DEFINITELY being mis-spelt DEFINATELY. This mistake appeared to more commonly made in Britain by visitors from America, than by any other people.

 

[mrscherry]

I read about this in the mail the other day when I came across an article about ed milliband doing a march through london, people had signs saying 'plebs unite' couldn't stop laughing

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

However Mr Ed said that they would be arrested, which clearly isn't the case.

On reading this, being the great age I am and remembering a certain American TV series starring a talking horse which none of the younger forum membership would likely to know, I show below two lines from the programme signature tune...

A horse is a horse, of course, of course
And no-one can talk to a horse, of course
That is, of course, unless the horse
Is the famous Mister Ed

Go right to the source and ask the horse
He'll give you the answer that you'll endorse
He's always on a steady course
Talk to Mister Ed

 

[jon0844]

Where did the whole 'pleb' thing come from anyway? If he never said it, who said he did? Why has everyone now gone mad using a word that I've barely heard for years. Now everyone is saying it and suggesting that anyone with a good education naturally uses the word daily!

 

[Oswyntail]

Where did the whole 'pleb' thing come from anyway? If he never said it, who said he did? Why has everyone now gone mad using a word that I've barely heard for years. Now everyone is saying it and suggesting that anyone with a good education naturally uses the word daily!

Au contraire! Anyone with a good education would know it is an incorrect back-formation from "plebs" (which is a singular noun meaning "the people"). As it fits so neatly with the Opposition "strategy" of damning all tories as "Toffs" I suspect some Labour Special Adviser (without a good education) thought it a witty spin on the story.

 

[table38]

You'll also notice that Labour were happily calling the Tories "elitist" right up until the Olympics, when suddenly it clashed with the public's perception of our "elite" Olympic athletes so the smear got quietly dropped

 

[Geezertronic]

Mr Ed reminds me of the Uncle that no one would trust, his brother reminds me of my strict junior school headmaster. I can't help feeling that Labour chose the wrong brother

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Quite interesting to note how many dictionary suggestions are offered for the word "toff".

 

[Eagle]

Anyone with a good education would know it is an incorrect back-formation (which is a singular noun meaning "the people").

Not true; it's actually a shortening of the English word 'plebeian' (which ultimately does derive from Latin plebs).

 

[jon0844]

Look at all the plebs on here arguing about the word plebs.

 

[Geezertronic]

Look at all the plebs on here arguing about the word plebs.

That's just a plebistic comment and is making me feel like becoming a plebaphobic. I for one am not going to become a plebite

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I feel that a plebiscite of forum members should be called over this matter as the person to whom this thread concerns is from the opposing patrician class.