Mea maxima culpa. I am one of those pedants who restricts usage of 'decimate' to the termination of approximately 10% of the population in question. Scott Catledge I remember the jokes about grammarians beginning three score years ago. One had two grammarians wading across a stream when a huge crocodile half-swallowed one, who yelled "Save yourself: I'm done for." The other replied, "Oh, please do not end your last sentence with a preposition." Churchill would have said, "That is a bit of arrant nonsense up with which I will not put." -----Original Message----- From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of ATEG automatic digest system Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 12:10 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: ATEG Digest - 27 Jan 2008 to 29 Jan 2008 (#2008-20) There is 1 message totalling 34 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Tasmanian Devils To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:35:52 -0600 From: DD Farms <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Tasmanian Devils >DD: As further proof of the lack of the study of English word >meanings consider; >QUOTE >Researchers are working toward an understanding of a unique >transmissible and rapidly spreading cancer that threatens the very >existence of Tasmanian devils. The disease has decimated the devil >population by nearly 90 percent in certain geographical areas of >Tasmania, and officials project that within twenty years the entire >species could become extinct. >END QUOTE I wonder if they mean nine percent. {i.e. Ninety percent of ten percent.} Nota bene; The authors of that also apparently slept through Xeno and probably flunked the Calculus. Are proof readers also a dying breed? For citation and an interesting story of a dying breed, like unto grammarians and Latin Teachers(?) see; >Tasmanian Devils' Existence Threatened By Rapidly Spreading Cancer >http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128173735.htm To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ ------------------------------ End of ATEG Digest - 27 Jan 2008 to 29 Jan 2008 (#2008-20) ********************************************************** To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/