Non-words

[Bdshull@AOL.COM]

To His Honorable "Thingee" Writer:

(and yes, "thingee" did bug me the first few posts I read after I joined the 
list; unfortunately I hardly notice anymore, unlike posts like the one quoted 
below)

After this masterpiece I am reminded of my disappointment that you did not 
make DC.  I had hoped to see what kind of character this Jim Bryant was.  
Jeannie might have found the booth if both Ron AND Jim were there.  You 
better make it to Reno, or we will build a trebechut and fire off a volley of 
old Northern Naugahyde thingees to south Florida.  (Might even help get the 
current rereconstructionist Supreme Court straightened out.)  Or we might set 
up a booth at the Redneck Convention where we will be within firing range.  
Unfortunately I ain't got no trebechut thingee built yet, almost as 
undeveloped as my soundboard press - now THAT is a REAL thingee.

Your Honorable Thingee Writer, quite a piece of apologetics.  I will now 
return the use of the broad and meaningful expression "thingee" to you.

Bill Shull, RPT   

In a message dated 7/22/00 10:51:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time, JIMRPT@AOL.COM 
writes:

<< In a message dated 7/22/2000 12:02:25 PM, Dave wrote:
 
 <<"Vocabulary is very important in this world, not just to me, to 
everyone.">>
 Yep, words mean things and they should not be tossed around as mere 
 doohickeys.
 
   <<"We
 all tend to take more seriously someone who says (for example) "haven't got
 any" than we do someone who says "ain't got no".">>
  Well there is a grammatical faux pas here somewhere in both of the quotes, 
 happens I ain't smart enough to figger out the first un but the second one 
 should be "ain't gots no". 
 
 <<"The use of non-words like "thingee" in an otherwise technical discussion
 totally destroys the credibility of anything else the writer has to say.">>
 
 Well as an offender, in the use of "thingee", I suppose that I shall have to 
 settle for being ofensive until my technical and grammatical syntax and 
grasp 
 of proper structure have risen to the level of lexicographical perfection.
 
  Having said dat I might, in my defense, add that I surely thinks dat de use 
 of "thingee" adds just as much to the technical content and credibility of 
 posts as do the like of "When does Nauga season open this year?", for 
example.
 
  Hmmph! any danged fool knows dat the Nauga was extincted shortly after the 
 Late Great Unpleasantness by dem damn Yankee scallywag Carpetbaggers after 
de 
 last, and theretofore, lost colony of Nauga were discovered twixt the Battle 
 of Lookout Mountain....................(Which by the way the Yankees only 
won 
 cause they got scared and ran away in the wrong direction!!!!!)  Ain't been 
 no danged Naguas since 18 en 78. The last Nagua skins was used up by that 
 Varmint Wurlitzer during the 19 en 50's and 60's.
 
   Well Dave, enjoyed the conversation but I "haven't got any" holes in this 
 new pinblock doohickey for the new pin tuner thingees, or the fat threaded 
 thingamajiggers, so I gots to go......y'all come back ya heah? :-)
 Jim Bryant (FL) >>