Trivial Tales

Tiassa

Tiassa

Let us not launch the boat ...
Valued Senior Member
A very casual sentence: Yeah, that's going to be hazardous if it isn't already.

And while I am quite certain there is a rule against using the word "already" as I have, neither is it a rule Americans generally care about. I wouldn't have any idea what that rule actually is.

Nonetheless, I am utterly amused that my iPhone knows the rule, and was so determined to prevent this use of the word "already" that the autocorrect preferred, and assigned, "Yeah, that's going to be hazardous if it isn't awl ready."

This trivial moment is brought to you by my desire to think about something other than the honeybees nesting in the siding.

Oh, right. Damn.
 
I don't think there is any such rule.

You seem to have used it correctly, albeit somewhat unusually - it's not as common to use it in a negative ("not") construction, it's more easily possible to use it ungrammatically in the negative ("It isn't already hazardous", standing alone, would be misusage), and carelessly "descriptive" pedantry might claim that such usage is always ungrammatical.

The subjunctive may be vanishing from English, but it isn't already gone.
 
An ''awl'' by definition, is a small tool used for piercing holes, especially leather. (just looked it up) Your phone has a mind of its own. :D
 
Tiassa said:
A very casual sentence: Yeah, that's going to be hazardous if it isn't already. And while I am quite certain there is a rule against using the word "already" as I have . . . .
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It is perfectly good English to use the adverb "already" as you have.

About the only way I could change that sentence and have it still be (barely) correct would be: "That is going to be hazardous, if it already isn't." While it passes the grammar test, and surely every native Anglophone would understand it clearly, I'd call it "awkward." If it were to be published, as the editor I'd switch it back to the original word order.
This trivial moment is brought to you by my desire to think about something other than the honeybees nesting in the siding.
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How nice! Have you been cultivating them to increase production?

Apparently, beekeeping is not rocket science. I've met several people who simply ordered a colony from a catalog, followed all the directions, only worked with the bees when they (the humans) were alert and sober, and made a little money by selling honey.
 
as/re honey:
I had read(a long time ago) That eating honey from local bees helps to diminish reactions to allergens.
Bias: (honey is my main sweetener--I only use sugar when cooking with flour.)
 
Fraggle Rocker said:
About the only way I could change that sentence and have it still be (barely) correct would be: "That is going to be hazardous, if it already isn't." While it passes the grammar test, and surely every native Anglophone would understand it clearly, I'd call it "awkward." If it were to be published, as the editor I'd switch it back to the original word order.
Click to expand...

In truth, I noticed mostly because the iPhone was so damn insistent about it. First time through it simply refused the word "already".

How nice! Have you been cultivating them to increase production?

Apparently, beekeeping is not rocket science. I've met several people who simply ordered a colony from a catalog, followed all the directions, only worked with the bees when they (the humans) were alert and sober, and made a little money by selling honey.
Click to expand...

Oh, I only wish.

It is, technically, a row house; I can't leave them in the structure like that. As long as nothing goes wrong, the HOA is perfectly competent, but there's already a remarkable number of bees living in the wall. Quite frankly, cans of killspray just aren't going to cut it. It's the one corner of the garden that is actually hard to pay attention to, a small recess in the building that, I'm sure, makes perfect sense to someone, but, yeah, it turns out we didn't notice them moving in.

Regardless of how we settle this, it's going to be expensive.

Anywhere but the structure. I'm pretty sure that under the CCRs I'm just not allowed to leave them be. And, you know, if they can colonize one whole common wall of four units over time, that could eventually present some manner of hazard.

Otherwise, it would be awesome, and my daughter would finally have to reconcile with the bees.
 
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