Adjective Dyslexia

Are SOME people on SDMB adjective dyslexic or what? Every time I post a comment that contains an adjective like “most” or “many” or “sometimes” or “occasionally” or … the damn adjective seems disappear!!! Then I get responses like, “Well I know a case where what you said isn’t true”. Well yeah, that’s why I used the adjective in my original post!!! The whole friggin world isn’t black or white, there ARE exceptions and variations!!! Sheesh :smack:

Worstestest. Thread. Ever.

My adjective’s breath smells like nouns.

Another infliction, not sure what this one is, maybe we should call it assholiness?

Me: Is it true most people brush their teeth before they go to bed?

Reply: How can you say most people brush their teeth before they go to bed? Are you some kind of expert in this area?

Me: ::blink, blink, blank stare::

Cite?

Yup, I’ve noticed that too. Sort of makes me want to go back in and ask “what part of ‘MOST’ or ‘Many’” didn’t you get?

But I just figure, those who are too stupid to read thoroughly enough to have gotten the adjective and its meaning in the first place aren’t going to get having it explained to them either.

Me too.

Never use the phrase …anecdotal evidence suggests… as this phrase is translated “Ask for cite three times in three posts, then ask what anecdotal means”.

HOT DAMN!!! Words actually DO disappear in posts :smiley:

Dyslexics of the world UNTIE!

When I saw the thread title, I thought it was going to refer to the bizarre affliction that some people have when describing items and mangling the adjective order – like saying “pink pretty dress” instead of “pretty pink dress”. God, I hate that.

Is there realy an adjective order, or is it just common usage?

What about
The smelly pretty dress vs’ The pretty smelly dress ?

In many ways pretty pink dress is worse than pink pretty dress, since it is not obvious if pretty refers to the pinkness or the dress in the first case. c.f. (quite pink) dress = (pretty pink) dress.

You know, I have no idea whether there are any actual guidelines for adjective order, but what sounds best to me (and what I have since decreed A Rule) is starting with the most subjective progressing to the most objective. I don’t recall ever being taught a rule like that specifically, though.

In your first example, the smelly, pretty dress (I think this phrase would require a comma) means a dress is pretty, but smelly. The second phrase, “the pretty smelly dress” (without comma) is a dress that is quite smelly.

Regarding the second example, I agree, but that’s just a problem specific to the word “pretty”, since it has two meanings.

In general, I find that rule works well for me, especially with multiple adjectives. I’m sure there are plenty of instances where it doesn’t apply though.

Now the word “pretty” is beginning to look very weird.

I have a bad habit of using “pretty” and “just” too much. So I pretty much just use those two words pretty much just too much :dubious: