# What does this part of the sentence mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2011, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920 "2011-09-20T09:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/21 "2011-09-23T10:45:22Z")
> [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I like that! In English, we’ll usually simply say “style”: > > This is definitely not one of **Reza** ’s books; I’ve read a lot of his work, and this is not his style. > > I’ve also occasionally seen “voice”, but I think it’s still unusual enough that it would probably be in quotes, to make clear that we don’t mean someone’s _actual_ voice: > > I love **Dorkness** ’s posts. She has a very intelligent and witty “voice”. > > And if you’re interested in having several opinions on you FAQ, I’d be happy to look at it. Thanks, I will send you my text. I appreciate your help. Oh, tell you something, I checked “pen” in American Heritage Dictioanry, and the fourth meaning of this word as a noun is: 1. A style of writing: _wrote plays with a witty pen_ Interesting, isn’t it? 🙂 But, finding anything in a dictionary is sometimes tricky to use. I mean maybe it’s archaic or only in poetic context. I can’t say for sure if I use it in this meaning will it sound quite common and normal to most natives’ ears. Once again, I should thank all the members here in _Straight Dope_ Forum for answering my questions and discuss my posts with care and patience. It’s really different from lots of other Forums and websites I’ve ever visited. You receive a quick and comprehensive reply for your questions. Ironically, when I post questions about English language, its grammar or vocabulary, I get more and better answers from those ones posted in other Forums and websites which are specifically for language discussion! This is the most interesting point of this place. A question from what I wrote above: .. from those **ones** posted in other Forums … “ones” is superfluous? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/22 "2011-09-23T10:54:51Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > In Iran? > > So you thought that because I’m from Iran, that piece of news is from a media from my own place? > > As I said earlier, it’s from nytimes ! In which case I’m going to guess that it’s a NYT reporter trying to sound intellectual and clever, and failing badly. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/23 "2011-09-23T11:03:41Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > In which case I’m going to guess that it’s a NYT reporter trying to sound intellectual and clever, and failing badly. Failing in wording ( particularly about the bold one in my question)? And, this is not the only article written in this way. I’ve read, and am reading, lots of stories form this media which they all have their own, pen, flowery and wording. But the point is that this one was the only one I failed to understand the writer’s point. For the rest, although some of them were pretty difficult and challenging (using metaphors and all that jazz), but after reading for several times and referring to difference references and sentences, I could hold my own. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/24 "2011-09-23T11:14:07Z")
BTW, During our discussion about the _plum_, it seems that it’s done and now the plum really exists; The two Hikers are as free as a bird! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/25 "2011-09-23T11:15:05Z")
Failing to sound intellectual and clever and instead sounding pretentious, snobbish and fake. Some people like to use big words and circuitous phrasing to appear cleverer than they are, or to namedrop references to high culture. The British satirical magazine _Private Eye_ has a regular section called “Pseuds Corner” in which they publish any such examples of “pseudo-intellectual” writing spotted in the print media each week. There are some examples [here](http://www.cix.co.uk/~stevemann/pseuds.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/26 "2011-09-23T11:17:08Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > Ironically, when I post questions about English language, its grammar or vocabulary, I get more and better answers from those ones posted in other Forums and websites which are specifically for language discussion! This is the most interesting point of this place. > A question from what I wrote above: > .. from those **ones** posted in other Forums … > > “ones” is superfluous? The way you put it is not wrong, exactly, except I think you meant “I get better answers \*than \* from those ones posted in other forums.” Without the “than”, it could be taken to mean that you get better answers from the other forums. But yes, it would sound more natural if the superfluous “ones” were omitted. Or you could say “…the ones posted on other forums.” So, either “those”, or “the ones”, but not “those ones”. Similarly (and apologies for the nitpick, although it seems like you are open to English corrections), when you said “I didn’t get the drift of the bold one in that piece of news” before, that didn’t sound quite right either. “The bold one” sounds like you are referring to a member of some group that you had just mentioned, but you had not mentioned any group. I think what you meant was “the bold text in the news item that I quoted”, or “the bold part”. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920/27 "2011-09-23T11:45:28Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > The way you put it is not wrong, exactly, except I think you meant “I get better answers \*than \* from those ones posted in other forums.” Without the “than”, it could be taken to mean that you get better answers from the other forums. But yes, it would sound more natural if the superfluous “ones” were omitted. Or you could say “…the ones posted on other forums.” So, either “those”, or “the ones”, but not “those ones”. Yes, I forgot putting “than”. Thanks. > [@](#): > > Similarly (and apologies for the nitpick, although it seems like you are open to English corrections), when you said “I didn’t get the drift of the bold one in that piece of news” before, that didn’t sound quite right either. “The bold one” sounds like you are referring to a member of some group that you had just mentioned, but you had not mentioned any group. I think what you meant was “the bold text in the news item that I quoted”, or “the bold part”. Right, should be bold text. Keep nitpicking 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-part-of-the-sentence-mean/596920.md?page=1)