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No one knows what Kurt did or didn't do, but the question is hard to avoid in Amherst
Manchester Union Leader ^ | November 16, 2006 | Nancy Foster

Posted on 11/16/2006 3:56:42 AM PST by billorites

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1 posted on 11/16/2006 3:56:44 AM PST by billorites
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To: billorites

... just glad my name isn't "Kurt" ...


2 posted on 11/16/2006 3:59:49 AM PST by Ken522
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To: Ken522
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?
3 posted on 11/16/2006 4:02:42 AM PST by ken5050
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To: ken5050

Good one! ;-)


4 posted on 11/16/2006 4:04:18 AM PST by Ken522
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To: billorites

How do they know it's not Kurt asking "Why?" "Why" (signed) Kurt ...

Or, "Why Kurt?" as opposed to Jim, Pete, or Tom.

If the question were addressed to Kurt, it should be "Why, Kurt?"


5 posted on 11/16/2006 4:28:10 AM PST by Tax-chick (Your friends are very small. They do not speak Greek.)
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To: Tax-chick
Perhaps it represents an exclamation of shock or surprise, as in...

Why Kurt!

6 posted on 11/16/2006 4:32:44 AM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: billorites

Possible. People who misuse a dash probably are confused about other punctuation as well.

I think I'll give this a ping for the Verbal Mayhem list. It has potential :-).


7 posted on 11/16/2006 4:35:44 AM PST by Tax-chick (Your friends are very small. They do not speak Greek.)
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To: Ryan Spock; TheMom; TChris; Xenalyte; Semper Vigilantis; georgiadevildog; Chad Fairbanks; ...
"Why - Kurt?"

No interesting typso lately, but here's a rather odd punctuation situation for your reflection on this rainy morning.

Cheers!

8 posted on 11/16/2006 4:37:34 AM PST by Tax-chick (Your friends are very small. They do not speak Greek.)
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To: Tax-chick

I think it is signed by Kurt.


9 posted on 11/16/2006 5:00:26 AM PST by neb52
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To: Tax-chick

The punctuation raises a distinct possibility that Kurt is why.


10 posted on 11/16/2006 5:10:05 AM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: Tax-chick

The dash is widely misused online and in the print media. It seems to be a lazy puntiation mechanism for people who don't understand commas.

Or maybe the question mark signifies that Kurt isn't sure it was really him who signed the question.

On another front, I saw a professionally printed sign in Greensboro the other day that said, "Forclosed? I By Houses." Tsk, tsk, tsk.


11 posted on 11/16/2006 5:17:49 AM PST by NCSteve
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To: RegulatorCountry

Good point. I hadn't considered "Why?" "Kurt!"


12 posted on 11/16/2006 5:21:12 AM PST by Tax-chick (Your friends are very small. They do not speak Greek.)
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To: NCSteve
"Forclosed? I By Houses."

Maybe it was typsoed by rrrod. (I'm sure he'd make a killing on the houses, too!)

13 posted on 11/16/2006 5:22:33 AM PST by Tax-chick (Your friends are very small. They do not speak Greek.)
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To: NCSteve
The dash is widely misused online and in the print media. It seems to be a lazy puntiation mechanism for people who don't understand commas.

Well, I was taught that a dash signified a longer pause than a comma and that is grammatically correct, in a certain context, to use it instead of a comma. I think that this person wanted a more dramatic pause than just a mere comma would convey, hence they used the dash.

14 posted on 11/16/2006 5:23:44 AM PST by Elyse (I refuse to feed the crocodile.)
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To: billorites
Kurt knows. He's probably slumped down a little lower in his seat on his commute in to work this morning.

Mebbe they should figure out the pattern and follow the signs. Shirley they've been placed along a route that Kurt takes every day.

15 posted on 11/16/2006 5:24:30 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: Elyse; NCSteve

I think it's interesting that the article assumes that the sign is an accusation against Kurt, when there are so many other possibilities.


16 posted on 11/16/2006 5:25:24 AM PST by Tax-chick (Your friends are very small. They do not speak Greek.)
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To: Elyse
Well, I was taught that a dash signified a longer pause than a comma and that is grammatically correct, in a certain context, to use it instead of a comma.

Exactly. It's actually a stylistic mechanism. Unfortunately, it seems to show up these days in all sorts of places where it isn't appropriate.

I think that this person wanted a more dramatic pause than just a mere comma would convey, hence they used the dash.

Maybe, but it looks to me like the laziness expalanation is more likely. We may never know!

17 posted on 11/16/2006 5:35:22 AM PST by NCSteve
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To: billorites

Maybe Kurt just wants the attention.


18 posted on 11/16/2006 5:41:01 AM PST by clyde asbury (If I had a choice of weapons with you, sir, I'd choose grammar.)
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To: Tax-chick

I love em dashes. They can be used effectively and correctly, too.


19 posted on 11/16/2006 5:45:50 AM PST by clyde asbury (If I had a choice of weapons with you, sir, I'd choose grammar.)
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To: billorites
They will be replaced by signs reading,
"WHY NOT-
KURT."
20 posted on 11/16/2006 5:46:04 AM PST by rock58seg (There are not enough horses for all the Horsemen. Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, McCain, Spectre, Graham.)
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