"English" vs. "english" poll

When referring to side spin, which spelling do you prefer?

  • "English" (capitalized)

    Votes: 9 13.2%

  • "english" (not capitalized)

    Votes: 59 86.8%
  • Total voters
    68
don't use too much "American"

JoeW said:
I vote for english as a way of acknowledging the contribution by these people to the art of pocket billiards.

The French call it "pan bread" not French Toast. We call it French Toast to acknowledge their contribution.

Many indian tribes name themselves "the people." we use different names.

We are called "cowboys" by many people in Europe and it too is a compliment thought not intended in that way by some.

Personally I also like "irish" for the body lean that follows a shot.

In Scotland you order whiskey, not scotch.

And so it goes.

I will check with my daughter and my son-in-law. One is an English professor the other a Ph.D. grammarian of sorts.
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When a pool player hits the ball too hard, one of my British friends likes to say: "He put too much 'American' on that one."
 
3andstop said:
Its ok ... I'm no English major :) it just seemed like the word "put" IS a verb and you are describing what you are putting ... the noun is ball, but I dunno :)
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English, as used in this sentence is 100% a noun and cannot possibly be anything else, most certainly not an adverb. Of course 'put' is a verb but that doesn't make english an adverb.

You seem a little mixed up as to what an adverb is :) An adverb modifies a verb. If for example he "skilfully put english on the ball" or "accidentallly put english on the ball" the words skilfully and accidentally would in each case be adverbs. If as someone else hinted he for example "put butter on the ball" butter would be a noun, just like 'english' is a noun in the equivalent.

There are in fact no circumstances at all in any coherent sentence in which the word english meaning side-spin could ever be a adverb.
 
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memikey said:
There are in fact no circumstances at all in any coherent sentence in which the word english meaning side-spin could ever be a adverb.
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... an adverb. :)

I'm just kidding with ya Mike. Thanks much for the clarification! I was just guessing.

I thought I might have been wrong once before, but I was mistaken then. :)
 
I had an ascendent born on the Mayflower, so I speak authoritatively and with entitlement. I don't care how you Spin it, this is the most discriminatory thread ever. The travesties We bear (Jeez, enough with all the jokes about tea and crumpets ok?)... I move that all English blokes get 5 years of the 7 and out, and the breaks, for retribution.

:grin-square:

<voted for the little e>
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
I had an ascendent born on the Mayflower, so I speak authoritatively and with entitlement. I don't care how you Spin it, this is the most discriminatory thread ever. The travesties We bear (Jeez, enough with all the jokes about tea and crumpets ok?)... I move that all English blokes get 5 years of the 7 and out, and the breaks, for retribution.

:grin-square:

<voted for the little e>
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Nothing personal ye Sassenach :wink:
 
People who read and write stuff care

Scott Lee said:
dave...You forgot to add a "who cares?" option! :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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Based on the response to the poll, it looks like some people care.:p

I certainly care because I write books and articles and would like to use phrasing that is clear and considered appropriate by most people. I now think it is best to not use "English" or "english" at all. "Spin" is a more versatile term with no ambiguities or grammar challenges (e.g., "side spin," "top-right spin," "bottom spin," etc).

Regards,
Dave
 
Well dave, some people may care, and that's their opinion. IMO, you should include a choice of "it doesn't matter" in a poll like this.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

dr_dave said:
Based on the response to the poll, it looks like some people care.:p

I certainly care because I write books and articles and would like to use phrasing that is clear and considered appropriate by most people. I now think it is best to not use "English" or "english" at all. "Spin" is a more versatile term with no ambiguities or grammar challenges (e.g., "side spin," "top-right spin," "bottom spin," etc).

Regards,
Dave
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Scott Lee said:
Well dave, some people may care, and that's their opinion. IMO, you should include a choice of "it doesn't matter" in a poll like this.
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Scott,

I'm sorry if I misunderstood the intent of your original comment. Maybe instead of "who cares," maybe "both terms are equally acceptable" would have been a good third option.

Regards,
Dave
 
I asked a fellow with a Ph.D. in English usage and here is is answer

"I would say you can't go wrong with "English". Adjectives of nationality tend to retain their capitalization in phrases, even when the phrase loses its ties to the nation in question -- "Russian dressing", "German sausage", "Italian ice", etc. "French fries" is still capitalized most times, although you see it "french fries" sometimes. That said, some of those phrases will probably lose their capitalization, because language users are lazy!"
 
I vote for capitalized, please. American fries, French fries, German chocolate cake, Scotch doubles. I believe in continuing on in the proper usage of capitalizing all proper names (unless I'm bloggin, im-ing and txting). LOL. For articles and such, I feel it should be capitalized. I don't go stark raving mad if it's not, though.
 
note a difference

JoeW said:
I asked a fellow with a Ph.D. in English usage and here is is answer

"I would say you can't go wrong with "English". Adjectives of nationality tend to retain their capitalization in phrases, even when the phrase loses its ties to the nation in question -- "Russian dressing", "German sausage", "Italian ice", etc. "French fries" is still capitalized most times, although you see it "french fries" sometimes. That said, some of those phrases will probably lose their capitalization, because language users are lazy!"
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Joe,

I'm certainly not going to argue too seriously with someone with a PhD in English but note a difference. In all examples cited, the country is the modifier. When we use "english" it is the primary word, usually the subject or direct object from my school days when a 75" tall penguin hammered English into my head, literally! She had a hand like a boat paddle and used it generously on the back of heads. Rapping knuckles with a ruler was still in vogue then too.

As an example of what I am saying, when typing Irish linen Irish is capitalized. Putting irish on a shot it isn't because here irish is slang and the primary word.

Hu
 
I tend to agree with Hu. But then too I am not going to argue with a genuine authority.

I knew some of those penguins. Ours carried brass curtin rods -- nuff said.
 
Scott Lee said:
jrt30004...What's a joke, imo, is a poll to see if the word 'english' (in this context) should be capitalized or not! :rolleyes:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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o.k. i feel it's a joke because, is a poll really the way to go? wouldn't it be more prudent to simply ask a question? secondly i feel it's a joke because you're asking it on a pool forum. on a writing forum perhaps. now don't get me wrong i know there are more than a few individuals on any forum that have a passion for learning - i myself am one. i was sent to private schools my whole life and still love to read and learn, however i still feel that nine out of ten "responses" given to that question on this forum are going to be jokes. and while my nine out of ten isn't bearing out yet, give it time. there are already more that a few smart assed remarks being entered. besides, had it been posted as a question - it has already been answered - no caps. it doesn't refer to the country or the language, therefore no caps. it has to refer to a proper place or thing. and lastly, dr. dave if write that much you should have editors and proof readers to check your copy before it goes out. if you don't, i have one in florida and one in the boston area i can put you in contact with.;)
 
Back when I published my editors used two copy editors. Seems they often disagreed and I had to choose between two opinions! :rolleyes: I'll bet this would be one of those things.

Good copy editors can often be found working on their MA in the English Dept on the campus. The language changes and hopefully we change with it. I would bet that people from the English departments would be interested in the answers posted here.
 
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jrt30004 said:
dr. dave if write that much you should have editors and proof readers to check your copy before it goes out.
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I suspect most editors and proof readers would pick "English," because it is the most "proper." I posted the poll because I wanted to see what pool players and people who read and write billiard stuff think.

Regards,
Dave
 
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