Comments on: To Forbid, Or Not To Forbid, There Is No Question: Never From

by: Anwyn

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:51:59 +0000

The Webster I linked says that both “farther” and “further” can be used for “metaphorical” measures of distance … surely something “spreading” has to travel over distance, like a disease. I.E. “further” would not be incorrect but neither is “farther” … in your example I think not pursuing the matter any farther would also be acceptable. “Farther” is all good in either case, it’s “further” that’s restricted.

by: Zagfan

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:47:31 +0000

from EXPEDIA:
2. to greater extent: to a greater degree or extent
Let’s not pursue the matter any further.
leads me to believe that further is correct. My understanding is that farther is typically used with distance as well. I don’t see the application of distance in your original sentence.

by: Anne

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:59:06 +0000

Either I haven’t heard that misuse — or my ears were too dulled by my own verbing to notice.

Will be more attuned to what is forbidden.

by: Anwyn

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:27:17 +0000

Picky!? Next thing I know, you’ll be saying “A person can go their own way when it comes to grammar” !!! :)

And no, farther is correct … as far as it goes. Further, I have always been taught what Merriam-Webster confirms here, that “further” is more of a modifier and “farther” refers to terms of distance or things spreading over that distance.

SeeDub, you do indeed write good. The Observation Editor just wants her friends to write gooder!

by: Zagfan

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:17:19 +0000

Well since we are being picky:
“But it needs to end before it spreads farther.”
shouldn’t it be “further”?

by: See-Dubya

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:09:02 +0000

At first I read this thinking it was some sort of libertarian political philosophy argument, before I finally realized it was an editing thing.

So I run off to do a text search. Oh, crap:

http://junkyardblog.net/archives/2007/09/deport-the-crim.php

Leave me alone! I write good!

PS Hi Mrs. P!

by: Anwyn

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:44:42 +0000

Haven’t had the pleasure of editing scientists yet but I’m sure it’s in my future. I have edited baseball sabrmetricians, though, which, as a friend said at the time, makes you want to stick a fork in your eye.

Welcome, Mrs. Peel, glad to have you commenting. :)

by: Mrs. Peel

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:11:45 +0000

“Forbidden from”?? *twitch*

Did you ever have to edit scientists’ writing? ARGH. I’m an engineer, but my last project was with a bunch of scientists. I insisted on having final editorial discretion if they submitted our work to any journals, and it’s a good thing I did. The guy putting the paper together spelled our collaborators’ names wrong. (Yes, I know I should have used an adverb.) Then there was one paragraph describing the experiment in which he used the past tense, the present tense, AND the present perfect tense. I’ve blocked most of the rest of it from my memory.

By the way, I lurk here occasionally. We read several of the same bloggers (e.g., Rachel Lucas, See-Dub, and Ace). We also share an interest in Tolkien. I don’t comment on blogs very often because between work and school, I am quite busy. (I’m explaining because sometimes random people show up on my blog and comment, and I always wonder where they found me.) Anyway, I hope you had a good weekend.