From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Oct 20 02:17:26 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 35B9A106566B for ; Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:17:26 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rjhjr0@gmail.com) Received: from mail-fx0-f210.google.com (mail-fx0-f210.google.com [209.85.220.210]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B65278FC13 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:17:25 +0000 (UTC) Received: by fxm6 with SMTP id 6so5581019fxm.43 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:17:24 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:date:from:to:subject :message-id:mail-followup-to:references:mime-version:content-type :content-disposition:in-reply-to:user-agent; bh=wTsuFNwyGSTgGkoHw8AqDYbe3hJLfOlqByo5cFPCeU8=; b=qrzrbSt3aGmCJww1MtUVgnujTLIkhqtajIZ6LLqW5TnVgy+XCEdzwtg54KmV4bChyY i8uXXyJ58Z5MMVJLkBalkKTXLfXsHi/ZHVfLupv2NVvr5wbd0QDt7HC9TY6qo6r1D6H4 5i1q4TVoGKs1m4JXT0Yp9xxMAqCGOY/lGbBsY= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=date:from:to:subject:message-id:mail-followup-to:references :mime-version:content-type:content-disposition:in-reply-to :user-agent; b=MPIAThIszHofZ5WfinWC9KCzzEAIqzEHJrSwl0VZeraFmQC+GND//Ef45ankx6wpso JlLh6Z5YY4419/fQcgdBM0mGiWKWg17qZyFkwWkVkZvJfS+oy2P6GZSI81ZsrviYXRN/ 3EOIeIpDE3V36h7Ug+bgXixLXYwP+xJFexnno= Received: by 10.103.81.35 with SMTP id i35mr2490799mul.43.1256005044647; Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:17:24 -0700 (PDT) Received: from localhost (ip98-163-115-74.dc.dc.cox.net [98.163.115.74]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id d6sm518501fga.25.2009.10.19.19.17.22 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:17:23 -0700 (PDT) Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:17:19 -0400 From: Bob Hall To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20091020021719.GA38354@stainmore> Mail-Followup-To: Bob Hall , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <4AD8EB8F.9010900@videotron.ca> <20091017010758.088b8b8c.freebsd@edvax.de> <4AD9016E.20302@videotron.ca> <4AD90946.4020204@ibctech.ca> <4AD91DE0.3030701@videotron.ca> <200910170234.n9H2YeRI077329@asarian-host.net> <20091017034952.GA26451@stainmore> <4ADA38EB.5050900@videotron.ca> <20091017215135.GA29692@stainmore> <4ADB38E7.7000902@videotron.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <4ADB38E7.7000902@videotron.ca> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i Subject: Re: I hate to bitch but bitch I must X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:17:26 -0000 On Sun, Oct 18, 2009 at 11:48:55AM -0400, PJ wrote: > Bob Hall wrote: > > On Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 05:36:43PM -0400, PJ wrote: > > > >> Bob Hall wrote: > >> > >>> On Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 02:34:40AM +0000, Mark wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>> Actually, this has got very little to do with being a native English > >>>> speaker or not. It's ere a matter of intonation (which, in writing, can > >>>> only be conveyed to a certain degree, of course). 'Should' can certainly > >>>> mean "Don't try that." As in: > >>>> > >>>> Will the ice hold me? > >>>> Well, technically it should. > >>>> > >>>> (Meaning: it probably will, but I'm not overly confident.) > >>>> > >>>> > >>> Actually, what's happening here is dropping part of a sentence. It's > >>> common in English to shorten > >>> Yea, it should work, but it doesn't. > >>> > >>> > >> Absolutely not! There is nothing to suggest either statement above. If > >> one says it should work, it can mean (of course, it changes within > >> different contexts) that all is ok and normal conditions (whatever they > >> may be) will allow things to function correctly. There is certainly no > >> implication about confidence... where do you get that? > >> > > > > >From common English usage. Specifically, where? Australia, England, Russia, France, USA, Canada... Again, that is your personal interpretation and certainly not "common English usage." Or better yet, try common sense. Or, better yet, you *should* go back to school. The third edition of Fowler's Modern English Usage gives British and American usage. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage concentrates more on American usage. I don't have access to any specifically Australian or Canadian reference books. Anyone interested in the topic can look up the use of "should" as a modal verb and see what is common usage. My compliments to the authors of the man page for their clear and concise use of English. My complements to Polytropan for spotting the fact that "should" was being used as a modal verb, even if he didn't call it that. My compliments to Warren Block for submitting the PR. I believe that's my cue to exit the thread.