Moreover. see
http://www.torrentdownloads.net/torrent/401146/lynne+truss+-+eats,+shoots+&+leaves+-+the+zero+tolerance+approach+to+punctuation
On 11 March 2010 19:17, Carrol Cox <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Consider Pope's line that cannot exist orally:
>
> To give up Cicero to C or K.
>
> However you read it, the nature of the scholarly dispute is hidden.
>
> Carrol
>
> Terry Traynor wrote:
> >
> > >At school one afternoon, little Johnny put his hand up and
> > asked,
> >
> > >"Miss, Miss, what does the expression "Tore his leather"
> > mean?"
> >
> > >The teacher replied, "I'm sorry, Johnny, what's the
> > context?"
> >
> > >"Well, Miss, it says here 'Robin Hood tore his leather
> > jerkin off.'"
> >
> > Rick, thanks for the laugh.
> >
> > It's pretty evident that the humor relies partially on the confusion
> > about whether "off" belongs to "tore" (tore off) or to "jerkin"
> > (jerkin off), and partially on the use of a homonym ("jerkin" the noun
> > in the phrase "leather jerkin" and "jerkin" the verb in the phrase
> > "jerkin off"). But would the humor work orally? I'm thinking of the
> > difference between saying "Ice cream" and "I scream." You can't say it
> > both ways simultaneously. Similarly, the vocal intonation in the
> > wordplay above would either be as little Johnny would do it -
> >
> > Robin Hood tore his leather jerkin off.
> >
> > or the other way -
> >
> > Robin Hood tore his leather jerkin off.
> >
> > I wonder about the different ways one could orally deliver the last
> > four lines of "The Hollow Men."
> >
> > Terry
>
