Since finishing classes and my recital, I've found myself loving books again. I've been devouring a wide range of non-fiction, and I am presently on the hunt for a good summer novel. My reading list thus far: Fast Food Nation (fyi: just added to my profile as a fave; yes, it's that good); Adoption Nation; Blue Like Jazz (I think this makes three times?) and just today at the library I found a new brand new book called Do You Speak American?. I knew I'd picked a winner when I opened up the first page to a "map of the principal dialect areas of the United States and Canada, as identified in the new Atlas of North American English..." cool! sweet! uber... something...
Speaking of being a nerd, it seems to me that it should be "principle dialect areas", not "principal", according to my elementary school Spelling class - "the principal is my pal", so, generally, a principal is a person. I just looked the homonyms up in the dictionary and I still can't decide which should be used in the case of the "dialect areas". What do you think?
Happy reading!
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3 comments:
Hey Sylvia, I think pricipal as it is written is correct. Here is a definitoin according to Merriam-Webster Online:
1. most important, consequential, or influential
Also, I checked out some of the usage notes, and principle can only be used as a noun, but here pricipal is being used as an adjective, which is how it's used when it's not "the guy you have to go see when they find fireworks in your locker."
I've been getting more into reading for leasure now that school is out too. I read At the Back of the North Wind and The Princess and the Goblin both by George MacDonald, and really liked them. I liked At the Back of the North Wind more, and it's written for a little bit older audiences. It is still young adult fiction, but really good, and there are so many good thoughts wrapped into it.
yeah, i realized after i posted this, and after i had already spent way too much time on the computer, that the book was right. so now i look like a lame word nerd! oh well. now everyone knows...
anyway, thanks for the recommendations. i'll see if i can find them somewhere cheap.
Hey, I had to look it up.
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