Hatrack River Forum: OSC, Foreign Language Speaker?

This is topic OSC, Foreign Language Speaker? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

Now this is pretty funny for a given value of funny [Razz]

I'll first detail events as they happened and leave the commentary till later ...

I was reading a scanned copy of OSC's "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy" and came across the following sentence (or rather sentenct fragment) in the introduction:
"and if by forewarning you I can forewarn you, I think it's worth the effort."

So I look over at my wife and say, "What the heck does that mean?" and read out the sentence fragment to her and she says "It means that he doesn't know English!" I then treat her to one of my patented evil-cackles and said "It's Orson Scott Card!" - the expression on her face was priceless [Razz]

She's a great OSC fan and that explains the look on her face. I was reading a scanned copy of the book and so I'm not so sure that the sentence was reproduced correctly and so the original might read the way that OSC actually intended it to be. That's it for the commentary.

Of course, I guess it probably falls under the had-to-be-there-to-find-it-funny category but I still thought I'd share [Smile]

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Um, can I disclaim ownership of this guy now?

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

It means if you *know* the rules, you can break them if you like. That discussion was my favorite part of "Finding Forrester" the movie.

AJ

Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

I could understand the intent behind the phrase (if it was meant to be phrased that way in the first place [Razz]

) but sorry to say that it just didn't work for me there :-(

But then again, I can't really say much since I have never read OSC (I can hear the gasps of horror and outrage all the way here in Sri Lanka [Razz]

) - except for Ultimate Iron man. And I have questions about that for OSC too but since I don't know for a fact that he'll read this, I guess I will not get into the whole Ultimate Iron man thing [Razz]

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

quote:
Originally posted by BannaOj:
It means if you *know* the rules, you can break them if you like. That discussion was my favorite part of "Finding Forrester" the movie.

AJ

Ugh. As a writer, editor, and student of linguistics, I really hate that aphorism. Of course, I hated Finding Forrester, too.

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

You know, I understand that whole bit about knowing rules to break rules, too, but that phrase of his - the one Fahim is talking about - just doesn't work for me either. At all.

Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :

Do you know the context?

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

Eh, everybody makes mistakes.

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

I doubt it was a mistake.

Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :

Hey Fahim! [Smile]

I've heard a lot about you... [Wink]

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

It might be an intentional mistake which was itself a mistake. It could be an apparently failed attempt at irony (I say apparently failed because of the response from the first post [Smile]

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

*buzz*

Actually, the sentence is *looks at it for reference in hard copy* "...and if by forewarning you I can forearm you...", which is a form, of course, of the popular idiom "forewarned is forearmed". So*, this

quote:
I was reading a scanned copy of the book and so I'm not so sure that the sentence was reproduced correctly and so the original might read the way that OSC actually intended it to be.

was correct. [Smile]

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :

Ya know, KQ, I was thinking that was what was orignally written when I read the first post, but didn't have a copy to confirm it. Thanks,

Karl

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

In this case it was anything can make mistakes -- the OCR scanner.

Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

Well, we now have that cleared up, though the post wasn't meant to be a critique of OSC's style - I just found the look on my wife's face funny [Razz]

Thanks KQ for clearing that up before we analyzed it to death [Smile]

Now if OSC would just come in and answer my question about Ultimate Iron Man ....

Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

quote:
Originally posted by imogen:
Hey Fahim!

I've heard a lot about you...

Hi imogen

I'm kinda like the smallpox, everybody's heard of me but nobody's seen me ... in a long, long time [Razz]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Fahim, as your penance, which should be a pleasure as well, you are sentenced to purchasing an actual, legal copy of the book in question and coming here to write a book report.

Oh, and 20 lashes with a wet noodle. To be administered by your spouse, of course.

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

I have a copy of the book. In Canada. Legal and everything. [Razz]

Do we still have to buy another? [Dont Know]

Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz:
Fahim, as your penance, which should be a pleasure as well, you are sentenced to purchasing an actual, legal copy of the book in question and coming here to write a book report.

Oh, and 20 lashes with a wet noodle. To be administered by your spouse, of course.

That's more of a punishment than you know - I mean the buying an actual legal copy part [Razz]

First, you have to find a place that sells it and since there are only like three major bookstores here and none of them have it, that's out. Then you can think about something like Amazon.com but considering that they tax you on stuff which comes via the post and that the tax/duty is arbitrary based on the estimator's guesstimate of the value, you might end up paying more in tax than the book and shipping charges combined [Razz]

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Note how he completely ignores the lashes with a wet noodle administered by . . . me. [Big Grin]

Hmm. Honey? Guess what we're doing tonight!!! [ROFL]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

quid: No, but you have to go to Canada and visit all the Hatrackers you can along the way. And there might be a trade off in the number of lashes with a wet noodle. I'll have to check.

Fahim: It might just be cheaper to fly you favorite Hatrackers out for a visit on condition that they bring with them a choice selection of OSC books and related material. I would volunteer for that duty, but I suspect that I would not be the guy you want smuggling things through Customs. I actually FILL OUT those declaration forms. Completely.

Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :

*grumblegrumble*Englishprimroseisnotanoxiousweed*grumblegrumble*

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

Okay...I filled out the Agricultural Inspection form on our return from England.

They thanked me for declaring the seeds Dana had purchased at Harrods.

Then they threw the seeds in the garbage.

Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

I have to agree, I don't think the primrose would qualify as a weed - not even for smoking [Razz]

But maybe the customs inspectors had been partaking of some other weed before they went through your form? [Smile]

Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :

I suspect they keep at least some of the stuff they confiscate.

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Oh, you think?

Here, if they know what's in it, and they want it, you can bet'ch'er sweet bippy that's why they confiscate!

Posted by Fahim (Member # 5482) on :

Actually, they don't confiscate here - they appropriate [Razz]

They will take it right in front of your eyes ... if they think they can get away with it [Smile]

I brought in lots of comics when I moved back from the US and had to get the help of a senior customs officer to get the stuff out without paying all those taxes. Afterwards, he tells me, "Why don't you give me some of those comics for my kids? They love comics." What can you do when that happens? I gave him some comics [Razz]

[ June 29, 2005, 03:22 AM: Message edited by: Fahim ]

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Hmm. Two periods in all of that. No wonder he needs my help with his punctuation. [Razz]

Posted by Haloed Silhouette (Member # 8062) on :

Ahem, did someone say punctuation? I want a degree in that. I studied at least three forms of punctuation, on of which many theories revolv around. I'm even constructing my own system...