Thursday, February 01, 2007

Anywhere except New Albany, you’d be forgiven for thinking that a “college professor” should know the difference in usage between an adjective and a noun. Sadly, the crusading Vickster’s imaginary academic alter ego does not.

ACCOUNTING PRINCIPALS... INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS

Perhaps 3rd district councilman Steve Price can compose a resolution providing “feel good” funding for Erika’s continuing linguistic education, but until that unlikely day, consider …

Principal is both an adjective, which means that it modifies a noun, and a noun. In the adjectival sense, it means, “First, highest, or foremost in importance, rank, worth, or degree; chief.” As a noun, it has several meanings, none of which are applicable to Erika's mistaken usage.

Principle is a noun – it names something – and in the sense that Erika should have used it, it means, “a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived: the principles of modern physics.”

Or, one might say: "The principal principles of the trognonymous Freedom of Speech blog are cowardly subterfuge and malice."

Glance here for accounting principles correctly used.

See, there really are rules, Erika. You simply must learn them.

Thanks to http://dictionary.reference.com/ for definitions.

4 comments:

Iamhoosier said...

We, and especially I, caught so much hell about our comments on the fake professor erik over on SOLNA. I take some pleasure in the fact that even the leaders of SOLNA have now disavowed the ignorant liar, erik.

How is that for a fact, professor?

John Manzo said...

I read that post a few times and am missing the point.

The writer speaks about Indiana Law but doesn't cite it. They do cite several accounting principles and such but I'm not seeing where the law is being broken.

Two other observations:

Even a faux college professor ought to know the difference between principal and principle. Admittedly we all make grammatical errors or dumb mistakes, but when criticizing something like this it might be worthwhile to have the key word properly used.

Secondly, they did remember that there is a 'rat' in separate.

Christopher D said...

I do remember from the earliest days of grammer school that this little ditty...
The Principal of the school is your "PAL".

Iamhoosier said...

My first thought also was the "pal". Unfortunately, in grade school, the princiPAL and I were on a first name basis.