I await the season with bated breath. | Page 2 | The Boneyard

I await the season with bated breath.

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Kibitzer said:
Q. "Bated breath?" Don't you mean "baited breath?"

A. Nope. Bated is the correct word here. Baited is incorrect.

Q> Are you sure? I see baited all the time.

A. I am certain. Baited is a common error, like supersede, committment, or judgement. Common mistake, bit still incorrect in this usage.

Q. Why?

A. "To bait" is to lure. You bait a fishhook with a fly. Or you may engage in the illicit "bait and switch" sales practice. Bated means "excitedly." Got it?

Q. OK, but what if I slip and use baited by mistake?

A. Many readers won't notice, and most of those that detect the error will simply roll their eyes :rolleyes: and read on. Of course some damned grammar nazi may call you out. :mad:That's what the IGNORE button is for. ;)
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I am certain that your usage is correct. However, I do not believe that one's breath can be capable of emotion, whether it be anger, sadness or excitement!
 
huskyharry said:
I am certain that your usage is correct. However, I do not believe that one's breath can be capable of emotion, whether it be anger, sadness or excitement!
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I think the "bated breath" construct falls in the broad category of idiomatic expressions. That said your comment does make good sense.

Now, what do you think about folks who claim they had a knee-jerk reaction?

Or, better yet, a momentary brain fart? :rolleyes:
 
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easttexastrash said:
Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.
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And sometimes the fish eats you, but I have never heard of a case where the bait eats you. Perhaps I just don't read enough.
 
Kibitzer said:
Q. "Bated breath?" Don't you mean "baited breath?"

A. Nope. Bated is the correct word here. Baited is incorrect.

Q> Are you sure? I see baited all the time.

A. I am certain. Baited is a common error, like supersede, committment, or judgement. Common mistake, bit still incorrect in this usage.

Q. Why?

A. "To bait" is to lure. You bait a fishhook with a fly. Or you may engage in the illicit "bait and switch" sales practice. Bated means "excitedly." Got it?

Q. OK, but what if I slip and use baited by mistake?

A. Many readers won't notice, and most of those that detect the error will simply roll their eyes :rolleyes: and read on. Of course some damned grammar nazi may call you out. :mad:That's what the IGNORE button is for. ;)
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Well to be truthful, we don't know what you've been eating....so it may be baited breath. :cool:
 
Gus Mahler said:
But once you learn how, you never forget! :p
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Thats-what-she-said.jpg
 
BroadwayVa said:
I resemble those words..
I was waiting with Bated Breath---it was very difficult to swallow that critter. His wings tickled all the way down.
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That's why you should abate your bat eating, or follow the bat with a generous chunk of sourdough bread and water.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
?? Was something edited or deleted. I'm lost. Gezpatcho vz Gezpatcho ( ?gazpacho? - cold Italian soup) :confused: 'Course I'm frequently lost and confused.
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I think he meant Gezpatcho, the secret service police. Not Gezpatcho, the cold soup.
 
CBus13 said:
I think he meant Gezpatcho, the secret service police. Not Gezpatcho, the cold soup.
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Well, maybe that was Musselini's secret police, but Hitler had the Gezpatcho
Ah, now I see the problem - if you spell Hitler's g-e-s-t-a-p-o correctly, it is treated like a verboten word and turned into the gibberish word Gezpatcho.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
That's why you should abate your bat eating, or follow the bat with a generous chunk of sourdough bread and water.
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Having lived (among other states) in Arkansas --I like my bat with a side of possum! Especially road kill. Yummy!!! Served up by the leading citizen of Hope Ark---Billy boy.
 
alexrgct said:
All I know is that it's better to be the master of grammar than the master of baiting...
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Simply your opinion which your have a right to! There are those that like to master everything they do. Of course many of us are better at baiting than we is at grammar. ;)
 
This discussion proves just one thing,
THE SEASON CAN'T START FAST ENOUGH !
 
Another one that always gets me slowly turning is the misuse of "begs the question", which is almost always used to actually mean "brings up the question" or "suggests the question". To "beg the question" is actually to state a proposition in such a way that it cannot be refuted. e.g., "The Huskies are the best program in wcbb because they have the most NCs, and the team with the most NCs is obviously the best."
 
Zorro said:
Another one that always gets me slowly turning is the misuse of "begs the question", which is almost always used to actually mean "brings up the question" or "suggests the question". To "beg the question" is actually to state a proposition in such a way that it cannot be refuted. e.g., "The Huskies are the best program in wcbb because they have the most NCs, and the team with the most NCs is obviously the best."
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Great point. One of my pet peeves as well.
 
Zorro said:
Another one that always gets me slowly turning is the misuse of "begs the question", which is almost always used to actually mean "brings up the question" or "suggests the question". To "beg the question" is actually to state a proposition in such a way that it cannot be refuted.
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Similarly, when you hear those disarming words, "With all due respect, , ," Look out! The person uttering that start to a comment aimed at you has just feinted in preparation to cold-cock you with a roundhouse oral haymaker! "With all due respect" ranks with "The check is in the mail" as a gold medal whopper.
 
But the season brings maddening language of its own: Rebecca and Kara and a whole host of others using the phrase "score the ball", even analysts who get paid to say Team X has to score to have a chance against Y. 'Course, the compensating benefits - real games - are great.
 
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