On 21 Jun 2005 01:27:44 -0700, Boltar
wrote in . com:
Unfortunately I don't carry all the alternatives in my head.

The tube has been running to heathrow since 1975. How can someone
who has the intelligence to be a doctor be unaware of this fact?

I'm sure that _crushing_ comment makes you feel very big and proud.

My thoughts of the tube were along the lines, "It's a pity the loop
to T4 is out of action because of T5 construction." Being a straightforward
guy, it didn't occur to me to back-track.

Now **** off!

--
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering, ___ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Room 40-1-B12, CERN
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

My thoughts of the tube were along the lines, "It's a pity the loop
to T4 is out of action because of T5 construction." Being a straightforward
guy, it didn't occur to me to back-track.

People generally check travel information before they catch a flight.
It usually helps in situations like this. Plus since you're at Brunel
Uni and
hence at the end of the piccadilly line one would think you'd have a
vague clue.

Now **** off!

Your eloquence astounds me. I bet you're students learn lots from you.

B2003

On 21 Jun 2005 02:18:30 -0700, Boltar
wrote in .com:
My thoughts of the tube were along the lines, "It's a pity the loop
to T4 is out of action because of T5 construction." Being a straightforward
guy, it didn't occur to me to back-track.

People generally check travel information before they catch a flight.

And since the trains were cancelled while I was standing on the
platform this would have helped me how, exactly?

It usually helps in situations like this. Plus since you're at Brunel
Uni and
hence at the end of the piccadilly line one would think you'd have a
vague clue.

You do know how long it takes to get from Uxbridge to Heathrow via
the Picc, do you not? Not forgetting the time it takes to actually get to
Uxbridge in the first place.

Now **** off!

Your eloquence astounds me. I bet you're students learn lots from you.

Thankfully I don't have students, and thankfully my English is a
lot better than yours. Now crawl back under your rock; only another million
years' evolution and you might pose a threat to pond scum.

--
Ivan Reid, Electronic & Computer Engineering, ___ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Room 40-1-B12, CERN
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

People generally check travel information before they catch a flight.

And since the trains were cancelled while I was standing on the
platform this would have helped me how, exactly?

You'd have known you could get the tube to hatton cross and get
a replacement bus from there you witless muppet, how do you think
it would have helped?

You do know how long it takes to get from Uxbridge to Heathrow via
the Picc, do you not?

I was assuming that given you work near uxbridge you may occasionally
use the tube and might just on the offchance notice the maps mentioning
the connection to T4. Obviously you didn't.

Thankfully I don't have students, and thankfully my English is a
lot better than yours. Now crawl back under your rock; only another million
years' evolution and you might pose a threat to pond scum.

If your english is so good , perhaps you can explain why you put an
apostrophe after "years". Also , perhaps you might want to consider
what
Uxbridge Poly , sorry , I mean "Brunel University" would make of their
postgrads using their facilities to tell other people to **** off and
calling them pond scum.

B2003

Boltar wrote to uk.transport.london on Tue, 21 Jun 2005:

Thankfully I don't have students, and thankfully my English is a
lot better than yours. Now crawl back under your rock; only another million
years' evolution and you might pose a threat to pond scum.

If your english is so good , perhaps you can explain why you put an
apostrophe after "years".

Because it is correct to do so. "Boltar's evolution" would be correct
grammatically, therefore "a million years' evolution" is also correct.


Also , perhaps you might want to consider
what
Uxbridge Poly , sorry , I mean "Brunel University" would make of their
postgrads using their facilities to tell other people to **** off and
calling them pond scum.

Pot, meet kettle - I've known you use pretty awful language in your
time.... if you can't take it, don't dish it out!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

Because it is correct to do so. "Boltar's evolution" would be correct
grammatically, therefore "a million years' evolution" is also correct.

Actually its not. Years is a plural , its not in the genetive case in
that
instance otherwise it would mean "a million evolution of year" which is
clearly nonsense.

Pot, meet kettle - I've known you use pretty awful language in your
time.... if you can't take it, don't dish it out!

I generally only dish it out when other people have been rude to me to
start with.

B2003

Boltar wrote to uk.transport.london on Tue, 21 Jun 2005:

Because it is correct to do so. "Boltar's evolution" would be correct
grammatically, therefore "a million years' evolution" is also correct.

Actually its not. Years is a plural , its not in the genetive case in
that
instance otherwise it would mean "a million evolution of year" which is
clearly nonsense.

Yes, years is plural, which is why Ivan and I put the apostrophe *after*
the s, not before it. I think you'll find that in this particular case
it *is* the correct usage (and better English than my emphases, I know,
before anybody tells me that!).

Pot, meet kettle - I've known you use pretty awful language in your
time.... if you can't take it, don't dish it out!

I generally only dish it out when other people have been rude to me to
start with.

True, O King, but people might think more of you if you didn't in either
case!
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 May 2005

On 21 Jun 2005 06:12:42 -0700, "Boltar"
wrote:

Actually its not. Years is a plural , its not in the genetive case in
that
instance otherwise it would mean "a million evolution of year" which is
clearly nonsense.

No, it isn't. The full form is "a million years of evolution", but
the contraction *is* correct.

Neil

--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

In message .com,
Boltar writes

Because it is correct to do so. "Boltar's evolution" would be correct
grammatically, therefore "a million years' evolution" is also correct.

Actually its not. Years is a plural , its not in the genetive case

It is very clearly a (plural) genitive - note spelling of genitive

in that instance otherwise it would mean "a million evolution of year"

No. The plural genitive means, in this case, "a million years of
evolution".

It is much the same as expressing the phrase "four weeks of drought" as
"four weeks' drought".

Some of us may be thinking you missed a crucial lesson in grammar
Anyway, I have no intention of being rude, but see if you can spot the
difference between these two clauses:

The boys' coats are over there.
The boy's coats are over there.

As I'm sure you spotted, the difference between s' and 's totally
changes the meaning of the expression.

--
Paul Terry

Paul Terry wrote:
In message .com,
Boltar writes

Because it is correct to do so. "Boltar's evolution" would be
correct grammatically, therefore "a million years' evolution" is
also correct.

Actually its not. Years is a plural , its not in the genetive case

It is very clearly a (plural) genitive - note spelling of genitive


in that instance otherwise it would mean "a million evolution of
year"

No. The plural genitive means, in this case, "a million years of
evolution".

Literally it means "evolution of a million years".
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)