Comments on: Stop using the word “penned”

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:50:05 +0000

Would it be juvenile to answer: “As many times a day as I do your mom”?

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:58:12 +0000

Dave, how many times a day do you smell your own farts?

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:45:27 +0000

Whoa! Is my mother commenting on the site now? Thanks for the lesson in using “In my opinion”!

Anyway, you miss the point. Let me quote your tortured syntax here: “[M]ost of the time, ‘penned’ is used by [E]nglish writers, for whom it is a regularly used phrase.” That dubious fact which somehow makes “penned” acceptable doesn’t work. That’s like saying Creed must be a good band because they’ve sold millions of albums when in fact most people have shit music taste.

We live in a world in which people think they’re smart if they figure out a Dan Brown novel before they get to the end. And you’re very definitely the kind of “writer” who would use “penned” because you think it lends credence to your opinion/thought/whatever. Nonsense.

By: You're a douche

You're a douche — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:37:27 +0000

Look, most of the time, “penned” is used by english writers, for whom it is a regularly used phrase. Also, there is nothing inherently wrong with “penned,” so stating that it shouldn’t be used, as if it’s a rule about writing, is very muh a douche move.
If, however, you were to say, “In my opinion, the word ‘penned’ is stupid because…”, then it would make you look like much less of a tottal jerk.

You do not, however, have to take my word for it.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:58:44 +0000

God. I forgot about all that other nonsense.

By: catfart

catfart — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:52:27 +0000

And then when all these scribes pen scripts for Hollywood movies, Variety will tell us who’ll be helming and lensing them. Then bloggers will pick up the story, talking about other coverage “over at” other sites and “after the jump” on their own. Dicks.