[Janice D. Soderling]

the pedant's rule is that "I shall X" expresses confident expectation

Is there anyone here besides me who remembers Douglas MacArthur's famous "I shall return"? When I was a kid (out in the boondocks) it was common that people would substitute "I shall return" for a simple "I'll be back" and the standard retort was "OK, MacArthur".

For the younguns:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarth...cspeech02.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarth...cspeech03.html

I don't think he had a speechwriter with him.

[James Wilk]

Originally posted by Peter Chipman:
On the first-person singular "shall" vs. "will"--the pedant's rule is that "I shall X" expresses confident expectation ("I shall be nineteen years old next Tuesday") and "I will X" expresses the speaker's intention ("I will marry you, Throckmorton"). So Elizabeth's usage is correct.

For second and third persons, the rule is reversed. ("You shall not pass!" vs. "When you get to the end of the street you will see a yellow house.")

Gosh, how then does one know that it's wrong to translate a single Latin word, devoid of any context to indicate confident expectation as opposed to intention, as "I will love"??

[Robert J. Clawson]

Originally posted by James Wilk:

"The things which I have here promised, I will perform."

"If I can help in any way, I will be very happy to do so."

--Quotes from Elizabeth II

But what does she know about "The Queen's English"?

As any politician, enough to speak as a commoner.

Shall has been going the way of thence and thither, whence and whither, hence and hither for a very, very long time.

I'm not that old!

Incidentally, James, as I listen to the Marconi, I find that very, very doesn't do it anymore. I frequently hear triples and quadruples. Not yet a full hand, but I predict a volley of five will be common before 2010.

Shameless

[A. E. Stallings]

Has anyone pointed out that Palin is Greek for Backwards?

[James Wilk]

Originally posted by A. E. Stallings:
Has anyone pointed out that Palin is Greek for Backwards?

Why, so it is! It also means "again" as in Bush/Cheney all over again.

Jim

[A. E. Stallings]

indeed...

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

Well, no Alicia, so I've now added this fact to MB's blog. I'll credit you for the info if you want. BTW I can reccommend her blog for a good mix of the classical and the contemporary.

Duncan