Knightmare.com

With regards to the shirt on offer in the competition, isn't there a rather vital comma missing?

"Enter, stranger" means "Come in, person I don't know".

"Enter stranger" means "Come in using a more unusual method" or ... well, I'm sure I don't need to explain the innuendo.

Sorry, I was bored and felt like being pedantic.

Of course, "Enter stranger" is not strictly grammatically correct either, as "stranger" here is being used as a comparative adjective, and therefore should not be used to modify a verb, like "enter". The correct statement, using the comparative adverb form of "strange", would be "enter more strangely".

Sorry to be even more pedantic, but I'm bored too - I've run out of QI entries to mark!

I vaguely remember this was discussed a few years back. I can't for the life of me recall what conclusions we all drew, but it clearly wasn't considered remotely important enough for Illusion to change the forum greeting. (And I happen to agree with him 100% on that...) He has changed it since then, mind.

Eyeshield wrote:Of course, "Enter stranger" is not strictly grammatically correct either, as "stranger" here is being used as a comparative adjective, and therefore should not be used to modify a verb, like "enter". The correct statement, using the comparative adverb form of "strange", would be "enter more strangely".

That depends on which interpretation of "Enter Stranger" you are using. The latter option I gave still uses 'stranger' as a noun and is therefore fine. Whilst "Enter more strangely" would be a more correct version of the former option, "Enter Stranger" is not grammatically incorrect in that sense, but is instead syntactically incorrect. I think. I'm a little hazy on the more obscure technicalities of English these days.

Eyeshield wrote:Sorry to be even more pedantic, but I'm bored too - I've run out of QI entries to mark!

Ditto. Except for the bit about marking QI entries.

Well, I think we can all agree that the phrase "Enter, stranger," as used on Knightmare and the T-shirt should have the comma in there, and that I need some more QI entries.

The comma is there; it just needs to be looked for.



When it blends into its surroundings like that, it is known as a Comma Chameleon, as first identified by Mr. B. George during the 1980s.

I consider myself a pedant, and can get very frustrated about absent commas, especially online. I agree that "Enter, Stranger" would be better with a comma. However, I wouldn't want punctuative concern to overshadow the generosity of the competition. I hope that both TShirts365 and this forum benefit with increased activity.

Drassil wrote:When it blends into its surroundings like that, it is known as a Comma Chameleon, as first identified by Mr. B. George during the 1980s.

Oh, well played, very well played. I doff my hat.