In article , (Adrian) wrote:

They were, but they were number series that never got issued before
the annual suffix was introduced - so they've been kept (with others)
for issue to newly imported pre-63 vehicles or to pre-63 vehicles
that have somehow lost their original numbers.

http://fleetdata.co.uk/agerelated.html

Fascinating!

Peter Beale ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

Don't mind the gurgling, but why have I been pluralised? :-)

--
Peter Beale

Peter Beale ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying :

Peter Beale ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

Don't mind the gurgling, but why have I been pluralised? :-)

"They" is used as a (slightly awkward) gender-neutral singular, rather than
"he/she/it", or "s/he" or some similar godawful murdering of the language.

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html#X1a

In article , (Adrian) wrote:

"They" is used as a (slightly awkward) gender-neutral singular,
rather than "he/she/it", or "s/he" or some similar godawful murdering
of the language.

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html#X1a

Interesting. However, hallowed by age though it may be, I find its use
considerably uglier than "he or she" or the other alternatives you
mention. But it takes all sorts....

--
Peter Beale

Peter Beale ) gurgled happily, sounding much like s/he/it
was saying :

"They" is used as a (slightly awkward) gender-neutral singular,
rather than "he/she/it", or "s/he" or some similar godawful murdering
of the language.

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html#X1a

Interesting. However, hallowed by age though it may be, I find its use
considerably uglier than "he or she" or the other alternatives you
mention. But it takes all sorts....

Better?

In article , (Adrian) wrote:

Better?

:-) I think the "it" could be left out!

--
Peter Beale

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 at 15:52:00, Peter Beale wrote:

In article ,
(Adrian) wrote:

"They" is used as a (slightly awkward) gender-neutral singular,
rather than "he/she/it", or "s/he" or some similar godawful murdering
of the language.

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html#X1a

Interesting. However, hallowed by age though it may be, I find its use
considerably uglier than "he or she" or the other alternatives you
mention. But it takes all sorts....

As may be, but I'm no spring chicken, and I well remember using the
"indeterminate they" when I was at school. Normally along the lines of
"Is anybody sitting there?" "Yes, they are!" (meaning the seat was
reserved). In vain did the school staff point out that "She is" would
be more correct than "they are"......
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004

"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...

As may be, but I'm no spring chicken, and I well remember using the
"indeterminate they" when I was at school. Normally along the lines of
"Is anybody sitting there?" "Yes, they are!" (meaning the seat was
reserved). In vain did the school staff point out that "She is" would
be more correct than "they are"......

Surely the reply should be "Yes, somebody is". In Yorkshire, it would be
"'appen".
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
75th Anniversary 2004, see http://www.omnibussoc.org/75th.htm
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

Terry Harper ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...

As may be, but I'm no spring chicken, and I well remember using the
"indeterminate they" when I was at school. Normally along the lines of
"Is anybody sitting there?" "Yes, they are!" (meaning the seat was
reserved). In vain did the school staff point out that "She is" would
be more correct than "they are"......

Presumably, the gender of the person sitting there would be known, though?
Can I also guess that it was a girl's school?

Not always the case on Usenet...

Surely the reply should be "Yes, somebody is". In Yorkshire, it would be
"'appen".

So:-

Terry Harper ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like somebody was saying :

Nah, don't think so. We know who was saying, not just a "somebody". We just
don't know what gender you are. It's relatively easy to take an educated
guess on you from your use of your name (although there are female Terrys),
but "Piccadilly Pilot"? "Magic Mushrooms"? "Solar Penguin"?

How scary is this, when your attribution lines are being grammar-pedanted,
and you're *defending* them....?

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 at 10:09:27, Adrian
wrote:

Terry Harper ) gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

"Annabel Smyth" wrote in message
...

As may be, but I'm no spring chicken, and I well remember using the
"indeterminate they" when I was at school. Normally along the lines of
"Is anybody sitting there?" "Yes, they are!" (meaning the seat was
reserved). In vain did the school staff point out that "She is" would
be more correct than "they are"......

Presumably, the gender of the person sitting there would be known, though?
Can I also guess that it was a girl's school?

Very true. But I imagine that if it hadn't been, and one wanted to know
whether a seat was taken, the reply would still have been the same!

[Snip]

How scary is this, when your attribution lines are being grammar-pedanted,
and you're *defending* them....?

So why not keep them simple?
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 6 June 2004