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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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 Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:36 pm Post subject: Any grammarian Samaritans in the house? |
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Is it "special thanks GO to so-and-so" or "special thanks GOES to so-and-so"?
Google shows:
-- roughly 720,000 results for "thanks goes to"
-- roughly 1,090,000 results for "thanks go to"
When I'm writing in English, I prefer to follow the established grammar rules, even where they sound formal and stuffy alongside a more popular modern-usage alternative. But this is for a speaking engagement for a smallish gathering, so I am inclined to follow Google here and use the more popular "thanks go to" whether it's technically correct or not.
People often say "A big/special thanks", in which case you'd obviously have to use "GOES", but I want to say "Special thanks go/goes to", without the indefinite article.
It's no major deal at all. But I still want to know what the grammarian pea farmers have to say about this. Any thoughts? |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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To me, the use of 'thanks' as a noun suggests a shortened form of 'thank-yous', and as a plural I would say 'thanks go to whoever'. I think people might erroneously think that it depends on whether the agent being thanked is singular or plural.
If you teach conversation class, I would teach my students that because both are commonly used, not to worry about it (descriptive). But in composition class, I would try to teach the right way (prescriptive). Just my 2c.
Notice I said used as a noun. Saying "Thanks, buddy!" as an interjection is a different case, and when you very informally say "a big thanks", I think you mean this kind of usage.
Ken:>
Last edited by Moldy Rutabaga on Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Well, one says "many thanks to" not "a thanks to" so I believe we have to assume that thanks is plural and "special thanks" does not form a singular noun phrase.
And here come the contrarians...
P.S.
| Quote: |
| People often say "A big/special thanks", |
I have never ever heard this. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Omit the verb. |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| gang ah jee wrote: |
| Omit the verb. |
Coward.
What are you, a linguist or linguine? |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Please... post your picture and address and I will hurt you.
But if jongnoguru is desperate for a verb he should go with 'go'. 'Goes' is alright too, but I prefer 'go'. |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| gang ah jee wrote: |
Please... post your picture and address and I will hurt you.
But if jongnoguru is desperate for a verb he should go with 'go'. 'Goes' is alright too, but I prefer 'go'. |
Yeah, I knew you would say I was right. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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I would like to thank the Mouldy Root for sharing his thoughts on this topic with us, and also extend a special thanks to Jetsam's Brother and the Pooch for their important contributions to the success of this thread.
Yes, "thanks" can be a shortened form, another way of saying "thank you". But not, I think, in the sense I'm using the word, which is as a synonym for "gratitude". ("gratitude you"?  )
"A big/special thanks" is very common usage: 1.17 million Google results.
I can omit "go/goes" or find some other way to say the same thing. But I probably won't. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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| flotsam wrote: |
| Yeah, I knew you would say I was right. |
FIVE YEARS AGO WE WOULD HAVE HAD YOU FLEEING 9/11 WITH A FORK UP YOUR ASS! |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| gang ah jee wrote: |
| flotsam wrote: |
| Yeah, I knew you would say I was right. |
FIVE YEARS AGO WE WOULD HAVE HAD YOU FLEEING 9/11 WITH A FORK UP YOUR ASS! |
So Swami, what the hell are you going to do? |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| flotsam wrote: |
| So Swami, what the hell are you going to do? |
You mean me? Um... I'll probably say "My special thanks go to", though I have until to tomorrow night to hem & haw over this staggering triviality before I have to make a final decision. Just watch, I'll stumble over that damned line: "... and my speckled tank goes to--AAKKK!  ... my SPECIAL.THANKS. GO. TO..." |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:55 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Yes, "thanks" can be a shortened form, another way of saying "thank you". But not, I think, in the sense I'm using the word, which is as a synonym for "gratitude". ("gratitude you"? ) |
We have this strange formation in English because both thank and think come from the same root in An-Sax/Germanic, and so we are saying, "I think of you with gratitude". Spanish and Italian tell us that you have God's grace; French semantically says that the exchange is complete (same root as mercenary).
Yes, I would probably come up with some mess that makes no sense: "I would like to wish thanks for very muching all you!"
Ken:> |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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