Yes it's great but is it iconic?

[filmtwit]

This thread, is already an "instant classic".

 

[maigo]

This thread, is already an "instant classic".

However, it's not yet old enough to be a legend.

 

[Raoul_Volfoni]

Yes it's great but is it iconic?

In France we overuse the word "événement" (event), as in an unforgettable event, a milestone or whatever...
Not only is it grammatically incorrect : un film événement / an "event" movie - such as Hunger Games or the likes (you can see the general level of it), but we use it for litterally anything these days. "Le concert événement" (André Rieu's latest gig) ; "La série événement" (Quantico season 1) and so on...

Everything is an event in here, which is another way to say that nothing is.

 

[Richard G]

In US English, the correct three principle parts of the verb "get" are get, got, gotten. This is different from British English, but it is correct in the US dialect. You will therefore see/hear this usage frequently among Americans.

- Murray

Murray, you have fallen off of your usual best I fear: 'principal' it should be. I've seen this more than a couple times.

(British/Australian English translation: Murray you have fallen off your usual best I fear: 'principal' it should be. I've seen this more than a couple of times.)

Interesting the US use of 'of' both in its inclusion and its omission.

 

[CMur12]

Murray, you have fallen off of your usual best I fear: 'principal' it should be. I've seen this more than a couple times.

(British/Australian English translation: Murray you have fallen off your usual best I fear: 'principal' it should be. I've seen this more than a couple of times.)

Interesting the US use of 'of' both in its inclusion and its omission.

You're right! Poor proofreading on my part.

- Murray

 

[Richard G]

Meanwhile, I am generally bowled over by the quality of writing and even spelling on RFF from both sides of the Atlantic and more astonishingly from countries where English is not the first language. For people with such visual talents the literary side is so very well developed.

Coming back to tutor, I think it has a very useful role as a verb. "He's tutoring him in maths." I agree that "teach" is not equivalent and is an incorrect description of the relationship. Sure I draw the line at "tutee" but that's my taste and age and sensitivity.

It might have been Winston Churchill or George Bernard Shaw or perhaps most reliably Oscar Wilde who described the transatlantic relationship of America and Britain as two nations divided by a common language. Does sound more like Spike Milligan but it contains an interesting idea.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Coming back to tutor, I think it has a very useful role as a verb. "He's tutoring him in maths." I agree that "teach" is not equivalent and is an incorrect description of the relationship. Sure I draw the line at "tutee" but that's my taste and age and sensitivity.

As far as I would say, in this context, «tutor» ought to be considered as some euphemism instead of the allegedly pejorative wording «cram school teacher».

And again, these «College Writing Centers» ARE a weird concept to many Europeans, to me at least.

I tell you why: Instead of giving the pupils proper knowlegde how to write something coherently already when they're 12-15 years old, during middle/high school (or even earlier perhaps?), now all of a sudden they have to learn this stuff as college students when they're 18, 19, or 20?

Why so late?

 

[Dante_Stella]

The worst use of "iconic," though, is when one uses it to describe his own work.

"You can't just replicate that picture. It's one of my most iconic images."

So are you Robert Capa or is that picture 64x64, sitting on the desktop of a Windows 3.11 machine?

D

 

[Brian Atherton]

In US English, the correct three principle parts of the verb "get" are get, got, gotten. This is different from British English, but it is correct in the US dialect. You will therefore see/hear this usage frequently among Americans.

Of course, Murray. I’ve travelled extensively in the US, and I ‘get it’ that I hear ‘gotten’ in the US in everyday conversation. Nothing wrong with that.

But as one who is British born and bred, the Americanisation of UK English such as ‘gotten’ grates with me.

Frequently I hear in London by Brits, say, in a coffee shop, “get me”, “I gotten it”, “can I get”. When, to my ear, “may I have?”, or “please may I have?” is more polite. Perhaps it’s a hipster, coffee shop thing.

Our lavatories and toilets have become the imported and ridiculous euphemism, bathroom, and last week I saw a British advertisement for a car on sale here extolling the virtue of its ‘six-speed stick-shift’.

I realise language is constantly changing – the OED publish an annual list of new words that have come into common usage – but increasingly our UK English is evolving into American.

 

[Robbie Bedell]

...And I hope today you are all carrying your TRUSTY Leicas...

 

[unixrevolution]

Of course, Murray. I’ve travelled extensively in the US, and I ‘get it’ that I hear ‘gotten’ in the US in everyday conversation. Nothing wrong with that.

But as one who is British born and bred, the Americanisation of UK English such as ‘gotten’ grates with me.

Frequently I hear in London by Brits, say, in a coffee shop, “get me”, “I gotten it”, “can I get”. When, to my ear, “may I have?”, or “please may I have?” is more polite. Perhaps it’s a hipster, coffee shop thing.

Our lavatories and toilets have become the imported and ridiculous euphemism, bathroom, and last week I saw a British advertisement for a car on sale here extolling the virtue of its ‘six-speed stick-shift’.

I realise language is constantly changing – the OED publish an annual list of new words that have come into common usage – but increasingly our UK English is evolving into American.

As an American I find this distressing. UK English is a wonderful thing. I don't want to see it homogenized with US English.

 

[seany65]

I totally agree with you Lawrence!
I keep hearing the word used on BBC radio, e.g. an iconic piece of music, for something that is pretty ordinary, drives me nuts.

Does an 'iconic' image/tune/whatever actually have to be 'good'?

Can't it be an image/tune/whatever that has come to symbolise something?

A guitar player may only be fair at playing, but if there's this 'thing' they do, even if they can't help it, that everyone recognises and knows who's playing it, that thing becomes 'iconic' even if it's not a 'good' thing.

 

[David Hughes]

Does an 'iconic' image/tune/whatever actually have to be 'good'?

Can't it be an image/tune/whatever that has come to symbolise something?

A guitar player may only be fair at playing, but if there's this 'thing' they do, even if they can't help it, that everyone recognises and knows who's playing it, that thing becomes 'iconic' even if it's not a 'good' thing.

Hi,

I think it's a word often used instead of 'good' as they are trying to think of something nice to say instead of honest. And sometimes it means 'popular' or else 'well known' and so on and so on.

It's sort of ebay speak, where every sold by the millions camera is 'rare' and usually 'minty' and often "as seen" as well...

Regards, David

 

[tunalegs]

I can think of a few iconic photos that are "bad" at least in the sense that they portray unpleasant subjects.

While we're at it, I'm glad to have seen some decline in the abuse of the word "epic" though.

 

[Darthfeeble]

But that's the very essence of photography!

But that's the very essence of photography!

The over use of the word capture to describe a photograph. I have taken many pictures in my life, but never captured any. I have exercised timing and patience and some self taught photographic disciplines to produce a decent negative and produced some work that I am proud of. It might capture the attention of the viewer if I am lucky, but please dont call my photographs captures !

You have taken a unique and special moment in time and captured it in this magic box to be held for all time, or at least as long as the paper holds up.

 

[David Hughes]

In US English, the correct three principle parts of the verb "get" are get, got, gotten. This is different from British English, but it is correct in the US dialect. You will therefore see/hear this usage frequently among Americans.

- Murray

Hi,

We still use a similar pattern in proper/correct/British English but I've forgotten what it is...

Regards, David

 

[mothertrucker]

I think we can all agree, at least as far as camera companies go, Zeiss is the most "Ikonic".

 

[Roger Hicks]

I think we can all agree, at least as far as camera companies go, Zeiss is the most "Ikonic".

Shame!

Cheers,

R.