Grammar question

[Jawloms]

When a headache tablet advert says "Nothing is more effective", does that not mean that I should use "nothing" due to it being more effective? Surely they mean "Nothing else is more effective" or "There is nothing more effective"? Or is they're statement actually correct? I know this isn't exactly life changing stuff and it isn't something I lose sleep over or get cross about like some pro-grammer people do, I just wondered.

[3s-gtech]

"Grammar"

 

[LosOjos]

* grammar

* their [statement]

 

I'm sorry, but you set yourself up for this one

 

EDIT: I was out-trolled by @3s-gtech

[Jawloms]

Oops

You have no idea how many times I re-read that for grammatical errors before I posted it. Anyway, to my question...........

[Ephelyon]

I think you're correct in that it could grammatically be taken to mean that, but realistically nobody would interpret it as such. You could find an amusing way to work it into a response if said tablet-peddlers start harassing you of course.

[Oaktech]

I particularly used to like the Lombard finance advert...

 

"A low cost loan at your convenience"

 

I don't want a loan anywhere near my toilet, I want it in my bank.

 

That, and the adverts that start

 

"Do you suffer from..."

 

My Missus and I both shout: 'NO, next advert please' at the TV.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Oaktech

[Garacesh]

"A low cost loan at your convenience"

 

I don't want a loan anywhere near my toilet, I want it in my bank.

But a loan near your toilet wouldn't be convenient, therefore said lone loan would not be at your convenience...

[Ephelyon]

"Low-cost", though. Quality costs money.

[6Foot2]

I often have a little chuckle at things like this.

 

Nothing acts faster than Anadin.

 

It is grammatically poor but they are not succeeding in selling me the product.

 

Link: Slogans | Ad-Mad

[Arthur]

Also annoying is when people say "I ain't done nothing" or "I haven't done nothing".

 

Obviously they have done something.

[witch]

Reminds me of a joke:

A teacher was telling his class how the rules of grammar change in different languages -

"For example, in English, two negatives make a positive, but in Russian two negatives are still a negative. In other languages it varies but in no language do two positives make a negative"

 

A laconic voice from the back of the room was heard saying: "Yeah, right"

[jinnantonnixx]

It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very

chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate.

 

I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her

standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a

state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and

she moved in a gainly way.

 

I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to make bones

about it since I was travelling cognito. Beknownst to me, the hostess,

whom I could see both hide and hair of, was very proper, so it would be

skin off my nose if anything bad happened. And even though I had only

swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn't be peccable. Only toward

and heard-of behavior would do.

 

Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause

was evitable. There were two ways about it, but the chances that someone

as flappable as I would be ept enough to become persona grata or a sung

hero were slim. I was, after all, something to sneeze at, someone you

could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled

passion.

 

So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for some apparent

reason, she looked in my direction and smiled in a way that I could make

heads and tails of.

 

I was plussed. It was concerting to see that she was communicado, and it

nerved me that she was interested in a pareil like me, sight seen.

Normally, I had a domitable spirit, but, being corrigible, I felt

capacitated - as if this were something I was great shakes at - and

forgot that I had succeeded in situations like this only a told number

of times. So, after a terminable delay, I acted with mitigated gall and

made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.

 

Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to

prepare a promptu speech, I was petuous. Wanting to make only called-for

remarks, I started talking about the hors d'oeuvres, trying to abuse her

of the notion that I was sipid, and perhaps even bunk a few myths about

myself.

 

She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savory

character who was up to some good. She told me who she was. "What a

perfect nomer," I said, advertently. The conversation become more and

more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail. But I was

defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour. I asked if she wanted to

come with me. To my delight, she was committal. We left the party

together and have been together ever since. I have given her my love,

and she has requited it.

[sted]

It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very

chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate.

 

I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her

standing alone in a corner. She was a descript person, a woman in a

state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and

she moved in a gainly way.

 

arnt most of them a case of the positive word used to exist but just fell out of use over time but for no obvious reason the negative form survives

[Garacesh]

@jinnantonnixx - that was confusing as heck to read, but does raise a valid point about language.

[jinnantonnixx]

I could try and molish a theory about it.

[dhicks]

When a headache tablet advert says "Nothing is more effective", does that not mean that I should use "nothing" due to it being more effective?

 

Sounds like syntactic ambiguity to me:

 

xkcd: Cirith Ungol

 

Personally, to help people comply with the notices on the tube ("Dogs must be carried on escalators"), I'm planning to start a small business renting out a pool of dogs for people to carry up and down the escalators. Small, waggy ones, of course - lugging huge great German Shepards up and down all day would be impractical and silly.

[HarryMonkey]

Maybe some small portable escalators as well in case someone wishes to carry their dog(s) where there are no escalators. Edited November 19, 2014 by HarryMonkey

[SimoninEaston]

It's an advert - 'nuff said...

BTW- thnx for that joke, witch - v. funny!

Edited November 19, 2014 by SimoninEaston

[bossman]

@dhicks:

 

Don't mean to be a "Grammar Troll" but are the German dogs "Ard s Nails" or are they "Sheep herders?" as in "Shepherds"

 

Apologies for picking this up only teasing!

[dhicks]

Apologies for picking this up only teasing!

 

That's just my plain, old-fashioned bad spelling!

[mikkydoos]

This in fact is an oxymoron.... a paradox of the statement.