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For free.

Mind that apostrophe.
Riscagirl
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For free.

#19700

Postby Riscagirl » January 3rd, 2017, 12:56 pm

This has been annoying me intensely for several years now. Maybe it's caught on because the alliteration makes it sound good.

UncleEbenezer
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Re: For free.

#19708

Postby UncleEbenezer » January 3rd, 2017, 1:50 pm

Perhaps you should be on the grumps board. I've always thought it a perfectly valid idiomatic expression.

Have you recently been hit with it in some dodgy marketing context?

Octavia100
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Re: For free.

#20396

Postby Octavia100 » January 5th, 2017, 3:42 pm

I remember a teacher at school some 40 years ago, drumming into us that, grammatically, it's either 'free', or it's 'for nothing', but it's not 'for free'. Over the years I have always thought of that teacher whenever someone has said 'for free', so agree completely, Riscagirl.
:?

Lootman
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Re: For free.

#20482

Postby Lootman » January 5th, 2017, 6:44 pm

UncleEbenezer wrote:Perhaps you should be on the grumps board. I've always thought it a perfectly valid idiomatic expression.

If ever there were two boards born to be merged together, it is the Pedants' board and the Grumpy board.

redsturgeon
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Re: For free.

#20500

Postby redsturgeon » January 5th, 2017, 7:40 pm

Lootman wrote:
UncleEbenezer wrote:Perhaps you should be on the grumps board. I've always thought it a perfectly valid idiomatic expression.

If ever there were two boards born to be merged together, it is the Pedants' board and the Grumpy board.


Where would that leave the cheerful pedants and the laissez faire grumps?

John

Lootman
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Re: For free.

#20518

Postby Lootman » January 5th, 2017, 8:29 pm

redsturgeon wrote:Where would that leave the cheerful pedants and the laissez faire grumps?

Where they are now - a statistically insignificant minority?

Clitheroekid
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Re: For free.

#20534

Postby Clitheroekid » January 5th, 2017, 8:54 pm

redsturgeon wrote:Where would that leave the cheerful pedants and the laissez faire grumps?

With the greatest of respect, I think that "laissez faire", when used as an adjective, should be hyphenated! ;)

redsturgeon
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Re: For free.

#20537

Postby redsturgeon » January 5th, 2017, 8:57 pm

Damn, I thought I was in the grumpy place, it appears I was mistaken.

John

ChiliMonster
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Re: For free.

#21655

Postby ChiliMonster » January 9th, 2017, 7:04 pm

The way see this one is that free is an adjective, whereas nothing is a noun or quantity. Other adjectives might be cheap, expensive. Other quantities or nouns could include ten pounds, for example.

I got it "for nothing" or "for ten pounds"; not "for free" or "for cheap" (though I have heard it).

ChiliMonster

swill453
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Re: For free.

#21658

Postby swill453 » January 9th, 2017, 7:16 pm

The BBC News style guide concurs:

"Free
is an adjective (He left the court a free man) or an adverb (The spectators were admitted free). It is wrong to speak of receiving something ‘for free’. You receive it either free or for nothing.
" http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/news-style-guide/article/art20131010112740749

However they don't always comply themselves:

"Work for free? How funny" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37924674

Scott.

quelquod
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Re: For free.

#23870

Postby quelquod » January 17th, 2017, 6:26 pm

Lootman wrote:If ever there were two boards born to be merged together, it is the Pedants' board and the Grumpy board.

'they are the Pedants' ...'

chas49
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Re: For free.

#26973

Postby chas49 » January 28th, 2017, 3:55 pm

quelquod wrote:
Lootman wrote:If ever there were two boards born to be merged together, it is the Pedants' board and the Grumpy board.

'they are the Pedants' ...'


Can things be merged anything other than together?

Lootman
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Re: For free.

#26977

Postby Lootman » January 28th, 2017, 4:10 pm

chas49 wrote:
Lootman wrote:If ever there were two boards born to be merged together, it is the Pedants' board and the Grumpy board.

'Can things be merged anything other than together?

Yes, the "together" in my statement is redundant, just like the "anything" in your statement.

chas49
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Re: For free.

#27041

Postby chas49 » January 28th, 2017, 9:21 pm

Got me!

jackdaww
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Re: For free.

#27084

Postby jackdaww » January 29th, 2017, 8:01 am

Lootman wrote:
redsturgeon wrote:Where would that leave the cheerful pedants and the laissez faire grumps?

Where they are now - a statistically insignificant minority?


===============

there are a lot of us about ...

:roll:

JMN2
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Re: For free.

#45764

Postby JMN2 » April 13th, 2017, 1:59 pm

I am so impressed. One lady on the radio just said "for nothing". There is hope, still.

UncleEbenezer
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Re: For free.

#45793

Postby UncleEbenezer » April 13th, 2017, 4:01 pm

JMN2 wrote:I am so impressed. One lady on the radio just said "for nothing". There is hope, still.

Freedom is for nothing? Oh dear.

JMN2
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Re: For free.

#45854

Postby JMN2 » April 13th, 2017, 10:41 pm

UncleEbenezer wrote:
JMN2 wrote:I am so impressed. One lady on the radio just said "for nothing". There is hope, still.

Freedom is for nothing? Oh dear.


Don't know anything about freedom, just heard someone say for nothing instead of for free.


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