Hate feedback that is wrong!

[gordo12]

You have 4 stories there.

4.33
4.25
4.22

and 3.86

The top three scores are decent and say you CAN write.

The comment is on the 3.86 (still a damn decent score). Have you looked at it with more critical eye? Is there something you did different on that story? The comment just before that said "superb"

There may be something to learn from that comment and maybe it's just bullshit. I haven't read any of the stories. But I DO look at the comments from all angles.

Knee jerk reaction is fuck you. Considered reaction is "is there something to be learned from this?"

Thicker skins works for both of those reactions. If an anon gives me shit I look at it. If I disagree I'll say why and I've started THANKING them for commenting.

Amazingly it seems to start discussions from other readers that can support your position, or not. But the discussion tends to become more respectful and can take the sting out.

I think some of that comes from the fact that I'm discussing and not just going back and saying FU or deleting.

 

[gordo12]

Bet they don't know how to properly pronounce "forte" either. (The "e" should be silent, although the Philistines are beginning to wear that down.).

Wow, the things you learn in smutland. Having taken french and music in HS I pronounce it Fortay which is the french and musical version of it. But you're right it is pronounced fort, the e being silent when used in that context.

I've used it in stories with the accent mark.

But like so many Philistines I think I'll continue to speak it the wrong way
It just seems unnatural otherwise.

 

[NotWise]

Wow, the things you learn in smutland. Having taken french and music in HS I pronounce it Fortay which is the french and musical version of it. But you're right it is pronounced fort, the e being silent when used in that context.

"forte" used in music to mean loud is from Italian, rather than French, and it is pronounced "FOR-tay." The French word means strength and is pronounced "fort."

 

[gordo12]

"forte" used in music to mean loud is from Italian, rather than French, and it is pronounced "FOR-tay." The French word means strength and is pronounced "fort."

Yes I ran into that discussion whether it was French or Italian. I had a fair musical education and now I'm wondering....just what the f is what!

According to google it originated in Latin, then into French and subsequently English. Those pronunciations are Fort and the musical one is Fort ay.

Still from what I gather the majority of people prefer to pronounce it as Fortay. I must admit it sounds sexier

 

[KeithD]

Still from what I gather the majority of people prefer to pronounce it as Fortay. I must admit it sounds sexier

And each time I hear the "strength" meaning pronounced as "fortay," the speaker drops into a box along with those who say "me and you." I can't help dropping them there.

 

[gordo12]

And each time I hear the "strength" meaning pronounced as "fortay," the speaker drops into a box along with those who say "me and you." I can't help dropping them there.

Damn purists! But the majority (so I'm told) are sounding it as Fortay so are you standing behind the wave or in front of it? The English language is getting slaughtered all over the place. Perfection is tough.

It's a rare day that I don't learn something in this place.

 

[KeithD]

Damn purists! But the majority (so I'm told) are sounding it as Fortay so are you standing behind the wave or in front of it? The English language is getting slaughtered all over the place. Perfection is tough.

It's a rare day that I don't learn something in this place.

I'm standing at the side and shaking my head. Pronunciation doesn't grate on anything I'm doing in publishing, so I just let it waft by usually. (You should hear my wife howl, though, when a waitress/waiter saddles up to our table and addresses us as "you guys.")

 

[gordo12]

addresses us as "you guys.")

My wife goes ape shit over that one. It's a good thing (for the waitress or waiter) that I do the tipping and I'm not bothered by it. She would leave them nothing!

 

[Hypoxia]

Yes I ran into that discussion whether it was French or Italian. I had a fair musical education and now I'm wondering....just what the f is what!

According to google it originated in Latin, then into French and subsequently English. Those pronunciations are Fort and the musical one is Fort ay.

Still from what I gather the majority of people prefer to pronounce it as Fortay. I must admit it sounds sexier

Italian is the language of music. Flip through any music dictionary and note the words' origins. French, German, and Anglish barely rate. French dominated dance terminology. I dunno where other languages rule in the arts. That's worth a study. Can we get a grant?

 

[AwkwardMD]

English probably rules literature. In the modern era, anyway.

 

[Hypoxia]

English probably rules literature. In the modern era, anyway.

Only because Anglophones rule the world. Cf. aeronautics. Readers and writers of Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and a few other tongues might disagree about quality of Anglish. But how to measure?

 

[KeithD]

Only because Anglophones rule the world. Cf. aeronautics. Readers and writers of Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and a few other tongues might disagree about quality of Anglish. But how to measure?

English rules in literature only to those reading their literature in English. The Chinese and Indians--and Arabic speakers--for instance, as you note, have a very rich non-English literature output. Going back over the languages represented in the Nobel prizes in Literature might be revealing. Have to do that someday.

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes-in-literature/

 

[SimonDoom]

Bet they don't know how to properly pronounce "forte" either. (The "e" should be silent, although the Philistines are beginning to wear that down.).

I've known this since I was a kid but seldom hear people pronounce it this way. I was chagrined when, in a recent episode of Game of Thrones, Diana Riggs' character pronounced it "for-tay." I wondered whether that pronunciation was the actress's doing or encouraged by the director to match audience expectation.

 

[SimonDoom]

And each time I hear the "strength" meaning pronounced as "fortay," the speaker drops into a box along with those who say "me and you." I can't help dropping them there.

Don't you mean he drops into a cash-ay?

 

[LupusDei]

Bet they don't know how to properly pronounce "forte" either. (The "e" should be silent, although the Philistines are beginning to wear that down.).

I pronounce all English using Latvian alphabet anyway. Then, I don't pretend that you should understand a word of that gibberish.

 

[Emirus]

(You should hear my wife howl, though, when a waitress/waiter saddles up to our table and addresses us as "you guys.")

I agree with her and so does my wife. You must have been sitting at the next table to us. . Another custom we hate is our meal being interrupted by being asked “is everything is alright?” My wife, much more easy going than myself, always gives me the glance meaning “don’t you dare say no” or “why are you interrupting my eating?” I know it’s not the staff’s fault. They are just following instructions.

 

[Bramblethorn]

You're all pronouncing it wrong.

In forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated \ˈfȯr-ˌtā\ and \ˈfȯr-tē\ because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte entry 2. Their recommended pronunciation \ˈfȯrt\, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would pronounce it more similar to English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm standing at the side and shaking my head. Pronunciation doesn't grate on anything I'm doing in publishing, so I just let it waft by usually. (You should hear my wife howl, though, when a waitress/waiter saddles up to our table and addresses us as "you guys.")

Not a fan of "guys" as gender-neutral. But the underlying problem is that ever since "thee" went out of fashion, formal English doesn't distinguish between plural and singular second-person, so it's no wonder that people keep coming up with informal plurals. "Y'all" is well known, and in Australia we have "Youse".

 

[KeithD]

You're all pronouncing it wrong.

In forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated \ˈfȯr-ˌtā\ and \ˈfȯr-tē\ because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte entry 2. Their recommended pronunciation \ˈfȯrt\, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would pronounce it more similar to English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however.

Um, no. I go with "fort," because Webster's lists it first.

 

[KeithD]

Not a fan of "guys" as gender-neutral. But the underlying problem is that ever since "thee" went out of fashion, formal English doesn't distinguish between plural and singular second-person, so it's no wonder that people keep coming up with informal plurals. "Y'all" is well known, and in Australia we have "Youse".

Here in Virginia, we're good with Y'all, yes.

 

[Hypoxia]

Um, no. I go with "fort," because Webster's lists it first.

Dictionaries of music disagree with that.

Here in Virginia, we're good with Y'all, yes.

Second-person plural pronouns in English: Y'all -- Ye -- Yinz -- You -- You all -- You guys -- You lot -- You-uns -- Yous -- Youse

Not to mention, "all you fuckers".

 

[KeithD]

Dictionaries of music disagree with that.


Second-person plural pronouns in English: Y'all -- Ye -- Yinz -- You -- You all -- You guys -- You lot -- You-uns -- Yous -- Youse

Not to mention, "all you fuckers".

Well, that's nice for music. I suggest you sing it each time you use it--to be correct in that instance, I guess.

Interesting that people working with words don't seem to know what's relevant when they do so and what isn't.

 

[NotWise]

Interesting that people working with words don't seem to know what's relevant when they do so and what isn't.

Regardless of how "forte" should be pronounced in "I guess that's not your forte," the readers are going to think of it however they want. That's out of my control. All I can do is spell it.

Of course, if I'm trying to rhyme it, then that's a different problem altogether.

 

[KeithD]

It was brought up in the context of pronunciation, so I won't be going with you as you move the goalposts. I do presume you know that Webster's tells you the preferred pronunciation of such words, at least in "Merica." Webster's has a lot of help to give writers.

I've got a "how to" here helping folks to use the dictionary. Knowing what the dictionary can do for you and how to use it can free a writer from a lot of wonder and can free time/effort for the writing. The Chicago Manual of Style specifies Webster's Collegiate and Webster's International as the authorities of choice in American usage (CMS 16, 2.51).

https://www.literotica.com/s/dictionary-smarts-can-up-ratings

Moving along, having lived in a few former English colonies and having gone to a snooty university, I pronounce "neither" as "niiither" and "either" as "iiither." We could move along to tearing that one apart. Webster's goes the other way.

 

[Hypoxia]

Well, that's nice for music. I suggest you sing it each time you use it--to be correct in that instance, I guess.

Pianofortes don't sing except in cartoons. But pronouncing forte as one or two syllables depends on context. Musical or emotional forté is FOR-tay. Charles Forte is fort.

Deciding to call a personal strength a fort or a forté reveals much. Forté flexes muscles. Fort implies being walled in a bastion, hiding from the world. Sad.