posted by davidt on Monday June 27 2005, @11:00AM
Fran sends the link:

The Guardian - James Murphy
Now playing at my house ...
Saturday June 25, 2005

The Smiths

"Everyone has a Smiths moment; you don't have to have been around at the time they first came out. I don't like meeting my heroes but I did meet Morrissey when I interviewed him for a magazine last year. It was horrifying. He corrected me on my grammar. I referred to something as being 'what I was proudest of '. He sneered in outrage and said, 'Or most proud of?' His antagonism seemed a little sad and contrived."
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  • "He corrected me on my grammar. I referred to something as being 'what I was proudest of '. He sneered in outrage and said, 'Or most proud of?'"

    I'm going to reveal myself to be something of a grammatical nitwit here and ask: what's exactly wrong with saying 'what I was proudest of' ...?

    I'm not sure I understand Morrissey's correction..

    Me help you will please?

    Anonymous -- Monday June 27 2005, @11:19AM (#168780)
  • How about "of which I am most proud" ?
    slide by the wayside -- Monday June 27 2005, @12:30PM (#168803)
    (User #5128 Info | http://lantner.net/david)
    • Good catch by Anonymous (Score:0) Monday June 27 2005, @07:54PM
  • He (Score:2, Insightful)

    Should've just laughed it off. I love encountering grammar whores, they give me hope that the English language isn't deteriorating completely. Even if my grammar/spelling/punctuation can be atrocious at times, i wouldn't mind it being pointed out, & slapped across the face a little bit with a Dictionary.

    I'm not even going to get started on Bridget Jones's Diary (WHHHY would they do that to me?!)
    Keely -- Monday June 27 2005, @12:50PM (#168806)
    (User #13344 Info)
    • Re:He by WhyteGrrrl (Score:1) Monday June 27 2005, @02:40PM
      • Re:He by Keely (Score:1) Wednesday June 29 2005, @06:42AM
    • Re:He by Anonymous (Score:0) Tuesday June 28 2005, @03:25AM
      • Re:He by Keely (Score:1) Tuesday June 28 2005, @09:06AM
        • Re:He by Biscuit Buscemi (Score:1) Tuesday June 28 2005, @06:30PM
    • Intersting by Anonymous (Score:0) Wednesday June 29 2005, @01:53AM
      • Re:Intersting by Keely (Score:1) Wednesday June 29 2005, @03:36AM
        • Re:Interesting by Anonymous (Score:0) Wednesday June 29 2005, @01:38PM
  • It usually annoys me when people get pernickety about little errors in spelling and grammar; probably because I'm an English student, yet I'm terrible at both. Not only that, but language is never static; Shakespeare used double negatives, made up words and spellings and nobody sneers at him. However, I'd be prepared to overlook being irritated for two people, Morrissey and Stephen Fry; both of whom are too damn intelligent and witty to be contradicted. Besides which, I've noticed this trend in people who meet their so called heroes, whereby they have to throw in a little jibe amongst all their sycophantic gushing. "Sad and contrived"? The day I think any less of Moz is the day I meet him and he either insults me or spits in my eye. Then again, I might actually feel quite privileged.
    Mozzersgirl -- Monday June 27 2005, @03:23PM (#168839)
    (User #14229 Info)
    "There's more evil in the charts than in an al-Qaeda suggestion box" - Bill Bailey
  • Regardless of the grammar, it's a bloody stupid and predictable question. No wonder he got riled.
    Anonymous -- Monday June 27 2005, @04:09PM (#168851)
  • of Morrissey being rude and abnoxious
    How many times do we need to see it, this guy is a jerk and a snob and he is simply vulgar and not nice
    Anonymous -- Monday June 27 2005, @05:16PM (#168863)
  • end a sentence with a preposition. Murphy used improper grammar, but so did Morrissey.
    girlafraid33 -- Monday June 27 2005, @05:33PM (#168868)
    (User #14185 Info)
  • Perhaps, Morrissey shouldn't be such a pedant; "Cemetry" Gates, anyone?!?!
    Miranda_Grey <{mirandagrey} {at} {earthlink.net}> -- Tuesday June 28 2005, @02:05AM (#168913)
    (User #9935 Info)
  • Poor Morrissey, feeling he has to intimidate others because of his own educational inferiorities.

    He's a fucking pop star, not Roland Barthes.
    Anonymous -- Tuesday June 28 2005, @03:39AM (#168918)
  • Is he really that intelligent? Or does he just like to think he is?
    davidtwigg -- Tuesday June 28 2005, @04:39AM (#168924)
    (User #8102 Info)
  • But maybe he just didn't like the guy to begin with. I'm sure if this guy was Oscar Wilde Morrissey wouldn't have corrected him.
    Anonymous -- Tuesday June 28 2005, @09:29AM (#168955)
  • "So how did I end up Attached to this person When his sense of humour Gets gradually worser?"
    thirsty fists <[email protected]> -- Tuesday June 28 2005, @12:32PM (#168981)
    (User #149 Info)
    "world's ugliest boy"
  • Like someone said, Morrissey probably just thought the question was dumb and was momentarily irked. I feel like I'm going off-topic now after that concentrated scrutiny of only one question, but did anyone read what Murphy wrote in the current article which I found fairly perceptive? Like this:

    "...But where once stood David Bowie now stands Chris Martin. He's good-looking, a great songwriter but he's going, 'Shit, how did I get here? I used to worry about sounding too much like Radiohead but what do I do now?'"

    Also, he found out, from his earlier interview with Morrissey, that the Velvet Underground were on top of the Moz' list of influences. Has anyone else heard the similarity between the introductory couple of bars both to TIALTNGO, and to 'There she goes again' by V.U.? Hmmm...
    goinghome -- Tuesday June 28 2005, @02:06PM (#168994)
    (User #12673 Info)
  • lol OH this is cute!
    I laughed so much.
    My Grammer is terrible to.. and The worse is that I like to make up words like Bestest! lol
    OH well...
    Mr Morrissey must be very English, or has watched My Fair Lady once to many times;)
    Aww Any which way you got to have a conversation with this wonderful man..
    It was nice of you to ask and to share your expirience.
                                                Truly Enjoyed it
                                                    Marisela
    Marisela -- Wednesday June 29 2005, @11:50AM (#169088)
    (User #1865 Info)
  • The funny thing is, from "James Dean Is Not Dead," and his pop career alone, Morrissey has shown to be pretty loose with grammar.

    Morrissey is the last person that should be playing the role of the English teacher. How ridiculous and pretentious.

    Seriously, if he keeps up with this persona, then he will soon become the loathsome character that many have already pegged him to be. It's as if he is gradually fulfilling a prophecy dictated by his enemies. Like many celecbrities, he is so detached form the avergae person that he probably doesn't even realize how he is acting.
    Anonymous -- Wednesday June 29 2005, @04:41PM (#169147)
  • Wot? (Score:2, Funny)

    But the trouble is, the bloke wot said it presumably earns his crust as a writer. So... should be able to at least speak proper. Flamin' Ada!*

    Language is a living thing, and dictionaries and grammars are 'descriptive' rather than 'prescriptive' (or maybe I mean 'proscriptive'...), but at the same time... I get really REALLY annoyed by apostrophes being in the wrong place, and obvious spelling mistakes. Because I'm a pain and refuse to admit that I make mistakes as well. ;)

    * A special prize to the person who can spot the split infinitive, and then explain why split infinitives are thought of as grammatically incorrect, and why they should in fact be allowed.
    Helvissa -- Thursday June 30 2005, @06:39AM (#169192)
    (User #12421 Info | http://www.prettypettythieves.com/)
    • Re:Wot? by king leer (Score:1) Thursday June 30 2005, @10:53PM
      • Re:Wot? (Score:2, Funny)

        My university tutor explained the split infinitive thing thusly:

        In Latin, it's impossible to split an infinitive because it's one word, like it is in French. But in English, an infinitive is 2 words. Fusspot Latin grammarians said that because you couldn't split it in Latin, then you shouldn't split it in English because... erm... they probably had a thing for men in leather miniskirts.

        Wow, 3 years of university wasn't wasted on me. :-0
        Helvissa -- Friday July 01 2005, @07:17AM (#169328)
        (User #12421 Info | http://www.prettypettythieves.com/)
  • I think that we need to accept the fact that this is a half remembered anecdote from this man's past, biased by his personal feelings for Morrissey and doesn't really merit the analysis we are giving it.

    I know it's been a slow news week but...
    KenBarlow -- Friday July 01 2005, @02:20PM (#169363)
    (User #13803 Info)
    There is no such thing in life as Norman
  • Da last guy dat cuh-rected my grammah was fitted wit cement shoes dat same day.

    Ahhh, grammah school mem-uh-rees!
    Frank Sinatra -- Friday July 01 2005, @03:32PM (#169366)
    (User #2616 Info)
    Ol'Blue Balls
  • If Morrissey corrected me in a rude way, I'd tell him to fuck off. I don't care how many quality tunes you've written, a bit of common courtesy never goes amiss.
    davidtwigg -- Wednesday June 29 2005, @04:13AM (#169056)
    (User #8102 Info)
  • Eh? Why does this comment get the minus one treatment? Bit arse-licky perhaps but it makes some valid points.

    No fair! How's that for grammar....?
    Anonymous -- Friday July 01 2005, @04:39AM (#169315)
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