XPost: alt.usage.english, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: hayesstw@telkomsa.net   
      
   On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:16:22 -0500, msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote:   
      
   >"Derek":   
   >>> I was watching the first DVD of "Sherlock" last night and was struck   
   >>> by something that has been drilled into me for decades.  Sherlock   
   >>> corrects a man who says that without Sherlock's help he'll be "hung".   
   >>> Sherlock pretentiously points out that it's unlikely, though there's a   
   >>> good chance of being "hanged". ...   
   >   
   >Jim Deutch:   
   >> There are lots of such words, alas. My favorite example:   
   >>   
   >> "Though I pled guilty to the charges against me, I pleaded with the   
   >> Judge to be lenient in my sentence."   
   >   
   >As far as I'm concerned, "hung" is fine in both uses (I accept "hanged"   
   >as an alternative) and "pleaded" is fine in both uses (and I see "pled"   
   >as an error, though I realize it's standard in some places).   
      
   I see being hung at the Tate as being positive and pleasant, and being hanged   
   at Tyburn as negative and unpleasant.   
      
   Being hung at Tyburn would be odd and rather pointless, and being hanged at   
   the Tate bizarre.   
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/litmain.htm   
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