PDA

View Full Version : Can you say?



Pammy
10th-December-2003, 01:12 PM
"specifically in general"

or does this not make sense?

Graham will know the answer...

Px:what:

Chris
10th-December-2003, 03:27 PM
Originally posted by Pammy
"specifically in general"

or does this not make sense?

Graham will know the answer...

Px:what:

Whilst waiting for Graham to answer I'd suggest yes, you can have a general specific or you could specify generally. Or you could just generally be specific.

But generally I don't know if I would dare to be more specific on the Forum . . . ;)

Graham
10th-December-2003, 06:00 PM
Originally posted by Pammy
"specifically in general" It doesn't make sense as a standalone phrase, which isn't to say it could never make sense in a sentence. For example the following would work: In some branches of medicine, specifically in general practice, ......

So although it would be okay in that example specifically, in general I'd suggest it's a construct best avoided. :grin:

Graham
11th-December-2003, 02:51 PM
Pammy has insisted that I post a private discussion I had with her on this, so here it is.

Pammy: I was having a conversation with Boomer and I said “Well tell me what you think ….” and he said “specifically, in general what would you prefer?” so I said “specifically in general” and he said “you can’t say that” and I wondered if you could, e.g. being specific or being in general but specifically in general would be picking out the key points when talking in general without going into the detail that would be termed as being specific.

Graham: I’m afraid Boomer is right. In that context in general and specifically are being used to mean opposite things, and specifically in general doesn’t make sense. Specifically doesn’t mean key points, it means particular cases/examples, so either you provide cases/examples (in which case it’s specific) or you don’t (in which case it’s general). For example, if you were talking about traffic problems in London, you could talk about key points like pollution, congestion charges, public transport and so on, and still be general. If you talked about problems of the Hanger Lane Gyratory system that would be specific, even if you used all the same key points.

Pammy: Yes, but say it was describing a flower, specifically you could say it is a SPECIFICALLY: Rose with 5 petals and 5 sepals. The sepals and petals attach individually to the base of the receptacle, forming a floral cup, which contains, at its center, many stamens and pistils. The pistils attach to a central, knob-like elevation of the receptacle, and are surrounded by a ring of numerous stamens. The petals are broad, obovate, and rather large. A notch-like indentation is typically present at their free end, and as such, they may appear heart-shaped. In cinquefoil, the 5 sepals are immediately subtended by 5 bracts. Thus, the plant appears to have 10 rather than 5 sepals. In the strawberry, the floral cup is open, as in the flower illustrated above, and the central elevation bearing the pistils remains exposed. In the rose, the floral cup is actually more "cup-like," and envelops the central elevation of the receptacle, enclosing the ovaries. The stigmas and stamens, however, remain exposed. In the rose, this "enclosed" structure is called a "hip." Upon maturity, the ovaries form achenes. In strawberries, the "seeds" are achenes, and the fleshy part of the fruit is derived from the elevated portion of the receptacle.
IN GENERAL: a red rose.
SPECIFICALLY IN GENERAL: a climbing rose, 3ft tall, thornless, flowers in June, best position in partial sun.See where I’m coming from?

Graham: In this context “specifically” means “in particular”, “exactly”, “precisely”. And “in general” means “applying across a range of specific cases”. You have given lots of detail in the first example, but actually you are not being all that specific, as you are describing a particular category of flower (having five petals etc), whereas if you were talking specifically you might name particular varieties/families. Your second example is actually at a similar level of specific-ness to the first, even though there is less detail (interestingly it is a different category of flower to the first example i.e. red). The third one looks as if it’s actually the most specific, as it’s clearly a description of a particular variety/family of rose. Of course the difference between general and specific depends on how big you’re defining the subject to be – in a discussion about flowers, “a rose” would be specific, but in a discussion about roses, “a rose” would be general.

Dreadful Scathe
11th-December-2003, 03:33 PM
Originally posted by Graham
Hanger Lane Gyratory system

Wash your mouth out with soap young man!!

Can I just point out that YOUR text should be pink not Pammys, thats a serious miscalculation on your part surely :).

Other than notice the pretty colours, I never managed to read any of that - the general specifics were to boring :D.

Graham
11th-December-2003, 03:45 PM
Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
Can I just point out that YOUR text should be pink not Pammys, thats a serious miscalculation on your part surely :). I see where you're coming from, but I'm only pink on the forum, and the discussion was via email. :na: And stop calling me Shirley. :wink:

Pammy
11th-December-2003, 04:14 PM
Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
Wash your mouth out with soap young man!!

Can I just point out that YOUR text should be pink not Pammys, thats a serious miscalculation on your part surely :).

Other than notice the pretty colours, I never managed to read any of that - the general specifics were to boring :D.

He was trying to get round me after mentioning Hanger Lane. I worked on the edge of that darn roundabout for five long years :tears: :tears: :tears:

Well, not RIGHT on the edge, in some office delightfully positioned for a fantastic view point... :blush:

Boomer
13th-December-2003, 06:53 AM
Originally posted by Pammy
... I worked on the edge ...for five long years :tears: :tears: :tears:
...
And have lived on the edge forever?

PS, told you :waycool:

Pammy
15th-December-2003, 01:10 PM
Originally posted by Boomer
And have lived on the edge forever?

Indeed I have; and so would anyone, with someone who can eat 22 sausages in one go :what: :really:; it's often like walking alone a knife edge :tears: :blush:

Oh and as far as you told me so, bugger off! :wink:

Px