python vs c#

[Sam Holden]

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004, Dave Brueck <dave at pythonapocrypha.com> wrote:
> Tim Roberts wrote:
>> Sam Holden <sholden at flexal.cs.usyd.edu.au> wrote:
>> 
>>>Steve Holden <steve at holdenweb.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>This particular pickle is a disagreement of number: since there is only 
>>>>one village, the correct slogan should be "... is missing its idiot". If 
>>>>you thought it was "... it's idiot" then take two demerits and refrain 
>>>>from posting on c.l.py for 48 hours.
>>>
>>>Their isn't necessarily plural so that isn't a problem. Since arguing
>>>grammar isn't something I can do successfully, I'll instead resort
>>>to an appeal to authority and say that one of the authors of 
>>>"The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language" agrees with me:
> [snip]
>
>> Second, "their" is allowed as a singular pronoun only in those cases where
>> a gender-specific pronoun is called for, but the gender is unclear or would
>> be sexist.  Instead of "Everyone brought his Python manual," we are now
>> allowed to say "Everyone brought their Python manual."
>
> It's now correct to use "their" in that way now? Yay! I'm glad the way I've 
> always used it is finally correct. Take THAT, my English teachers of days long 
> gone! Now if I could only convince them to happily split infinitives...

>From the same author and same blog I referenced before, an entry talking about
his book "A Student's Introduction to English Grammar" says the following:

        The other shocking thing is more substantive. I just did a
        global search of the entire electroscript and found that nowhere
        does the book make the slightest mention of the concept "split
        infinitive".

His proposed solution is to add to the glossary:

        Split infinitive: No such thing. Don't be a loony.

For the full rant:
	http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001466.html

He really is a Professor of Linguistics and not some elaborate web hoax :)

-- 
Sam Holden