Right, you lot* are wordy clever types
Please could you solve an argument, is pre-prepared a valid word?

We say yes, someone else says no based entirely on the basis that prepare means to pare something in advance, and you cant pre pre pare anything.

*well some of you are
(Halfy By light alone, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:33, 59 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

the pre isn't a preffix, prepare is a word in its own right
so it can be preprepare

however, the pre is kind of redundant
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:36, Reply)

This is correct.
cf Pan-fry.

As opposed to fried in an old shoe, one presumes...
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:41, Reply)

Is this thread just a way to spot the grammer nazi's so you know who to put on ignore?

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:45, Reply)

Grammar nazi's what?

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:48, Reply)

*punches air*
Priceless
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:49, Reply)

guess we know who is going on ignore then ;-)

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:50, Reply)

Totally worth it.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:52, Reply)

"grammer nazi's"?

( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:49, Reply)

a cunning ploy
to avoid being on Ze list!

Edit: settled ok in the new abode?
(Halfy By light alone, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:50, Reply)

YES I AM VERY STUPID AND THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:51, Reply)

Can you set that as your sig?

( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:52, Reply)

your not the boss of me

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:55, Reply)

that was also a deliberate error before people smugly reply

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:56, Reply)

bit late for that
for what it's worth, I smugly suspected it was a deliberate error
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:57, Reply)

Where are my five internet pounds,
You cheap-arse son-of-a-bitch?
( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:59, Reply)

this is the first time I've seen you since chompy cocked things up
how do you want payment?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:00, Reply)

Hmmm...
A shiny new CD?
( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:01, Reply)

ha!
those are worth real money I'm afraid :-P

have this instead:

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:01, Reply)

Damn...
How much do you want for one, anyway?
Reserve me one, and I'll pick it up when I come and stay.
( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:07, Reply)

Fiver
don't think I'll need to reserve one. I can't see us running out!
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:11, Reply)

Ok, good stuff.

( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:13, Reply)

you should come down for tar barrels on the 5th
you'd fucking love it. I'm crashing at a mate's place that night, so have to make sure he is coming down before I rock up to his parents' gaff. They'd let us stay anyway, but it's only polite....
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:21, Reply)

I have no idea what you're talking about,
Sorry.
Tar?
(Kaol - Scourge of Wales, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:22, Reply)

holy shit
www.otterytarbarrels.co.uk/

take a small town. shove 25 thousand people into the streets. give massive flaming barrels of tar to inbred maniacs. liberally douse with booze. enjoy.

the photos on that site really don't do it justice
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:23, Reply)

Holy fucking shit!
That looks amazing!
I think I'm busy that day though :(
(Kaol - Scourge of Wales, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:27, Reply)

that's a shame
it's incredible. best appreciated when you are with a local really so you get to the best spots for the best barrels. I went to school in that town, and I know some of the guys who carry the barrels.

some of them are about as long as your arms can reach and almost as wide and they run as fast as they can with them in narrow streets and stuff.

it's on a friday next year, so keep it free. it's a long time in advance, but it's worth it
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:30, Reply)

I'm well up for that!

(Kaol - Scourge of Wales, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:35, Reply)

of all the people I know who haven't been
I think you will love it the most.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:41, Reply)

Hey to be fair, I don't think I fucked things up.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:01, Reply)

artistic licence

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:03, Reply)

REALLY?

( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:03, Reply)

Don't say that :(
I'm not the one still living with their ex.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:05, Reply)

ex?
have I missed something?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:06, Reply)

No the girl who told me to fuck off.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:07, Reply)

ah
it's about you again. typical.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:10, Reply)

I didn't bring it up you cunt

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:12, Reply)

touchy. It was only in jest
don't make me call you "my man" again.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:14, Reply)

Er...
I hope I'm not...
( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:06, Reply)

check your email

(PsychoChomp, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:07, Reply)

Oh fuck
:(
( Cawl, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:08, Reply)

finally you admit it!
a triumph for all involved.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:52, Reply)

A blonde moment?

(Halfy By light alone, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:53, Reply)

no no
just one of those niggling rows that we would like sorted
(Halfy By light alone, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:49, Reply)

In these pedantic situations
I sometimes like to say, "hold on a minute, hold on... Why are you being a pedantic prick?"

Not really! I don't have the spine!
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:45, Reply)

This thread is sponsored by my mother
Hear this and her other classic hits 'different FROM', 'you can't centre AROUND something' and many, many more - every supper time, until you leave home....

...and remember, Monty's Grammatical Mother is NOT available in the shops
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 14:58, Reply)

actually
there is nowt wrong with "different from". it's a perfectly acceptable form that i hate my students using - it just sounds daft, that's all
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 17:04, Reply)

That's the point
'different to' or the American 'different than' are wrong, 'different from' is correct - hence my dear mama correcting us in that manner.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 17:08, Reply)

A serious answer
'Prepare' is from the Latin, praeparare.

Prae - before (hence the prefix pre-)
Parare - procure (or similar)

So it's to procure something in advance, literally.

Therefore, pre-prepare is nonsense. Like pre-boarding a plane. You're not pre-boarding. You're just boarding first.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:01, Reply)

and pan frying.
Just saying, like.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:13, Reply)

You don't have to fry in a pan.
You can fry in any cooking receptacle just by adding oil.
( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:18, Reply)

A sieve?

(Kaol - Scourge of Wales, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:21, Reply)

not really a cooking receptacle
unless you use it in a deep fat fryer
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:24, Reply)

I didn't say it would work well.

( girlinthehole, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:25, Reply)

a basket in a deep fat-fryer is not a "pan"
There is a difference

Plus pan fry is two words so can't be compared to pepreparing.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:30, Reply)

I may 'spoon-fry' Bowie's eye
once I've popped it out.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:25, Reply)

Hmm
That's verging on being tautological but falls just on the acceptable side of the fence, to my mind.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:27, Reply)

On the subject of words
I forgot to mention this at the time, but a couple of weeks back I saw a sign at an airport security door advising staff that they required a 'Personal PIN Number' to access the area inside.

It's not everyday you see an example of Redundant RAS Syndrome. I was quite pleased.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:25, Reply)

excellent stuff

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:31, Reply)

I used the simplest way and
couldn't find it on any free online (real) dictionary. Also, it wasn't in the old Oxford English Dictionary my wife has in her office (called her up to check).

Therefore, it aint a word.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Wed 21 Oct 2009, 15:31, Reply)