Four ways to say what you really mean.

[Wakannai]

Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Massachusetts.

One of my old "bar tricks" is "How many states are there in the United States?" -- the above four are officially designated (e.g., in their state constitutions, etc.) as "commonwealths" and the answer is thus 46.


Tony

Hrm, could swear Maryland said Commonwealth on the "Welcome to Maryland" sign, but it's been a while since I drove through.

[two_heads_talking]

I found this while webserfing..

"All of the fifty states are "states", as defined in the federal Constitution. Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky are also commonwealths, because this is the official name used in their state Constitutions. So the simple answer is that commonwealths are commonwealths because they chose to be so, but let's try to understand why . . . it wasn't a choice that came out of nowhere.

According to the website of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: At the time of the American Revolution, "commonwealth" was a popular term for describing a state/nation where the people came together by mutual consent. It was a term with democratic overtones, in contrast to the monarchic system that the colonies were trying to throw off. John Adams put the word "commonwealth" into his 1780 draft of the Massachusetts Constitution and it was accepted, as opposed to earlier rejected versions that used the term "state". So that's why Massachusetts is a commonwealth. Given that Virginia and Pennsylvania would have written their Constitutions around the same time, a similar idea might have factored in for them. Kentucky came later, so it's anyone's guess, but it's still one of the older states... it seems possible that the same idea could apply.

I hope this answers the question. I'll leave you with a slightly related bit of trivia: the official name of Rhode Island is actually "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". Our smallest state is composed of what were originally (albeit briefly) two separate territories. "

[AJBryant]

The official name of Rhode Island is actually "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

The dinkiest state and the longest name.

Compensating much?


Tony

[two_heads_talking]

The official name of Rhode Island is actually "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

The dinkiest state and the longest name.

Compensating much?


Tony

I think Rhode Island needs to be sunk.. Underwater demolitions team activate..

[furrykef]

I was only talking about the expression "I'd rather," and not the use of the apostrophe-d contraction in general. If you think about it, rather isn't a verb, so using "would" with it doesn't make much sense.

Well, using "had" with it wouldn't make any more sense, because it's not a noun either. "Rather" is an adverb; the "would" goes with the verb that goes after it. "I would rather die" is equivalent to "I would preferably die".

I've never heard the expression "I had rather..."

- Kef

[sharon333]

I have not hears that expression either.

[AJBryant]

http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/054.html
http://www.bartleby.com/68/76/2876.html

[john2]

I’m personally skepticle about clear speach… I think the point is rather to try to speak as clear as you speak… which ironically means being willing to be vague. You would find it surprising how well you udnerstand shakespear concidering how long ago shakespear wrote it… you will be more surprised how badly yo understand his what he say’s becase of the way he say’s it despite the language he’s using being just the same.
Well firstly I am skepticle on the issue of ‘clear’ communication I think more of… if two people have the same ideas they end p communicating… if too people don't the requirement, if people have very different ideas of what something means… then communication is tricky if they have very similar idea’s on something their just comes a point very well over all— I think people tend to worry that their not quite communicating when they actually are communicating at-least by many standard’s,[myself ncluded], if clarity of communication is anything to go by…… I find java vague. „ which says more about me then about java.[Trying to sort of figure out what my base line is when it comes to that feeling of vagueness I get all the time regardless. Java or mathematics is the base line level of clarity I’m okay with surprisingly enough.]

[richvh]

I’m personally skepticle about clear speach

Why does this not surprise me?

[john2]

I’m personally skepticle about clear speach

Why does this not surprise me?

——Because I don't always speak very clearly,… I did edit it saying I’m also cynical.
—And yes because I stated similar things before… so dejavu,[did I spell that right?]
——Any because I haven't changed my mind abut this in several years.
And I have dyslexia to worry about, .
Lol… besides— With that level of pedanticity their starts to become dialectical discussions.