[geeks] Anybody can borrow me $10k? hehe....

[s at avoidant.org]

Joshua D Boyd wrote:


> Yes, the subject was pretty bad english.  "Anybody can lend me $10k?"
> is also poor.  A better way to put it would be "Can anybody lend me
> $10k?", or "May I please borrow $10k from somebody?".
> 
> However, certain patterns of bad english have become common over the
> years.  They are generally to be avoided, although they often aren't by
> people who should no better, but think it the best use of school is to
> do what the teacher says not to do.  These patterns are also used for
> dramatic effect.  I'm hoping that was the intent here, but I don't see
> what the effect was supposed to be.



Um, I'm not Tom, so I can't speak for what his intent was, but I do know 
him in the flesh, and can vouch for the fact that he's not a native 
English speaker. Perhaps that's a literal translation of what would be 
correct syntax and sentence structure in his native german? I don't 
know, and he's not around at the moment to ask.

I just assumed it was his ESL at work and dismissed it as such.


---sambo