In message , Mayayana
writes:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote

| I don't _think_ your inversion is correct - try it with "includes":
| X includes Y and Z, but X is included of Y and Z? I think not. (Wouldn't
| work with "contains", either.)

My Websters dictionary lists both usages:

1) include. contain.

2) to consist of (a nation comprising 13 states)

I like; no "of".


3) to make up; form; constitute (a nation comprised of 13 states)

At the end of # 3 it then says this: "In this
sense regarded by some as a loose usage."

I'm one of those some. (Is that grammatical?)

I kid you not. Though one wonders what they
mean by loose here, doesn't one? It sounds like
a passive-aggressive moral judgement, accusing
someone of conjugating with shady characters.

Lovely!

Then again, what isn't loose by British standards?

(Don't talk to me about British Standards. The British Standards
Institution charges for them. [IMO standards, like patents and several
other similar things, should be free.])


| I think comprise (and include, for that
| matter) are verbs that can't _be_ passivated.

I do hope they shoot people in England for such
lawless verbification.

I am _really_ enjoying your use of language (-:.

Interestingly, passivate actually is a word. It
means to put a protective coating on metal.

I actually knew that (hence my "(?!)"). I don't think it ever meant make
passive though - not of a verb anyway!

One of the MS pages about their rewards
suggests that people can visit the rewards
options page when they feel "spendy". But

I rather like "spendy"!

MS are comprised of techies, who have never

(You did that "comprised of" deliberately, didn't you!)

been famour for literacy. MS have a long history
of artlessly contorting the language in the
interest of marketing. Even Bill Gates, who
comprises the most geniussy guy in his own mind,
seems to limit himself to only one, adolescent,
superlative: super. As in, "That chick is super
well comprised."

My parents would have loved your love of language.

There was a BBC comedy series (called "The Fall and Rise of Reginald
Perrin" - I'd recommend it), in which there were a couple of young men
characters; when a boss said something, one of them would almost always
say "great", to which the other would inevitably respond "super". After
a reversal of fortune of the company, they got jobs similar to what
they'd had before, but changed to "marvellous" and "terrific".

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

so that the vendors can "serve you better". As if you were a tennis ball, I
guess. - Wolf K, in alt.windows7.general, 2014-7-21