None of my real life friends is cool :(

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 11:45am

I recently got to go to the Art Institute of Chicago and took the following picture:



I made it my facebook profile picture, and made my status, "If you can tell me who I'm pretending to be in this picture, I will think you are awesome."

I have 500 friends and it's been a week, and no one got it .

Some guesses: Ferris Bueller and "an art thief."
Updated On: 7/3/09 at 11:45 AM

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:00pm

Awww, TonyVincent.

For the record, that is still an awesome picture.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:01pm

You set up a litmus test to prove how cool YOU are and you're upset that people didn't pass? You got what you wanted. Proof that you're cooler than any of them, if that's how you define "cool."

I would say the person who said you're an art thief is probably cooler than anybody who would give you the "correct" answer.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:04pm

There's a similar (in tone) shot of me from High School in a rehearsal studio doing the final pose in MATM, no one got it.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:10pm

You set up a litmus test to prove how cool YOU are and you're upset that people didn't pass? You got what you wanted. Proof that you're cooler than any of them, if that's how you define "cool."

I would say the person who said you're an art thief is probably cooler than anybody who would give you the "correct" answer.

Woah, easy! It was a lighthearted question out of curiosity if any of my friends were bigger theater fans than I thought. Unfortunately, no one who saw the picture happened to get the reference, which was a bit disappointing just because I was hoping I'd be surprised and someone would know. I'm not looking down on anyone, calm down.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:21pm

That's so funny, TonyVincent! Ferris Bueller?! Haha.

And just ignore Namo.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:35pm

Wow, I love that picture.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 12:42pm

besides, Ferris didn't even look at the painting. it was Cameron who stood in front of the painting staring at it.

=P

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 1:02pm

How do you know none of your friends knew the answer? Just because they didn't type it in? I know the answer but wouldn't bother to reply.

fyi-It's "none of my real life friends IS cool"

Updated On: 7/3/09 at 01:02 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 1:14pm

Exactly Jane.

[zoraksferal]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 1:14pm

I will second Namo's second comment... whoever said art thief is pretty cool! Haha, that was an awesome guess at least.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 1:16pm

That picture is great

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 1:48pm

Oops, I hate it when I make a grammatical mistake!

And I don't know, Jane. If I get a references that obscure, and one of my friends was asking if anyone got it, I'd tell them.

Thanks for the comments. The random person I asked to take it for me framed it perfectly!

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 2:19pm

ok.. so help me out on why it's IS and not ARE... is it because IS would be referringto MY and not FRIENDS? because it's supposed to refer to the subject of the sentence, right? really.. what DOES one do with a BA in English?! haha..

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:04pm

Lasagna, when you refer to just one person or thing, you use the singular verb. When Tony said "none" of his friends, etc...he was saying "not one" of his friends, etc....Therefore, the singular "is" is called for.

Tony, thanks for changing it instead of getting all offended.

Yes, I agree, the random person made a good composition!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:09pm

Jane! You ended a sentence with a preposition! That's not every ladylike.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:13pm

Namo, again you read my mind-I was just reflecting on how I ended that sentence. I thought it was wrong, but couldn't come up with a correction. Please supply me with one!

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:22pm

i thought you are allowed to end in propositions now... that was the old way to not do it, but now it's acceptable.. is it not?

[mikem]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:32pm

You can use either "is" or "are" with "none," according to today's rules. This seems to have changed over the past 25 years or so -- one online reference says that grammar books started making the change around 1983. See the link for more info.

The preposition rule has also undergone change, and I think people are more relaxed about the issue than previously. In any event, my understanding is the rule was originally designed to avoid splitting the preposition from the object of the preposition, and "called for" is a different circumstance (which is part of what makes it hard to re-word).


is or are with none

Updated On: 7/3/09 at 03:32 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:43pm

Thanks Mike. I'm living in the dark ages with my rules. I'm still using the ones I learned in grammar school. I haven't read up on grammar since then!

Anyway, I'm glad to hear the rules have been relaxed. I noticed that using the pronouns "they, them and their" is widely used and probably acceptable now, when referring to someone whose gender is unknown. Example- "When going to someone's birthday party, you should bring them a gift."

It sounds wrong to me, but the only alternatives I can think of now are 1. ...you should bring him or her a gift. 2. .....you should bring that person a gift.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 6:30pm

"You know, you really shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition at!"
- Tracy Jordan

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 6:47pm

^ Fantastic episode

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 11:32am

Jane: You could have rephrased it, such as "Therefore, the singular "is" is necessary." Or "Therefore, the singular "is" is called for in this situation."

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 1:35pm

mike: i agree that the singular/plural rule when "none" is the subject of a sentence is ambiguous (i don't believe that it *should* be, but i understand that it *is*) ... but if you read the excerpt from the NYT style manual in the link you posted, i think that source indicates singular is preferred here. as i read the thread, tony is trying to convey that, out of 500 friends, not one got it; i.e., not one is cool.

yes, i'm a grammar nerd ... yes, i make grammatical errors and typos ... but rules is rules!

Updated On: 7/4/09 at 01:35 PM

[whatever2]

Posted: 7/4/09 at 1:36pm

oh, and: cool pic, tony!

Updated On: 7/4/09 at 01:36 PM