Author photo

By Vicki Sternfeld-Rossi
The Times 

Rules – why?

 

I have been told that the “rule of thumb” is not to plant flowers and summer vegetables until Mother’s Day, or at the earliest, May 1. First, what exactly does “rule of thumb” mean? Do thumbs have rules? Are there rules about thumbs and what they can or cannot do?

In general, I am a decent citizen and rule-follower; I wear seat belts, wear masks when mandated or when I travel, pick up after my dog, don’t litter, and stop for pedestrians. Some rules I have learned to follow the hard way. The speeding ticket I got for driving 85 mph in a 65-mph zone taught me how to use cruise control on my car. I’ve been ticket free ever since; knock on wood!

I recently started reading a book, The Mother Tongue English and How it Got That Way, by one of my favorite authors, Bill Bryson. It’s educational but in a very entertaining way. For those whose first language is not English, consider how difficult it can be just to use the word “fly.” “Let’s fly to New York?” “Excuse me, sir, your fly’s unzipped,” and of course, “I will swat that fly!” And then there is telling a nemesis, “Go fly a kite, jerk!” Or, as Mary Poppins lyrically suggests, “Let’s go fly a kite.”

Born in Italy, Daniel, of course, speaks Italian. He took eight years of Latin and learned French in school. Then he traveled and lived in Australia and New Zealand, where he learned Aussie English. Eventually, moving to Sweden, where he learned Swedish.

Now and then, I need to translate his words. He calls his sweater a jumper, and sometimes the car’s trunk is the “boot.” At times, his accent stumps me until I realize what he is referring to.

Learning the rules to write or speak can be difficult even for those who do claim English as our primary language. Although we may know the rules about which to use, “may” or “can,” “good” or “well,” and “who” or “whom,” they’re rarely followed. It’s humbling listening to people speak or write in English proficiently when it’s not their first language.

The rules of grammar have always challenged me. On the other hand, my sister was so adept at English grammar that she found an error in the textbook in fifth grade. Her teacher insisted she send a note to the publisher. They agreed with her and issued a peel-off correction page.

An article I recently read that was an author’s ode to her sixth-grade English teacher reiterated one significant lesson she learned, which I keep in mind: “If a reader doesn’t understand what you are trying to say, that is your fault, not the reader’s.”

Luckily, I usually write about my garden, life in Waitsburg, Los Angeles trips, the joy of living with a chef, and eating what we grow. I hope it’s easy for most people to sympathize with my garden trials and tribulations, freezing pipes, appreciate my love of tennis, and living in Waitsburg and wine country.

When I started writing this column, acknowledging my lack of grammar rules knowledge, I bought at least ten books on writing and grammar. I have read none! I have learned that a good editor is worth their weight in gold. My punctuation errors get fixed, and grammatical errors that serve to clarify are left intact.

I can break some rules, even though I may not choose to do so. (Got that one right). And yes, I planted tomatoes before May 1.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/25/2024 08:54