P.S.: Gosh, that bio is awful. How long have we had the "WHEN SHE'S NOT X, SHE'S Y AND Z" cliche in author biographies? I now want to write "When she's not working, Quiara is eating, drinking, sleeping, locomoting, pissing, shitting, or engaging in leisure activities."
I hadn't heard of stinge-watching, but that's what we do, because like Charles we find few things to hold our attention and when we do, we ration them.
It's a good thing you discarded all those M&Ms: the green ones can turn you gay. I share your annoyance with your editor. If I want to be funny I'll do it myself.
I have always been against binge-watching. Unless it's the final couple of episodes and I want to get to the end.
However, I recently encountered a maddening problem. Since I have a satellite service and a DVR, I can record entire series and watch them over months or years. One could call this extreme stinge-watching. I had stacked up the final season of Snowpiercer on AMC channel, one of my favorite shows. I slacked off watching about midseason because of mental difficulties due to recent electoral events. When I recovered enough to finish it up, I discovered that the rat bastards at AMC had somehow reached into my DVR and changed the (previously free) recordings to subscription only! I was now supposed to pay to watch the episodes.
How is that legal? Also, how does that even make sense? Wouldn't it be better for them to charge when it is new and make it free later? I solved this predicament in two ways. First I signed up for a free trial of AMC+ and binge-watched the remainder of the show and then canceled. Second, I will never watch AMC ever again.
"LazyTown" was the subject of a lot of internet memes about a decade ago -- "yar har, deedle da dee, do what you want cuz a pirate is free!" being the most famous one -- but I have always had a soft spot for Stingy's theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTh3iI0is8
(His song is also of linguistic interest for repopularizing the word "triagonal," apparently!)
Thanks to readers Michael V. and Ben Z., who caught my error in the Urban Dictionary link! And here's a little bonus for you: Ben Zimmer's Wall Street Journal column about "binge-watching" from August 2013, when the term was new: https://archive.is/ITU7U Ben wrote: "The earliest examples I have found appear in discussions on Usenet about 'The X-Files,' which made its debut on Fox in 1993. By 1996, one fan was sending out a request for videotapes of past seasons that he and his friends wanted to devour: 'I'd predict that there'd be some MASSIVE binge watching right away!'"
Jess: I'm not a grammar expert -- my subjects are names, brands, and the language of commerce. Try Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty) or pick up a copy of "Dreyer's English" by Benjamin Dreyer, available in US and UK editions. (Benjamin's Substack is terrific, too!)
I’m Harrison, an ex fine dining industry line cook. My stack "The Secret Ingredient" adapts hit restaurant recipes (mostly NYC and L.A.) for easy home cooking.
P.S.: Gosh, that bio is awful. How long have we had the "WHEN SHE'S NOT X, SHE'S Y AND Z" cliche in author biographies? I now want to write "When she's not working, Quiara is eating, drinking, sleeping, locomoting, pissing, shitting, or engaging in leisure activities."
I hadn't heard of stinge-watching, but that's what we do, because like Charles we find few things to hold our attention and when we do, we ration them.
It's a good thing you discarded all those M&Ms: the green ones can turn you gay. I share your annoyance with your editor. If I want to be funny I'll do it myself.
Does that make observing the current state of US politics cringe-watching?
I have always been against binge-watching. Unless it's the final couple of episodes and I want to get to the end.
However, I recently encountered a maddening problem. Since I have a satellite service and a DVR, I can record entire series and watch them over months or years. One could call this extreme stinge-watching. I had stacked up the final season of Snowpiercer on AMC channel, one of my favorite shows. I slacked off watching about midseason because of mental difficulties due to recent electoral events. When I recovered enough to finish it up, I discovered that the rat bastards at AMC had somehow reached into my DVR and changed the (previously free) recordings to subscription only! I was now supposed to pay to watch the episodes.
How is that legal? Also, how does that even make sense? Wouldn't it be better for them to charge when it is new and make it free later? I solved this predicament in two ways. First I signed up for a free trial of AMC+ and binge-watched the remainder of the show and then canceled. Second, I will never watch AMC ever again.
Sorry for the rant.
Well, that certainly seems low down and creepy.
M&Ms are pointless
100%
Having just binged all 8 (!) seasons of Homeland, I wish I had stinged instead. I am bereft! Characters as friends who disappear too soon.
"LazyTown" was the subject of a lot of internet memes about a decade ago -- "yar har, deedle da dee, do what you want cuz a pirate is free!" being the most famous one -- but I have always had a soft spot for Stingy's theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTh3iI0is8
(His song is also of linguistic interest for repopularizing the word "triagonal," apparently!)
Oooh, love this.
I'll take your M&Ms, Nancy. I stinge-watch mostly because there's so little that interests me.
Great post!
You certainly weren't stingy with background!
OK, I'll show myself out. Always nice to be here, tho.
Thanks to readers Michael V. and Ben Z., who caught my error in the Urban Dictionary link! And here's a little bonus for you: Ben Zimmer's Wall Street Journal column about "binge-watching" from August 2013, when the term was new: https://archive.is/ITU7U Ben wrote: "The earliest examples I have found appear in discussions on Usenet about 'The X-Files,' which made its debut on Fox in 1993. By 1996, one fan was sending out a request for videotapes of past seasons that he and his friends wanted to devour: 'I'd predict that there'd be some MASSIVE binge watching right away!'"
hi, nancy, love all you do...what a clever, funny lass you are.
you would know this. what is it called, the confusion of subject/object pronouns, very common, like,
"She lectured her and I about..."? where could i read about this? maybe fowler and others have written about it.
what do you think of this, does it bother you? is it important?
thanks, jess
Jess: I'm not a grammar expert -- my subjects are names, brands, and the language of commerce. Try Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty) or pick up a copy of "Dreyer's English" by Benjamin Dreyer, available in US and UK editions. (Benjamin's Substack is terrific, too!)
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/232363/dreyers-english-by-benjamin-dreyer/
So “binge-drinking” or “going on a drinking binge” is actually redundant? 🤔
Just the opposite, I would think?
Gonna go stinge-watch now haha.
I’m Harrison, an ex fine dining industry line cook. My stack "The Secret Ingredient" adapts hit restaurant recipes (mostly NYC and L.A.) for easy home cooking.
check us out:
https://thesecretingredient.substack.com