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2005-12-10 22:44:38
From: JJ
(San Francisco)
"There is no morality in war. The winner wrote the history, passed the judgement, shot or hung the loser. In war, the only crime is to lose, the rest is sentimental nonsense."
－－ "Winds of War" by Herman Wouk
Thanks to Orpheus' nice explaination of the difference between hanged and hung, I went to amazon.com and utilized their awesome "a9" search capabilities, and here is how Herman Wouk had put it.
"There is no morality in world history. There are only tides of change borne on violence and death. The victors write the history, pass the judgments, and hang or shoot the losers. In truth history is an endless chain of hegemony shifts, based on the decay of old political structures and the rise of new ones. Wars are the fever crises of those shifts. Wars are inevitable; there will always be wars; and the one war crime is to lose. That is the reality, and the rest is sentimental nonsense."
－－ "The Winds of War" by Herman Wouk
| 2005-12-11 21:43:49: Orpheus
Sorry to be anal again, but a better spelling should be: "hanged the loser", not "hung the loser". Different meanings of the word HANG are configured differently in tenses. See Merriam-Webster:
"For both transitive and intransitive senses 1b the past and past participle hung, as well as hanged, is standard. Hanged is most appropriate for official executions <he was to be hanged, cut down whilst still alive ... and his bowels torn out -- Louis Allen> but hung is also used <gave orders that she should be hung -- Peter Quennell>. Hung is more appropriate for less formal hangings <by morning I'll be hung in effigy -- Ronald Reagan>. "
This used to be a downright mis-spelling, but so many people make the mistake that the lexicographer sighs and starts to accept it, albeit reluctantly. It is still not "good English", though.
You know, JJ, I hold you up by a higher standard...... ;-)
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| 2005-12-11 22:24:02: JJ
(San Francisco)Oops.
Thank you! :)
I'm usually a worse speller than Dan Quail. Very good information indeed!
"Hung is more appropriate for less formal hangings!" :O
I didn't know there is such a thing as "a less formal hangings." That reminded me, you have to watch the new movie "Capote" if you haven't already! Watched it over the weekend and i think it is JUST your kind of movie. :) It is a good movie. I liked it.
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