In a message dated 02-03-09 23:08:11 EST, Eugene Dillenburg writes:

<<  I
 don't believe the purpose of exhibit labels is to impress our visitors with
 our command of the language.  But if it were, then adherence to an
 unsupportable superstition would actually be evidence that we did NOT know
 how to write.

 (What's next: banning terminal prepositions and split infinitives?  Fie!) >>

The use of the word "superstition" raised my antennae.  I'm reminded of H. W.
Fowler's admonition that forbidding terminal prepositions and split
infinitives is a "superstition", and I think most of us would agree.  His
point was that insisting on avoiding these forms at all costs often (but not
always) leads to awkward, silly-sounding constructions which can destroy
clarity.  I'm not convinced, however, that a rule against contractions in
text constitutes the same sort of "superstition".  This raises my
consciousness a bit, and I'm going to have to study exhibit labels in my own
museum, as well as other kinds of text, such as newspapers, in order to
consider whether using or not using contractions would be an improvement, or
just what the effect of the alternative might be.

I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with a strict rule against
contractions in any written English, but I stand by my abhorrence of a rule
requiring contractions whenever possible.  I previously cited Peter Robb's
OVER-use of contractions, which ends up making his prose sound affected and
downright weird.  I've never heard anyone talk the way he writes.  But
something in me rebels against the notion that the failure to use
contractions automatically makes prose, written OR spoken, feel "stilted".
(In spoken language, incidentally, spelling out the words  without
contractions is a handy technique for emphasis--"do not" can sound much more
emphatic than "don't".)  "Feelings" are subjective, and not everyone feels
the same way!  I have no problem with written text, including labels, which
avoids contractions, and it seems to me that the dictum that a lack of
contractions makes text feel "stilted" is well on the way to creating yet
another "superstition."  But as I said, I'll study the matter a bit, as I
find it a fascinating problem.

(But I'm beginning to wonder if over-use of the contraction "it's" for "it
is" in written text is responsible for the apparently increasing inability of
people to differentiate between the contraction and the neutral singular
possessive form.  Or is it just another example of the assumption that "s"
always needs an apostrophe in front of it, as in roadside stands that
proclaim "Tomatoe's 4 sale"?  I've even seen people add an apostrophe to
their own name on a sign, as in "Jone's".  And, I kid you not, I once saw a
"U'sed Car's" sign.  But I digre's's, I mean digress.)

I'm no linguist, Gene (or anyone else), having never quite mastered French as
a second language, so I plead ignorance and request examples of parallels
between the use of English contractions and those in other languages--i.e.,
where there is a true choice between a contraction used in speaking vs.
spelling it out in the written form.  For example, in French we say "c'est"
instead of "ca" or "ce" "est" (excuse the absence of the diacritical mark):
I'm under the impression that "ca est" is simply not an option, even when
writing.  I can't think of any contractions in which the uncontracted form is
ever proper, so I'd be interested in examples.  My point (and a minor one at
that) is I'm just wondering if there are many true parallel situations in
other languages; but I'm also simply curious.  I'm not being argumentative!

I would debate, however, the assumption that an exhibit label needs to be
something that can be read aloud comfortably (as distinguished from text that
doesn't need to be read aloud comfortably, apparently).  Where did that rule
come from?  What is the practical rationale?  It begins to sound like a
superstition to me.  I'll admit that I'm a tough case, since I can read
Proust aloud, either in English or French, and think it sounds perfectly
fine.  (Yes, it's a challenge, but rewarding.)

David Haberstich

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