EZ-Magnetic Chuck Key Holder

[tonyfoale]

English is a funny language, particular when it comes to the use of multiple adjectives.
When I saw your heading I misinterpreted it as "Magnetic Chuck" Key Holder instead of Magnetic "Chuck Key" Holder. That wouldn't happen in some languages.

My favourite example comes from Sheb Woolly's classic song "The purple people eater". Is he someone who eats purple people, or is he purple and eats people. That is my favourite all time song, they don't write them like that anymore.

[Paul Alciatore]

For best usage, commas can sometimes be inserted to make the intent clear.

Purple, people eater = a purple thing that eats people. This is clear with the comma

Purple people eater = a thing that eats purple people. But this is confusing.

and

Magnetic, chuck key holder = a magnetic device that holds chuck keys.

Magnetic chuck key holder = a device that holds chuck keys that are magnetic. Again, this can be confusing.

But most people will interpret the ones without commas properly. I suspect Tony simply read the title quickly. We all do that some of the time.

English is a funny language, particular when it comes to the use of multiple adjectives.
When I saw your heading I misinterpreted it as "Magnetic Chuck" Key Holder instead of Magnetic "Chuck Key" Holder. That wouldn't happen in some languages.

My favourite example comes from Sheb Woolly's classic song "The purple people eater". Is he someone who eats purple people, or is he purple and eats people. That is my favourite all time song, they don't write them like that anymore.

[mklotz]

For best usage, commas can sometimes be inserted to make the intent clear.

Purple, people eater = a purple thing that eats people. This is clear with the comma

Purple people eater = a thing that eats purple people. But this is confusing.

and

Magnetic, chuck key holder = a magnetic device that holds chuck keys.

Magnetic chuck key holder = a device that holds chuck keys that are magnetic. Again, this can be confusing.

But most people will interpret the ones without commas properly. I suspect Tony simply read the title quickly. We all do that some of the time.

For folks unfamiliar with the Byzantine complications of English, a few more words can make things unmistakably clear.

A purple eater of people

A magnetic holder for the chuck key

are difficult to confuse in almost any Western language.

Romance languages tend to use descriptive phrases rather than the single adjectives of English. It's more verbose but less subject to confusion.

German welds the adjectives to the noun to create super-words, descriptive but a pronunciation nightmare for those poor souls unfortunate enough to not be born German.

[tonyfoale]

For best usage, commas can sometimes be inserted to make the intent clear.

Purple, people eater = a purple thing that eats people. This is clear with the comma

Purple people eater = a thing that eats purple people.

Sheb Wooley sang without the commas being obvious, but true afficionados know well that the purple people eater considered that eating purple people sure was fine.

[ranald]

English is a funny language, particular when it comes to the use of multiple adjectives.
When I saw your heading I misinterpreted it as "Magnetic Chuck" Key Holder instead of Magnetic "Chuck Key" Holder. That wouldn't happen in some languages.

My favourite example comes from Sheb Woolly's classic song "The purple people eater". Is he someone who eats purple people, or is he purple and eats people. That is my favourite all time song, they don't write them like that anymore.

Thanks to captainleeward & tony. By the way , you may be extremely surprised how Dyslexic folk (like myself) read things: sometimes totally different to what was intended & spelling is easy in the head but writing down is hard work. Cheers & keep on with the great "stuff".