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  1. muse243

    muse243 New Member

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    Bear or Bare

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by muse243, Sep 19, 2010.

    If I'm trying to say that I realized the painting had my signature on it, would I say:
    The painting bared my signature
    or
    The painting beared my signature?
     
  2. Elgaisma

    Elgaisma Contributor Contributor

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    Neither 'the painting bore your signature' or 'the painting bears your signature'

    I hope I got that right lol
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    The painting bears your signature. If it bares your signature, it lays it out naked for all to see.

    Look up the verb to bear in the dictionary. One of the definitions will be to hold, wear, or carry. That is the meaning that applies in this case. A related meaning is to give birth to, but that extends from the notion that the mother carries the child within her until the moment of birth.

    As Charlotte points out, the past tense of to bear is bore:

    He bore a tattooed sigil upon his forehead, denoting his tribe.
     
  4. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    yup!
     
  5. muse243

    muse243 New Member

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    Thanks!
     
  6. Thanshin

    Thanshin Active Member

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    Now I want to have a character who bore a bare bored bear tatoo.
     
  7. stubeard

    stubeard Active Member

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    ...who bore a hole in a boar with his bare fist.
     
  8. Thanshin

    Thanshin Active Member

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    Once upon a barren moor
    There dwelt a bear, also a boar.
    The bear could not bear the boar.
    The boar thought the bear a bore.
    At last the bear could bear no more
    Of that boar that bored him on the moor,
    And so one morn he bored the boar -
    That boar will bore the bear no more.
     
  9. thewordsmith

    thewordsmith Contributor Contributor

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    ... which you could only see if he were bare."
     
  10. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Nice. :D
     
  11. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    brill, than!!!
     
  12. Thanshin

    Thanshin Active Member

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    Not mine. :)
     
  13. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    huh?... that bit of delicious doggerel was posted by you, was it not?...
     
  14. Thanshin

    Thanshin Active Member

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    I meant I'm not the author. It's part of a collection of tongue twisters.
     
  15. Islander

    Islander Contributor Contributor

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    And don't forget the right to bare arms!
     
  16. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Or to arm bears.
     
  17. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    ok, then you should have cited the source... to not do so is a major no-no...
     
  18. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Ah...Thanshin's post didn't bear a citation. It was bare in that regard.
     
  19. Thanshin

    Thanshin Active Member

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    I don't think it has a source other than "anonymous". It's an old tongue twister.

    I'll try to find the origin.

    [Edit: Nope, no luck. I have no idea of the origin of that. I found something about Sherlock Holmes and "The moor" but I don't think it originated there.]
     
  20. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    ok, but in such instances, citing it as 'anon.' is better than letting readers of the post think it's yours...
     

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