A QUESTION OF TASTE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 101, 1 May 1930, Page 23

A QUESTION OF TASTE

A correspondent—-and not the first— has written taking 'fTho Post" to task for using the wbrd "broadcasted" instead of "broadcast." The contention in favour of the latter form is that the past tense of "cast" is "cast" and not "castedi" and that the compound verb' should follow the same form. It is a question that has been much debated and does, not offer itself easily to a final decision. One difficulty is that the word, as,a conjugated verb, in common use, is so new as to have none of that grammatical history upon which such points are decided by grammarians. To sow seed broadcast is a very ancient activity, but there the word is an adverb; and though the farmer readily says "broadcast the seed," he is much more likely to say "I sowed it broadcast" than "I broadcast (ed) it." A similar dispute has long been in progress over the word forecast, which is much older in popu-. lar use. In that case, some grammarians gracefully concede the claim of "forecast", for the past tense, on the ground, that the verb came into literary use before the nouns, so that the habits of the verb "cast" predominate: had the noun been the older, they -v.ould defend tho final "cd." The shorter form is also, preferred on the ground of 1 euphony/:'These claim's cannot both bo advanced, for "broadcast," but many people think it more euphonious than "broadcasted," though.this is, of course, .purely, a ,matter.;of taste.' ;,-And in matters of taste a/certain amount' of obstinacy is apt' to enter. In speech, of course, one can , switch about according to the tast'ea :of the listener and the dictates of/tact, if any; but in print it is another matter, and printers have a god called consistency in whose worship they backslide as rarely as possible. The shorter form will probably win in the long run. NO EARTH NEEDED', "My wireless set will give better results, without •ah earth. Australian stations coming in ■ very ■ well. Will any harm accrue through using it this way?" writes' "Footballer." No harm can follow if no earth isusod, and many sets work quite well .without one. It will almost always bo found, however, that this i: due to somo error in the design' of the aerial tuning circuit, and that, if this is corrected the reception is much improved by using the normal earth connection. But if reception is satisfactory without it thero is, of course, no necessity to make any change. ' .< ■~ Yl'