In Protest of/for/Grammar

The Oxford English Dictionary is good for settling these kinds of queries

https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/153192?rskey=Nwwryn&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid

usually the “newfangled” usage turns out to be several centuries old. Often it’s used by no less than Wm Shakespeare.

It is that way in Norwegian: “Klokka er halv fire” is “The time is 3:30” (“fire” is 4). However, they also have “Klokka er fem over halv fire” meaning “The time is 5 past 3:30” and “Klokka er fem på halv fire” meaning “The time is 5 before 3:30”. I never quite got the hang of this lunacy in practice, so wore a watch while living there and made sure all appointments were on the hour.

We have something similar in Hawaii w/r to directions; if you say “I’m standing across Gibson’s” that means you’re across the street from the spot where Gibson’s variety store used to be (until around 1995)."

Back sort-of on the original topic, I have a colleague who fumes when she hears “comprised of” used the way it is usually used, eg “this thread is comprised of rants”.

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As opposed to “this thread comprises rants”, I’m guessing?

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Well it either comprises rants or consists of them. :wink:

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Actually, you can’t protest for something. By definition, a protest is the expression of strong objection to a thing. If you go to a free speech ‘protest’, you are protesting against the suppression of free speech, or protesting against the violation of someone’s right to free speech, but you are not protesting for free speech.

A rally, march, or even a demonstration can be either for or against something. But a protest is always in opposition to a thing.

And while you can “disapprove of” a thing, you can’t “protest of” the thing.

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I am organising a protest for the right to disagree with you. We will all be protesting for that right.
But I am tempted to agree with you, despite such usage.

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You can organize a rally for the right to disagree with me, or you can protest against the restrictions on disagreeing with me. I imagine both activities would look nearly identical.

Either way, you’ll be wasting time and energy. It seems that’s everyone already has the God-given right to disagree with me, and they exercise it quite frequently.

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I protest this statement.

/s

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"The Case of the Missing Preposition"

:musical_note:Dun, dun duuuun!!!

Is it a ‘for’ or an ‘against’ - or just a general ‘about’? Will all be revealed … ?

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