JUDGE SHOCKED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11404, 3 January 1931, Page 9

JUDGE SHOCKED

MISTAKES IN ENGLISH.

“WILL” ANT) “SHALL.”

. Lord Darling analysed ‘'the gross abuse” of the auxiliaries “will” and “shall” r at a lunclieon at the Kolfcorn Restaurant, -London, On Octoher 21, when he gave an address on. “Inelegant Literature.” There was an incident on record, lie said, where a murderer (in America), had been acquitted on the ground of insanity, because of some doubt as to whether . he used .the “will” or “shall” in a certain statement.

“J. can only hope that, there was one man on the jury wiio was convinced of the man’s insanity on the ground that he did not know the difference between ‘will’ and ‘shall’. ‘There is another word I often read, but have never heard anyone say, and that is ‘Hello’. If-someone in Chicago met Jack Diamond, he might say it. if he did net do something worse, but that people in England should be supposed to use, such an expression passes my comprehension.

“People who write art criticisms often say a picture is a lyric. It seems to me a most inapplicable word.”

Sir Gerald du Maurier presided, and said tltat-Sir James Earrie onco told him he had called the faijier in Peter Pan “Mr. Darling”, because he was such.a lovable man. ‘So I went and studied the original,” concluded Sir Gerald, “and after I had heard him pronounce various sentences I asked to double the part with Captain Hook.” (Laughter.)