merits of Lisp vs Python

[David Golden]

William James wrote:

> Actually, it's 'among', not 'amongst', except to those who are
> lisping, degenerate pansies.
> 

lisping: "amongst" => "amongthpt" ?

"amongst" is a fairly common british english variant of "among".
 
>  Some pronunciations and usages "froze" when they reached the
>  American shore. In certain respects, American English is closer to
>  the English of Shakespeare than modern British English is. 


In certain respects, modern British English is closer to the
English of Shakespeare than American English is.

In this particular case, in Shakespeare's actual time, we can be pretty
sure ([1],[2]) that "parenthesis" meant the inserted parenthetical
phrase.

I do admit that since the later extension to round brackets themselves
is mentioned at link [2] below (and OED) as first appearing in 1715,
and given your later british examples, I was Just Wrong to lay sole
blame on the americans for it. 


[1]
The Arte of English Poesie by George Puttenham, 1589
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16420
Chap. XIII
"""
  [Sidenote: _Parenthesis_, or the Insertour]
Your first figure of tollerable disorder is [_Parenthesis_] or by an
English name the [_Insertour_] and is when ye will seeme for larger
information or some other purpose, to peece or graffe in the middest of
your tale an vnnecessary parcell of speach, which neuerthelesse may be
thence without any detriment to the rest. The figure is so common that
it
needeth none example, neuerthelesse because we are to teache Ladies and
Gentlewomen to know their schoole points and termes appertaining to the
Art, we may not refuse ro yeeld examples euen in the plainest cases, as
that of maister _Diars_ very aptly.
  _But now my Deere_ (_for so my loue makes me to call you still_)
  _That loue I say, that lucklesse loue, that works me all this ill._

Also in our Eglogue intituled _Elpine_, which we made being but eightene
yeares old, to king _Edward_ the sixt a Prince of great hope, we
surmised
that the Pilot of a ship answering the King, being inquisitiue and
desirous to know all the parts of the ship and tackle, what they were, &
to what vse they serued, vsing this insertion or Parenthesis.
  _Soueraigne Lord (for why a greater name
  To one on earth no mortall tongue can frame
  No statelie stile can giue the practisd penne:
  To one on earth conuersant among men.)_

And so proceedes to answere the kings question?
  _The shippe thou seest sayling in sea so large, &c._

This insertion is very long and vtterly impertinent to the principall
matter, and makes a great gappe in the tale, neuerthelesse is no
disgrace
but rather a bewtie and to very good purpose, but you must not vse such
insertions often nor to thick, nor those that bee very long as this of
ours, for it will breede great confusion to haue the tale so much
interrupted.

"""

[2] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=parenthesis
[3] http://rhetoric.byu.edu/Figures/P/parenthesis.htm