Pedantic semantics
(I’m sure I’ve talked about this before at some point, but since it’s one of my myriad pet peeves, it came up again recently.)
So John and I are watching West Side Story this weekend. Can you believe the man has never seen that movie in its entirety? OK, I can forgive Gen Xers and Gen Ys, because it’s an older film, but anyone in John’s and my generation has no excuse; it’s a must-see classic. It won ten Oscars, including Best Picture. OK, if you hate musicals, I guess that’s sort of an excuse, but still… He knew the plot and some of the songs, at least.
Anyway, so there’s a scene when Riff and the Jets are at the local hangout and the Sharks come to meet with them. Riff sends his girlfriend out with a single swat to her butt. John turned to me and said, “Did he just spank her?”
Well, technically, no. He gave her a single swat. Or smack, or slap, or whatever. But he didn’t spank her. Spanking someone is multiple slaps, not just a single one. According to the Erica dictionary, anyway.
If someone says, “I’m going to spank you,” what does he/she then do? I can guaran-damn-tee they don’t give the recipient one smack on the behind and then go back to what they were doing. (Hasn’t been my experience, anyway)
So if Riff had indeed spanked Graziella, he would have bent her over his knee, or over the bar, and delivered a volley of swats. Not sent her out the door with a single smack. Really, honey, get your terminology straight.
Oh, and as long as I’m being picky, it sounds kind of asinine to say, “I gave her a spank.” You don’t give a spank. You spank, or you give a spanking. Got it? OK.
(Yes, it’s pedantic. And just how many of you out there reading nodded your heads? 🙂 )
On a completely different note: As many on the blogosphere know, Pandora Blake has been fighting against the ATVOD rulings about what is “inappropriate” on video, and they are shutting down her Dreams of Spanking site. However, her wonderful collection of videos is still available for sale at her Clips4Sale store. Please support this brave woman and check out her video library here.
Erica Scott: Life, Love and Spanking 
Erica, don’t be so hard on John, for not seeing West Side Story. I am sure you and I have not seen many a movie, that he has seen. Did you know, that West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Yes, it is a shame what they doing in Great Britain, with her and other spanking blogs. I like her blog. Yes, you might be right about Pedantic . But not all of us are experts in the English Language like you are. XXX Love ya.
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I did not nod my head, but I would not be surprised if John would spank – as opposed to: smack – you for this. 😉
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I suppose all of us are a bit pedantic about something. 😉 I didn’t see West Side Story until several years ago when I got the movie. Quite frankly, I didn’t see anything about it that was worth 10 Oscars and Best Picture. Perhaps I would have liked it better when it came out. I had the music to it and I liked that. The picture? Not so much.
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A spank or a spanking…good point. I hate the way that English is tortured especially by people who should know better.
What is happening in England is just the visible face of the “new conservatism” that appears to be sweeping the globe. In this country our rights and freedom are being steadily eroded in the name of protecting us from the “death cults”. It is now an offence for a whistle blower to report an illegal act by a Government employee or servant. As for gay rights like same sex marriage; forget it! The government has quashed any public debate with the phrase “we know what is best for you”. My heart goes out to Pandora.
All I can hope is that we all keep the faith in freedom with the occasional spank…or is that spanking!
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Six — yes, I did know about the Romeo and Juliet origin.
MrJ — nope. He did not.
Bobbie Jo — it’s OK. I’m known for not liking a lot of super-famous and popular movies. I was once told I “have no soul” because I didn’t like ET. (eye roll)
Don — yes, what’s going on is sad and scary. Sometimes, I’m actually kinda glad I’m old.
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The two female leads in West Side Story are Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno.
There is a very well known “still” of Natalie being spanked by Tab Hunter on her 18th birthday. There is also another pic from “The Burning Hills” showing Natalie being paddled by another guy.
Rita Moreno can be seen getting a good spanking in a still from “The Vagabond King” Rita also was involved with theater critic Kenneth Tynan, who had a very well know penchant for the world or erotic spanking.
– – These can all be found from a simple google search.
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Anonymous — I know the Natalie Wood still very well. Sexy! Rita was involved with quite a few men in her day, including Marlon Brando.
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Hi Erica ♡ I agree with you about the spanking scene in the movie 🙂 One swat is definitely not a spanking.Being over someone’s knee for at last 5 or 10,minutes with multiple swats is what I call a spanking.I feel so bad about Pandora site closing ♡she is one of my favorites in the UK 😦 They shouldn’t have the right to do that, it’s VERY UNFAIR. 😦 Those dirty bastards may they rot in hell. I always wanted to get spanked by her.Pandora ♡ is a Lovely lady that is very intelligent and classy with a capital C. Much Love and hugs always from naughty girl Jade / Emily Jean ♡ ♡ ♡ xxxx
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Jade — Pandora is lovely indeed.
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I don’t know how any of the blogging stuff works, but couldn’t Pandora have her site held/managed by someone in the states and send over her content to be posted? At least it would all still exist. She has a lovely site. It’s a shame to lose it. Seems so backwards of the UK, and scary that they can do it.
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Ariel — she could have, but she chose not to. She wanted to fight them, and I don’t blame her. Very scary, yes. And many say the US is next.
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Wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this hit the US. Saw it happen with online erotica sites a few years ago. I’ll never understand the amount of fear around anything sexual, as in “I don’t do this so no one else should either, ever, so there.”
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