Let him speak now or forever hold his piece:

“A Sikh warrior wears a 463-yard-long turban as he speaks his peace Tuesday at the Anandpur Sahib shrine near Chandigarh, India, during Hola Mohalla, a festival saluting martial preparedness.”

“Arkansas’s defense shined in the third and fourth innings when Cal State Northridge (9-12) had seven hits but managed only one run.”

Advertisement

Q. Isn’t shone the past tense of shine?

A. Generally, yes, but it’s becoming less so.

Advertisement

The Cambridge Guide to English Usage says:

“The verb shine has traditionally been irregular, with shone as both past tense and past participle, and shone is still standard when referring to light or other kinds of luminescence: Through the glass shone God’s sun. His humanity had always shone through. But the regular form shined is usual when it’s a matter of polishing shoes: His shoes were shined to perfection.

Advertisement

“American writers make more use of shined, not only when the verb means ‘polish,’ but as an alternative in other senses of shine: The day shined blankly. Everybody in the team shined. Such uses of shined are regarded as standard by Webster’s English Usage … though shone still outnumbers shined overall by a factor of 2:1.”

I would have written “Arkansas’s defense shone in the third and fourth innings … ” I like irregular verbs. They bring diversity to the language.

Advertisement

Bill Priakos of Fort Smith is among those who believe that done is overdone:

“How did we start with ‘I’m done’? Or, ‘Are you done with that?’ I don’t get it. Finished, OK; same for through, but done? Done is for the turkey in the oven. I think it is native to the Midwest. An associate from Michigan first used it improperly (in my opinion) in the early ’70s.” TV may have helped spread this usage from other parts of the country. It’s not incorrect, according to Random House, but to some people — mostly Southerners of a certain age (mine and Priakos’) — it’ll never sound right.

Advertisement

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article This Modern World March 23 Next article Letters of support