Original
Had I known her husband was a giant among those of us who joust at the windmills of parking enforcement, I would have bought her a beer. (Source)
"Quoted"
Had I known her husband was a giant among us who jousts at the windmills of parking enforcement, I would have bought her a beer. (Source)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when one quotes another source, one generally doesn't edit the quote to change the meaning, right? I mean, I didn't study journalism in school, so I might be crazy here, but I always thought you were supposed to write exactly what the other person wrote or said, unless you make it clear that you've changed the wording. And even then, you change the wording either to clarify the context or to fit in the allowed space. You don't change the meaning of the quote.
Also, the wife maintains that "tilt" is generally used instead of "joust" when making that particular reference. She also feels that the analogy is slightly flawed - parking enforcement is an actual enemy, so to speak, unlike the windmills. We had a nice discussion about it, and we decided that she should just let me handle the references to classical literature.
At least, that's what I came away with. And she doesn't have a blog, so that makes me right.
In order for it to be a
In order for it to be a quote, it has to be the exact words used by the cited author. If you believe there is a mistake, you write (sic) next to it; if you add parts for contextual clarification, you can use a paranthetical note.
I will side with the wife and say that "tilt at windmills" is the more common phrasing and contend that one would "joust with (not at)" an opponent. Plus, this is all taken from a Spanish novel written in the 17th century, so approximations and concessions are necessary.
And yes, I need to get a job.
Point taken on "at" vs
Point taken on "at" vs "with". And I think that, while "tilt" is used more often in the context of Don Quijote, "joust" is more common in modern English.
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