Fusil

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I can't and I won't. The masses must be educated. Also, a "smoothie" is something you drink, NOT shoot.

Poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation are my pet peeves. But nobody likes a grammar Nazi or being corrected by a self-righteous zealot, now do they? That's why unsolicited attempts at education usually fail.

How about this: I start correcting everyone's grammar and you start correcting everyone's misuse of terms and let's see how far we get fixing the world in, say, a month?

I am not defending ignorance, but in a lifetime of battling it I have found that the same thing is always true: the torch of any human development is carried by....and preserved by...a segment of the population that is smaller than one percent. The masses can barely figure out how to breed. Always try to educate where you see it can help, create a spark if you can, but be prepared for a lot of disappointment.
 
As it should be. I will gladly try to remember the correct term.
Correct for when? What people said in the eighteenth century where a good hunk of our folks live was different than nineteenth, where another big hunk live.
Both different from post Ned Roberts shooters, who like traditional pieces but aren’t in to dress up
And different still for the guys that are only simi traditional TC shooters, some of whom dress in funny clothes and try to be traditional
What a mix we are
 
Everyone hates me anyway, so I have nothing to lose. The term "frontstuffer" is now banned as well.
They asked me for a photo of me in my ‘old time duds’ showing my face at work.
A week later they gave me this cup
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IMG_6403.jpeg
 
For you personally?
But that isn't how language works. Is it?
What if someone just decides, "hey, for me personally, corvette refers to all American domestic sports cars", and, "I'll refer to all foreign sports cars as a Ferrari."
Can everyone be expected to know what he is talking about?

Language matters, words have meanings.


And yet most folks know or can easily figure out what I’m talking about.

And yes they do, but they tend to evolve and change over time.
 
I don't think I've used any of the weird terms although it's possible one slipped out at some point in the past several years. It took me a fair amount of time to realize what "fusie", "fusil" and other terms indicated a particular type of muzzleloader. I'm still not too old to learn a few things especially as concerns my "funnest" hobby.

Oh, and Mike, I absolutely do not hate you at all. In fact I consider you a very knowledgeable source of information and a gifted builder.
 
How about there, their and they’re or two, to and too. Then there is prolly for probably or you, your and you’re. I sometimes make those mistakes when I don’t carefully proofread or my fingers don’t follow my brain. Please don’t go back and read my old posts. I’m sure there are numerous mistakes.
 
I can't and I won't. The masses must be educated. Also, a "smoothie" is something you drink, NOT shoot.
Mike,

You had the option of creating an informative thread to educate people on the term fusil or a condescending complaint thread.

I'm sure there are plenty of folks who would appreciate information and learnings from someone with decades of experience and education behind them.

Why don't you pick another term that you feel is used incorrectly and create a thread with some informative notes to educate folks? I'm sure it'll be well received.
 
How about there, their and they’re or two, to and too. Then there is prolly for probably or you, your and you’re. I sometimes make those mistakes when I don’t carefully proofread or my fingers don’t follow my brain. Please don’t go back and read my old posts. I’m sure there are numerous mistakes.
Now you're just splitting hares. 🙃
 
On another forum that I once frequented (not a muzzleloading forum); I took umbrage with another guy's extensive use of text symbols, horrible grammar, and atrocious spelling. Some of his posts were so awful that I could barely decipher them.
I made a comment about it, and a landslide of vitriol crashed down on me from all sides. The man, himself, claimed that he was a college educated manager of a small corporation.
We bantered back and forth for a short time, then disgusted with the whole matter, and having been growing discontent with the ignorance often displayed on that forum; I dug myself out of the debris and quietly departed.

My 1965 edition of "The American Heritage Dictionary" defines fusil thusly;
"fusil; A light, flintlock musket". It goes further to state that the word is derived from the French and is, in turn, derived from Latin.
So, I refer to my 6 pound, 20 gauge flintlock smoothbore interchangeably as a fusil or a fowler.

Further more; I dislike the terms smokepole, front stuffer, and flinchlock. To me, the use of such terms denotes an amateur in the field of black powder firearms and flaunts disrespect for the genre.
Another term that I intensely dislike is "possibles" bag.

And so, there is my little rant on this subject. Let the vitriol fly!
 
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