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Originally posted by ChuckElias
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Originally posted by rainmaker
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I don't know about the parvenu thing: I've seen it used as an adjective in the past, in places where "they ought to know." I've seen it made into a gerund, too, but that IS, I admit, pressing it a bit far!
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Juulie, how would you use "parvenu" as a gerund? A gerund is a verb (or participle form) that is used as a noun, as in "Running is good exercise". "Running" is usually a verb; but in this sentence is used as a noun. That's what makes it a gerund. How could "parvenu" be used this way, since it's already a noun or adjective? I'm not being critical, honest. I'm confused.  I thought I was pretty hip to grammar rules.
Chuck
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I don't remember the exact sentence. It was in a book we read in our book group where a very obnoxious character said something like, "That parvenuing of my sisters has got to stop." He thought he was being very authoritative. That's why I said, "it's pressing it a bit far!" We discussed it in our book group, how the author was using bad grammar intentionally to help flesh out his character, which is why I remember the details so clearly. I don't usually read through books thinking, "Hm, look there, he made that adjective into a gerund, how interesting..." I referred to it above ( I did NOT "reference it"!!) to show how far people will go to practice bad grammar, and that I don't think TORPID123 was so very far out of line in using "parvenu" as an adjective. At least he didn't "gerundify" it!!