"lived to be" means?

[learnerAF]

It is a comment posted under an article by an unknown. What does he/she mean by "lived to be"? Does her/his dad alive at the time she wrote the comment or her/his pass away at 90 earlier?

Also, I didn't quite get what "Fort Worth was the only place that would marry them in 1953" meant.

Thanks.

 

[SoothingDave]

He was 90 years old when he died.

From the brief context, it seems that the issue was marrying between first cousins. The practice is illegal in about half of the US states today.

 

[Skrej]

That does seem to be the implication, but I wonder though why it had to be Ft. Worth? Up until 2005, it was legal to marry your first cousin in Texas, so in '53 I don't quite understand the significance of it needing to be one specific city.

Could it have been an age-related issue? Still, state laws on age requirements would again apply statewide and not vary by locale within the same state.

I'm not sure if it's related to size, either. Ft. Worth, at 270,000, was only about 2/3 the size of nearby Dallas at that time. I'm having trouble pinpointing what made Ft. Worth unique in its marriage laws at that time.

 

[Barque]

It is a comment posted under an article by an unknown.

Could you give us a link to the article please?

 

[Tarheel]

"Was her dad alive at the time she wrote it?"

No. We say, "He lived to be 90." (For example.)

 

[learnerAF]

Could you give us a link to the article please?

Here you go: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...r-old-bride-says-adult-marriage.html#comments

 

[Barque]

Thank you.

"Fort Worth was the only place that would marry them in 1953"

Fort Worth was the only place where they found someone willing to officiate over their marriage.

Sounds as if the commenter's mother was underage at the time.

Edit: I'm wondering if, for some reason, he had to get married by a military chaplain, and the only place where it was possible was a base at Fort Worth. Just a thought because of the way the commenter put it.

It is a comment posted under an article by an unknown.

If the commenter hasn't revealed their name, it's "an anonymous comment", or "a comment by an unknown person". But the commenter's name and location are shown. She may be a stranger to the readers, but that doesn't make her "an unknown".

"An unknown" can be used to mean a person who isn't famous but that needs the right context.

 

[learnerAF]

Thank you.

Fort Worth was the only place where they found someone willing to officiate over their marriage.

Sounds as if the commenter's mother was underage at the time.

Edit: I'm wondering if, for some reason, he had to get married by a military chaplain, and the only place where it was possible was a base at Fort Worth. Just a thought because of the way the commenter put it.


If the commenter hasn't revealed their name, it's "an anonymous comment", or "a comment by an unknown person". But the commenter's name and location are shown. She may be a stranger to the readers, but that doesn't make her "an unknown".

"An unknown" can be used to mean a person who isn't famous but that needs the right context.

Thank you, I got it now.

 

[Tarheel]

Thank you! I got it now.

I always use an exclamation point there. (A comma doesn't work at all.)

(I'm the punctuation guru. )

 

[learnerAF]

Oh, thanks for correcting me. It's my bad.

I'm the punctuation guru.

But shouldn't it be "I'm a punctuation guru"?

 

[5jj]

Tarheel may feel that he is the punctuation guru.

 

[learnerAF]

Tarheel may feel that he is the punctuation guru.

I am afraid I didn't get your point.

I think you may find my question stupid, but still, I'll ask you: If he'd said I am a punctuation guru, what would be the difference semantically?

I find when to use "a/an" and when to use "the" very hard.

 

[5jj]

If he is a grammar guru, there are others.
If he is the grammar guru, he is either the only one or the outstanding one.

 

[learnerAF]

If he is a grammar guru, there are others.
If he is the grammar guru, he is either the only one or the outstanding one.

So in this discourse, Tarheel thinks, he is an outstanding punctuation guru (the latter part; not "the only one"). Am I right?

 

[5jj]

It could be either. If he returns to this forum, he can tell us.

 

[learnerAF]

Haha. He'll certainly come back and inform us.

I reckon His answer would be the same as what I said/assumed, as you are also an outstanding one with us here.

 

[emsr2d2]

@utsavviradiya Notwithstanding the punctuation associated with it, please bear in mind that there is no need to write a new post to thank anyone. Simply add a "Thanks" icon to any helpful post. When you click on the "Like" button (which you have clearly already found), one of the other options is "Thanks".

 

[Tarheel]

The "punctuation guru" line was meant as a joke. I am not, of course, the only one here who comments on punctuation or anything else. Having said that, if I am "the" punctuation guru I am either the only one or without peer at it. (If I have to choose one I opt for the second one.)