Your column is a pack of damn lies, a reader wrote to William Safire about a political piece he did in the New York Times.Brushing aside the stern criticism, Safire immediately debated whether it should be damn, the way it sounds, or damned, as the past participle of the verb, to damn. The ed on some words is simply slipping away, he points out. We're seeing more barbecue chicken, whip cream and corn beef. His conclusion: Ears are sloppy and eyes are precise; accordingly, speech can be loose but writing should be tight.http://extras.denverpost.com/books/book23.htm

Summary

In this quote, William Safire responds to a reader who accuses his column of being dishonest. Although Safire brushes off the criticism, he focuses on a linguistic debate sparked by the reader's use of the phrase "pack of damn lies." Safire wonders whether "damn" should actually be "damned," considering its context as the past participle of the verb "to damn." He then highlights the tendency for certain words to drop the "-ed" ending, mentioning examples like "barbecue chicken," "whip cream," and "corn beef." Safire's conclusion suggests that while speech may be casual and lenient, writing must be precise and structured.

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