Murderers can’t use proper English? Kidding.

No they can’t! It’s a law!

It does sound bit quirky though…some spooky serial killer coming across as some sort of proper gentleman with a British accent…almost being polite in his mannerisms. I imagine him talking to someone this way, and it makes me chuckle….just a little.

Americans can’t be proper gentlemen? Kidding!!!!

The word "shall" sounds authoritarian to me. I believe someone here brought up the bible. It does sound biblical. I can picture some evangelical preacher using the word. It really has a bite to it. It’s a bit of a pretentious word too.

The word "shall" sounds authoritarian to me. I believe someone here brought up the bible. It does sound biblical. I can picture some evangelical preacher using the word. It really has a bite to it. It’s a bit of a pretentious word too.

This is true, but here’s a bit of usless trivia concerning YHWH’s demands of ‘Thou Shall not….’

It’s commonly believed that when God gave Moses two tablets (when I first read Exodus I assumed Moses had a headache at Sinai) that the commandment given was "Tou Shall not Kill."

It’s actually "Thou shall do no Murder."

I know! Fascinating piece of trivia isn’t it, lol.

But in all seriousness there is, it could be argued, a vast difference between killing a person, and committing murder. Killing could be in self defence etc.

Anyway enough about that, Zodiac is nameless and faceless and I still haven’t forgiven YHWH for deciding not to give us the antagonists Pharaoh’s name that appears in Exodus. I believe I am left with no choice other than to demand a refund from the author,

God is a faceless, merciless killer too

We try not to discuss religion on this forum because it never ends well. If you want to post something religious that has a direct bearing on Zodiac, that’s fine. But your opinions regarding religion should be voiced at an appropriate forum, not this one.

Ok. Was just a joke. I admittedly have a warped sense of humor.

Ok. Was just a joke. I admittedly have a warped sense of humor.

‘Twas the Devil made you post it.

no comment here. I’ve been reprimanded twice on this board already.

Soze: I take it you’re talking about "satirical" here, not "shall"?

I’d say both the word itself and Zodiac’s general style could indicate a writer, someone who is familiar with the concept of playing around with words and meanings.

I believe what Morf says above is true. Most people would use a different term – or more precisely, sticking to the context in which Z used it, I’d say most people wouldn’t use any adjective at all and just say that the Exorcist was the best comedy they’d seen in a while, which conveys pretty much the same joke.

It’s striking. He uses what could be described as a technical/academic term – yet he characteristically (for him, not for an academic) misspells it.

I think the use of shall is a generational and regional thing. It is definitely a mid-South word used regularly by my generation and those preceding mine. The 1960s was full of "shalls," such as "We shall over come" by Martin Luther King Jr., "I shall not seek nor will I accept …" from a famous Lyndon B. Johnson speech, and others. Most southern church songs of the pre-1960 era used "shall," as in "Shall we gather at the river…," Who shall wear the robe and crown…" and many others.

I could go on and get even more boring but long story short is that "shall" has been in common usage in my lifetime in the upper and mid-South. It is old-style English.

Traveller, if you are reading this, it was good to read your post again. Hope everything is getting better and better for you.

I shall now retire for the night.