Making Light:  Online live video streams ::: January 22, 2009, 01:10 PM

Ginger@155:  "What split infinitive?" I nearly asked, but since
GIMF, I found that Pinker is fingering

  ...the prohibition against \342EURoesplit verbs,\342EUR in which an
  adverb comes between an infinitive marker like \342EURoeto,\342EUR
  or an auxiliary like \342EURoewill,\342EUR and the main verb of the
  sentence.

Okay, so it's an auxiliary split from its verb.

Yesterday, a psychologist advanced the opinion that it comes from an
attack of nerves coupled with the overwhelming nerve of not bringing
a notecard, just in case.

"Are you ready, Senator?" indeed.  Barack had been president for
several minutes already, oath or no oath.  The next time Stevens
administers the oath, I hope someone has the guts to ask, "Are you
ready, Chief Justice?"