Language Overflow

Jim Reynolds

1:36 AM

@DamkerngT. I've tried to explain why that's off-topic in a comment.

Nihilist_Frost

1:53 AM

How do you treat the "poor" vowel?

Jim Reynolds

@ⱮᏁℛ Do you realize that politically correct can connote disagreement with or scorn for something like the use of a gender-neutral term? I don't intend to rebuke you at all. It's a complex term. The Wikipedia article on it is interesting, but I've seen more comprehensive treatments on it that are very interesting.

Damkerng T.

@JimReynolds Thanks!

Jim Reynolds

I:-)

Oh. I put a hat on her by accident. Cute!

Damkerng T.

2:13 AM

>:-)

tchrist

Corn syrup is sweet.

Hats on cats is cliché.

Student

2:49 AM

Good morning from me :)

Jim Reynolds

3:31 AM

@Student Good morning back to you!

V.V.

Competent and competitive aren't synonyms, I think.Morning.

Jim Reynolds

Competitive: As good as or better than others of a comparable nature:
a car industry competitive with any in the world

I'm going to take a coding class to make me more competitive as an accountant.

She's a competent physician.

They both mean capable.

They both describe some level of capability, skill

I want to get back into investment banking, but they tell me that at 50, I'm no longer competitive.

Morning!

Well, I'm excited about a couple of questions this morning. Ha.

V.V.

I checked both in oxforddictionaries.com. no meaning of "competitive " has "competent " among the synonyms

But I clearly understand your argumentation

Jim Reynolds

3:53 AM

Whether or not they are synonyms is not, strictly speaking, the OP's question.

V.V.

Then tell him about the register

Jim Reynolds

Do you have an opinion on these terms and register?

I'm writing an answer now, but the question is a vote away from being closed.

The drama!!!

V.V.

The question is why doesn't he meet the word in the conversation. Because it's formal.

Answer anyway

Jim Reynolds

Competent. Right. Well, more formal that "gooder" at any rate.

:p

V.V.

In "competitive " the flavour of competition prevails that of knowledge or skill

Jim Reynolds

4:07 AM

Well, there is more than one sense of competition.

He is a very competitive applicant.

Carries no sense that he is trying to win/succeed.

Or .. Doesn't necessarily! We can use the same sentence to characterize someone as inclined to compete, which is the primary sense of the word in other contexts.

Your diploma from Stanford makes you very competitive.

That doesn't tend to communicate anything about the personality characteristic of inclination to compete. It relates to qualification.

V.V.

I agree but they aren't complete synonyms or universal, don't know how to better say it

Jim Reynolds

I understand. At any rate they do communicate at least subtle differences. Competitive focuses more on capability or suitability WITH RESPECT TO OTHERS.

V.V.

Not straightforward synonyms like, say, clever-intelligent

Jim Reynolds

But competent is pretty meaningless if there is no implied comparison, isn't it?

V.V.

Why?

Jim Reynolds

4:18 AM

If no one's bad, no one can be good, etc.

Competent is a category or level of skill or ability.

Such a concept isn't contemplated in isolation.

V.V.

Skilled.

Jim Reynolds

It can mean minimally skilled. It can also mean very skilled.

V.V.

Skilled to satisfy certain demands

Jim Reynolds

But in a particular context: evaluating job applicants, or candidates for a profession etc, we use both terms to mean at least adequate.

Competent can be used with a negative denotation.

Is she a good mathematician?

Well, let's say she's ... competent.

It can mean "barely passable"

And it can be used to convey very positive evaluation: A highly competent professor.

V.V.

Make it an answer, Jim.

Jim Reynolds

4:22 AM

You're helping me write it as we speak!

:D

V.V.

I'll come back later if I still have Internet, I have to cook something for breakfast. Hope you are a success

Jim Reynolds

Happy cooking!

V.V.

Thanks

Crazy Ninja

4:54 AM

Morning!

Jim Reynolds

Hi @Cra

CopperKettle

5:36 AM

I wonder why we don't have the tag abstract nouns.

Jim Reynolds

They always seemed to slip through our fingers.

CopperKettle

haha

But our fingers are virtual here, also abstract in a sense.

1

Q: Using indefinite articles before adjective: "Let's have a good breakfast"

Let's have breakfast Let's have a good breakfast as I know indefinite articles aren't used before uncountable nouns, so why a is used here before the adjective " good ?" Is there any exception to the rules or is it wrong?

I just thought: what could be a parallel phrase illustrating the use of "breakfast" in "let's have breakfast".

Could "Let's make peace" be a good phrase?

In "Let's make peace", we don't mean a particular treaty, but the state of peace.

Or "Let's have fun".

Can we premodify "fun" to allow for the use of a/an?

> Let's have a real fun.

> Let's have a fun that will make the welkin ring.

(0:

Student

5:54 AM

I've been following the English session here :)

CopperKettle

Welcome to the chat, @Student! (0:

Student

@CopperKettle Helloooo Sir :)

CopperKettle

The OP, Sanjar Igamov, could have Russian as his working language, and in Russian the use of breakfast in the non-count sense is counterintuitive.

In Russian, "a breakfast" is a countable event, just like "an advice" is a piece of advice. We'd make the mistake of using a/an.

Student

@JimReynolds Are you teaching in Taiwan?

Jim Reynolds

@CopperKettle I think I have something about articles and meals in my (fairly simple) grammar here. Let me take a look.

@Student Yes. I'm an English teacher here.

Where do you live, Student? Or ... Didn't I ask you your language recently? I forgot!!

O.O

Indonesian!

Right?

We are neighbors.

Student

6:04 AM

"Breakfast" is also uncountable noun in my language.

Jim Reynolds

:-)

Student

Yes @JimReynolds :)

Thanks! :)

We are neighbours :)

Jim Reynolds

Articles are the fuzzy quanta-phenomena of English!

Or or many languages, I guess.

Student

Indeed!

Jim Reynolds

0

Q: My father, hence my mother, {is | are} Catholic.

A quite common structure in logical argument, is "name1, hence name2, verb". I am wondering about the correct form of the verb following such a structure when such a structure is a subject. Should we always use plural, as if it was "name1 and name2"? Or singular when name1 (or both name1 and na...

subject-verb-agreement grammatical-number

I like that question!

Student

6:07 AM

Wow :)

What is your explanation @JimReynolds?

Jim Reynolds

I don't know!

My first guess is that it's a plural subject.

(They) are catholic.

CopperKettle

I recently read that Indonesia has 700 languages. That's quite cool.

Student

@CopperKettle :) :) thanks!

CopperKettle

And it's such a huge country, with 250 mn people against Russia's 150. (0:

Student

@JimReynolds Why "hence" should be added in that sentence? I'm confused :)

@CopperKettle LOL

CopperKettle

6:13 AM

I'd say " My father is Catholic, and hence my mother (is?) too". I feel unsure about your usage of "hence".

The sentence looks strange. It's as if "hence my mother" were in parentheses.

It might be passable as "My father, and hence my mother, is Catholic", but that is would refer to the father only, IMHO.

"and hence my mother" could be put in round brackets

so to speak

Jim Reynolds

If we read carefully, we see the OP saying that this is a common structure in "logic".

So I assume s/he has specialized knowledge in philosophy, and that she knows what she's talking about

And even if it's wrong, it's even more fun to think about how to handle it if it WAS correct!!

hjaha

CopperKettle

Yes.

Student

Perhaps it is influenced by her/his native language.

CopperKettle

You may be trying to say "My father, and hence my mother, is catholic." This implies a causal relationship - because your father is catholic, and (implied) your mother follows what you're dad does, your mother is catholic. However, in the sentence, the "is catholic" applies to the father. — Alex K 17 mins ago

Jim Reynolds

My cow, and therefore her calves, have/has the fubar geneotype.

CopperKettle

6:19 AM

"My father, hence my mother" reads like a tagline for the film "Junior" with Arnie.

Jim Reynolds

Something in my memory has a good authority saying that we can use either in this situation.

CopperKettle

But we'd need that and.

Jim Reynolds

Perhaps not.

I think it's used that way.

Let's research!

Oh, I saw something so funny yesterday.

CopperKettle

Maybe if not and we'd need too at the end.

Jim Reynolds

lmgtfy.com

CopperKettle

6:21 AM

> My father, hence my mother too, is Catholic, and who are you?

@JimReynolds (0:

Jim Reynolds

Haha!!!

I should be careful where I share that. Some of us in the community will just post that in response to every question and close it!

I believe it's important to realize the diversity of people who come to ask questions.

There may be a lot of barriers preventing some people from researching themselves.

Also, in some cultures, it's a student's or learner's ROLE to ask questions!

Student

@JimReynolds "I believe it's important to realize the diversity of people who come to ask questions." ...this is always true!

Jim Reynolds

Especially in East Aisa, I believe.

Student

How about these sentences I've some while ago:

Jim Reynolds

"You should research your question!!"

Well, that's what I'm trying to do! haha

Student

6:24 AM

A. For a span of time/for a few minutes, there was an exchange of (intensive) gun fire between policemen and robbers followed by an arrest.
B. Preceding the arrest, there was an exchange of (intensive) gunfire.

CopperKettle

@Student Both are okay to me..

Jim Reynolds

intense instead of intensive

Well, I am not sure if intensive is wrong, but I know that we would normally say intense.

What questions do you have about them, Student?

Student

Do they have same intention?

Jim Reynolds

6:40 AM

Well, A has more information about time.

We also need "the" robbers, if they have been mentioned before. "Some robbers" if we are introducing the robbers now.

Otherwise, the main difference is the change in position.

The story is the same.

The main difference that can happen when we change order of sentence parts is that the part we put at the end is usually more important.

It is stressed more heavily.

CopperKettle

6:54 AM

> What are you cooking, daddy? - A mushroom soup. - Yay!

Jim Reynolds

lol

How to raise a creative genius!

I'm quite sure now that hence can mean "and so", hence(!) doesn't need to be preceded by "and", though it often is.

Student

8:26 AM

Thanks @JimReynolds :)

CopperKettle

8:42 AM

+1 although confused as to the designation of breakfast as an abstract noun. I mean can't we see, taste, touch, smell, hear breakfast? (The same for coffee, which I don't think is abstract.) — GoDucks 1 hour ago

Is this true? I thought "breakfast" here denoted an activity.

bjb568

@CopperKettle It can either be a countable activity or an uncountable abstract thing.

CopperKettle

@bjb568 I guess that in "Let's have breakfast" its uncountable by definition. I wonder would this 'breakfast' denote an activity or a collection of meals.

bjb568

I suppose it's an activity.

CopperKettle

Are you a native speaker of English, Bjb568?

I'm interested in how native speakers view this word.

Feel free not to answer, I'm sorry if that's too intrusive.

Well, when you put it that way, I guess I am not, after all, saying Let's eat breakfast is like Let's eat meat. Put it that way, it's clear that breakfast is a different sort of noun. I can't pull breakfast out of the fridge like I can eggs, bacon, sausage, and more bacon, so I guess I was mistaking the components that went into the meal/activity of breakfast with the components themselves. Clearly we don't eat breakfast like we eat cheese and bacon and eggs. — GoDucks 4 mins ago

bjb568

10:03 AM

@CopperKettle Yeah

@CopperKettle Well, you can eat breakfast like you can its components. But you can also eat it unlike its components. It has 2 usages, and that's what makes it confusing.

It can be both used as "I should eat breakfast" and "I should eat a breakfast".

(tho there's really no reason to use the second)

ⱮᏁℛ

@JimReynolds Wow. Hands Jim a PhD in correctional linguistics

Jim Reynolds

O.O

CopperKettle

Thanks, @bjb568! But with "Let's have breakfast", the comprehension must be unlike that of with "Let's eat breakfast".

Jim Reynolds

It seems the same to me, @Cop

Breakfast can be a verb: Let's breakfast.

bjb568

@JimReynolds probably regional

Jim Reynolds

10:09 AM

I think just less common?

CopperKettle

@JimReynolds "Let's have breakfast" - is it an activity, like "Let's eat", or food, like "Let's have meat"?

bjb568

@JimReynolds Never heard it in California.

Jim Reynolds

Let's have meat.

CopperKettle

@JimReynolds "Let's break this fast"

Jim Reynolds

Right.

But now it's turned into a name of the meal.

CopperKettle

10:10 AM

Really?

bjb568

eat breakfast feels like a compound verb to me

CopperKettle

(0:

Jim Reynolds

So, it turns out that our universe is just part of a computer game, and a hacker just deleted meat.

No more hamburgers, bacon, or steaks for us.

The hard drive failure ate meat.

bjb568

o:

Jim Reynolds

Breakfast is important.

That's an example of going up a level of abstraction.

Different than breakfast is ready, come and get it!

Stupid system is mixing up the order of my messages lately.

Making me look even crazier than I already am.

Have breakfast a compound verb?

Let's have cake for dessert?

Have cake is a compound verb?

Or eat cake?

bjb568

10:15 AM

That's the thing, I think breakfast in that usage is different from cake.

Jim Reynolds

Interesting.

I can't see it that way!

One of us is ... o.0

not ..

bjb568

You're not eating breakfast, you're just eating at breakfast time.

Jim Reynolds

normal

Of course you're eating breakfast.

bjb568

… but what you're eating is breakfast.

I just think you're eating the abstract version.

CopperKettle

> Though V+V compound verbs are rare in English, one may illustrate the form with the example "went crashing [through the door]".

Jim Reynolds

10:17 AM

This can get philosophical!

The monster that destroyed breakfast.

So no one can have it anymore.

CopperKettle

Stretched verb

A stretched verb is a complex predicate composed of a light verb and an eventive noun. An example is the English phrase "take a bite out of", which is semantically similar to the simple verb "bite". The concept has been used in studies of German and English. Other names for a stretched verb include "supported verb", "expanded predicate", "verbo-nominal phrase", and "delexical verb combination". Some definitions may place further restrictions on the construction: restricting the light verb to one of a fixed list; restricting the occurrence of articles, prepositions, or adverbs within the complex...

Jim Reynolds

I like "verbo-nominal phrase." I want that to be the name of my band.

CopperKettle

Yes, that might attract a lot of deliquescent fans. (0:

Jim Reynolds

Oh. I have to look up the word of the day again.

I can't even remember the word of the day for a day.

We do use articles with breakfast: The breakfast was a huge success!

That can't be a verb.

There's a restaurant down the street that serves a huge breakfast.

ⱮᏁℛ

@CopperKettle Eww

CopperKettle

10:22 AM

Well, bite in "take a bite" is also a noun.

Jim Reynolds

It's also common to use some with breakfast.

Let's have some breakfast.

Which also makes it look uncountable. ;

CopperKettle

0

Q: Does 'breakfast' in "Let's have breakfast" denote an activity or a collection of edible items?

Let's have breakfast. Is this sentence, how would a native speaker compherend the meaning of "breakfast"? Will he think of it as an activity, or as a collection of meals? The question is inspired by this comment by GoDucks: I am confused as to the designation of breakfast as an abstra...

O.O

^.^

I upvoted your question, @Cop.

I will expect to be repaid.

O.0

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

CopperKettle

10:28 AM

(0:

Jim Reynolds

:D

CopperKettle

You can post an answer, I'll upvote, if it's savory enough.

ⱮᏁℛ

@JimReynolds Yeah, after I'm done with it.

Jim Reynolds

O.O

CopperKettle

Be back later! (0:

ⱮᏁℛ

10:29 AM

Jim's O.O-meter level is high. From every 10 messages, one seems to be a O.O/

Jim Reynolds

Sorry.

O.O

Everything seems to surprise me right now.

ⱮᏁℛ

O.O

Anonymous

10:47 AM

languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=23875

ⱮᏁℛ

Hullo @Snail!

Damkerng T.

12:13 PM

@snailboat "It may watch difficult."

I think PL is bilingual and English should be considered one of her first languages.

(How often do we use 'bilingual' as a noun for someone who is bilingual?)

tchrist

12:43 PM

Not especially often, but sometimes.

Damkerng T.

@tchrist Thanks!

Salamat malam! @Student

Student

@DamkerngT. Good evening! :) Terima kasih (thank you)!

Damkerng T.

Sama sama! (Is that a correct response? :-)

Student

If I say "selamat malam" it is "good night" in English. It means that everybody is ready to go to sleep :)

Damkerng T.

I suppose that it doesn't work that way around here. :-)

Student

12:57 PM

@DamkerngT. yes, that's why I sometimes find difficulties in expressing time in English :)

Damkerng T.

Hehe! True, that!

Student

"sama-sama" refers to "you are very welcome" :)

Hello everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your precious moments :)

Damkerng T.

Probably not quite like English "welcome", I guess. :D

I do. I do!

Student

"welcome" is often used as a greeting by the host.

Damkerng T.

You mean both in English and in Bahasa Indonesia?

Student

1:03 PM

Let say you are visiting my place. When you arrive at the fence, I will wait and approach you then greeting you by "welcome to my place @DamkerngT."

I am just trying to give you the example how to use the word "welcome" in my Bahasa Indonesia.

Damkerng T.

I see!

So "sama" is not used the way we use "You're welcome", I think?

Student

not that way :)

Damkerng T.

Only for when we mean "Welcome (to my place/home/city/etc.)".

Thanks!

Student

Sama-sama :)

Where did you learn about my language?

Damkerng T.

Oh, so we can use "sama-sama" like this!

Student

1:07 PM

Yes, you said "thanks" then I replied by "sama-sama" :)

Damkerng T.

@Student Learn about? Hmm... I know about Bahasa Indonesia for a long while, but I've never learned it.

Student

You only read?

Damkerng T.

About a couple years ago, I think people started to be more familiar with basic phrases in the languages of our neighbors. I guess it's the same everywhere in ASEAN countries.

@Student I know only a very few basic phrases. :D

Student

Oh I see. Where do you live?

Damkerng T.

I live in Bangkok!

Student

1:10 PM

Oh yes, you will find Indonesian there :)

Damkerng T.

I bet! Though I don't know any in person.

Student

It's great to know that you wish to speak of my language :) Terima kasih banyak (thank you very much)! :)

Damkerng T.

For me, language is fascinating. And I mean all languages by that.

@Student I wanted to say "I'm glad to hear that. And thank you for your support/encouragement" in your language but I don't know how. :D

Student

@DamkerngT. to hear what? sorry I have to be specific :) the same rule applied just the same when I am learning your language :)

Damkerng T.

BTW, I missed most of Halfworlds episodes. It could be a good way to pick up some more Indonesian phrases. Hope I can catch it on the next rerun. :-)

@Student To hear that you think it's great that I wanted to speak your language. :D

Student

1:18 PM

Okay, bye for now! I'll leave my answer here so you can read it later :)

Damkerng T.

Thanks in advance. See you around!

Anonymous

I only know a few words. I remember playing games online with Indonesians, and after each game they'd say "lagi donk"! :-)

Anonymous

I think lagi is 'again' and donk is some kind of emphatic particle?

Damkerng T.

Hmm... What's "See you around/later" in Bahasa Indonesia? Sampai jumpa ~ "Goodbye", I think.

Student

"Saya senang sekali. Terima kasih atas dukungan Anda!" :)

2

Damkerng T.

1:21 PM

Terima kasih banyak!

Student

@snailboat that's a slang term here :)

You are most welcome @DamkerngT.!!! xxxxx

"lagi dong/donk" means "Please repeat!" @snailboat

@DamkerngT. yes, "sampai nanti" or "sampai jumpa"

Damkerng T.

I see. So sampai jumpa can convey either sense (Goodbye or See you later).

Student

@DamkerngT. ya

Damkerng T.

Thanks!

Wait, why did I pin that message? It must've been another "clicking the wrong button"!

Student

@snailboat when someone says"lagi dong/donk", she/he wants some more :)

@DamkerngT. anyway, you would miss your episodes :)

Damkerng T.

1:31 PM

Oh, no! Will I? Won't they rerun it again soon?

Word of the Day: insectivore

Student

@DamkerngT. I am asked to dig on it? :)

Damkerng T.

@Student No. But if you feel like you want to, then go ahead! :P

I just heard the word in an episode of The X-Files.

Student

It is linked to "insect" :)

Anonymous

2:28 PM

I used to have a pet insectivore!

Student

2:41 PM

Bye from me, good night all! see you tomorrow! xxxxx

Anonymous

Good night, Student!

Damkerng T.

2:56 PM

Wow, $32.5 billion. That's a lot of money!

time.com/money/4182413/atm-overdraft-fees-big-banks

> Overall, America’s banks took in an estimated $32.5 billion in overdraft fees during the 12-month period that ended last June, and $42.3 billion in total fees.

looking up what 'overdraft' means, exactly...

Oh, I thought OD account = "overdrawn account", but it looks like it's "overdraft account".

CopperKettle

3:24 PM

3

Q: Does 'breakfast' in "Let's have breakfast" denote an activity or a collection of edible items?

Let's have breakfast. In this sentence, how would a native speaker comprehend the meaning of "breakfast"? Will he think of it as an activity, or as a collection of meals? The question is inspired by this comment by GoDucks: I am confused as to the designation of breakfast as an abstra...

word-meaning

So breakfast is after all not an activity, but "a collection of food eaten in the morning".

Anonymous

@CopperKettle Let's do lunch!

CopperKettle

@snailboat Fine with me! (0: But I've just eaten a piece of bread and a brick of cottage cheese.

Anonymous

You ate a brick of cheese?

CopperKettle

It's just that in my answer to the other question, I glossed:

> Let's have breakfast. = Let's eat.

@snailboat cottage cheese

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from milks with different fat levels and in small-curd or large-curd preparations. Cottage cheese which is pressed becomes hoop cheese, farmer cheese, pot cheese, or queso blanco. Cottage cheese can be eaten in a variety of different ways: by itself, with fruit and sugar, with salt and pepper, with...

Anonymous

How many calories is a brick of cottage cheese? I've never had it before.

CopperKettle

3:29 PM

@snailboat It's about 100 calories per 100 grams, very easy to count (low fat, 2%) or about 160 calories per 100 grams if the fat level is 9%

Anonymous

Is the low fat one good?

Anonymous

1

Q: Can every preposition be used in the dialogue?

I want to know every preposition can be used in the sentences with a certain verb? For example, Can the verb 'call' be used with every preposition? like 'call for', 'call with', 'call about', 'call to', 'call in', 'call around','call out', 'call of'.

grammar

Anonymous

I think this question is answerable.

Anonymous

The answer should explain the relevant concepts and not contain a list of prepositions that work, so the relevant answer wouldn't be too long for the SE format, I don't think.

Anonymous

I voted to reopen.

CopperKettle

3:32 PM

@snailboat Yes, perfectly good.

I just went to the kitchen and shot one.

Anonymous

When I think of a brick of cheese, I picture a block that weighs one or two pounds.

Anonymous

Of course, I never actually buy cheese.

CopperKettle

No, it's only 200 grams, and I only ate a half of it. ():

200 grams is half a pound. (0:

Anonymous

So when I read brick I thought "Wow! That's a lot of cheese!"

Anonymous

My brother is thin but sometimes eats over a pound of cheese with his meals.

CopperKettle

3:37 PM

(0:

@snailboat In a single sitting? 500 grams of cheese? He should cut down on't! (0:

Anonymous

He consumes a very large amount of dairy!

CopperKettle

It's healthy (if you not eat fatty dairy)

Anonymous

I don't know what sort he eats.

Anonymous

I know he makes his own ice cream.

CopperKettle

Далеко-далеко на лугу пасется ко....

►

A Russian child ditty promoting milk. (0;

Anonymous

3:40 PM

Milk is heavily promoted in the U.S., but over the years we've been gradually drinking less and less milk and eating more and more cheese.

Anonymous

-2

Q: The grammar of "taking a shower"?

I often hear a particular sentence about taking a shower. 私がシャワーをしています。 Is this the correct way to say "I am taking a shower"?

grammar word-choice usage

Anonymous

I saw this question title and for a moment I thought I was on ELL!

CopperKettle

Why? There's the katakana! (or hiragana)

Anonymous

It could have been a great question about light verb constructions :-)

CopperKettle

ah (0:

Anonymous

3:42 PM

@CopperKettle I only saw the title at first, which looks like it's about English.

CopperKettle

I see! (0:

Anonymous

Where exactly do we take showers to? If someone else is showering, do we say they bring a shower? Can we say a shower is taken?

CopperKettle

Nice.

> I'm taking a shower to my friend's wedding.

Anonymous

It's a very convenient mode of transportation.

CopperKettle

(0:

> This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears a Human soul.

Anonymous

3:46 PM

Who wrote that?

CopperKettle

Dickinson!

Not about the shower, of course!

(0:

> There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away,
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears a Human soul.

She had some strange verses which I haven't yet deciphered.

Anonymous

Ahh, I like that :-)

CopperKettle

Yes, this one is one of her best.

> He ate and drank the precious Words —
His Spirit grew robust —
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was Dust —
He danced along the dingy Days
And this Bequest of Wings
Was but a Book — What Liberty
A loosened spirit brings —

She had the manner of adding long dashes, for some reason

This is cryptic. What is "distinction"?

> We send the Wave to find the Wave —
An Errand so divine,
The Messenger enamored too,
Forgetting to return,
We make the wise distinction still,
Soever made in vain,
The sagest time to dam the sea is when the sea is gone —

BBL!

ⱮᏁℛ

@snailboat No, if it was ELL the title would either have been Usage of "taking a shower" or Is this sentence grammatically correct?.

Gee, it's like every title is "is this grammatically correct?" unless proven otherwise.

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