English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

David Wallace

12:38 AM

@Cameron I agree - erudite seems to me like a really good word to use.

In a letter of recommendation, there's no reason to suppose that it might be meant ironically.

Mahnax

5:21 AM

Hello, anyone.

Meysam Ѭſ道

5:43 AM

@Mahnax Hello anyone

Mahnax

@MeysamѬſ道 Hi!

Nice banner.

F'x

8:30 AM

translationparty.com/#10186965

Free breath, negative masses, tired and unhappy left coast. To unlock the Golden Gate Bridge Tempest TOST homeless lamp!

Carlo_R.

@JasperLoy, David Wallace, Mitch, Will Hunting and other people who had had nice word for me during my suspension period. Thank you everyone. However, considering what has happened, I decided to not return in this chat. Thank you again.

David Wallace

Carlo, I'm sorry that you feel that way, but I quite understand. Please feel free to keep asking questions on the main site though; and try to ignore the people who tease you because of your questions. Best wishes.

user19161

8:50 AM

@Carlo_R OK, don't worry too much about what others say. Just try to improve the quality of your posts on the main site and also be polite. Good luck!

user19161

@Mahnax I have a feeling this is not the first time I have seen the banner extend over the right boundary.

user19161

@Carlo_R By the way, I am Will Hunting. QED.

Matt Эллен

10:28 AM

1

Q: What are the pre-requisites for studying cognitive science at postgraduate level for a Computer Science student?

What are the pre-requisites one needs to fulfill to study Cognitive Science at the post-graduate level? According to Wikipedia: "Cognitive science consists of multiple research disciplines, including psychology, artificial intelligence, philosophy, neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, socio...

learning

it has a link to the wiki article about cognitive science

because people answering the question won't know what it is apparently

Robusto

@Mahnax Goebbels himself could have done that poster. What a marvel of Big Lie propaganda.

Matt Эллен

despite being members of a cognitive science Q&A site

bah!

I'm in a t-shirt right now. The UK has no laws against bare arms

Robusto

@Mahnax They should have done it in binary.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

10:46 AM

0

Q: Are "One" and "Many" opposites?

I've got a children's book of "opposites" which contains such heartbreakingly wrong opposites as "furry" and "scaly". One that I'm not sure about is the pages that show "one" and "many". Are these opposites or not?

meaning

Um.

user19161

10:57 AM

I can now see JSB's name. I was wondering what font I installed. Then I realized I could see it because I had done a full TeX Live installation which provided additional fonts.

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 Brilliant comment there. Exactly what I am thinking.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

user19161

Of course they are. So are furry and scaly. There is no such thing as "wrong" opposites. What's opposite of what depends entirely on context. Man can be the opposite of woman, or the opposite of boy, or the opposite of animal — even though men are animals and not plants, bacteria, or funghi. Likewise, the opposite of one can be zero, or minus one, or two, or many — even though two is an opposite of many as well. – RegDwight Ѭſ道♦ 7 mins ago

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 But I would spell it as "fungi".

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Haha oh yeah.

user19161

11:06 AM

It is interesting that "fungi" has multiple pronunciations, like "garage".

user19161

Observation: If I see "protect", it means the question has not been protected. If I see "unprotect", it means the question has been protected by me. If I see neither, it means the question has been protected by someone else. So there is a one-one correspondence here. Fascinating!

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Someone else or only a mod?

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 Oh, maybe the above applies only for mods. I don't really see posts protected by people other than you and me.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Daniel protects rather regularly.

He protected something just the other day. Can't remember what.

user19161

I will try to look out the next time.

user19161

11:15 AM

He is supposedly retired too.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Who?

Daniel?

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 Daniel says he is retired for now. You can read it from his profile.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Yeah I'm there right now.

user19161

I guess that means "I will be answering 10 questions instead of 100".

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Haha.

user19161

11:18 AM

Robusto seems to have made a comeback from his retirement.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

The Robusto approach.

Jinx!

@Robusto is just afraid of Barrie England. What's with buddies, mud, faces down etc.

user19161

I am always trying to quit, but unsuccessfully.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

I could merge you with Thursagen. Just let me know.

user19161

Maybe we are already one.

user19161

@reg I noticed your name change. Nothing escapes the eye of Sauron (or however it is spelled).

RegDwight Ѭſ道

11:21 AM

Obviously the spelling of his own name does escape Sauron.

user19161

Sauron = Saucer of Ron. QED.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Sau is German for pig.

Also, Sauron is an anagram of ruason, which is a misspelling of reason.

The plot thickens.

Sauron is also the third person from the left at 2:09 in this video:

►

0

Q: What Is Correct or Better. Can it be both used?

"I'm not making any sense, am I?" or "I'm not making any sense, do I?"

word-choice

Indescriptive Title of the Day.

Robusto

@JasperLoy I answer the occasional question. Call it semi-retirement. I'm certainly no longer grinding the way I did before July '11.

@RegDwightѬſ道 Mach mich nicht an.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Ich mach dich gleich aus!

Robusto

Verpiß dich.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

11:35 AM

Ich weiß genau, du vermißt mich.

►

David Wallace

yesterday, by RegDwight Ѭſ道

I know this is the Incomprehensible room, but English is still kind of preferred. Thank you.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

English is a Germanic language. QED.

Robusto

@RegDwightѬſ道 Gar nicht übel.

Note cross-lingual litotes ^

Gigili

@DavidWallace Moderators are exceptions to every rule.

David Wallace

Be moderate, be moderate.
Why tell you me of moderation?
The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste,
And violenteth in a sense as strong
As that which causeth it: how can I moderate it?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

11:42 AM

@Gigili but then moderators are also the exception to the rule that they are exceptions to every rule!

In which case they are no longer exceptions to every rule.

David Wallace

Except for the exceptional moderators, of course.

Robusto

Feb 16 '11 at 16:06, by Robusto

Interestingly, the only way to solve this paradox is suggested by Bertrand Russell's "shave the barber" paradox.

Should have included a "way" in there.

Gigili

Two or more negatives resolve to a negative.

Aww!

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…