English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Damkerng T.

1:00 PM

I was wondering if we should leave a comment why the question is going to be closed, for the OP.

Robusto

We do, in some cases.

Andrew Leach

The final posted closed banner doesn't necessarily reflect the balance of reasons voters chose.

Damkerng T.

@AndrewLeach The OP can see the reasons people gave before it's closed?

Mitch

@Robusto I'll deal with it just like non-pineapple English. A brick through the window with the note attached: "Help me. I'm a brick."

Andrew Leach

@DamkerngT. If they have sufficient rep to vote to close.

Damkerng T.

1:01 PM

Hmm... So new users could be confused, I guess.

tchrist

@Robusto sg

Robusto

Also, the system does obfuscate even intrinsically. If you see three close votes for a single reason, there is no point in naming another reason. The final outcome has already been decided.

tchrist

@Robusto I can except that.

Robusto

I frequently just tack on my own close vote to the majority's.

tchrist

If it has 3 votes for migration, you can deny them the needed supermajority.

Robusto

1:03 PM

Do they need a supermajority for migration?

tchrist

Depends on who they are.

On SO, it takes 4/5.

Robusto

I did not know that.

tchrist

Yeah, too much migrated crap.

Here they don’t let us migrate crap, so it doesn’t come up.

Here only moderators get to migrate crap, and so 1/5 suffices.

Pace mELU.

I think 3/5 for mELU might work. Not sure.

15

Q: Require more than simple majority of close votes to migrate

Following a post about a garbage question that was migrated to Programmers, Jeff posted this answer about some basic migration protection that is in place (at least one matching tag). That is a really good start. Michael Petrotta then pointed out that only three of the users involved may have a...

23

A: Require more than simple majority of close votes to migrate

I have increased the threshold of matching migration votes required for a successful migration from three to four. This means that 4/5 of the close votes must agree on the destination for the migration for it to occur. Otherwise the question is simply closed as "off topic" as before. This is a...

Damkerng T.

is reading...

Thanks for useful information, everyone.

Oh, that post was more about migration.

Will Hunting

@Mitch There are lifts and stairs.

tchrist

1:10 PM

What preposition goes in I was walking PREP the street when. . . .?

Matt Эллен

down

along

tchrist

Aye.

Then why didn’t anybody mention that?

Matt Эллен

across

tchrist

Along was my distant second.

Matt Эллен

@tchrist where's that?

tchrist

1:11 PM

People kept saying in or on.

terdon

Up also.

But in? Had the tarmac melted or something?

tchrist

3

Q: Does order matter when writing a sentence including aunt and uncle?

While I was translating the sentence "Mi tío y mi tía estaban caminando en esa calle cuando vieron tu coche," on DuoLingo, I got dinged for translating the sentence to "My aunt and uncle were walking on that street when they saw your car." The "correct" translation on the site appears to be "My u...

grammar word-order

Matt Эллен

in the street is usually used for things not moving

there is litter in the street

Robusto

@terdon in the street as opposed to on the sidewalk.

terdon

I'd say on for that.

Matt Эллен

1:12 PM

the dog died in the middle of the road

terdon

Nah, I guess in too. OK.

Robusto

If you're walking in the street you're in amongst the automobile traffic, at least in the US.

tchrist

Sure, like ¡Coño no te pares en pleno camino, joder macho!

Robusto

My feelings exactamente.

Mitch

@tchrist 'in' means that you're in the middle of the street while walking, which is not particularly safe.

terdon

1:13 PM

But not for walking, more if I were describing were I was at that moment.

Robusto

You could also be walking across the street.

tchrist

Children play in the street.

terdon

2 mins ago, by Matt Эллен

across

Robusto

Or beside the street.

tchrist

Sidewalks and athletes run along it.

Robusto

1:14 PM

You could also run into the street.

terdon

@tchrist Exactly, 'cause that's where they are. They don't really walk in the street though.

Mitch

You could walk above the street if you could levitate.

terdon

@Mitch You can't?

Mitch

No U!

Robusto

You can walk over the street looking for your lost phone.

terdon

1:14 PM

Hell, you can even walk off the street.

Robusto

Also around.

terdon

@Robusto Long detour that.

Robusto

You can walk with traffic or against it.

tchrist

I still think that Se camina en una calle > One walks down a street.

Despite there being no down on the LHS.

terdon

Yeah, that sounds the most natural to me.

Robusto

1:16 PM

@terdon No. Around is another way of saying about.

Mitch

@Robusto You can confuse the hell out of people by adding to every normal sentence '... between the streets'.

terdon

@Robusto Fine, spoil my fun. I know.

:P

tchrist

You’ll have them in interstitches.

Robusto

@terdon It is my mission.

Zoe

@WillHunting Is your username a play on the movie "Good Will Hunting"?

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. Written by Affleck and Damon, and with Damon in the title role, the film follows 20-year-old South Boston laborer Will Hunting, an unrecognized genius who, as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after assaulting a police officer, becomes a patient of a therapist (Williams) and studies advanced mathematics with a renowned professor (Skarsgård). Through his therapy sessions, Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend...

Will Hunting

1:17 PM

@Zoe It is not a "play", but yes.

Robusto

No, it is a play on Jasper.

Or on Jasperlol, I can't recall which.

Zoe

@WillHunting Ahh Robin Williams....

Will Hunting

I use very simple words. I do not "play" with them.

Mitch

@Zoe It is not a play, it is a musical.

Zoe

@Mitch I guess musicals are simpler.

Will Hunting

1:18 PM

In particular, I do not appreciate the puns used in this chat.

Matt Эллен

@Mitch you're not amusical. you can at least keep a rhythm

Zoe

I am supposed to be doing something productive right now

so say we all

But I am procrastinating.

Will Hunting

1:19 PM

An article I read long ago says that men's sweat smells like cheese and women's sweat smells like onions.

Mitch

@MattЭллен I'm hot on a tambourine.

Matt Эллен

saucy!

Zoe

@WillHunting Urgh

Mitch

No really, get it off me, that tambourine is really hot.

tchrist

@terdon Si se camina en una calle, ¿cuál es lo que se hace en un camino? :)

Matt Эллен

1:20 PM

@Mitch replaces with triangle

Mitch

@WillHunting and together ... mmmm.... a cheese and onion sandwich

terdon

@tchrist Se calla?

tchrist

There’s something a bit duplicitous caminando en un camino. :)

Mitch

@MattЭллен ow ow ow ow

tchrist

@terdon Heh.

terdon

1:21 PM

But, but, no hay camino! se habre el camino al andar!

Habre? Damn spelling.

tchrist

Andaba en el camino en busca de comino.

terdon

Abre!

tchrist

Edro.

terdon

@tchrist Comía en el camión, en busca del avión?

Mitch

@MattЭллен replace triangle with cheese and onion sandwich

Matt Эллен

1:24 PM

hermes and aphrodite!

Mitch

Does it smell like to you a unisex locker room now?

tchrist

Un avión es como una ave grandote.

Zoe

Any home cooking experts here?

Mitch

I'm a home eating expert. Will that work?

Matt Эллен

I nearly burned a saucepan once, because I forgot to put water in

Mitch

1:25 PM

I burned water once.

tchrist

Cuyas alas no se mueven, o se espera que no se muevan.

Zoe

My gosh

tchrist

@Mitch What kind of honey do you use, dear?

terdon

@tchrist Nah, eso es superman.

Matt Эллен

@Mitch takes a lot of skill

Zoe

1:26 PM

It's okay, I don't think I have enough time and unlaziness to sustain any kind of regular recipe.

RegDwigнt

-4

Q: Not sure how this works can some one help me

I went to the er for a ultrasound they said I was 5 weeks and 6 day. they went by that not my period.my doctor said my due date is Feb 8 2015 .but they said i conceived the 18-20 but how is that if i was pregnant wouldn't that make me 3 to 4 weeks pregnant

meaning

What the hell is this thing.

Mitch

@tchrist I use sugar, sugar.

Zoe

I get my sustenance when I can I guess

tchrist

@RegDwigнt Contraceptive spamvertising?

Mitch

@Zoe Ramen noodles. cheap fast, unnutritious. You get -all- three.

@MattЭллен Up to a point.

the burning point of water.

RegDwigнt

1:28 PM

@tchrist Oh. That'd totally explain why I'm now browsing amazon.ng for contraceptives.

Matt Эллен

I don't think water has a flash point

Will Hunting

I only have 9 posts but I have 965 points. ELU is very generous compared to Math.

Matt Эллен

and you said it was too difficult!

tchrist

The illiterate outnumber the innumerate.

Matt Эллен

wot u meen?

tchrist

1:30 PM

On occasion.

Matt Эллен

i r add and rite n good n stuff

RegDwigнt

@MattЭллен He means innumerates are outnumb, but illiterates are outnumber.

Matt Эллен

lol

user116848

X-Men: Days of Future Past <----- I didn't get the grammar of the 'title' until I watched the movie lol.

Zoe

@Mitch I would love to eat packet noodles (not cup) but I would have to get a saucepan I guess~

Mitch

1:30 PM

@tchrist there are a bunch of each. but I like the innumerate more.

tchrist

It’s odd what these particular verbs come with.

Mitch

@Arrowfar There's grammar there?

@Zoe do you have a microwave? put them in your eating bowl.

RegDwigнt

Well there's something. Might as well call it "grammar". I've seen people do just that.

Zoe

These two days, I bought a few empty calories sustenance on impulse because I feel the pang of hunger yet cannot eat.

user116848

@Mitch Well, it looked ungrammatical to me :-) (Movies titles are bizarre in a way)

tchrist

1:32 PM

@Arrowfar Moody Blues.

Will Hunting

@Zoe Are you trying to lose weight. I am.

user116848

@tchrist hah :D

Zoe

@WillHunting I would rather exercise to lose weight.

RegDwigнt

"What is this grammar?" — "Half past seven." — "Thanks!"

tchrist

And Nights in White Satin.

Or Knights.

RegDwigнt

1:32 PM

Or Satan.

tchrist

KKK

KKK = Knights in White Satan

Zoe

But my not eating will end in a day and a half. So hooray

RegDwigнt

@tchrist Engraving orange pips again?

tchrist

@Zoe For not merely joy cometh in the morning, but breakfast as well.

Mitch

@Arrowfar Oh yeah... but sometimes they are too short to expect to be correct. I mean 'Pi'. That's not even a sentence.

Zoe

1:34 PM

@tchrist Nopes. I will start eating solid food on Thursday morning.

user116848

@Mitch Exactly!

tchrist

@Mitch Titles need only be titulated, not sentential.

Will Hunting

I don't look fat now, just a little chubby.

tchrist

@WillHunting This too shall pass.

Will Hunting

There are people who work out a lot and who are chubby too!

tchrist

1:35 PM

All good things must come to a bad end.

terdon

@Mitch Yes it is, it's the imperative of the ruder version of urinate isn't it?

Zoe

@WillHunting Then they must have a health issue. Or they are cheating.

tchrist

@terdon Culpa mea.

Will Hunting

@Zoe They can work out certain muscle groups a lot, and fat can still accumulate in other places.

Zoe

But I don't have time to exercise. Also, I only like to exercise by either adventuring or playing games.

Will Hunting

1:37 PM

It is very easy for the tummy to grow bigger, you know.

Zoe

@WillHunting As long as a human is moving, even by walking slowly, fat is still being burned.

terdon

@Zoe Whaaaa? Of course not! What gave you that idea?

Zoe

Muscle building is another concept altogether, it doesn't matter where they train.

user116848

Body fat works in mysterious ways

Zoe

@terdon Because I learn science.

terdon

1:37 PM

Fat will be burned once the normal sources of energy have been depleted. You can think of it as long term storage.

Zoe

And I learn food and nutrition.

RegDwigнt

0

Q: A reviewer referred to a paper of mine as "heady"..is that a compliment?

So I wrote a paper on a legal matter and a reviewer verbally commented to my supervisor that he is in the process of reviewing the paper and that it is "heady"... The dictionary definition seems to imply this is generally positive, albeit signalling that the subject matter is somewhat demanding....

word-usage usage

Jul 4 at 12:10, by RegDwigнt

When people are talking to someone, in person, and that someone produces something they don't understand, but then rather than asking right then and there what the heck they mean, people wait patiently till the person is no longer available, then ask a bunch of strangers off the Internet instead, who don't have any context whatsoever.

terdon

I'm sorry, but apparently not very well.

Zoe

I should say lose weight and not fat burn

My bad

terdon

Energy is burned with any and all activity, not fat necessarily.

Will Hunting

1:38 PM

I feel as if I have never been happy before sometimes. That is a good thing, because that means that there is a possibility that I will finally find happiness. That hope thrills me.

terdon

And fat is certainly not the first source to be tapped. That's what sugars are for.

Matt Эллен

walking makes you shorter, so there's that :D (until you decompress when you sleep)

Zoe

@terdon I know that

terdon

OK :)

user116848

@MattЭллен Does it really? I didn't know

Matt Эллен

1:39 PM

@Arrowfar so I've been told

Ice Boy

@WillHunting the thrill is in the chase

user116848

I see :-)

Zoe

My happiness will come when I can eat solid food again~

@IceBoy Where is Ice Girl?

terdon

@Zoe Are you ill?

Ice Boy

@Zoe dunno

Zoe

1:41 PM

@terdon sort of but not physically ill.

terdon

Ouch, not being able to eat solid food is no fun.

Zoe

Is there a greeting that is later than evening yet does not mean someone is leaving like "Good night"?

Matt Эллен

"hello" works for all times

Zoe

@terdon Yes. I know. I KNOW!!! It's about 6 days now, tomorrow is the last day~

tchrist

And a bloody good hour of the owl to you too, mate.

user116848

1:42 PM

Or "later!"

terdon

@Arrowfar That's not a greeting, it is always used to mean goodbye.

Matt Эллен

"Nightime greetings"

user116848

@terdon Oh, so they were looking for a greeting word? My bad :-)

terdon

Huh! Goodby is a valid spelling of goodbye? I'd never seen that. Is it regional?

Matt Эллен

could just be old

tchrist

1:46 PM

Something with vespers or compline, or perhaps vigil.

terdon

thefreedictionary.com/goodby

Matt Эллен

ODO says it's USAian

tchrist

Matins if you push it long enough.

terdon

And I just found out that goodbye is a contraction of God be with you. Huh. Learn something every day.

tchrist

@MattЭллен Me says its broked.

Will Hunting

1:48 PM

@terdon Then I can't use it anymore!

terdon

Annoying right?

Matt Эллен

@tchrist quite possibly

tchrist

@terdon The nom-vs-acc distinction of ye/you oft was muddied in the speech of yesteryearians.

RegDwigнt

@terdon I guess you'll never be able to say "thank you" in Russian, then.

It's a contraction of "so save you God".

Basically the same thing as goodbye.

terdon

@RegDwigнt Nah, I can live with it.

Presumably the French merci is also somehow related to mercy and god. As is the Spanish gracias and grace.

RegDwigнt

1:57 PM

@terdon careful, "live" is short for "I believe in Jesus".

terdon

:)

Damn, caught in this religious web...

RegDwigнt

Damn, eh?

Matt Эллен

@terdon I thought it was to do with the state of one's buttocks

RegDwigнt

And in BrE it does.

Matt Эллен

:D

Will Hunting

1:58 PM

I gave up on God because he gave up on me.

terdon

> From Middle French merci, mercy, from Old French merci, from Latin mercēdem, accusative singular of mercēs (“wages, fee, price”).

So much for napkin etymology.

RegDwigнt

My sincerest minimum wages to you for that information.

terdon

> From gracia < Latin gratia, as used in the phrase gratias agere (“to express thanks”).

tchrist

Meretrix.

RegDwigнt

Arse gratia arses.

Matt Эллен

1:59 PM

@tchrist silly rabbit! trix are for kids

RegDwigнt

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…