English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

user19161

2:15 PM

@kiamlaluno No, I am a chicken, you are a pig, remember?

user19161

@reg I see you are wearing the pyjamas kiam gave you for Christmas!

user19161

Today I cast three downvotes, very good.

user19161

It seems that the more I downvote others, the less I get downvoted myself. Very weird.

Matt Эллен

2:30 PM

today I have conquered apodisation.

user19161

Hello @matt! I sent you three emails earlier.

Matt Эллен

oh! I'm expecting one from my dad too

hi @JasperLoy :)

user19161

@MattЭллен But there is no need to reply, really.

user19161

@MattЭллен Can't you just call and talk?

Matt Эллен

I'll have look when I'm home

@JasperLoy oh yes, but he wants to send me details to keep on record

it's quicker by email than dictation

user19161

2:34 PM

@MattЭллен I also gave you some Christmas presents earlier on.

Matt Эллен

Most kind of you!

user19161

@MattЭллен But many people think I am evil.

Matt Эллен

Really? I can't think anyone thinks you're evil

user19161

@MattЭллен I am just too sensitive these days, really.

user19161

0

Q: What's the correct way to write "foodservice"?

The Cambridge Dictionary writes it in two words while the Wiktionary writes it in one. Wikipedia mostly writes it in one word, but sometimes in two. Should it be written "food service" or "foodservice"? Or is there a special rule over this? ps: I'd link to the Wikipedia article, but I don't hav...

spelling

user19161

2:36 PM

I have not seen it written as one word.

Matt Эллен

nor I, but then it's not a phrase I hear

or read, for that matter

user19161

How can we best answer a question like that?

Matt Эллен

Well, I would go with CED, since it's got more credibility than wiktionary

user19161

Probably someone will do an ngrams which means nothing to me. Ngrams don't mean anything at all, really.

Matt Эллен

but I don't know for sure, since I've not had to use it

user19161

2:39 PM

But because ngrams look very beautiful these answers are usually highly upvoted.

Matt Эллен

yeah, they can be good for comparisons, but only tell you about for words in books

user19161

But I am just speaking from the depths of my ignorance. I know nothing about linguistics, really.

Matt Эллен

yeah, me either

I'm hoping waiwai posts my blog article soon, or sends it back with notes.

user19161

@MattЭллен What is the topic?

user19161

Matt 2 is writing one too but he is keeping the topic a secret.

Matt Эллен

2:47 PM

@JasperLoy It's a review of a book about the history of English

I'm not sure if it's long enough

oh! we have a room for this

user19161

@MattЭллен I cast my first delete vote, and the question got deleted!

Matt Эллен

congrats!

user19161

@MattЭллен My rep will drop a lot soon. I just deleted another question in which I got a lot of upvotes for my answer.

Matt Эллен

Why would you do that?! ;)

what question was it?

user19161

@MattЭллен It is called integrity. The question on sub-practical aka sabbatical.

Matt Эллен

2:56 PM

@JasperLoy is that a maths thing, like differentiation?

user19161

@MattЭллен You are so not funny!

user19161

Unlike me. I am so funny. Funny as in strange, not haha, in Kit's words.

Matt Эллен

the data explorer is addictive

user19161

@MattЭллен I remember I introduced you to it.

Matt Эллен

did you? excellent!

user19161

3:06 PM

@MattЭллен It's just for fun really. No academic purpose.

Matt Эллен

you might say its purpose is academic ;-)

user19161

@MattЭллен its

Matt Эллен

stupid apostrophes, poking their noses where they don't belong

RegDwight Ѭſ道

4:02 PM

-1

A: Can 'nothing' ever be preceded by a plural verb?

Nothing is an indefinite pronoun and it's always singular. For example, "Nothing is impossible". We never say "Nothings are impossible". As Kris has mentioned in his answer, are is the plural verb in both your sentences and nothing has nothing to do with plural usage. Examples of plural indefinit...

This answer should be downvoted more.

It so misses the point it's no longer funny.

Matt Эллен

aye

it's like he saw the point and went wandering off in a tangential direction

RegDwight Ѭſ道

I don't think he even saw the point. The word "preceded", that is.

Matt Эллен

There is nothing but pedants in here

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Yeah. That's what the question is about. "There are nothing" vs "there is nothing". Not "nothing are there" vs "nothing is there".

Matt Эллен

well, he managed to answer about nothing so he's at least got that

maybe he'll come back and make it apply to the question later...

RegDwight Ѭſ道

4:11 PM

Of course. People always do that. Always.

Matt Эллен

de rigueur for most SE users, ain't it.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

You can't spell users without SE.

Matt Эллен

very true

more true than normal

RegDwight Ѭſ道

I am here to be more true than normal.

Matt Эллен

I sometime try to be normal

Cerberus

4:15 PM

How will you go about it?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Sometimes and normal don't mix. By definition, normal is the opposite of sometimes.

Matt Эллен

I try to be like most other people are all the time sometimes

apart from being it all the time

9 mins ago, by Matt Эллен

There is nothing but pedants in here

Cerberus

Ehh yes, ah, I see.

Matt Эллен

plus, some can mean all

Cerberus

Some can mean all?

I hate to be a pedant, but...

Hey, I have a question.

Matt Эллен

4:23 PM

Well, I was taught this while learning about propositional logic

Cerberus

Compare I hate to be a pedant with I hate being a pedant.

Matt Эллен

so, blame my lecturer

Cerberus

Would you say there is a difference between the two?

Matt Эллен

there can be, but in practice there normally isn't

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Really? I don't remember that...all was an upside-down A, some was a reversed E?

Matt Эллен

4:25 PM

@Cerberus Probably. I just remember it as a rule "some can mean all but it can't mean one"

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Right. So would you say "being" can imply that I already am a pedant normally, while "to be" cannot, normally?

@MattЭллен Oh, in that sense. Yes, I see what you mean.

As in, I hate being a major, but it is all I have.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus yes, I would say if one says "I hate to be X" they are about to be the thing they say they hate, but are not currently in that state

Cerberus

Right, OK.

Matt Эллен

e.g "I hate to pull rank"

Cerberus

I have that same intuition, though I agree that in most practical situations it doesn't really surface.

Yeah.

I remember PSmears and I were trying to make some sense out of verbs that could have both infinitive and gerund.

Matt Эллен

4:30 PM

It's funny how we sit here and try and say English works this way and that, and then it ignores us and does something different

"but you must conform to rules"
"I amn't gunner"

Cerberus

"Funny", I suppose you could call it that. We just need to chastise it more, harder.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

NOU

Matt Эллен

:D

RegDwight Ѭſ道

English always wurks as like I wants it.

Cerberus

Until it fits the moulds and straps.

You aren't the moderator of English!

Oh, wait, you are.

Matt Эллен

4:31 PM

LOL

Cerberus

Well, then, I say: moderate it!

Moderare = to rein.

Matt Эллен

bbl xx

RegDwight Ѭſ道

@Cerberus Better than to raus.

Cerberus

To raus?

Raus gehen? Rausen?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

rein = in, raus = out

And certainly in is better than out. QED

Cerberus

4:33 PM

Ahh, hah.

Well, the reins are yours, so lead us where you will.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

May I just yawn and shrug?

Because I would rather just yawn and shrug.

Cerberus

I don't know, I might kick you off if you slack.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Yawn.

Oh, and shrug.

Cerberus

gentle kick

RegDwight Ѭſ道

ungentle yawn

Cerberus

4:35 PM

fastidious smirk

RegDwight Ѭſ道

slowidious shrug

Kitḫ

yawn

Cerberus

ostentatious prance

RegDwight Ѭſ道

OHAI THEIR

Cerberus

Hai!

Kitḫ

4:37 PM

Hi.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

You are forgetting the shrug, Kit. Why are you forgetting the shrug? You must not forget the shrug.

Cerberus

Wow you really project a tense atmosphere.

People can't just sit and relax.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

I will project you, out of a cannon, into a Sun.

Kitḫ

shrug OK.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

See. Wurks. Nais.

Cerberus

4:38 PM

Come and get me!

RegDwight Ѭſ道

You wish.

Cerberus

takes a few fake-running steps

Kitḫ

What is...going on here?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Seven. No wait, eight.

Cerberus

I have no idea.

Kitḫ

4:38 PM

oic

Cerberus

We're trying to be comprehensible for once. Is it working?

Kitḫ

No.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

No. You are trying. I have long transcended all tryance.

Cerberus

Hmm.

Then what tricks shall I perform today?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Yawning and shrugging, of course.

Cerberus

4:45 PM

yawns, thereby stretching paws such as to destroy furniture

shrugs, to similar effect

Kitḫ

shrugs, yawns

Cerberus

Well, that was fun.

No riddles?

Kitḫ

I haven't had much sleep.

Cerberus

Aww.

Why not?

Not feeling well?

No time?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

No sleep till Brooklyn.

Kitḫ

4:47 PM

Yeah!

And I don't know why I keep waking up at night, but I am very angry about it.

Now I have the Beastie Boys in my head. That should help.

Cerberus

After how many hours did you wake up?

And how long does it take to get back to sleep?

Kitḫ

How many what hours?

Only just now.

Because of what Reg said.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Metric. Metric hours. Not imperial.

Kitḫ

O.

I don't know. One or less.

And an hour or so to get back to sleep.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

That's UNDER 9000.

Cerberus

4:49 PM

So you only slept for one hour, then couldn't get back to sleep all night? That is awful!

Oh.

Kitḫ

Yes, yes it is.

Cerberus

And did you sleep reasonably well after getting back to sleep?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Who are you now, Jasper?

No investigative journalism in this chat.

Cerberus

?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Very good.

Cerberus

4:51 PM

The ways of the owl are crooked.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

The maize in the bowl is cooked.

Cerberus

You do sound like Jasper, with a twist.

And my computer is fucked up.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

I twist again like I did last summer.

Cerberus

?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Job opening: joke explainer.

Kitḫ

4:54 PM

@Cerberus No. That's the whole point. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Cerberus

@Kitḫ That sucks. Any stress?

Kitḫ

Just the stress of people interrogating me about my sleep.

:P

Cerberus

Heh.

I shall inquire no further.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

I did tell Jasper to cut it out.

But it takes a Kit to drive the message home.

Cerberus

some stuffing pops out

Kitḫ

4:56 PM

Did you notice that he said he emailed Lauren over Christmas?

Cerberus

Yes.

I didn't!

I mean, hmm.

Kitḫ

He'll be mad at me for saying that. He's mad at me for not deleting the part where I pointed out that I knew exactly who he was talking about too.

Cerberus

Oh. I thought he had said it here quite clearly for all to see.

I try not to get involved.

Kitḫ

Well, I agree. That's why I thought he was overreacting to my stating it outright.

Cerberus

Hey, are you in the den now?

Kitḫ

5:00 PM

No.

I could be.

Cerberus

...

Kitḫ

5:17 PM

Oh. You mean now?

Matt Эллен

oeuf tropic

0

Q: Need the sentence to be enhanced

Can anybody please strengthen the below sentence? I would appreciate your help. To work with a dedicated team of experts in a company where I can enhance my knowledge and skills. Also to work my level best to develop the growth of the company and myself as well. The above one is something that...

sentence

z7sg Ѫ

5:47 PM

48

Q: What are your favorite English language tools?

This will prevent myself from asking an obvious, silly question again. What are the English language tools you found most useful? I found Corpus Concordance English extremely useful for looking up collocations. Please, one tool per answer.

learning resources esl beginner

off topic!!!

Kitḫ

@z7sgѪ That's a very old wiki question.

z7sg Ѫ

i just voted to close

my god i'm bored

Me too.

New war!!!!

raw wen

6:00 PM

@RegDwightѬſ道 I am consulting, so I can only do a few here and there.

But I will do what I can.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Good. Meanwhile, I gotta catch/take/get/board that bus.

Laters.

Matt Эллен

that was quick

Kitḫ

Alenanno wants to play riddles in Linguistics, @Matt.

If you want to join.

Matt Эллен

thanks for the heads up!

Kitḫ

Or you @z7sg! Or anyone else for that matter.

z7sg Ѫ

6:11 PM

hey i would, but now work is over and i gotta drive that car. be seeing you :)

Kitḫ

Bye!

Matt Эллен

cya @z7sg

kiamlaluno

@JasperLoy Actually, in the Chinese horoscope, I was born in the year of the dog.

It's funny; now we have Kith, and Kars.

I guess the next one will be Industries.

Mahnax

7:23 PM

@simchona Yeah, you know it. I want copy editor... :D

kiamlaluno

7:39 PM

Would be payload a good word to use when referring to the data exchanged between two different servers? I am looking for a name to give to a module I am using, and I need to use a noun, as normally nouns are used with Drupal module names (e.g. Node, Comment, User).

The data would be encrypted, so it would like the explosive contained in a missile (metaphorically speaking).

Mahnax

7:57 PM

@kiamlaluno You're exchanging explosive missile data? Call it a WMD then.

I'm ignoring the metaphorically speaking bit intentionally.

kiamlaluno

@Mahnax No, it's crypted data contained in a container package.

Mahnax

@kiamlaluno So it needs a funky name?

kiamlaluno

It's not funky.

Mahnax

I would say that payload is a little funky when compared to node, etc.

But then again, what do I know?

If it's like the explosive inside the missile, I think calling it a payload couldn't hurt.

kiamlaluno

Well, it's the only noun I could think of.

Mahnax

8:01 PM

Hmm, okay.

kiamlaluno

Payload is also the cargo in a vehicle, and the encrypted data would be the cargo of the transmission packet.

Mahnax

Sure. I don't see why you shouldn't use it.

kiamlaluno

I was thinking of using "Secure transmission," but the preference usually goes to nouns.

Not that Payload is the best name for a module.

Mahnax

Well, I'm off. Enjoy wrestling with payloads and such.

kiamlaluno

I could also use Asymmetric encryption, but I cannot image functions such as asymmetric_encription_send().

z7sg Ѫ

9:26 PM

Merge request:

4

Q: "Aren't I" vs "Amn't I"

Possible Duplicate: Why “ain't I” and “aren't I” instead of “amn't I”? Why do we say "aren't I" rather than "amn't I"? Is it purely for ease or pronunciation?

verbs questions contractions

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…