English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

I am now back :)

your a bit wolf looking!

user19161

@MattЭллен Did you refresh your browser? I just changed my avatar 5 min ago! You should see some blue shirt.

user19161

@MattЭллен you're

Still wolfy!

user19161

@John I see there is now a question about this on the main site. Well, anyway I considered it acceptable because it is like a title and also the context is not too formal, just to add.

user19161

10:41 AM

@MattЭллен Have you had breakfast?

@JasperLoy yes, I'm trying to summon the energy to get some shopping done

user19161

@MattЭллен I thought you should have finished shopping in ROC.

food shopping

can't bring groceries into the UK

user19161

@MattЭллен And not wise either, considering they might go bad on the plane.

11:46 AM

16 degrees Celsius seems cold, now. why can't it be 26 degrees C here too?

4:34 PM

Sorry, try again next year!

user19161

4:47 PM

@Cerberus Er, no point doing that.

user19161

@MattЭллен I wish it were 16 degrees here.

Hi.

I don't know: can't we have something in between?

user19161

@Cerberus Actually you are right. I think 25 degrees everywhere everytime would be good. That's the temperature I use for my airconditioning at home.

user19161

I love this picture of Taylor Lautner, think I will keep it for a while...

user19161

I have not only installed Debian on my desktop but also on my laptop and configured everything perfectly, I'm sticking to it for good!

4:56 PM

Good.

user19161

Oh last night I went out and there were Halloween parties everywhere.

user19161

I didn't know the locals did Halloween too.

user19161

Not my type of event. As usual I was walking around alone in my tee and shorts.

user19161

I hope they did not think that was my costume.

Q: Is "a very good read" grammatically correct?

@JasperLoy Yeah, it's not so bad once I get used to it.

hi @Cerberus

user19161

5:05 PM

►

user19161

She is one of the few local singers who can sing well.

user19161

8:20 PM

@mana Hey! Long time no see. I see you look different now.

user19161

3

Is it grammatically correct to describe a book or article as a very good read?

grammaticality

Mana

It's because I am a different person now. A more mature person. I have accepted my role as a Stack Exchange moderator.

</complete bull>

user19161

This is a very interesting question. Fraser's comment made me realise there are two different related senses of "read" even as noun, so after checking OALD and CALD I have edited my answer.

user19161

@Mana I try to avoid using "mature" because the word doesn't mean anything to me. We grow and change everyday, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively.

Mana

Very good point!

Well, I am me. That's about all there is to say about it then.

What's new?

user19161

8:25 PM

@Mana Thank you!

user19161

Grace hasn't been around much though. Just like you have accepted your role as mod, maybe she has accepted hers as employee, hehe.

user19161

Hola @aedia! It's you again on a weekend.

user19161

2

Q: What to do with unwanted tags

Someone suggested this question was "clearly a homework assignment", and should be tagged as such. Personally I have no real opinion on whether it's desirable or not for people ask "homework" questions on EL&U. If they're trivial General Reference they'll be closed anyway, but beyond that I ...

discussion

user19161

This is also very interesting. I think on the math site they wanted the tag so that they don't dish out answers to students' homework problems but just give the outline and hints. But someone can always not tag with homework even if it is so I agree with FF that the tag is pointless for the site or the students' benefit.

user19161

@matt Did you notice some strange rep increases while you were away?

8:35 PM

@JasperLoy here and over at programmers. most peculiar!

user19161

@MattЭллен I dunno about the programmers one.

ah, so I have you to thank for some votes here :D

user19161

@MattЭллен But can you divine what happened at programmers?

Yeah, I got 3 upvotes and a gold badge at P.SE. no idea why people voted on old answer

@JasperLoy Hi! Just wanted to see what's up on these here internets.

user19161

8:37 PM

@MattЭллен That's not a lot really.

I suppose not :)

user19161

@aediaλ I hope the hot stuff you cooked last weekend didn't kill you.

because zombies are not good friends

hi @aedia :)

user19161

I prefer the old view of users where there was less info and more people on the first page. Now I am on the second. :(

@MattЭллен Hi! You're back?

8:41 PM

@aediaλ I am.

for now

user19161

@MattЭллен I thought you would say "aye".

How was the trip?

the trip was great. I saw sights, like the biggest buddha statue I've ever seen, and visited plenty of temples, and went up high places. Visiting my friend was ace too :) How has October been for you?

user19161

@MattЭллен Could you link to the statue you saw?

i will find it...

8:46 PM

My October has been nowhere near that exciting!

lonelyplanet.com/taiwan/western-taiwan/taichung/sights/free/… <- this buddha temple

user19161

@aediaλ Well you already had your share of the oceans a while ago!

I'm looking for my camera so I can show you a photo...

user19161

@MattЭллен panoramio.com/photo/17319968

that's him

user19161

8:51 PM

@MattЭллен I like the one at Mihintale Sri Lanka.

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►

user19161

That's the one in a video with the mantra "om mani oadme hum".

Wow!

9:12 PM

Wow!

Is that your new girl?

alas no.

I can't even seduce a giant statue of buddha

he just sat there and smiled

as if he were on another plane of existence or something

Outrageous.

I won't be asking him on a second date

No, the boor.

He does look impressive.

Must be pretty funny, walking around, then seeing that.

My friend, who's lived there for a year, hadn't noticed him until we walked past by chance!

it is surrounded by a wall, so I guess it's not immediately obvious

9:19 PM

Ok, budda looking good? World must be ending..

and I feel for you, Matt. I'm sure you can seduce atleast someone...

maybe, I won't hold my breath though. I think my beard is somewhat off putting. I could cut it off, but then I'd never know how long it could grow!

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog Hey!

yo!

@Jasper

user19161

@MattЭллен It's OK if you like the beard, though I would hate it if I were a girl.

@Matt I would keep on shaving it..

user19161

9:22 PM

@SonicTheHedgehog Do you like my new avatar?

@MattЭллен If you tried, you could score plenty of dates, I assure you. Just as Jasper.

it's lucky you're not a girl then :D

Is that you right now?

I'd personally vote for cutting of the beard.

Aye, I second that.

9:23 PM

But de gustibus...

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog No, Taylor Lautner. I am definitely not him.

Well, you looked similar..

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog No, I am not half as hot as he is.

Just shaved my legs... and I am only 14.. >.<

I hate having hair..

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog Why did you do that?

9:25 PM

becuase it was getting hairy... up to and 2/3 of inch or full inch...

@Cerberus award winning artisan bread makers?

idk the exact number...

De gustibus non est disputandum

De gustibus non disputandum est is a Latin maxim. It means “one must not dispute about tastes.” (literally, "it must not be disputed regarding tastes") The implication is that opinions about matters of taste are not objectively right or wrong, and hence that disagreements about matters of taste cannot be objectively resolved. This phrase is famously misquoted in Act I of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull. The character Shamrayev conflates it with the phrase de mortuis nil nisi bonum (in the alternate form: de mortuis, aut bene aut nihil – "of the dead, either [speak] good or [say] nothing...

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog I know what you are talking about. Mine aren't so long as to bother me. But I had some male friends with super long leg hair.

@MattЭллен But this sounds good too.

user19161

9:26 PM

@SonicTheHedgehog Anyway 1 inch equals 2.54 centimetres exactly.

@Jasper alright, I get half an inch of hair in 6 months or so, and I can't go without shaving...

@Cerberus oh! I see.

user19161

@Cerberus You should avoid using Latin as only you understand it here!

This is a famous saying.

HEY!

9:27 PM

use more latin!

Yay!

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog I assure you it will stop growing at a maximum length if you are normal. Leg hair does not keep growing like head hair.

lapsus linguae!

Faciam ut poscis!

user19161

Auspicium Melioris Aevi!

user19161

9:28 PM

et cetera

user19161

exempli gratia

user19161

id est

See? You know Latin.

nonne amicus certus in re incerta cernitur?

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog You study Latin?

9:29 PM

Isn't a certain friend known in uncertain circumstances?

nah, I just like the language... I would like to study it professionaly...

gloria merces virtuta

or some thing

Homo praesumitur bonus donec probetur malus

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog professionally

Glory, merchandise, then so non-existing word related to virtue? Hehe.

Man is presumed to be good until proven bad?

9:30 PM

glory is the reward of valour

and Also, most of the names of Yu-Gi-Oh Cards are based off of Latin language...

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog Wow, I didn't know you like Latin! This is a surprise to me.

Ah. Then it should be virtutis.

like Neos, Terra Firma, etc..

yeah

9:31 PM

So I know some of them..

Virtutis Gloria Merces

had to look it up, damn it

Cogito Ergo Sum

Hehe.

@SonicTheHedgehog You all know this one!

veni veni veni

No, Veni, vidi, vici.

What Caeser said.

9:32 PM

mine was the porno version

porno?

pornographic

It could mean I came, I came, I came, or come, come, come.

sorry, I don't htink jokes work in latin

ok... what is that have to do with porn?

ohh...

9:33 PM

@MattЭллен It works for me!

comming?

thne you should have put exclamation point...

to come is to ejaculate

I know. Gotta do chores for a min...

I shall twist the knife into the joke a little more

"chores"

Hehe.

9:34 PM

:D

?

!

whats worng with the word "chore"?

I leave you alone for a few minutes and look what happens.

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog then

user19161

9:35 PM

@SonicTheHedgehog what's, wrong

#aedia yep, we talk about latin and porn..

user19161

@aediaλ giggles like Aedia

..from talking about buddha.

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog buddha

Q: what's the meaning of a plastic value

@aediaλ one day someone will come into the room and we'll be talking about English. Law of averages.

2

user19161

9:37 PM

0

In this sentence, a literary or moral value is mistaken for a plastic value. my question is: what is plastic value? how to understand it?

meaning

user19161

I am not sure about the question and answer so asked to provide more context.

it does indeed need more context

Well, somebody already answered...

user19161

@MattЭллен At least we are already talking English.

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog How is your studying coming along?

9:39 PM

@JasperLoy it's a good start. but, baby steps, you know? let's not get ahead of ourselves

@Jasper Well, apart from keeping my grades up, I don't know what to prepare for until open house, next week. You see, I didn't even choose a major yet...

@SonicTheHedgehog Nothing, I was just teasing you a bit.

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog "have not even chosen"

@SonicTheHedgehog I'd go for roadworks - they seem to crop up everywhere.

Well, I am currently copying Declaration of Independence over and over to remember it.. next thursday, we have to write an essay as part of the test and we have to summarize all parts of the Declaration... Mom is calling me again...

user19161

9:43 PM

@SonicTheHedgehog Good luck! Go answer.

@JasperLoy Why do you prefer "haven't even chosen" over "didn't even choose"? I'd definitely say the latter.

Did it snow in your areas?

Tristate area did... They all declared state of emergency..

Not down by DC, but I heard you guys up north were due to get some snow, right?

Ah.

@SonicTheHedgehog Seriously? Wow.

go outside, stand for about 10 minutes, and you hear a tree falling...

It snowed in Saturday, lasted about 24 hours..

9:45 PM

It's a beautiful sunny day outside here, perfectly dry.

@aediaλ Really? Hmm I'd prefer have, but I think the present perfect is used less in America.

Yesterday I went out and there was a little bit of freezing rain, but it stopped.

user19161

@aediaλ Really? I can't explain it, but I always use the former. Perhaps I will be able to answer after studying my grammar book. I'm surprised you use the latter too.

user19161

@aediaλ Good for taking your nature photos!

@Cerberus I would write have, I think. But it sounds ... perhaps a little unnatural and stiff to say it.

user19161

9:47 PM

@aediaλ Last night I went out and saw your statue again.

Hehe.

You see, its not even Halloween, and leaves are still on the tree, and snow was heavy, and.. yeah...

user19161

@Cerberus Hey we both answered with "really", this is really interesting!

@aediaλ So British! Yay!

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog Last night was Halloween parties all over.

9:48 PM

@Cerberus Haha.

user19161

@Cerberus I owe my allegiance to the Crown like you.

@JasperLoy Well neither of is American, that must be it!

aye, we're a great people

Very good!

guys, for those kind of nouns that do not have plural, do you use tense for singelar or plural nouns?

9:49 PM

Depends.

Example?

@SonicTheHedgehog do you mean uncountable, or nouns where the plural and singular is the same?

Snow have been falling
Snow has been falling
Snow were heavy
Snow was heavy

etc...

Singular!

huh.

Has, was.

That's very clear.

user19161

9:51 PM

@Cerberus Yes, no doubt.

must be easy to confuse...

Those are mass nouns. All singular, always.

Collective nouns, however, like committee and police are less clear cut.

I always wondered about mass nouns.. water, fish, snow.. water and snow I can see why, but why fish?

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog You say "the milk is cold" and not "the milk are cold". "Milk" and "snow" are used as uncountable nouns here.

user19161

@Cerberus Yes, that depends on whether you view it as a group or as separate individuals.

9:52 PM

the police has a cold or the police have a cold?

but fish are countable, or am I confused here?

one fish two fish red fish blue fish

@SonicTheHedgehog fish is the plural of fish. snow doesn't have a plural

There are three words fish: 1. a single animal, as in this fish is huge; 2. the plural of the animal, as in the fish that are swimming in the river; 3. the substance, mostly as food, as in we're having fish today.

Sorry.

Can't help myself.

user19161

9:53 PM

@SonicTheHedgehog "Fish" can be singular countable noun, plural countable noun or uncountable noun.

@MattЭллен Have for me, but probably has in America?

user19161

@sonic The plural of "fish" as a countable noun is either "fish" or "fishes".

@Cerberus hmmm. I really don't know.

@JasperLoy Yeah. But fish sounds more, I don't know, common?

I just noticed, what language it is doesn't matter, but if you type or concentrate a word for long enough, it looks foreign to you. Strange..

9:55 PM

@Cerberus The committee is stupid. The police are here, phew! The British are coming! Um, I think we're just inconsistent over here.

@SonicTheHedgehog That is called semantic satiation here.

user19161

@Cerberus Hmm, I don't usually talk about fishes so I would not know!

Yikes, you guys know everything abotu languages..

Q: Is there a word or phrase for the feeling you get after looking at a word for too long?

53

(Perhaps this only happens to me, but I doubt it.) Sometimes after looking at a word for a while, I become convinced that it can't possibly be spelled correctly. Even after looking it up, sounding it out, and realizing that there's simply no other way to spell the word, it still looks wrong. ...

single-word-requests

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog about

9:56 PM

@SonicTheHedgehog we are the hive mind

@MattЭллен The police have new cars. The committee has a new chalkboard. I don't know...

user19161

@cerb Plus one for "plastic breasts"!

I'm probably poisoned now that I'm thinking about it.

@aediaλ the committee have new cars?

Hey, I haven't seen simchona anywhere recently. Is she busy?

9:57 PM

@MattЭллен Oh. Hmm. That does sound right too. Does that mean I change my mind based on the following thing?

That's odd.

lol The British is coming

user19161

@SonicTheHedgehog Probably, I would think she still closes and downvotes questions.

No, they actually said "Regulars are coming".

@JasperLoy Thanks! They're pretty, aren't they?

@aediaλ I think that when you're forced to consider the members individually e.g. each member of the committee has a new car, then you use the plural, otherwise you use the singular

user19161

9:58 PM

@Cerberus I prefer the natural ones.

the committee has a new car

@MattЭллен Hmm. That makes sense.

BRB

this would mean that a single new car has been given to the committee as a whole