English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

MετάEd

10:01

2

Q: What does "It dopes it really really well. Dope even" mean?

Recently I came across a stackoverflow comment for a post. It goes something like this. Dojo has an UpgradeBar that dopes this: Blah Blah Blah and then somebody commented the post It dopes it really really well. Dope even I know dope is to take drug and thus may be he is mean...

Really? This is still open? From March 2011?

Cerberus

Could be useful for other people looking up the same typo.

Tolerance.

Cerberus

10:15

Wikipedia's most searched articles of the year revealed

> A study of 2012's most read Wikipedia articles reveals striking differences in what proved popular across the different language versions of the online encyclopaedia.

Johan Larsson

10:29

god morgon

MετάEd

@JohanLarsson Godmorgen.

Johan Larsson

& Happy new

MετάEd

And, jag pratar inte svenska.

Johan Larsson

I turned down a dinner/party invitation for tonite and booked a time in laundry instead, cool?

Cerberus

Goedemorgen.

MετάEd

10:34

Jeg taler også noget dansk.

Cerberus

@JohanLarsson That's...odd.

MετάEd

Nor hollandsk.

Cerberus

But whatever rocks your boat!

Wij spreken hier geen hollandsk.

Do you speak Engels?

David Wallace

god natt

MετάEd

En edes puhu suomea.

Johan Larsson

10:35

^ respect

Cerberus

No Suomea, no.

MετάEd

Ja kiitän Jumalaa siitä.

Johan Larsson

I know some Finnish, mostly what things in nature are called and profanity

MετάEd

Eble ni devus cxiuj nur parolas Esperanton.

Johan Larsson

@MετάEd yes thank you Christmas ??

Cerberus

10:36

(From a friend's abstract.)

MετάEd

@JohanLarsson No, thank Google.

Cerberus

What do you think of "cultural Darwinian"?

MετάEd

Because Google is responsible, not Christmas.

Johan Larsson

@MετάEd I tried/guessed without google did not know siitä

Cerberus

It means an approach where some form of natural selection is observed in cultural phenomena.

MετάEd

10:37

"And I thank God for that."

Cerberus

But it sounds a bit...odd.

MετάEd

Ama bana Google teşekkür etmek için daha iyi olurdu.

Johan Larsson

@Cerberus I should be home and keep my dogs company any way. So they don't get anxious when there are fireworks

Cerberus

Ah OK I see.

Johan Larsson

@MετάEd yeah, I confused god for Christmas, they are somewhat similar

MετάEd

10:39

It seems to be a worldwide tradition: At the beginning of the new year, try to blow it up right away.

@JohanLarsson Certainly God and St. Nicholas are similar.

Johan Larsson

But they wanted to have the party at my place so it is only partially true, I simply don't like people in general. Couples dinners are painful with few exceptions

MετάEd

I hear it is also easy to confuse God with Donald Duck.

Johan Larsson

lol enough for star imo^

I have two home made aphorisms that I expect stars for later, I'm worried I will mess up the translation though

MετάEd

@JohanLarsson Let's have them in both languages then.

Johan Larsson

Den som premierar administration högre än innovation ska inte bli förvånad när resultatet blir mer administration än innovation.

If administration is rewarded higher than innovation one should not be surprised when the result is more administration than innovation.

attempt 1^

[x] engineer whining

MετάEd

10:52

7

Q: What name for bowdlerisation with asterisks (e.g., “f*ck”)?

I have always been intrigued by the English use of asterisks to replace vowels in words considered as offensive, and the reasons it seems somewhat language-specific. My (very related) questions on this are: Is there a name for this process? This is encompassed by bowdlerisation, but is there a ...

writing offensive-language

68

Q: What the #$@&%*! is that called?

Is there a name for the use of symbols in place of curse words, for example #$@&%*!?

writing offensive-language symbols

So ... which of these should be closed as the dupe.

Johan Larsson

I think the highest voted one has a cleaner answer

MετάEd

Here's a try: If you reward administration over innovation, you should not be surprised when the result is more administration than innovation.

Johan Larsson

looks reasonable^

MετάEd

Possibly they are merge candidates.

Johan Larsson

I often find closed dupes when googling. I often find that the dupes have better answers too.

What does closing do?

MετάEd

10:59

A closed question cannot be answered.

Johan Larsson

but still be voted on?

MετάEd

The purpose of closing a dupe is so that answers are all on a single page. The dupe question becomes a link to the original question.

So the dupe question is still helpful for finding answers.

Yes, a closed question can still be voted on.

And answers which were given before it was closed can be voted on.

Johan Larsson

ah, ok that makes sense. Merging is probably best then. Is it much work?

f*ck is probably a thing many will search for

dunno if it is possible to search for it really, maybe the * is interpreted as wildcard

Robusto

13:27

@Cerberus Why do you suppose I would disapprove of lesbians?

KitFox

14:18

@Rob you disapprove of lesbians?

user19161

@KitFox Hello. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas. Happy New Year!

Robusto

14:36

@KitFox @Cerberus made some statement to that effect. I don't know where he got that.

user19161

@Robusto His statement is ambiguous.

Robusto

Anyway, why don't you all ask @Cerberus what he meant. I'm not responsible for his musings.

user19161

I had a very big surprise this Christmas. But that will be my secret...

user19161

@Robusto I notice you love to ping the doggie.

Robusto

@JasperLoy You notice no such thing. You infer that I love to ping him, but that is all in your mind. For me it is a painful duty.

user19161

14:40

@kitfox just left on a sleigh.

Robusto

Some would say she left on a giant penis. But in truth, I have never seen a penis that looked so much like a sleigh. Probably a Dutch sleigh.

user19161

The sleigh looks weird, though I have never seen one.

Robusto

15:32

Well, I seem to get a downvote or two on everything I post nowadays. I do think someone is hunting me, but the mechanism that's supposed to catch serial downvoters doesn't seem to work.

Johan Larsson

Would C#'er be correct short form for C# programmer?

Robusto

I've never seen that. I'd just say "C# guy" or "C# dude" or even "C# guru" if he were really good.

You wouldn't say "Javaer" or "C++er" or "Perler" ...

Johan Larsson

but would it be correct use of ' ?

or just C#er

Robusto

But if a programmer had a difficulty with sibilance you might say he was a Lisper.

Johan Larsson

googling...

Robusto

15:39

@JohanLarsson Beats the fuck out of me. I would not use that term in any case.

Johan Larsson

ok, answer to the question^ ty sir

Eugene

Evening everyone!

Robusto

Morning.

Eugene

Guys, is it true? I was amazed hereing, that in english language you can't congratulate other person with comming of new year.

Is it true?

Robusto

It's true that there is no "comming" of the new year, but you can definitely say "Happy New Year" on or around January 1.

Also, you probably were amazed at hearing, not "hereing."

Eugene

15:45

Right, sorry.

Well, I do understand, that you can congratulate on or around January 1, but what about 30 or even 31 December?

For example in Russian language you can easily say that.

Robusto

You could tell someone "have a happy New Year" if you weren't going to see that person until January. But normally you would wait until midnight of January 1 before saying it in the present tense. For several days after the holiday you can say Happy New Year to people you haven't seen since the previous year.

Eugene

It is understandable, but what about before?

Robusto

It's the same in Japanese. Shinnen akemashita gozaimasu is a polite expression that literally means "new year opened* and is not said except on the day in question.

@Eugene Only if you weren't going to see that person till the new year.

You can say anything you want anytime you want, but I'm just telling you what the customary usage is.

Eugene

And i probably can't start a letter with those words, right? Better to place them at the end.

I'm talking about "have a happy New Year"

Robusto

If it's a letter, it shouldn't be a problem.

Eugene

16:01

How should I add it to the end then?

Have a happy New Year,

My Name

Robusto

Go for it.

Eugene

Okay. Thank you.

user19161

@Robusto Well, you have a huge rep after all, so just live with it.

user19161

@Eugene I remember you use this smiley )))

Eugene

16:17

@JasperLoy what?

Johan Larsson

16:40

Hej @JasperLoy

user19161

@JohanLarsson Yo.

Johan Larsson

Everything good?

user19161

17:00

@Eugene Well, that is what I mean, no more no less. Never mind.

user19161

@JohanLarsson Quite the opposite, but never mind.

tchrist

19:10

This is a test of the emergency hatcast system. This is only a test. In the event of an actual emergency, I would be wearing a hat.

Cerberus

@Robusto @Robusto @KitFox No, not of lesbians, but of my calling them funny!

I mean, who doesn't like lesbians?

We once had a "discussion" about female comedians, and you said they were never funny.

Whether in earnest or in jest I know not.

Gosh, it's quiet today.

Amsterdam passed on hosting some congress on Nuclear energy or proliferation, because Obama would attend, and the Americans demanded ridiculous conditions:

> People would be forced to leave their houses for two days.

It doesn't say how many people.

Now the conference is in The Hague. I hope my friends won't be forced to leave their houses...

Mahnax

19:34

Weird.

0

Q: Can you help me out with text?

Don't know if I'm able to write here but its pretty urgent. I have this text: All good things must come to an end, and so too must this age. Once Solomon was given a ring, upon which was inscribed a message that could take away all the joys or sorrows of the world, that message was roughly tr...

british-english sentence

Johan Larsson

@Cerberus I agree on that one, of course there are exceptions but it is a decent generalization

Cerberus

@Mahnax Voted.

Mahnax

@Cerberus Dank.

Cerberus

@JohanLarsson Hmm how odd.

Mahnax

@Cerberus It is Sunday, after all.

Cerberus

19:39

...which is normally the busiest time on the Internet!

Johan Larsson

@Cerberus why? I know it is not PC but I have actually discussed that a couple of times outside the chat. not that it proves anything other than that I recognized it.

Cerberus

...the reason why all Ebay auctions are timed to end on Sunday, just after dinner.

@JohanLarsson Well, because I know plenty of funny comédiennes.

Johan Larsson

@Cerberus could of course be a matter of taste or selective perception?

Cerberus

Yes.

But I was watching funny lesbians. So there you have it.

Johan Larsson

@Cerberus proof right there imo!

Cerberus

19:42

Perhaps they count as men, then.

But gay male comedians can be funny too.

Johan Larsson

I said there are exceptions in my first post. Maybe there is no rule? My knee jerk reaction is still there might be a rule.

Cerberus

I think we have more popular male comedians, gay or straight, than women; but we also have a decent contingent of comédiennes that are quite popular.

@JohanLarsson There is no rule for me.

Johan Larsson

googling contingent et al.

Cerberus

Heh.

Isn't the word contingent used the same way in Swedish?

And what are the "alia" here?

Johan Larsson

@Cerberus probably but I didn't know

Cerberus

19:49

OK.

Johan Larsson

Did you just get a little angry?

Cerberus

No?

Not at all.

Did you?

Johan Larsson

I got scared :)

tchrist

@Cerberus You know, I can think of at least 5 gay UK comedians, but no Americans. Curious.

Robusto

@Cerberus Why would I have a problem with you calling lesbians funny?

Cerberus

19:55

@JohanLarsson BOO!

@tchrist Really? That's odd.

35 mins ago, by Cerberus

We once had a "discussion" about female comedians, and you said they were never funny.

tchrist

@Cerberus Yes, I know.

There is a running controversy at QI about the lack of female guests. (Most guests are comedians.)

Robusto

@Cerberus I may have said Ellen DeGeneres wasn't funny. Which she isn't. She's a lesbian. But that's not why she isn't funny.

tchrist

But Sandy Toksvig and Sue Perkins are regulars, and they are gay.

Ellen is not funny, no.

Cerberus

@Robusto Don't make me look it up. You said all women.

Robusto

@Cerberus Look it up.

Cerberus

19:58

Ellen can be funny.

tchrist

I find them both reasonably funny, albeit in quite different ways.

Cerberus

Not my favourite, but not bad either.

Robusto

1.5k hats for ELU. In your face, IT Security! ELU! ELU!

Johan Larsson

> whats it called when two people arguing reverse their opinions and are now arguing over that?

tchrist

0

Q: XX inch round - radius or diameter?

I am looking for some circular labels on eBay ("Warranty void if removed" - I guess you know these things stuck on computers). The listing states: 100 round bright silver tamper evident hologram labels - Warranty Void If Removed with unique sequential serial numbering. Dimensions: .65 in...

meaning

That won’t fly.

MετάEd

20:01

George Carlin is not funny, either. He's serious. That's what makes him funny.

Robusto

@JohanLarsson ELU chat.

Cerberus

@Robusto Okay, I have failed. It is impossible to look anything up in the transcript.

Robusto

Louis CK and Doug Stanhope are the two funniest comedians in the world right now, IMO.

Johan Larsson

@Robusto lol, I suppose I should attack you now for liking female comedians then?

Robusto

@JohanLarsson It is customary, yes.

tchrist

20:04

Dude, are you kidding? Have you seen the kinds of questions we do here? This isn't a text writing service. — Mitch 11 mins ago

Robusto

Fuckin' IT Security didn't know who they were messing with. nods

tchrist

Somebody needs to remind @Mitch that he gets two demerits for using the word dude for each year over 29 he is.

Robusto

@tchrist Dude, in that case I am totally, like, fucked.

tchrist

@Rob Welcome to Number 3.

Robusto

@tchrist Been there a while now.

Cerberus

20:06

@Mitch: He doesn't know. Be nice to the new guy. — Cerberus 45 secs ago

tchrist

I know. I good morninged you.

But you were tying.

Robusto

I was ahead, then tied, then ahead, then tied, then ahead ... I can't keep it straight. People who want to see me tied for second should upvote one of my latest questions.

Does IT Security have a chat room? I think we should go over there and taunt them.

tchrist

You can be ahead if you answer you own question.

Nothing but good taste says you can’t delete it once you’ve been hatted.

Unless you piss off a moderator who hatbans you.

Cerberus

@Mitch You used to be a nice guy. What's happening to you?

tchrist

Catsup.

Cerberus

20:10

I like you. I don't want to be angry at you.

tchrist

He isn’t getting enough catsup.

It has mellowing agents for just this problem.

So does opium.

Your choice.

Robusto

@tchrist So you'd rather I risk hatbanning than vote for me? I see how it works.

tchrist

Nope, just presenting options.

I thought I’d voted for all your stuff anyway. I usually do.

Johan Larsson

@Robusto on fire tonite, almost had to wipe my screen.

tchrist

Screen scraping?

Johan Larsson

20:12

Beer wiping, dangerously close to puns now, thread carefully (both of us)

Robusto

Anyway, where is the IT Security room? We need to taunt those hatless bastards with how much better we are than them.

tchrist

@JohanLarsson *tonight

Johan Larsson

@tchrist ty, was lazy. Really appreciate you guys pointing out errors though.

tchrist

Unproblem.

Johan Larsson

c++ room changed to "Happy old year", feels better now.

Mitch

20:17

@tchrist Oh, shit.

@Cerberus I was trying to be honest. Just saying 'off-topic' doesn't say why and by how much.

tchrist

I moved to Boulder when I was 28. I was told I could only keep using dude for 2 more years till they took away my licence. That was 21 years ago.

Cerberus

Did you think you sounded friendly?

Mitch

@Cerberus Oh man... that's so nice, and yet then ends up not feeling so good. I wasn't trying to be mean.

Cerberus

I know. But it did make me sad.

Mitch

@tchrist What does it come with? French fries or tea?

mmm french fries.

mmm tea (well tea and cake).

tchrist

20:21

The tea comes with opium. The french fries come with catsup.

Mitch

►

Robusto

@tchrist I'll take tea, tyvm.

Mitch

Can I have both?

tchrist

@Mitch Would you put both lemon and milk in your tea?

Mitch

@Cerberus Tellling somebody 'no' isn't the friendliest. BUt I don't think I was being mean.

Cerberus

20:23

Perhaps you could try a more business-like yet friendly approach the next time.

Mitch

@tchrist Are you mad? What kind of person puts milk in their tea? Did they grow up in the woods, raised by wolves?

Cerberus

You know people are extremely unlikely to accept anything from someone who isn't friendly to them. You then accomplish little.

tchrist

If I don’t put milk in black tea, I heave.

I don’t need it in herbal “tea”.

Cerberus

Milk ftw!

Mitch

@Cerberus Next time, I will be less brutally honest. But I will gladly give up demerit points (or receive them which ever direction works), if it will lessen the pain of truth.

Robusto

20:24

There's nothing wrong with LEGO that a lot of anti-aliasing wouldn't fix.

tchrist

Too pixxy.

Cerberus

Tea without milk is like...cheese without bread or toast.

Mitch

@Robusto then it ain't lego, all ther jaggedey edges removed.

tchrist

Mitch

@Cerberus what? that metaphor doesn't work that direction.

Cerberus

20:25

@Mitch Thank you for pronouncing your willingness to give up demerit points. I know they mean a lot to you.

tchrist

I have some Huntsman in my fridge. Now you have craved me it!

Cerberus

@Mitch No?

Mitch

Dude...you are so sincere! Shit, more points!

Cerberus

I regard cheese as the main ingredient in bread-'n'-cheese.

@tchrist Hmm what's that taste like?

tchrist

It is like $12/pound here at discount even.

Mitch

20:26

@tchrist craven addiction to cheese interspliced with more cheese. goes to refrigerator to look for cheese

tchrist

It is a double-Gloucester layered with Stilton. It tastes awesome.

Cerberus

Okay.

Mitch

@Cerberus it wouldn't be properly bread n cheese without the bread.

@tchrist It is awesome.

Cerberus

I'm glad you understood the point.

Mitch

you can't tell which is better or if the combination is better!

Cerberus

20:27

Tea is incomplete without milk.

Mitch

@Cerberus It's too weak to have with milk. it overpowers the tea.

Cerberus

In England, they often won't even ask, they just add milk.

Mitch

and milk -and- lemon, that's a crime of sorts.

@Cerberus shudders

Cerberus

Then what kind of tea are you drinking?

It should be medium-strong black tea.

Mitch

@Cerberus you'll be shocked.

shocked I say.

Cerberus

20:28

Oh, dear...

Not some kind of fruit? I hate fruits.

Mitch

earl grey..

a litle sugar..

Cerberus

Ah!

tchrist

Fruity.

Mitch

a little milk!

ducks

Cerberus

What!? Not....sugar?

shocked indeed

tchrist

20:29

Oh, honey!

Mitch

no. no honey.

Cerberus

What are you, five?

I need to call my friend.

Anything to calm me down.

Mitch

no. no authorities necessary.

Cerberus

fans self

Mitch

I don't do it in public.

not much.

never photographed...

that I can remember.

except

that one time

or was it that whole week.

anyway, never again.

after tomorrow.

tchrist

20:31

The QI Christmas special is finally on YouTube in its XL rendition. It has its divertimientos:

►

Cerberus

And you're still paying monthly extortion money for that one time you were photographed with sugar in your tea?

Mitch

@Cerberus what? Such accusations. I'll have ou horsewhipped on the steps of the local constabulary for such slander.

I almost wrote 'horsewiped'.

Cerberus

begins to undress

Mitch

might have worked out better for all concerned.

tries to leave room

hits forehead on open door

closes eyes

Robusto

Gotta go. Latoeurs.

Mitch

20:33

blacks out

tchrist

Speaking of what goes in what, I have become something of a ginger-ale connoisseur in my convalescence. The mass-market marques here in the States are disgustingly sweet and utterly ungingered.

Go for Reed’s, in a glass bottle.

It has only honey, not high-fructose corn syrup.

And real ginger root, and lemon and lime juices.

Cerberus

Do you drink lots of soft drinks?

contemplates whether he shall add an apostrophe or an o

tchrist

@Cerberus If you mean carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, absolutely not.

But ginger ale is a “sick-tummy” thing.

Cerberus

Is "soft drink" an unfamiliar phrase to you?

By the way, I was surprised to encounter "belly" in the Lost Tales.

tchrist

@Cerberus Soft drink simply means non-alcoholic beverage to me, but I didn’t think you were using it that way.

If I am at restaurant, I drink water alone perhaps 90% of the time, and iced tea the balance.

I never order pop.

I do sometimes enjoy a good root beer, which is not something you probably know.

@Cerberus Why were you surprised?

Cerberus

20:48

@tchrist Well, would you call tea a soft drink?

tchrist

Yes.

Cerberus

Funny.

tchrist

It is opposed to hard drink in my lingo.

If it does not have alcohol, it is a soft drink not a hard one.

Some beverages come in both modes, such as cider: either hard or sweet.

Cerberus

Soft drink

A soft drink (also called soda, pop, coke, soda pop, fizzy drink, tonic, seltzer, mineral, sparkling water or carbonated beverage) is a beverage that typically contains water (often, but not always carbonated water), usually a sweetener, and usually a flavoring agent. The sweetener may be sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, sugar substitutes (in the case of diet drinks) or a combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients. Soft drinks are called "soft" in contrast to "hard drinks" (alcoholic beverages). Small amounts...

This is how I know it.

To me, a soft drink is essentially a mass-produced, sweet, cold, non-alcoholic drink.

tchrist

Interesting.

Cerberus

20:50

So iced tea from a plastic bottle is a soft drink to me, but not home-made iced tea.

tchrist

I virtually never drink soda pop, no. The closest I get are things like root beer, ginger ale, or old-fashioned cream soda, and those only rarely.

Does iced tea have carbonation there?

Cerberus

Depends on the brand.

tchrist

I cannot imagine carbonation in iced tea. It should have another name then.

The ubiquity of high-fructose corn syrup in soda pop here is really appalling. You must work very hard to find something with actual sugar in it. And honey is even harder to come by as a soft-drink sweetener.

Cerberus

I think I would call things like apple juice and orange juice soft drinks if mass produced. But those are dubious candidates: I would sooner call them juices, even though they are equally unhealthy and uninteresting.

tchrist

Orange juice is unhealthy and uninteresting?

Cerberus

20:52

Tons of added fructose syrup, no doubt.

@tchrist Mass-produced orange juice, yes.

tchrist

Huh?

You can’t call it orange juice then. That has to be called orange drink, I think.

Cerberus

I believe it contains even more calories than coke.

Why?

tchrist

You mean like orange soda pop?

Cerberus

There is orange juice in it.

No.

tchrist

Just because it has juice in it is not enough to be legally called juice.

Cerberus

20:54

It probably needs a certain percentage.

tchrist

There are legal definitions of these things. Well, statutory.

Cerberus

And the percentage may in fact be 60, I don't know.

tchrist

I don’t know why people would buy those.

I don’t deny that they do, mind you.

I just do not understand.

Interesting, Stephen just pronounced fungi like fun guy, but with normal stress.

Cerberus

@tchrist Neither would I, but the alternative is freshly pressed.

tchrist

> In the USA fruit juice can only legally be used to describe a product which is 100% fruit juice. A blend of fruit juice(s) with other ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup, is called a juice cocktail or juice drink.

Cerberus

20:56

It is made out of concentrated orange juice, apparently.

tchrist

Juice

Juice is a liquid that is naturally contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with these or other biological food sources such as meat and seafood. It is commonly consumed as a beverage or used as an ingredient or flavoring in foods. Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating fruit or vegetable flesh without the application of heat or solvents. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree, and tomato juice is the liquid that results from pressing the fruit of the tomato plant. Juice may be prepa...

See? By law, here you can only call it fruit juice if it is 100% fruit juice.

Is it different there?

Cerberus

So apparently they don't add extra fructose to orange juice sold as such here. But it's still unhealthy and it doesn't taste good.

@tchrist I don't know about percentages, but it is apparently 100 % concentrated juice here.

tchrist

What is unhealthy and doesn’t taste good? Real honest-to-god orange juice?

Cerberus

Non-fresh orange juice.

tchrist

Oh, the concentrated stuff there is a trick to make right.

Cerberus

20:58

Would you ever drink that? People do so here.

En masse.

tchrist

For example, if it calls for one can of frozen concentrate and three cans of water, the trick is to make it with only two or two and a half cans of water. Then it tastes right again.

Cerberus

I only like freshly pressed orange juice.

It will never taste anything like freshly pressed juice.

tchrist

There is nothing wrong with concentrated juiced, provided that they are processed when fresh and nothing abnormal is added.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…