English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

KitFox

12:11 AM

user19161

12:25 AM

@KitFox Ah! I wonder what that tree-like structure represents.

KitFox

You don't know anything about Judaism, do you?

user19161

Nope.

KitFox

Then I'd suggest Wiki'ing or Googling "Hebrew tree of life."

user19161

Hmm, OK.

user19161

I am still awaiting Vitaly's answer on what the map represents.

user19161

12:28 AM

I am surprised you know!

KitFox

What, about Judaism or the map?

user19161

The map.

KitFox

Well you shouldn't be surprised.

user19161

What does it have to do with midnight?

KitFox

What, you want me to ruin Vitaly's triumph?

user19161

12:30 AM

@KitFox Oh, I am just speaking my mind freely, don't take it too seriously.

KitFox

No worries. I have taken a lot of cold medicine to try to stop this infernal coughing, so I am rather dazed.

user19161

It seems that protip is one of @rob's favourite words. He seems to be a pro in many things.

KitFox

Yes, indeed.

user19161

The Olympics are coming. It would be fun to watch.

KitFox

Would be? You won't?

user19161

12:34 AM

0

Q: Phrase or word for animal freezing in response to danger

I'm looking for a technical (medical or biological) term for when an animal freezes in response to a perceived danger. This is a pretty well known phenomena (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response) i.e., a deer freezing in the headlights of a car, but I'm having trouble determini...

user19161

Perhaps you can answer this bio related question.

KitFox

Hmm. I can't think of anything.

fight-or-flight is not the right answer.

Freezing is neither.

I might be able to figure it out though.

user19161

The only thing I can think of is shock, whatever that means.

user19161

@KitFox OK you should sleep early then. Stay at home if necessary.

KitFox

I am at home, and I'll go to bed shortly. I just can't sleep much because of the coughing.

So it's "tonic immobility," by the way.

Haha. I just noticed I wrote "Freezing is neither" when I meant "freezing isn't either."

user19161

12:45 AM

@KitFox I just noticed I just noticed.

user19161

Wow, what a lovely sentence I have just made!

Mahnax

5:10 AM

Wow, quiet.

user19161

@Mahnax Boo!

Mahnax

@ClarkKent Hi!

user19161

@Mahnax I saw the what's question. Actually I never use the 's except for is myself.

Mahnax

@ClarkKent That's your decision, but it's still GR.

user19161

Oh OK sometimes I use it for has too.

user19161

5:15 AM

But does?

user19161

Hmm, I don't think I ever used it for does.

Mahnax

The dictionary agrees with me.

user19161

@Mahnax That's your opinion. But I am not saying I agree or not.

user19161

@Mahnax OK, have a cookie.

Mahnax

@ClarkKent Thank you.

eats cookie

What type of cookie was that?

user19161

5:20 AM

@Mahnax Poison cookie, mwahaha!

user19161

evil laughter

Mahnax

@ClarkKent gasps

The horror!

user19161

@Mahnax You're still alive?

user19161

gasps

Mahnax

@ClarkKent Yes. I just went to wake up my brother and inform him that he had fallen asleep whilst watching TV.

user19161

5:30 AM

@Mahnax Do you do any extracurricular study these days?

Mahnax

@ClarkKent Sometimes.

Ça depend.

Em1

7:45 AM

Hello everybody

In German I often say something like that "Ersteinmal ... und dann, zweitens, ...". Is it common to say this construct in English, too: "First of all ..., and then, secondly, ..." or does that sounds somehow clumsy or awkward?

Matt Эллен

8:05 AM

@Em1 It's OK. I think we would only say and then if the next item were the last in the list, e.g. "First of all we have to lay out the tent, secondly we have to push the poles in, and then, thirdly we have to hammer the pegs in."

and then isn't necessary, though

I don't think we'd use and then if we were listing non-procedural things, e.g. "Firstly you have the temerity to accuse me of theft, secondly you can't account for any stock you do have, let alone what you don't, and thirdly you owe me money!"

apparently and seems natural before the last item in the list

Gigili

I don't owe you money.

Matt Эллен

Oh? Did we come to some arrangement?

Em1

@Matt Thanks :) How can I upvote ;p

Gigili

Didn't we?

Matt Эллен

no worries @Em1 :) glad to help!

Em1

8:19 AM

@Gigili How are you?

Gigili

@Em1 I'm fine, thanks. You?

Em1

Same :)

user19161

@matt The green goblin looks scary!

Matt Эллен

8:36 AM

What green goblin?

I see no goblins here

Gigili

Okay, you hold shift to type '@', right?

Matt Эллен

Yes

Gigili

So how one writes "@matt" and not "@Matt"?

Matt Эллен

I'm a tab-completer myself, so I don't know :D

user19161

@Gigili Well, because one need not capitalise m to ping!

Gigili

8:44 AM

Huh?

user19161

@MattЭллен Yeah, you are not a nutcase, so it's hard to understand the ways of a nutcase.

Matt Эллен

so kind!

user19161

@Gigili I am just saying that one uses the minimum number of shifts to type what is needed.

Gigili

@ClarkKent One needs to capitalize special names.

user19161

@Gigili Thwack! Well Matt !=Maria who does not exist now.

David Wallace

8:46 AM

@ClarkKent Can you be sure?

Gigili

I'm more concerned about Gigili than Matt.

user19161

@DavidWallace Sure of what? Your question is not well-defined.

user19161

@Gigili Well, gigili is not your real name anyway but matt is his real name. QED.

David Wallace

@ClarkKent Sure that he's not Maria.

Gigili

@ClarkKent Okay, jasper. as you wish, jasper.

David Wallace

8:48 AM

@ClarkKent Can you be sure?

user19161

@DavidWallace Yes, he is certainly not Maria for whatever interpretation of Maria.

Matt Эллен

@DavidWallace With a face like this, I'd guess most people hope I'm not Maria

David Wallace

Maybe someone called Maria took over your keyboard briefly, and is just posing as Matt to fool us all.

And maybe gigili really is gigili's real name.

user19161

In fact, I think there will be no more Marias in my life. QED.

user19161

@DavidWallace Possibly so, but it sounds more like a male character in an Italian opera.

Gigili

8:50 AM

That won't prevent Marias from entering your life. QED.

David Wallace

@ClarkKent You'd be surprised.

user19161

This is an especially noisy weekend for this chat room. It's usually more quiet.

user19161

Something must be in the air...

Matt Эллен

it was a noisy weekend? Today is Monday

David Wallace

Weekend? I thought you were in the right hemisphere?

user19161

8:52 AM

@DavidWallace Oh the weekend that just passed then.

David Wallace

@ClarkKent Was it? I didn't really notice.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

9:13 AM

Ah, Oxford comma question of the day!

As in, I sure hope that'll be it for today.

Matt Эллен

fingers crossed.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Also, TIL that the correct spelling of "does look" is "is looking". English orthography sure is hard.

I only just learned that Manchester is spelled Liverpool, and now this.

Matt Эллен

We have rules implemented especially to trip up pineapples

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Yeah, that's another one. Spelling ananas as pineapple.

Matt Эллен

Then we send out ESL teachers to teach only some of the rules

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

9:18 AM

It's so unlogical!

Matt Эллен

It's how we intend to end the recession. Create a bubble of English teachers, each one only teaching 50% of what is needed to learn English, and each one teaches a different 50%.

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 unlogical and irreasonable

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Hey you passed the I'm-not-Jasper test! Here's your diploma.

Matt Эллен

ta!

Hangs diploma on the door

Gigili

Can I haz a diploma, piliz?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

You must not not get jokes first.

Gigili

9:32 AM