English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

10:00 PM

Well yeah that's what the answer says.

I just never noticed stars disappear by virtue of my looking at them, is all.

0

I know that phrases 'a herd of cattle' and 'many herds of cattle' are correct, but not sure for phrase: 'cattle herds' (as in: 'We drove by cattle herds.')... What do you think about it? TnX! Nemanja

Robusto

FFS

And look at the tags.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

The tags are actually excellent.

I wonder if he typed in "correct" and the system autocompleted that to "grammaticality".

Robusto

Really? I dunno, it seems kinda obvious to me.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I think we have things such as "correctness" mapped to that.

Robusto

So ... periphrasis?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:04 PM

Peristaltik.

Cerberus

@MrShinyandNew: Agreed and agreed.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Wow Wikipedia actually has a picture of peristalsis.

Robusto

Don't U-Boats have Peristaltiks?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Robusto it's not have, but had; not U-Boats, but the Soviet Union; and not Peristaltiks, but apparatchiks. But other than that you are spot on.

Robusto

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 At least I got the important stuff right.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:06 PM

You seldom don't not don't.

Mahnax

Good day and hello.

Robusto

Hello and good ~~day~~ evening.

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Hahahahaha brilliant! Perhaps I'm drunk, but I love it!

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Gello and hood ~~day~~ evening.

Mahnax

Day and hello good.

Cerberus

10:07 PM

Hello and all that crap.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Daniel Day and Lewis Carroll.

user19161

You're all nuts.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

No, only some are.

Cerberus

Hey, do you know this card game where you need to get four of a farm animal?

@JasperLoy *have

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Yes. I know it twice.

Cerberus

10:08 PM

Do you like it?

What is it called in your language?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Cerberus I like it on Tuesdays.

Cerberus

It is Koehandel (Cow Trade) in Dutch.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Cerberus "I like it on Tuesdays."

Cerberus

I think you are the goose.

From the game.

Judging by your aura.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Mahnax

10:09 PM

A goose hissed at me today.

I laughed, it was a funny goose.

user19161

@waiwai I remember you asked us to do a survey on whether we perceive a difference between the two pictures. So how did that project go and what was it really about?

Cerberus

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Ahh you found it!

Robusto

@Cerberus Mardi foie gras?

Jez

I think it's unfair that bloody Parenting.SE got those free sidebar ads and nobody else can

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Cerberus is slloooooooooooo...

Cerberus

10:11 PM

@Robusto It's not exactly a party.

waiwai933

@JasperLoy Oh, yeah. Basically, we were looking at whether being told what other people responded affected your answer. I don't have the conclusions on hand, but it went well.

user19161

@Mahnax Does a goose hiss?

Robusto

@Cerberus But it is phat, yeah?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Cerberus I never lost it.

Jez

and whatsmore, when are they going to stop appering? The next time I see a woman cuddling a baby I'm going to go and kill one of em.

Mahnax

10:11 PM

@JasperLoy Yes, at least the Canadian ones do.

Cerberus

@Robusto Yes, except that I never win. I did get the dogs, though!

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Do you seriously know it?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Jez what now, the woman or the baby?

Robusto

@Jez Hey, ease up on the charm.

Jez

it's natural

as your sarcasm

Cerberus

Appering?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:12 PM

@Cerberus of course I do. We considered buying it many times. But it's for 3+ people.

user19161

@Jez Geezis.

Cerberus

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Ah OK. What is it called?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Kuhhandel.

Cerberus

Haha.

Right.

Is it German?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Kuhhandel (Spiel)

Kuhhandel ist ein Gesellschaftsspiel mit speziellen Spielkarten von Rüdiger Koltze für drei bis fünf Personen. Das im Verlag Ravensburger 1985 erschienene Kartenspiel wurde im selben Jahr auf der Auswahlliste des Kritikerpreises Spiel des Jahres aufgeführt. 1996 erschien eine Neuauflage bei F.X. Schmid. Das Spiel erschien auch in anderen Sprachen, so zum Beispiel auf niederländisch als Koehandel und auf englisch als You're Bluffing!. 2009 erschien Kuhhandel Master, welches neben dem alten Spielprinzip noch neue Tiere und andere Ideen miteinbrachte. Ziel des Spiels Ziel des Spiels ist es...

Well it was invented by Ravensburger, it would seem.

Cerberus

10:13 PM

> bedacht door Rüdiger Koltze en uitgegeven door Ravensburger

Dammit.

Y U so fast?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Because I good you no.

I am Weasel.

Word.

I are not Baboon.

10:14 PM

Stop it!!

Robusto

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Tierkarten?

Jez

woahhh

Cerberus

Empty lines are cheating!

Jez

stop with the hate

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Robusto yeah, as opposed to Tiergarten.

Jez

10:15 PM

i'll only post it every 5 minutes or so, as commonly as you see it on the site

:-)

Cerberus

Wha?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I never see it on the site.

Robusto

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 Good. You got the joke. Not sure what you won, but thanks for playing.

user19161

@Jez And we actually have a question migrated there!

robjohn

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 there is a technique for viewing very dim objects called averted vision. You look slightly off of where the dim object is, and the rods of your eye (which are not color sensitive, but are a lot more light sensitive) see the object. If you look straight back at the object, the cones (color sensitive, but not as light sensitive) see the object (or don't, as the case may be).

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:15 PM

@Robusto I thought you were paying out in Internets?

robjohn

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 If the stars are dim enough not to be seen by the cones, but bright enough to be seen by the rods, they will seem to disappear when centered in your eye.

Robusto

How many Internetz do you need?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Well how many does you has?

Cerberus

@robjohn Ah yes, I know this.

Robusto

OVER 9000, of course.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:16 PM

I knew you would say that.

user19161

@robjohn Wow, I did not know you are so knowledgeable. No sarcasm.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

But I need OVER 9001.

Robusto

I knew you knew I would say that.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I know!

robjohn

@JasperLoy I am an avid amateur astronomer, so I know about averted vision.

Robusto

10:17 PM

I? No.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

You robot.

Robusto

@robjohn But are you a vivid amateur astronomer? That's what really counts.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Feb 22 at 20:40, by RegDwight Ѭſ道

I, Robusto.

Cerberus

I am an avid pervert so I know about amorous minestrone.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

@Robusto "vivid" and "amateur" add up to porn, not astronomy.

Cerberus

10:18 PM

Man, I would not normally come up with this crap.

Robusto

@Cerberus Wow, that is the soup I would least like to be amorous with. Doesn't it just figure?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Vivid Entertainment

Vivid Entertainment Group is a pornographic film production company, featuring a catalog of VHS and DVD titles and internet content. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry. Vivid specializes in high-production-value movies, shot in exotic locations with professional lighting and quality cinematography. Founder Steven Hirsch is co-chairman, along with Bill Asher, who is also a co-owner. In the 1990s Vivid began to win industry honors, and today has more AVN Awards (described as the "Oscars" of the adult business) than ...

Cerberus

Why not? It's good.

Ohh let's buy VHS porn!

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Haha. That's a great tagline.

Robusto

Anyway, Mahlzeit.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:19 PM

"Vivid Entertainment — why not? It's good."

Cerberus

Thanks.

Robusto

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 "And good for you, too!"

Cerberus

Bye Robster.

user19161

@robjohn Now you see how interesting this room is?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Actually I thought they went out of business in the eighties.

Cerberus

10:19 PM

How would you know this??

user19161

@Cerberus Maybe he was one of the actors.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

I watched all of porn and came to that conclusion.

Cerberus

Fine.

I look forward to some videos, then.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

No. I have watched them all. Nothing left.

robjohn

@RegDwightΒВBẞ8 There is a "porn-house" at the end of our block. I live in the San Fernando Valley, just south of Chatsworth. Chatsworth is known as the porn capitol of the US.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:21 PM

@robjohn no way. So how fast are the businesses closing, what's with the new condom law?

user19161

I watched video 54673 starring Reg and Cerb.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Rule 54673.

Cerberus

What's a porn house?

robjohn

@Cerberus a house where they shoot porn movies.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

It's what they live in in San Pornando Valley.

Cerberus

10:22 PM

@robjohn Ah, I see. Do you need a special house for that?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

One that looks nice. And stands empty.

Cerberus

Why not just rent any random house when you need it?

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

Because have you seen any random house?

Cerberus

Buying a house specially for porn...

robjohn

@Cerberus no, but it's like any other business, you'd rather run it someplace other than where you live. It's easier to shoot the movies in a house than an office, I assume.

RegDwight ΒВBẞ8

10:23 PM

@Cerberus not buying, duh. Renting.

BRB

Cerberus

@robjohn Just rent some vacation cottage thing?

user19161

Geezis, this chat is going downhill...

Cerberus

So in the right direction?

robjohn

@Cerberus You could, but I imagine if you have all the equipment set up, it's easier to just shoot it all in the same place. Perhaps for more expensive movies, they rent someplace else.

user19161

@Cerberus Well, Newton said what goes up must come down.

robjohn

10:25 PM

@JasperLoy See what happens when I join the chat :-)

user19161

@robjohn Oh, I have not seen your colourful side till now. :-)

robjohn

@JasperLoy That seems to be true in the porn industry as well :-)

user19161

@robjohn LOL

Cerberus

@robjohn But you'd have to pay the rent every week, even when you're not shooting. Instead, you could just rent it for a few weeks, or longer if you want to shoot several films in a row.

user19161

OK we better back off a bit, there are children here.

Cerberus

10:26 PM

stamps foot I'm quite mature!

robjohn

@Cerberus I don't think they ever stop shooting (the movies).

Cerberus

@robjohn Really?

That is...interesting.

robjohn

@Cerberus as far as I can tell, they are busy all the time.

user19161

@robjohn The same is true of most people's lives.

robjohn

@JasperLoy Everything is cyclical.

Cerberus

10:29 PM

@robjohn You peek through the blinds?

user19161

@Cerberus Maybe there are no blinds.

user19161

@robjohn Indeed. The cycle may continue from life to life too if you believe in rebirth.

robjohn

@Cerberus I believe the room that faces the street is their "daily room" for reviewing the day's production. I think they keep the blinds well secured.

Cerberus

@JasperLoy So you would hope.

@robjohn You have checked?

user19161

@Cerberus Well, maybe they use curtains instead?

robjohn

10:30 PM

@Cerberus I think I would probably be struck blind, if I peeked :-)

user19161

@Cerberus No, he is too busy on SE.

Jez

Why is jasper a unicorn? Does it look a bit like Mariah Carey?

robjohn

@Jez Mariah Carey is a unicorn?

user19161

@Jez I just wanted to test out unicornify.appspot.com.

user19161

@robjohn Well, she is one of my favourite avatars.

user19161

10:33 PM

@robjohn Do you know about unicornify.appspot.com?

user19161

I wonder how many SE folks know.

Cerberus

@robjohn Pah on what stone tablet did you read that?

robjohn

@JasperLoy Never heard of it.

user19161

@robjohn You key in your email and it converts that using some algorithm into a unicorn.

robjohn

@JasperLoy Sort of like the gravatars here.

user19161

10:36 PM

@robjohn Yes, perhaps they should use the unicorns instead.

user19161

@jez I saw your 12 am question. I would think it is GR.

Jez

carlo said

> 00:00am is wrong. 0,00am (or 0.00am) is correct - 12,00am does not exist. – Carlo_R. 5 secs ago

wtf?

Cerberus

Hahahaha.

That conforms my impression of him.

user19161

There might be some variation depending on your location though.

user19161

I guess it's best to read all that Jimmy has to say.

user19161

10:41 PM

Some countries interchange 1,234 and 1.234 I think.

Cerberus

We use commas for decimals, dots for third powers of ten.

But never with hours.

So a million point two is 1.000.000,2.

Mahnax

@Cerberus That hurts my eyes.

But I am off, goodbye.

user19161

@Mahnax You need ... sunglasses.

Cerberus

@Mahnax Nooo)ooó/....Bye!(

Jez

0

A: Is it correct to say "12:00am"?

The Wikipedia article 12 Hour Clock is worth quoting at length: Confusion at noon and midnight It is not always clear what times "12:00 a.m." and "12:00 p.m." denote. From the Latin words meridies (midday), ante (before) and post (after), the term ante meridiem (a.m.) means before mi...

Cerberus

10:43 PM

}

Jez

ugh. that wikipedia quote is painful

It could be used in an English exam to get kids to point out where it is wrong.

user19161

@Jez That answer is nothing but a link.

Cerberus

How's your OKCupid going?

Jez

not, really.

Cerberus

I saw someone who seemed interesting for once.

Jez

10:44 PM

@JasperLoy it's a quote

Cerberus

But...I've never done anything on the site.

And I don't like meeting people who live in villages.

It's just not a good idea.

Jez

> "noon" (midday) is neither before or after itself

user19161

@Cerberus Why?

Jez

> recommend that it is clearest if one refers to "noon"

Cerberus

Ehh it is inconceivable for me to be living in a village.

So there would be a huge discrepancy in life styles, interests, mentality.

user19161

10:46 PM

@Cerberus Ehh, he can always move to your place.

Cerberus

Too late.

user19161

It's never too late. Never say never.

Jez

> For an example of the latter method, "midnight" is replaced with "11:59 p.m." for the end of a day or "12:01 a.m." for the start of the next day. That has become common in the United States in legal contracts and for airplane, bus, or train schedules, though some schedules use other conventions.

lol. keep the stupid am/pm anachronism and actually specify different times intead of going 24h

yep, that sounds American

user19161

@Jez I don't like to use the 24 hour notation though. I have to mentally convert it into am/pm.

Cerberus

Haha.

Jez

10:48 PM

not me

Cerberus

Yeah 0.00 is midnight.

Jez

it's the other way round; I see 18:00 on my watch and have to convert to 6PM

user19161

►

user19161

Wow even nohat answered your question @jez!

Jez

nohat also closed one of my questions he shouldn't have

user19161

10:56 PM

@Jez Just different opinions.

Jez

nope.

i modified the question, it should be reopened

it is NOT a pure translation question

user19161

@Jez It was not closed because of that was it?

user19161

0

Q: " 'Such' amount" or " 'such an' amount"?

Is there any difference between them!? If you google both: 1 and 2, the amount of retrieved results are very similar. I'd like to know if there's any (grammar) rule that makes it clear when to use an after such. PS: I used amount only as a means of an illustrative example. UPDATE (example using...