English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Robusto

2:00 PM

@tchrist Only for ellevated registers.

tchrist

Well, it’s French.

George Pompidou

@Robusto no, I can say lumber just fine. I just never say it because building houses is not my trade.

tchrist

They think highly of themselves.

RegDwigнt

Silence of the lumbers.

Robusto

@GeorgePompidou Hey, don't take ummerage at my remark.

tchrist

2:01 PM

@MattЭллен No grovelling in this chat.

RegDwigнt

Um-er-what?

tchrist

Nor kowtowing.

George Pompidou

you know that the word lumber comes from the French word trottoir which means seal blubber.

Robusto

And make sure you use a hammone to make soup. Makes the stock richer.

George Pompidou

or the rock stitcher.

Matt Эллен

2:01 PM

@tchrist terribly sorry, old chap, I'll try to grovel less in future

RegDwigнt

@GeorgePompidou Trottoir is German, the French stole it in 1864.

George Pompidou

Romanians too, then.

Robusto

I would never say "clammering" because people would think I meant clamoring.

tchrist

@MattЭллен Revolting.

George Pompidou

@Robusto this one took me a second or two. emmarrassed

Robusto

2:04 PM

@Steve: Maybe. One thing is sure, though: his standard for what constitutes a poor answer seems somewhat lower than almost anyone else's on this site. — Robusto 11 secs ago

George Pompidou

@Robusto maybe. I do see them as somewhat related (clambering and clamoring, that is). I see clambering as climbing into something with clamor.

tchrist

@Robusto Clammering is for clams. Clambering is for scrambling over the walls without exactly climbing — which lo! is another case of clear mispronuncification.

George Pompidou

I've been suspiciously leaving out words from my typed sentences lately. maybe I have a tumor.

Robusto

@GeorgePompidou The two are unrelated, and should remain unlinked by vagaries of pronunciation.

George Pompidou

I link them by vague similarities in their meaning.

they both imply disorganization

Robusto

2:05 PM

@tchrist I shall smite thee with Glammering.

George Pompidou

isn't that a song by Fergie?

Robusto

@GeorgePompidou Then clams must be disorganized too.

tchrist

@MattЭллен Sorry, I mean revoting not revolting. We shan’t be revoting Your Grace back into the Lords this next term.

George Pompidou

oh, they are.

RegDwigнt

Bah I forgot all about Fergie. Why would you go and remind me?

I literally spent years not being reminded of her.

You've destroyed my lucky streak.

George Pompidou

2:07 PM

sorry…

RegDwigнt

Yeah that's what they all say when it's too late. Tsk tsk tsk.

Matt Эллен

@tchrist tough luck for me, eh? I guess I'll just have keep a stiff upper lip

George Pompidou

you have to respect her. she still goes to Taco Bell—no matter how many records she sells.

I myself haven't sold a single record and have never been to Taco Bell.

tchrist

@RegDwigнt It’s that damned musical they came out with, Fergie in Fez. Nobody can chase the image from their minds now.

George Pompidou

and then something about her daddy told her so.

tchrist

2:08 PM

I say we take away Lord @Andrew’s lordship. That’ll put an end to these nonsense musicals-qua-burlesques.

Robusto

It's all fun and games until someone gets his Fergie poked.

George Pompidou

@tchrist he gets a ship? that's not fair.

a whole ship?

RegDwigнt

@tchrist really? First time I hear, and why thank you.

Andrew Leach

Not only that, but a lord ship. Although most ships are ladies.

George Pompidou

I have a jira task today that just says "has anyone been making changes in so and so table in so and so database in the past 18 hours?"

what kind of task is that

Robusto

2:10 PM

@AndrewLeach What about garbage scows?

George Pompidou

shakes head disapprovingly

tchrist

Be honest here: who really wants to see the old strumpet doffing all but her fez to that sort of music anwyay?

Robusto

@GeorgePompidou The usual kind.

George Pompidou

@Robusto we need a DBA.

desperately.

tchrist

@GeorgePompidou just type make

Robusto

2:11 PM

It's all fun and games until someone gets poked in the DBA.

George Pompidou

these guys think they know what they're doing way too much.

terdon

@Robusto They're strumpets.

George Pompidou

@Robusto how can one get poked in the Danube Bridges Authority?

Robusto

You don't wanna know.

RegDwigнt

With a giant Donauschiffahrtskapitänsmütze.

tchrist

2:16 PM

The biggest boost to the British Crown occurred in 2027 when the whilom Prince George of Cambridge upon his ascension to the throne elected the regnal name of Victoria, the second of her name, signalling a return to traditional values throughout not merely Surrey but the Greater Commonwealth and beyond.

George Pompidou

@Reg you mean a Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitänsmütze?

I think regular old Donauschiffahrtskapitänsmützen are much less sharp.

RegDwigнt

@GeorgePompidou no.

Robusto

@GeorgePompidou Ships are water-going vessels, so they should always be dampf.

RegDwigнt

@GeorgePompidou exactly. That's why it hurts all the more.

George Pompidou

oh, I see, I see.

sneaky Reg.

RegDwigнt

2:17 PM

I don't make the Austrian rules.

They were made by Hitler and the Turks. And not necessarily in that order.

tchrist

@terdon If you stop wetting their whistle, they tend to droop even while in full flourish.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt Wait, an Austrian rules? I thought Schwarzenegger's term expired.

George Pompidou

that's because you don't work at the Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellsc‌haft

RegDwigнt

@Robusto dude, that is so not the correct nomenclature. Dunkelafrikanischeramerikaner's term, please.

tchrist

@Robusto The Austrians are the natural leaders of Europe. It’s in their blood. Just ask them.

George Pompidou

2:19 PM

they make the rules

Robusto

What's everyone so hung up on rules for? All you can do with them is make graph paper. Me, I prefer pie charts. Mmmm, pie.

RegDwigнt

Seriously, everyone is oh-so-PC, and then they go and elect Blacknigger for governor. From Hitlerland, no less.

George Pompidou

@RegDwigнt 😃

tchrist

@RegDwigнt Catenative verbs do not take finite arguments.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt I thought he was Blackeyes.

RegDwigнt

2:21 PM

@Robusto no, that's Fergie again.

tchrist

@Robusto Those isles foundered long ago.

RegDwigнt

She was the one blackeye that peed.

On stage.

Gosh, why do you have to remind me?

George Pompidou

@Reg you are hereby awarded the prestigious George's Star of Exemplary Possibly Insensitive Remarks—Decorata di Gran Cordone.

RegDwigнt

@GeorgePompidou thank you. BRB ebaying.

George Pompidou

ebay is the devil.

tchrist

2:23 PM

@GeorgePompidou Rats are feminine.

Especially during their fabulous Art Deco period.

George Pompidou

better?

tchrist

Mucho.

Muchacho.

Mucharón.

Luchador

Labrador.

Linksys

2:24 PM

Mucharítica.

Nexus.

Nacho Libre

Gezundheit.

Con queso.

Stromboli

2:24 PM

Cazzi di mare.

Y del bosque.

obersturmbannführer

Vixente?

STONE HIM! HE SAID JEHOVAH!

RegDwigнt

I never know how to spell him. And Lizarazu ain't helping.

George Pompidou

2:26 PM

futu-ți pizda mă-tii

RegDwigнt

@tchrist I saw that movie the other day.

tchrist

@RegDwigнt Try the Lazarillo de Tormes. It’s good for catching bugs.

RegDwigнt

@GeorgePompidou what, even your expletives you have to steal from the Russians? The Romanians steal everything!

George Pompidou

just pizda.

and curvă

the rest are Latin

tchrist

@RegDwigнt Fodofodofodo.

RegDwigнt

2:27 PM

Yeah oh sorry I forgot you didn't steal the word for daffodil. My bad.

Only all the good stuff.

tchrist

Hey Narcissus: watch thyself.

RegDwigнt

tchrist

Kill!!!!

That fricking flag fragged my en train.

Plus he’s cute.

KitFox

What? Oh...You said kill.

RegDwigнt

Yeah whoever flagged that, them's manboobs. And he's conceiling them.

And senflooring.

Matt Эллен

2:29 PM

it's offensive because the door is a jar

George Pompidou

it's offensive to my young eyes.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt Acres and acres of senflooring.

tchrist

@RegDwigнt I know I know something you don’t know I know that you know. Tuff tiddies to dat.

George Pompidou

that reminds me. someone thought I lived in Europe.

because I know what a centimeter is.

which is hilarious.

RegDwigнt

@tchrist I knew you knew I knew I would say that.

Oh come on! Broken image? Really? That only happens to others!

Matt Эллен

2:32 PM

@GeorgePompidou You spell it American, so you can't be from Europe!

RegDwigнt

There. There's your centimetre.

tchrist

George Pompidou

no, I spell it English. English people spell it French because they're pretentious.

Matt Эллен

@GeorgePompidou English people spell it English by default

George Pompidou

and they taught the rest of Europe to do the same.

RegDwigнt

2:33 PM

@tchrist Conchita Wurst doesn't really look her best in that image.

Robusto

@tchrist That doesn't look anything like your Wikipedia photo.

George Pompidou

nah. English spelling is theater, centimeter, center. at some point in English history they decided that being French is fancy so they adopted French spellings.

RegDwigнt

Centerum censeo.

Matt Эллен

@GeorgePompidou that makes so little sense I will leave you to your trolling

tchrist

@Robusto You don’t normally see me in heels.

RegDwigнt

2:34 PM

He doesn't normally see you, period. So of course when he does you're in heels.

tchrist

Jul 29 at 14:44, by tchrist

Nihil novi sub sole.

George Pompidou

@MattЭллен fine, you communist.

Matt Эллен

6 hours ago, by Matt Эллен

left being AmE for communist

so I did

George Pompidou

it's the other way around.

I think communist is AmE for slightly left of the Tea Party.

RegDwigнt

George Pompidou

2:37 PM

the way you said it makes no sense.

tchrist

@GeorgePompidou People always think that happened in ᴀᴅ 1066, whereas any stud of history knows it was in 55–54 ʙᴄ.

Matt Эллен

@RegDwigнt rofl

RegDwigнt

1066 didn't even exist. They stole three hundred years from us around that time.

Andrew Leach

@tchrist That's Casanova, presumably.

George Pompidou

see? tchrist just gets me.

RegDwigнt

2:39 PM

@GeorgePompidou sorry, I'm too busy getting Shorty instead.

Andrew Leach

@GeorgePompidou Oh! You're a historic stud?

tchrist

@AndrewLeach Nothing like a hysterectomy to calm him down.

RegDwigнt

Studs not on top.

George Pompidou

yes! pays his mobile phone bill, ignoring the suspicious 'discount applied for being an employee of Capital One' which I am certainly not

my bill got $26 cheaper!

I am bad at subtraction

Matt Эллен

I'm bad at subduction

KitFox

2:43 PM

I'm bad at...no, I'm not bad at that.

George Pompidou

were you going to say sautéed onions?

Mitch

I'm good at being bad

George Pompidou

I bet that's what you were gonna say.

KitFox

It's funnier with that as your guess.

RegDwigнt

@Mitch And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once again who's good.

tchrist

2:46 PM

0

A: What does "[Country] out" mean in the context of a photo description?

At a gross level, it means "not to be distributed in Japan"; that is, "Japan is out". Background: the Associated Press is a news agency whose members and subscribers, themselves news organizations (newspapers, TV stations, radio, etc) both contribute news to and consume news from the AP; this ...

Matt Эллен

it's not the perfect

Mitch

Again? I'm bad at remembering names.

tchrist

> Papers also tend to out competitors in their own distribution area so that an NY Times photo that moves on the AP wire will not show up on the front of the Daily News and compete on the newsstand for that point-of-purchase sale.

They say that like there’s something wrong with out competing one’s competition.

George Pompidou

is there a point to 64 bit web browsers?

tchrist

72 points.

Mitch

2:47 PM

Yeah. More bits

George Pompidou

they don't really work, do they

Johan Larsson

Most hardware is 64 bit now

tchrist

@GeorgePompidou Your what hurts?

Matt Эллен

they work

George Pompidou

no, hardware's fine

I was talking about software like add-ons and java and such. but I suppose nobody cares about web java and flash anymore.

tchrist

2:49 PM

Exhibitionists care.

George Pompidou

what on earth is flash still doing around

KitFox

So you can show off your bits.

George Pompidou

there's a microphone recording feature on a web product we develop which somehow uses flash, but our workstations here run linux for which flash is no longer supported and actually broke with the latest version of firefox (or ubuntu, not sure)

it's just a bootleg mess

wags finger

RegDwigнt

0

Q: What does "idiot-proof-ness" mean?

I'm looking specifically for the meaning in this sentence: But I would say the biggest advantage of Optional syntax in Java isn't in readability: the advantage is its idiot-proof-ness.

phrases

ELL material.

So anyway. That guy who got a warning after spending quote-unquote "just ten minutes" on the site (which is indeed very close to the actual number), is that a new thing?

I mean, we've had spammers not get blocked after tens of questions with 8 downvotes each, and here someone gets a warning after just two questions with not even half that many downvotes between them?

tchrist

@RegDwigнt This was the "in danger of being question banned" thingy?

RegDwigнt

2:58 PM

Yeah.

tchrist

I believe that the warning is new.

RegDwigнt

Or is it that the spammers get the warning, too, it's just that it never does anything after that?

tchrist

I don’t know what they’ve got it tuned to, though.

This was on meta a few weeks back.

RegDwigнt

Yeah I remember they changed things.

Because of the badges.

George Pompidou

does linkedin have a really annoying and difficult to use interface or is it just me?

RegDwigнt

3:00 PM

I can only tell you about Tumblr.

KitFox

OP posted three questions in ten minutes.

tchrist

I’m not sure the public explanation includes exact numbers; they often do not, and for fair reason. But I bet if you asked, they’d tell you the exact thresholds sub rosa, in case you and the rest of the mod team might wish to tweak them for our site.

RegDwigнt

LinkedIn I don't even use.

KitFox

That's unusual.

Matt Эллен

linkedIn is annoying, no doubt about that

tchrist

3:00 PM

Oh wait, I know this one.

George Pompidou

okay, cool.

tchrist

It’s because of the new submission speed-limits.

The six per day thing.

RegDwigнt

@KitFox but the third question was the one we're looking it. The complaint about the message. So it's actually just two.

Also, it's not that unusual. We had people post like ten questions in rapid succession they had obviously prepared beforehand.

tchrist

I wouldn’t of thought it would kick in at message #3/6 instead of message #5/6 or something.

RegDwigнt

Last time that happened was just a couple months ago, too.

user116848

3:01 PM

So one person can post six question in one day?

KitFox

And yes, recent tinkering, check Meta. I have a meeting.

George Pompidou

check Mate.

RegDwigнt

K thanks have fun.

George Pompidou

hasn't had a meeting all week because boss is on holiday

KitFox

3:18 PM

@RegDwigнt I believe it is a byproduct of the question restrictions that were recently enabled.

RegDwigнt

Yeah that's what I thought, too.

20 mins ago, by RegDwigнt

Because of the badges.

They changed the whole system from the ground up and measure everything at all times now.

But I must commute.

Matt Эллен

CU

terdon

@MattЭллен Tell me that was a Bill Hicks reference.

Matt Эллен

@terdon I can, but only if I lie.

terdon

Damn, seriously? Why was the door a jar then?

Matt Эллен

3:27 PM

@terdon that's like the punch line to the oldest joke in the world

terdon

►

Matt Эллен

When is a door not a door?
When it's ajar.

much guhfawing commences

@terdon I'll watch it later

terdon

@MattЭллен Ah, that one, OK. Fair enough.

Matt Эллен

time to fly!

George Pompidou

a bush in the hand is worth shoes in a horse fish.

tchrist

3:40 PM

@SteveJessop Because I couldn’t see how the asker’s two exemplars of tons of food an miles of road made literal (read: “literal-literal” as opposed to hyperbolic) sense in the case of your run-of-the-mill single-family home, I chose the answer that seemed best-matched to those two in scope and tenor. Perhaps compare “Wow dude, you’ve got like acres and acres of hardwood floors here hidden under your wall-to-wall carpeting!” with “Do you new give homeowner per-square-foot pricing breaks for hardwood floor installations above a certain square footage?” for rather unlike scenarios. — tchrist 1 min ago

George Pompidou

4:26 PM

> It's enough to remember where your keys are let alone remember to save every month.

does this work without a comma and with the word remember repeated?

or am I being nitpicky?

terdon

@GeorgePompidou A comma makes it better in my opinion but it is not wrong without it.

user116848

I notice that most people here on SE sites are computer programmers or its like.

Matt Эллен

a gif full of love

user116848