English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

tchrist

13:03

@RegDwigнt I hereby nominate this question for a preliminary protection order. It’s fly-gathering, and too recent for me to cast a Circle of Protection from Newbies on it myself.

21

Q: A formal way to say "I don't want to sound too cocky..."

Allow me to clear the situation. I was talking with my professor about a piece of software that I had developed. While we were discussing, I wanted to say something like I don't want to sound too cocky, but my code is way much more efficient than what we have right now. But I didn't becau...

RegDwigнt

Quid pro quo, Clarice.

-3

Q: Learning English as an expert

How can an amateur English Speaker be a fluent speaker with an American Accent?

accent

With exactly the type of answer that makes these questions off-topic.

A textbook example.

Matt Эллен

I will answer "roll your eyes, all Americans are sarcastic"

RegDwigнt

I will answer "roll your dice, all Americans are gamblers".

tchrist

Trust me, I already zappified it.

RegDwigнt

I will trust you for thirty thousand dollars.

tchrist

13:07

I have a trillion Z$ if you would care to make change.

RegDwigнt

That's the hourly rate. So you can just hand over the trillion and be done.

Matt Эллен

184

Q: If 32-bit machines can only handle numbers up to 2^32, why can I write 1000000000000 (trillion) without my machine crashing?

32 bit computers can only store numbers up to 2^32. This is why we have run out of ipv4 addresses and have entered the 64 bit era. However, the number 2^32 is not as large as the number 1 trillion (1000000000000) which I seem to be able to display fine without my machine crashing. Can someone...

64-bit 32-bit

!!urban zoo dollars

KitSox

@MattЭллен No definition found for zoo dollars

Matt Эллен

oh

tchrist

@MattЭллен Floats, my dear Watson, the answer is floats, and not the kind with root beer and ice cream, either.

RegDwigнt

13:10

@MattЭллен holy crap. And we get chastised for our MC crap.

Matt Эллен

indeed, indeed

I don't get why it's on SU, either

c'est la vie

tchrist

RegDwigнt

Next up on Super User: "If 32-bit machines can only handle numbers up to 2^32, how come I can write words without my machine crashing?"

tchrist

Note the bull.

RegDwigнt

Clearly "machine" is not a number up to 2^32.

tchrist

13:12

Or vice versa, at your pleasure and leisure.

Matt Эллен

!!wiki bison

tchrist

@RegDwigнt Oh, it might be in RADIX-50.

KitSox

Bison

Bison are large, even-toed ungulates in the genus Bison within the subfamily Bovinae. There are two extant and four extinct species recognized. Of the four extinct species, three were North American: Bison antiquus, B. latifrons, and B. occidentalis. The fourth, Bison priscus, ranged across steppe environments from Western Europe, through Central Asia, and onto North America. There are two surviving species: the American bison, Bison bison, found only in North America, is the most numerous. (It is only distantly related to the buffalo.) The North American species is composed of two s...

Matt Эллен

!!wiki buffalo

KitSox

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County[http://www.erie.gov/overview/ Erie County Government: Overview]. Erie Count

tchrist

13:13

See how much things have gone up since then?

Matt Эллен

tchrist

@MattЭллен Bubalus bubalis bubalis bobolinks

Matt Эллен

!!wiki african buffalo

KitSox

African buffalo

The African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer), is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, and its ancestry remains unclear. The African buffalo is not the ancestor of domestic cattle, and is only distantly related to other larger bovines. Owing to its unpredictable nature, which makes it highly dangerous to humans, the African buffalo has never been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart, the Asian buffalo. Description The African buffalo is a very robust species. Its shoulder height can range from and its head-and-...

tchrist

bobolink < Spanish bobo clown, food + link webby bit

Oder:

Bobolink

The Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx. Description Adults are long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black with creamy napes and white scapulars, lower backs, and rumps. Adult females are mostly light brown, although their coloring includes black streaks on the back and flanks, and dark stripes on the head; their wings and tails are darker. The collective name for a group of Bobolinks is a chain. Distribution and movements The Bobolink breeds in the summer in North America across ...

Matt Эллен

13:15

Syncerus caffer

tchrist

With a name like Dolichonyx oryzivorus, can you really blame us for calling him a bobolink instead?

RegDwigнt

If 32-bit machines can only handle numbers up to 2^32, why can you write "trillion", "machine" and "crashing" without your machine crashing? That is still exactly the same question you are asking here, except the answer immediately becomes obvious. — RegDwight 6 secs ago

tchrist

3:1 compression of syllable counts.

Matt Эллен

and it's got repitition, so it's easier to remember

tchrist

sillyfingers: clown or fool, not cloud or food

Matt Эллен

13:18

oh! that makes much more sense

tchrist

0

A: Is there a gender-neutral word for [aunts and uncles], parents' siblings?

genderqueer titles list I hadn't heard of any listed for aunt/uncle, but I did know the term 'nibling' for niece/nephew.

Nibling?

RegDwigнt

We have a dozen questions with nibling as the answer.

tchrist

Sigh. And that answer has already been given.

Jasper Loy

I am glad user X has left the chatroom, lol.

tchrist

jinxy

RegDwigнt

13:22

OIC it's one of them old questions.

Matt Эллен

I'm glad that... um... I'll get to go to sleep later

RegDwigнt

I am just glad.

Matt Эллен

that can be you gangster wrapper name: G-Lad

tchrist

@MattЭллен Miles to go. . . .

Jasper Loy

Perhaps I have left enough clues for you to guess user X, lol.

tchrist

13:23

@MattЭллен Glamrock is dead.

Instead all we’re left with is shamrock.

Matt Эллен

@tchrist it's evolved into Glam Metal

tchrist

Ooh, shiny!

RegDwigнt

I'm Matter Eater Lad already.

tchrist

malentendu

Matt Эллен

e.g. Slipknot or Lordi

RegDwigнt

13:25

Interesting how one abbreviation of Matter Eater Lad is MEaL.

Matt Эллен

I'd think of some good examples, but I can't

Jasper Loy

The books at amazon.in are much cheaer than amazon.com, but they offer no international shipping.

Matt Эллен

no surprise there, then

Jasper Loy

For once, it's good to be in India.

RegDwigнt

@JasperLoy and one would think the .in stands for "international"!

Matt Эллен

13:26

.in: indelible domains. They may never be removed

RegDwigнt

Indelible not to be confused with innewdelible or inmumbaible.

Jasper Loy

So @matt will you be running again for mod elections this year?

Matt Эллен

I don't know

there might not be election

I might not run

RegDwigнt

If you don't know then let me tell you: yes you will.

Jasper Loy

I thought elections are supposed to be every year.

RegDwigнt

13:28

Now you know.

Matt Эллен

there wasn't an election last year, was there?

RegDwigнt

Nope.

But there definitely will be one this year.

Jasper Loy

Ah, I have a feeling Matt will run again.

Matt Эллен

we'll see how I feel when it comes around

perhaps cold brain is reading chat

0

Q: Meaning of Sentence

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a grammatically correct sentence in American English...What does this sentence actually mean?

meaning

Cerberus

@RegDwigнt OK that's interesting.

A preposition or article would indicate the function of the nominal phrase. But apparently that isn't necessary for indirect objects.

Matt Эллен

13:36

indirect objects are second class citizens

they don't get as good treatment

jokerdino

What's the syntax for making Sox leave a room?

Cerberus

In Dutch, you can only have no preposition if it is like a pronoun, "..., zei Zwanziger ons". But it would have to be "..., meldde Zwanziger aan NRC Handelsblad" or something. (I don't think the latter would work at all with "zeggen".)

Matt Эллен

@jokerdino unsummon

jokerdino

!!unsummon 201

Cerberus

@MattЭллен But only in German!

jokerdino

13:38

@MattЭллен Ta!

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus How germane.

@jokerdino no probs :)

jokerdino

Now, who put it there?

Jasper Loy

@jokerdino You ignored me that day.

Matt Эллен

@jokerdino which room?

jokerdino

@JasperLoy When?

Matt Эллен

13:38

oh, 201

Jasper Loy

@jokerdino I went to Ubuntu room.

jokerdino

@MattЭллен Yes that one.

Matt Эллен

yesterday, by KitFox

!!summon 201

KitFox herself

jokerdino

@JasperLoy Might have been busy.

@MattЭллен Bad kitty

Matt Эллен

I think she needed it to settle a debate about I

or maybe not

I didn't visit the room at the time

jokerdino

13:41

About who?

Matt Эллен

The capitalisation of I

Cerberus

@RegDwigнt I have noticed other instances where German can leave out prepositions (or case markers, for that matter): "Anfang 2012, ...". This is probably an extension of the common "Er entdeckte 2012, dass...". This would be absurd in Dutch. Oh, and leaving out "dat" is categorically impossible in Dutch, as in " *hij zei, Hamburg was een grote stad". I guess Germans are not so strict and consistent after all!

jokerdino

@MattЭллен Ah

Matt Эллен

poor Hamburg. I wouldn't want to be a grotey old stad

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Why would you ever capitalise i?

@MattЭллен Groot = large, great!

Matt Эллен

13:44

@Cerberus because of English

Mitch

@Cerberus How dare you! You have abjured both the Dutch and the Germans by those statements.

Cerberus

It's annoying how often i have to edit questions where people somehow capitalise i on SE.

Matt Эллен

lol

Cerberus

@Mitch Abjured, really?

Jasper Loy

I want to be born in Deutschland my next life.

Mitch

13:45

No not really. I couldn't think of the right word. And that one sounded right. I have no idea what it means.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus it's a hard life. but I i'm sure you do your duty well.

Cerberus

@JasperLoy I'm sure you would look cute in Lederhosen.

@Mitch To swear off...

@MattЭллен Whoa.

That's like two capital i's!

Matt Эллен

!!define abjure

Jasper Loy

Have you guys decided where you wanna be born next life? =)

KitSox

@MattЭллен No definition found.

Cerberus

13:46

@MattЭллен Very nice.

KitSox

@MattЭллен abjure (transitive) To renounce upon oath; to forswear; to disavow. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

Mitch

@JasperLoy no you don't. The weather is not bad and you could get quite a bit worse elsewhere, but where you are now is the paradise that Germans want.

@Cerberus Oh. Then that's what I meant.

YOu should really sear off both the Germans and Dutch. Too much heartburn.

Cerberus

Umm...

Matt Эллен

@Mitch not "swear at"?

would that be adjure?

!!define adjure

KitSox

@MattЭллен adjure To issue a formal command, especially in a legal context.

Jasper Loy

13:49

@Mitch Hmm, you really think so?

Matt Эллен

unlike people who believe in reincarnation, I don't get a next life.

Mitch

@MattЭллен OK that too. 'b' and 'd' are a lot alike.

@MattЭллен What? Dammit. reworks plans

Matt Эллен

Your plans involved me getting a next life? I'm flattered

Mitch

@JasperLoy What you really want is everybody in Germany to be reincarnated in Singapore.

@MattЭллен Um...yeah, sure... quickly pencils in Matt

jokerdino

!!unsummon 201

Matt Эллен

13:58

you got a sox infestation?

jokerdino

The damn thing is not leaving

Cerberus

You know what's really annoying?

Mitch

No, I don't know. What is really annoying?

jokerdino

@KitFox, you forgot to update Sox's source.

Cerberus

When the developer of your favourite application says to most requests, "that wouldn't be necessary / that wouldn't be very useful".

Mitch

14:02

@Cerberus That's annoying.

jokerdino

@Cerberus That's really annoying.

Mitch

That's the point of open source, that if the original developer doesn't want to do it, then you can do it for yourself.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus stop suggesting that AHK implement "auto-translate to ancient greek"

3

Cerberus

What he really means may be, "I have so many other things to fix, this feature of yours will be on the list, but it will have to be low priority". That I can understand; but saying "that's not really useful" basically tells the user, "you're an idiot".

@MattЭллен But I need that!! I can be the dog in a box that does the actual translation at the fair.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus it's the Linus Torvald's school of dealing with people

@Cerberus lol

Cerberus

14:04

Is he like that?

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus yes. worse even

Cerberus

I heard he called people names.

Matt Эллен

indeed

tchrist

Linus is fine. He simply does not suffer fools gladly. He is more patient than many.

Cerberus

I told this developer what I said above, in a very friendly way, of course; and he seemed to agree and appreciate the comment. But he seems to have reverted to his old ways.

He's Dutch, so perhaps it is the typical Dutch rudeness.

@tchrist Being unnecessarily unkind to people should not be a source of pride.

It is a moral shortcoming.

And possibly more than that.

tchrist

14:07

You’re out of context.

See “typical Dutch rudeness”.

Cerberus

I realise I am unkind to you now.

tchrist

I have yet to witness any unnecessary unkindness from Linus.

And I do not care to debate the point. I know him personally; you do not.

Cerberus

Then why mention him...

tchrist

Wrong finger, kid.

I didn’t.

It was Matt E.

Cerberus

You know what? My boss still doesn't understand how "reply" and "reply all" work.

tchrist

14:10

Those should be labelled “private reply” and “public reply” instead.

That would solve the problem, but nobody ever does that.

Cerberus

@tchrist How dare you impute such filth to me! I am free of those obscene appendices. "Toe", if you must.

tchrist

Dummies.

Cerberus

@tchrist Yes, changing the first word would make sure people read the important part of the action, I guess.

tchrist

Yes.

Matt Эллен

puts on Reg hat People don't read anything, they just click on random buttons until something close to what they want happens. takes off Reg hat

Cerberus

14:13

Haha.

Wait, was that Reg here in the room all of a sudden? And now he's gone?

tchrist

@Cerberus Claw, or if I’m particularly respectful which I am not, then talon.

Cerberus

I would not take the trouble of properly extending a claw.

Just a general toe nudge will do.

Matt Эллен

I didn't think dogs could retract their claws

Cerberus

That's because your imagination is too small to comprehend my abilities.

No offence.

Matt Эллен

I see, or rather, I don't because I am incapable

Cerberus

14:15

Heh.

tchrist

Just a hyena in wolves’ clothing.

Cerberus

Poor dear.

KitFox

14:30

@Matt, can you help me?

Matt Эллен

Yes

Well, I'm ready and willing. My ability is yet to be demonstrated

KitFox

I need to pull changes from Zirak's bot to KitSox without losing my changes. I don't know how to do the pull request and I don't have access to git on this computer anyway, just the web tools.

Hey, can you come here?

Ask Ubuntu General Room

Normally: General discussion around Ask Ubuntu, Ubuntu & offic...

3

jokerdino

I am here

KitFox

OK or that works too.

Matt has permissions on my repo, so presumably he can do it.

Matt Эллен

you don't want to do a pull request: that would be for Zirak to pull your code

jokerdino

14:33

I suggested I merge her changes and send her a pull request. Coz she has no commandline currently.

Matt Эллен

I don't think zirak can issue you a poull request because yours is a fork of his. i'm not though

@jokerdino that sounds good

I can do the merging, if you like @Kit

jokerdino

OK. I'll get to it at once.

Matt Эллен

I've got git

and access to your chatbot repo

KitFox

That would make me so happy. I feel bad to have caused problems.

Matt Эллен

how do you mean?

jokerdino

14:36

@MattЭллен well, the bot was buggy and refused to leave our room.

And it's now suspended. ^_^

KitFox

She keeps going back to Ask Ubuntu and it's annoying them.

Matt Эллен

I see

KitFox

You could just not talk to her.

Mitch

@Cerberus 'dog in a box' sounds like a really bad happy meal.

jokerdino

@KitFox She has a listener.

So, if you say things like 'Stop', she would respond.

KitFox

14:37

She has many listeners.

Matt Эллен

stoy

KitFox

But that's one I was meaning to take out. I find it irritating.

Matt Эллен

:D

so she can't talk at the moment?

jokerdino

@MattЭллен You doing it?

Matt Эллен

oh, right, will do!

Cerberus

14:39

@Mitch Not bad, just Chinese!

jokerdino

github.com/KitFox/SO-ChatBot/compare/Zirak:master...master

Matt Эллен

there are no pending pull requests...

jokerdino

Fork. I messed it up

Matt Эллен

:D

ah git, how we love thee

Mitch

@Cerberus I have a name. Why doesn't he call me? What a jerk.

RegDwigнt

14:44

@MattЭллен I thought comments were second-class citizens?

Are you saying indirect objects are comments?

Matt Эллен

@Mitch but do you have a people name?

jokerdino

@MattЭллен Done it right this time I guess.

Mitch

@MattЭллен Well, yeah. I think. You mean like not an animal name? Like Skippy?

KitFox

Ah, Reg! How do you apply text with the new GIMP interface?

RegDwigнt

@KitFox to the forehead. Directly. With a hammer. And without GIMP.

Mitch

14:45

A hammer seems overkill. I'd recommend a staple gun.

KitFox

I was worried you were going to say that. So I should mix this image down and put the text on in Paint?

RegDwigнt

@Mitch I found a wall worked wonders.

@KitFox that is faster and produces better results that last longer at half the price.

Matt Эллен

harumph, there's no merge button on github, like they said there would be

Cerberus

@Mitch He called your name, not you.

RegDwigнt

is still not sure if Kit is asking a genuine question or yanking chains after having read the recent GIMP discussion

kalina

14:47

yay I has a bounty on EL&U

Cerberus

What did you do?

kalina

existed

KitFox

@RegDwigнt No, I actually want to know. I remembered you complaining about it yesterday or something.

Matt Эллен

@KitFox are you logged into github at the mo?

RegDwigнt

Wow. That's 100% more bounties than I would have had I not begged and bribed my way to one during the Hat Season.

kalina

14:49

@RegDwigнt when I did this during winterbash, a mod stepped in and reversed it

obviously el&u's mods are 20% cooler than the average mod

jokerdino

@MattЭллен Guess it can't be auto merged. I'll try manual merge. Give me a mo'

KitFox

@MattЭллен Yes, probably.

Matt Эллен

@KitFox can you see if there is a big green merge button on the pull requests page?

I might not have the required privileges to merge

RegDwigнt

@KitFox well in that case use the Text tool (the button with a T), then go to your image and drag to select the rectangle the text is supposed to go into, then click on that rectangle to type stuff, then use the semi-transparent dialogue above to change style and color and font for selected portions of the text. This is GIMP 2.8.2. If you have an older version, disregard random parts of what I just said, and rely more on your common sense and experience with other tools.

KitFox

> We can’t automatically merge this pull request. Use the command line to resolve conflicts before continuing.

RegDwigнt

14:51

@kalina what the. Mods can do that?

KitFox

@RegDwigнt Good lord, that took a ridiculously long time.

kalina

it could have been a CM

there were lots of people involved

KitFox

@RegDwigнt The community mods can.

Matt Эллен

@KitFox oh. ok. Is giving me permission to do tat in your power? I assumed I had it, but apparently I don't, as I don't have the big green butto

RegDwigнt

@kalina ELU's mods are 20% cooler than the average mod because 20% of ELU's mods come from Siberia or something. The math checks out.

@KitFox what is community mod and who bribes whom how much to become one?

KitFox

14:53

@MattЭллен There's no button, just the message.

@RegDwigнt You know, like Shog and GraceNote. The ones who are actually paid or something.

jokerdino

@MattЭллен yo, it means you can't merge with GitHub. Manual merge is the way to go.

KitFox

The ubermods.

Mitch

@Cerberus Well then, my name has been insulted (I am not, my name is kind of jerk to and deserves it).

KitFox

Oh, I got an email with the merge request.

RegDwigнt

@KitFox Interesting. So in Soviet States, employer bribes you.

Cerberus

14:55

@Mitch Is it also ugly?

Mitch

@jokerdino I just write it from scratch every time. That way you know what you're getting.

Matt Эллен

@KitFox I don't have the message either

jokerdino

Yeah, I am getting a headache.

RegDwigнt

@Cerberus meh. They should look at Cologne.

Mitch

@Cerberus Ugly and a jerk.

KitFox

14:55

@MattЭллен Can you do it from the command line?

Mitch

@RegDwigнt Cologne stinks

Matt Эллен

I'm trying, but there is something I'm missing. it won't merge

RegDwigнt

@Mitch hey you are supposed to drink it on the rocks, noob.

jokerdino

@KitFox I am currently resolving the conflict due to merge.

Mitch

@Cerberus depressing.

Cerberus

14:56

@RegDwigнt Which was bombed harder, Cologne or Dresden or Berlin?

@Mitch Quite.

KitFox

@jokerdino OK.

Mitch

@RegDwigнt ugh. you drink that stuff? Worse than gin.

Matt Эллен

oh, well, I've figured out the problem, so I'm doing it too

RegDwigнt

@Cerberus Going by the results, probably in that exact order. Going by the numbers of bombs, I don't know and I doubt anyone had not stopped counting after OVER 9000 IN ONE NIGHT.

Mitch

@Cerberus Yes.

Cerberus

14:58

@RegDwigнt So Cologne worst?

I wonder how they were able to spare the cathedral.

RegDwigнt

Well wasn't it yourself who posted that image here of that giant deserted plane.

Cerberus

Bombs were very inaccurate in those days.

Possibly.

Mitch

cathedrals stood up better.

RegDwigнt

They didn't quite spare it. It suffered a lot.

KitFox

Gah. It's not centered and the aliasing is crap. shakes fist at GIMP

Cerberus

14:59

Oh...but it did not collapse?

RegDwigнt

Aug 16 '12 at 11:57, by RegDwight АΑA

Alain Delon, Alain Delon drinks no eau de Cologne.

Cerberus

Is he still alive?

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