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12:03 AM
@RegDwight It could be that other Dutchmen remember more words, I don't know.
Kit
Kit
@RegDwight It's because they've misspelt "bananas," poor things.
@GraceNote I figured it out while I was singing lullabyes.
Tzi Tsi Si are what I would romanize as Zi Ci Si.
Ts'i would be the Wade-Giles equivalent of Xi, I think.
Anyway, my books are at work, so it will have to wait until Wednesday, and I'll have forgotten by then.
What confuses me is that Tzi and Tsi would never be with Qi and Ji in the system we used. Tzi and Tsi would be with Ch'i and um, I can't remember. Wade-Giles anyway.
Oh, hey, @GraceNote, there's this thing called the Internet and it's got this thing called Wikipedia that I can look up stuff in, instead of my books. So yeah, I was right about what I said above.
Duh. I should have thought of that in the first place.
head slap
I think Q'i would be pronounced like English chi?
Like the Manchurian dynasty Q'ing?
12:18 AM
@Cerberus I think Qi = chi
Hmm...
Kit
Kit
AFK
BRB
> The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: Qīng Cháo; Wade–Giles: Ch'ing ch'ao; IPA: [t͡ɕʰíŋ t͡ʂʰɑ̌ʊ̯]; Manchu: Daicing gurun.png, Von Möllendorff: Daicing Gurun), also known as the Manchu Dynasty
So I got it bakcwards.
@Kit Heh
Qing = Ch'ing in W-G.
@simchona But it seems to be pronounced as you say.
12:20 AM
I just found this comment
I've had it with you folks. No, I don't have the entire library of 16th and 17th century original manuscripts I studied handy at the moment -- that was thirty years ago (and what I was studying was letterforms and abbreviation). Relying entirely on modern references (books about books) is both lazy and, frankly, stupid (see C.S. Lewis for more on the subject).
But I've seen too damned many arguments to authority here in both of my brief visits -- it's like a really bad Wikipedia discussion page. Knock it off.
@simchona Is that from a deleted user?
named "bye". So gone, but not deleted
Ah, then I do recognize that comment
previously named Stan, according to other comments
@simchona Yeah, I saw that yesterday too.
12:24 AM
Also, this question doesn't look like it will get resolved
3
Q: "No two (or more)"

xportIs the following sentence ambiguous? The eight queens puzzle is the problem of placing eight queens on an 8x8 chess board so that no two queens attack each other. Do we need to add "or more" as follows? The eight queens puzzle is the problem of placing eight queens on an 8x8 chess b...

Yeah that was Stan. I don't know why he was so edgy.
@Cerberus Maybe he had a bad day. He hasn't shown up since that day.
@simchona I think he has been irrigable before. A shame, really, because he seemed knowledgeable.
Kit
Kit
@simchona Stan Rogers. Martha and I talked about it yesterday, I think.
I believe you did
12:32 AM
Hmm, I must've missed that.
Can the "no two" question be moved? It's delving into probability
Kit
Kit
This discussion is beginning to make me angry.
What's the problem with it?
I read the article the same way
Kit
Kit
@Cerberus He's old and sure he's right about everything.
@SpareOom I don't like Ted's attitude. D&D may have popularized the concept, but that interview with Arneson pretty much cinches it. Arneson invented the concept in the Ironclads game. It had not been used before then.
@Kit He may be; but he might have explained why he said such and so.
12:36 AM
The question was about the origin, not the popularization, right?
Kit
Kit
@SpareOom Exactly. Hence my irritation.
It may be an unanswerable question.
Kit
Kit
He's hand-waving to say "oh, well, we can't really say" but we can. And we did. There it is.
Seems like it's not worth it to rage about it. He's misled and really I'd just dismiss him.
I need to listen to the interview.
12:38 AM
@Spare That's probably a good idea. You can chime in and let Kit rest
Kit
Kit
@simchona I voted to close this train-wreck.
@Kit I'm 20 points away from that
Kit
Kit
@GraceNote I'm not raging. Just irritated. This user and Mitch bug me sometimes in this fashion.
@simchona Did you cap today?
@Kit I did yesterday
The days switched over a bit ago
Kit
Kit
Right, it's after 8pm.
BRB.
12:42 AM
I'll brb too in about 30 min.
Thank you @Kit
Kit
Kit
@simchona What? I didn't do anything. whistles
It was @Cerberus, I'm sure.
@Kit Oh! Right. Benevolent community in a time of need, and all that
Kit
Kit
He's a naughty doggie.
Haha
Kit
Kit
12:43 AM
He bit my hand off when I first met him.
What's your close reason? Not real question?
@Kit Who?
Kit
Kit
@simchona Yep. "Difficult to tell what is being asked here" applies, I think.
@Cerberus You.
Yours isn't showing up, Kit
Have I done something bad?
12:44 AM
You are the rep fairy.
@Kit Ah, this isn't the first instance I assume?
Kit
Kit
@GraceNote Yes, indeedy. It's just little thorns. Pricks, you might say even.
@simchona It's there, you just need to refresh.
Ah, got it. Sorry for the accusation
Kit
Kit
Oh, hey @simchona, congrats on making 3K!
12:46 AM
@Kit I did. Still shows 1 close vote
@Kit Thanks! It was like...someone knew I needed only 20 more rep to get there
Kit
Kit
@simchona Yes, it's my close vote. Where's yours?
@simchona Feel the power of the close vote; let it flow through your veins!
@Kit I'll try again I guess
Kit
Kit
@simchona I'm sure you were deserving of a mere 20rep points.
D'awww
It says I already voted to close.
Kit
Kit
How odd. It says I voted already too.
And yet, only one vote.
@GraceNote Is there a grace period for new close voters?
Or something?
12:50 AM
@Kit Pardon?
Oh. I see
Did you vote to close the question at a previous time?
Kit
Kit
Me? Yes.
Naturally.
You can only close a post once. This prevents a group of, say, 10 users have a close war
(I mean, any individual user can only successfully close once)
Kit
Kit
Right, yes, but simchona and I both voted on this question and only one vote shows.
3
Q: "No two (or more)"

xportIs the following sentence ambiguous? The eight queens puzzle is the problem of placing eight queens on an 8x8 chess board so that no two queens attack each other. Do we need to add "or more" as follows? The eight queens puzzle is the problem of placing eight queens on an 8x8 chess b...

Oh. Hum. Weird. I can't see the close votes, though
Kit
Kit
@GraceNote Oh, of course you can't.
Um, @Cerberus?
How many close votes do you see on the "No two (or more)" question (Just up there ^)
12:54 AM
@Kit Wait. I thought you voted on the hit point question.
Kit
Kit
@simchona Oh. Whoops. Well, that explains it.
Try now.
Kit
Kit
Yep, that's done it.
Ha ha ha!
We are funny people.
Well, I voted to close the "hit point" question too.
Kit
Kit
Come on, that's the most awesome, best question ever!
giggle
12:59 AM
This question:
0
A: Is this a correct usage of "wait on"?

John MatthewsFor the best answer to this question, I suggest you ask somebody who has good command of English and who is also familiar with the type of technical documentation you are writing. Otherwise, there are too many 'ifs and buts'. Alternatively, you could formulate a sentence using language closer t...

Read his comments to me. It's so off topic at this point...
Kit
Kit
@simchona Thought you might get a kick out of this
@simchona I just voted to close that.
As off topic? Or gen ref?
Kit
Kit
@simchona Off-topic. Sounds like writing advice to me, not really a usage question.
I'm mad at him for being all "this is an English question". It's really not helpful to anyone besides him.
I said gen ref. Either way, it should be closed.
Kit
Kit
It's not really gen ref, but I don't care as long as it's closed.
1:04 AM
Thats why I said gen ref. It already had more close votes
Kit
Kit
Poor OP got into it with FF. Speaking of users who irritate me.
Ah, thunderstorm and rain. What a beautiful night.
@Kit I think we all have those users. My personal ones are trg and Phil.
Kit
Kit
@simchona Phil. Hmm. Can't think of him.
@Kit He's fairly new. I got into it with him because he's all "this is like my third downvote. why don't you people comment"
And I said "you people" and he said "just you". Lemme find it.
-1
A: Is this third person?

PhilActing as the airplane is first person, and speaking to your grandson is second person.

Kit
Kit
Oh that guy. New users can be feisty. I was, but I settled down.
1:13 AM
@simchona I was just about to reply to the question when it got closed. sigh
I didn't like being "you people" for actually saying why I downvoted
@Dan sorry
Kit
Kit
@simchona Yeah, I feel you.
0
Q: Ways to say 'try very hard'

TimI was wondering what some ways are to say one tries very hard. For example, can I say I gave myself (all) out last year. Thanks!

Here's another good close example.
Not constructive.
@Kit agreed and so voted
@Kit Me too. (I CAN FEEL THE POWAH!)
Kit
Kit
And I left a nice note.
I hope OP thinks it's nice anyway.
1:22 AM
there is a mosquito buzzing around my head
quite possibly the most annoying sound in existence
@Kit This question sounded like baby talk. Does baby talk have any grammar? Should I make a question out of that?
It bothers me the most when I'm trying to sleep
Because then they just buzz around your ear...
@SpareOom which question?
Oh, I see what you were replying to now. And asking if baby talk has a grammar would be interesting, but I'm not sure how general/broad it would be.
@Kit, @JSBangs Thoughts?
babies have terrible grammar. this is why they need to be corrected so often
Yeah, I think I clicked the wrong question.
1:27 AM
i recommend a good stiff switch and a bottle of rubbing alcohol
But when the adult talks like that to the baby, that's baby talk, as in that question.
Rather than saying, "Scotty, you give it at try", mummies say, "Scotty do it." Not even, "Scotty, do it."
@JSBang but that's overcorrection. They don't really pick that up
Kit
Kit
@simchona It depends on how the question is asked. It would probably require an expert in child development.
@Kit I know of a professor who studies Linguistics of children
Kit
Kit
@SpareOom Oh, the "Is it the third person?" question.
1:30 AM
Don't know if I could rope him into this, though. I'll try to find some studies that would help.
@simchona now there's a question. "is it hypercorrection if i beat my children for their grammatical mistakes?"
@Spare, look up Charles Yang.
@JSB Parenting.SE
Kit
Kit
@simchona You beat me to it.
My point is the parent making the baby talk, instead of speaking in reasonable English.
@simchona then let me reword it for english: is there a word for beating your children for their grammatical mistakes?
1:31 AM
@JSBangs Tiger Mom.
How many lashes is the following solecism worth?
Lash the parents who talk baby talk to their children!
Ooh ooh words I know! Periphrastic stage! Motherese!
Kit
Kit
@simchona That's not a single word.
1:33 AM
TigerMom.
Kit
Kit
@aedia kisses
Or Tiger-Mom. Insta-word.
@simchona i was just about to say that
Kit
Kit
@simchona LOL
Ok back to Star Trek. This has been your Linguistics Moment brought to you by Reading Rainbow.
Kit
Kit
1:36 AM
Damn. What is the word I'm trying to think of?
Oh, forgot the tag
Hint please?
Beating your children?
@Kit Unicorn.
How do you do that?
Kit
Kit
@SpareOom type [tag:name of tag]
Kit
Kit
Oh, sorry you need the hyphens too.
Oh, there it goes
Kit
Kit
Maybe you don't need the hyphens?
@Kit You do. I edited mine.
@Spare You can edit, too
What am I doing wrong?
1:40 AM
Make sure you hyphenate between every word. So
Kit
Kit
There's a word like periphrastic that I think of when I see "periphrastic," but it's right on the edge of my brain and I can't quite get it.
No space between the colon and the tag name
Parasitic
Kit
Kit
@simchona And it takes a few seconds while it thinks about it.
There ya go!
Kit
Kit
1:40 AM
@SpareOom Yay!
Kit
Kit
@simchona No, that's too easy.
Parenthetic?
Kit
Kit
This is like perip...something.
Peripatetic
1:41 AM
@Kit priapism
Kit
Kit
@simchona That's it.
@Kit Wow.
Kit
Kit
@JSBangs Very good guess.
@Kit i was actually going to say that, but i figured i would play to my audience
...why are you talking about priapism?
1:43 AM
@Kit Isn't that just pacing?
Why aren't we talking about googles priapism ...oh
I thought you were looking for a word about beating your kids.
@Mana Yup.
Kit
Kit
@JSBangs What's funny is that "peripatetic" always makes me think of "priapism."
Truly.
So it's like a traveling man on Viagra, after the exceeded 4 hours.
1:44 AM
@Kit and why wouldn't it?
Kit
Kit
So I always have this vague feeling that "peripatetic" is a slightly tainted word.
Tainted?
Kit
Kit
@GraceNote Like you wouldn't want your mom to know you were peripatetic.
or pathetic
1:46 AM
the problem with this room is that while I learn a whole bunch of new words, they're not exactly the kind I'd want to brag about knowing
Peripatetic always makes me thing of Calvin & Hobbes
That's where I first heard the word as a kid
Kit
Kit
38
A: What do you call a group of people that move a lot?

KitI think you're looking for nomadic, which describes a group (or person) that has no permanent home. Nomadic tribes often follow herds of game animals, for instance, so they would have seasonal camps. Edit (Aug 2nd): Or you might have been thinking of peripatetic, which means walking or traveling...

Excellent. Calvin and Hobbes is a smart comic strip. That's where I learned about transmogrification.
Haha me too
Kit
Kit
Thanks all, I just updated my best answer ever.
1:48 AM
I have all the C&H books that have been published, but not the 25 lb. hardcover collection
though I would like that someday
Kit
Kit
Speaking of transmogrification...
@FallenAngelEyes How many would that be?
Haha @Kit. Nice answer edit.
@Kit So, why would you mention the date that you edited your answer if it says it right there in the edit history box thing?
In case she edits again
1:50 AM
@Kit That's probably the answer he was looking for in the first place.
Kit
Kit
@Mana In case I edit it again.
@SpareOom Crap. Someone else gave that answer.
@SpareOom Everything in this list minus the Complete Collection
Kit
Kit
Rollback....
@Kit Jinx.
Kit
Kit
Damn, I'm out of coke.
1:51 AM
I don't like coke, myself
Kit
Kit
Well, then.
@Kit Call your dealer?
Sorry, that was in bad taste :P
Couldn't help it though
Kit
Kit
That's the best I've got handy.
If you don't like Coke, you ought not to be calling jinx, you naughty thing!
1:53 AM
I don't like Coke, so I used to say "Jinx, you owe me a Mt. Dew"
Kit
Kit
@FallenAngelEyes No worries.

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