English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

James Wilson

00:23

Hi guys

Can somebody tell me if this is a good example of hyperbole?

Two guys watch read a book. Both understand it.

Next day they review it to another person. Guy 1 gives a good review. Guy 2 gives a bad review.

Guy 1 says: 'Have you even read the book'?(although he knows he has)

Is that hyperbole? i.e.e he exaggerates because he is not happy with the review.

Jon Hanna

Hmm. It suggests ignorance of the topic at hand, and then suggests a degree of ignorance known not to be the case, so I suppose it counts.

I'd say an arguable example, rather than a good example.

James Wilson

lol an 'arguable' example.

Jon Hanna

But then, we could talk for years about hyperbole and argue over millions of questionable cases.

(There, that's definitely hyperbole)

James Wilson

in an English exam, would it count.

Jon Hanna

If it was on a multiple choice then I'd tick it.

If it was "tick only one" I'd double-check the others first.

James Wilson

00:29

my example that is. e.g. write a conversation where somebody uses hyperbole. In my conversation, would you give the mark?

Jon Hanna

If I had to make up an example, I'd use something more clearly a hyperbole.

James Wilson

fair enough(something more clear), but I'm nonetheless wondering if that'd get the mark.

Jon Hanna

If there's one thing harder than English, it's English exams.

The SAT questions that come up on EL&U make me feel sad for the people essentially asked "what does the ignoramus who created this test think is good English".

I think I'd lean to saying "yes".

James Wilson

ok, many thanks.

Have you seen paragraphs on the GMAT exams? Incomprehensible even for natives, yet it's non native students that'll be doing them.

Anyway thanks Jon.

Good night.

KitFox

00:48

Evening, @Jon.

Jon Hanna

Howdy

KitFox

How goes?

Jon Hanna

Ah, not much happening.

No pet projects or anything else to occupy me.

Hence my EL&U score rises.

KitFox

I was wondering what brought you to these parts. You seem to crop up in binges.

That is meant as an observation, not a judgment.

Jon Hanna

An accurate one, too.

KitFox

00:55

Are you looking for some stimulating conversation?

I mean, would you like me to engage you in discussion of a variety of topics?

Jon Hanna

Stimulating conversation is always a goof thing, though I'll be off to bed soon.

KitFox

My recollection is that you live across the pond from me. It must be quite late.

Jon Hanna

01:10

KitFox

Is that a usual time for you to be awake?

Jon Hanna

A normal bedtime for me would be 01:30-03:30. But I'm off now, this evening. Good night.

KitFox

Good night.

skullpatrol

Later

KitFox

Hi skully.

skullpatrol

01:20

Hi pal, how are you?

KitFox

Doing.

Trying to decide what to do with my evening.

skullpatrol

ic

Jasper Loy

08:15

Hello @tchrist you are here at a weird time.

tchrist

Indigestion.

Jez

09:09

hiya

what does "fml" mean at the end of a conversation in internet slang?

Matt Эллен

@Jez fuck my life

Jez

ah

Matt Эллен

10:08

@J.R. I am a home tutor. I teach spoken English. How to make a single sentence out of these two? — Kaptan Singh Nov 9 '14 at 9:03

"I am a home tutor who teaches spoken English." — J.R. ♦ Nov 9 '14 at 12:03

I do sometimes wonder if these folks are just trolling

Not J.R., I mean the OP

Matt Эллен

10:50

Google no longer shows news from Spain in search results

tchrist

11:28

Idiotas.

Jasper Loy

@MattЭллен I don't feel too good today. Remember I said yesterday I tried to resolve some OCD theme? Hmm, seems it is not resolved. I will need to think of something else. I hope I resolve it eventually. I am afraid because of the difficulties involved.

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy these things take time. try to remember that you can't go any faster than you're going. the best thing to do is try

Jasper Loy

OK, I am going to take a nap, really tired now...

Matt Эллен

have a good rest

user116848

@Mitch Yes, it is related. I am currently studying accountancy.

RegDwigнt

11:47

> what content exactly dose this past-participle modified?

Matt Эллен

probably should ask a doctor

medica

@MattЭллен - should a new question (identical) which was already asked by the same user and closed be flagged?

Matt Эллен

yes.

medica

K, thanks.

Matt Эллен

no probs :)

Matt Эллен

12:11

Pal in dRome, as they say

RegDwigнt

Never once was Sarah Pal in Rome.

She can see Russia if she squints, though.

Matt Эллен

not all of it, maybe

I'm sure Michael Pal in Rome

he's been everywhere

RegDwigнt

I've only ever seen him in cheese and parrot shops.

Matt Эллен

> "I hate to tell you this, but", and then proceeds to do the very opposite

OP is thought police

Mitch

They gave me a ticket when my thoughts took a left turn.

@Farooq Nice. Very useful.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

16:02

Hulloo.

Matt Эллен

allo

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

Allo!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 how goes the building?

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 k'nex-wise?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah

or any wise

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

16:11

I built the ferris wheel, and I got a set for Christmas to make a scorpion that walks and snaps his tail.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

sweet

I read an old "debate" on some website about which is better, k'nex or Lego

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

And then my bank discontinued its rewards program, so I traded in some points for a robo-killer set, and they ended up sending me two of those.

I'm gonna build 'em and make 'em fight.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

two?

by accident?

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

I suppose so. Separate shipments that arrived on the same day.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

heh sweet!

a similar thing happened to me at christmas

Mitch

16:13

Are you saying you don't pronounce it 'donkey fish'? — Mitch 1 min ago

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

This guy. knex.com/shop/17636/robosmash

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I ordered something, they sent the wrong thing, and let me keep it even after they sent the right thing

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

Nice!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

That is a pretty sweet little robot

it seems that k'nex is cheaper than Lego for that kind of model

You don't get a motor in any lego kit that isn't near $100

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

Jeebus.

BRB

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

16:33

kicks chat

Andrew Leach

Chat squeals

terdon

For years I pronounced the name of the Unix visual editor vi (which I never used, being an ex fan) as /vɪ/. Come to find out it was called /vi'yay/ by the cognoscenti. — John Lawler 19 hours ago

Seriously? ex? Talk about old school!

John never ceases to impress me.

Cerberus

Greetings.

terdon

...earthlings.

Cerberus

No love for otherworldlings?

Nor for underearthlings?

hangs heads

terdon

16:48

awwww

underearthlings are still earthlings. Just darker, danker ones.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

I still <3 you, @Cerb

terdon

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 Surely you mean =3. Count his heads!

Rimshot!

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@terdon :D

Sorry, I was off learning about ex.

Cerberus

17:15

@terdon Oh, all right, all right.

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 Yay!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

17:25

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 You mean nobody's ever sat you down and given you the ex talk?

2

Mitch

@terdon pico in a pinch

Dad! Please! Shut up! I can't hear you! thumbs in ears La la la la la la la la !

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I had to learn it on the streets.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 Kids these days have it so easy

Robusto

17:42

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 Hey, I was going to ask you. Impedance and resistance are the same thing, electronically speaking, right?

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@Robusto Pretty much. Impedance is related to AC.

Robusto

18:18

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 OK, you're testing the limits of my electronics understanding. AC means "air conditioning" to me.

Cerberus

Which person do you think the game was trying to guess I was thinking of?

It was Pliny the Elder, not...whatever that is.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

That's the Not really Guy

Cerberus

Okay, I have entered Pliny the Elder into the system, and now it can guess him!

Robusto

@Cerberus What about Pliny the Vegetable?

Cerberus

You try him.

It guessed Lucretius correctly!

en.akinator.com

The Dutch version was unable to guess P.C. Hooft.

Matt Эллен

18:34

weird. firefox has stopped responding to my trackpad clicks

I can click on everything else, though

Robusto

@Cerberus Wow, it guessed Edward the Confessor without getting as specific as I would have thought. Took it 24 questions, though.

Cerberus

Yeah, it took mine 100 questions to find out it just didn't know.

Robusto

Didn't guess Earl Godwine of Wessex, though.

Cerberus

Heh.

People like us can easily beat it.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I am trying to get it to guess "Larry the Barrista" from the Lego movie, it was close, it guessed Emmett, but that's a bad guess because it already asked if my character was the hero.

I clicked "continue" and now it's repeating questions it already asked

Well, it guessed another lego move character, but misspelled.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

18:56

> Did your character start his career in gay porn before transitioning to straight porn?
Yes
No
Don't know
Probably
Probably not

I already told you he is made out of Lego.

Robusto

19:18

You've never seen Lego porn, I take it.

terdon

19:31

@Robusto Wow. That's actually a thing. I checked.

You Lego types are strange.

Stack Exchange

Limerick Machine: I’m surprised how much I like sleep I never can get down too deep But when I’m awake …

posted on January 14, 2015 by sgdi

I’m surprised how much I like sleep I never can get down too deep But when I’m awake I live in a lake And inwardly water does seep

Robusto

@terdon It is? Damn, I thought I was just making that up as a joke.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Robusto I will neither conform nor deny whether or not I've seen Lego porn.

terdon

►

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Does the Brick Testament count?

Robusto

19:32

Just goes to show you that no matter how bizarre, anything you can think of is probably already a meme on the intertoobz.

terdon

@Robusto Yeah right. I bet you have your own collection in the bedroom cupboard.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Robusto Don't you know of Rule 34?

Robusto

Not by that name.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Okay, Lance. For entry into the college bowl, spell 'Throbbing'

@terdon oooooooooookay. That was weird, and also really low quality. It's not erotic if your Lego porn has non-lego in it.

It's like if someone tried to make a sex tape, but couldn't find a girl to do it with him, so he used a blowup doll instead.

terdon

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Happens to me all the time.

I like that the reason it was not erotic was that something there was not Lego. That would suggest that had it been pure, unadulterated Lego from start to finish, you would have found it sexy.

That's a scary thought.

And hey, that was just the first hit for Lego porn. Unlike @Robusto I didn't even know such a thing existed until 5 minutes ago.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

19:47

@terdon Well, it's a reason.

Robusto

20:33

Where did @cornbread go?

That's right, just walk away.

►

Jez

science.slashdot.org/story/15/01/14/1834250/…

Google aims to be ur universal translator

i just tried it out on my new phone. nice try but as usual, no cigar

it's amazing how much interpretation of language and contractions relies on context

Charles Koppelman

21:18

Hello room. Just wanted to see if I found an answer to my unasked question.

12

Q: Word formation with the nominal suffix -tion: when and why do we insert an "a"?

Recently, a colleague became flustered when she used orientate instead of orient. She says she frequently makes this sort of "back formation error" because of the nominal form, which is orientation. This has gotten me thinking about how nominal forms are created. Certainly, it is unambiguous for...

Is this why demolition drops its "-sh"?

Jez

she got flustered over that?

Charles Koppelman

basically it's either a Latin root or sounds close enough that we construct it as one?

Mitch

demolitate? demolite? demolitation?

@Jez her 'colleague' did. One-on one it would have been fine, but in groups that can happen.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

21:33

@Robusto A big, long, stupid meeting that made me want to tender my resignation.

@Robusto Oh! Sorry. Alternating current. Like from the wall. As opposed to Direct Current, like from batteries.

SmokeDetector

22:13

[ SmokeDetector ] Offensive body detected: "Grit" vs "gritted" by user106220 on english.stackexchange.com

Charles Koppelman

@Mitch I would say "demolishation" if demolition weren't already a word

Cerberus

23:29

@CharlesKoppelman Ah, yes, both words are from Latin.

What is unusual here is the -sh in demolish.

Not sure where that came from.

It appears to come from French -ss-, but why French had that s there I do not know.

Cf. admonish.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…