English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Cerberus

00:00

The reconquista of Tikrit is actually pretty good.

tchrist

Alternate universe.

Mitch

No thanks I'll stay in this one

Robusto

@Cerberus The dubbing is easier to hear and understand for me. Small steps, doggy, small steps.

Cerberus

I see.

I also recommend song.

I would rather die than listen to dubbing myself.

Robusto

I'm not doing it for entertainment or pleasure, but because it suits my purpose of learning quickly.

Already I am feeling myself transported into that realm where I'm understandings without conscious translation.

Mitch

00:06

I'd rather live and just close my eyes

Robusto

It helps that I also have the closed captions on. Training wheels that are necessary for now.

Cerberus

Subtitles are good.

Mitch

Many Chinese movies are dubbed in the language they're filmed in

tchrist

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's undisguised homework. Sorry, the homework fairy's taking a break. — John Lawler 7 mins ago

Robusto

@tchrist Ya lo sé qué voy a hacer

tchrist

00:12

@Mitch ADR != dubstep

@Robusto Or lo que.

Is there a past definite tense? — Janus Bahs Jacquet 2 mins ago

No, only the aorist optative. — John Lawler 25 secs ago

They must be drinking.

Robusto

Typo

tchrist

Lawler nearly never closevotes.

Robusto

I'm typing on the damn tablet and it is not optimal

tchrist

@Robusto That one I wouldn’t put the lo before the sé. Saying "I know what I’m gonna do" is probably just Sé lo que voy a hacer.

@Robusto Believe it.

Robusto

@tchrist Tal vez.

Stupid predictive typing fucks the hell out of Spanish.

Haha, I had to add hell to the stupid dictionary.

tchrist

00:24

I turn all that jazz off.

Which is only fair, considering that the reverse condition also holds true.

@tchrist Rephormatocomentariaphobia, cured! — Jason C 1 min ago

It's a little-known fact that all last names are designed and manufactured in a factory south of Montreal. The delivery systems are always in a state of flux, with all kinds of local laws and conventions, but somehow they manage to always deliver the most popular names, every day, worldwide. — John Lawler 30 mins ago

-1

Q: Passive voice and the WH-questions

i find these two examples in a book.They are questitions and they are in the passive voice. 1)What kind of animal is called Emperor?The penguin. 2)What is cheese made from?From milk. And i know that the form of a passive voice question is wh-question+'to be'+subject+past participle BUT why in th...

Stupid passive crap.

Why do they inflict this crap on poor learners?

Robusto

00:42

@tchrist Now everyone is indulging in corpse fucking. The post is dead and everyone just wants to have their jollies with it.

tchrist

squick

he is

Robusto

01:00

Well, that was a thoroughly stupid movie.

imdb.com/title/tt1924429/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Kind of a poor man's Inception.

But hey, at least you get to see Rosario Dawson's vulva.

Robusto

01:11

And I got a lot of practice in oral (aural) comprehension.

I could not have watched that movie in English, I'll tell you that.

tchrist

02:30

@Robusto Heh.

Robusto

03:37

@Cerberus These are in Spanish, not English. So I read what people are saying as I hear them saying it.

Cerberus

Yes.

That helps.

anongoodnurse

05:22

@Mitch - I tried to delete but got a scary-looking warning about being punished with something sinister.

Johan Larsson

06:10

@Robusto I guess :) The desk is not IKEA though.

infinitesimal

IKEA means: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. Ingvar Kamprad ...

Interesting, never believe advertising :-)

Johan Larsson

09:33

:)

Ingvar Kamprad owns the whole thing alone. IIRC

RegDwigнt

10:39

People who are learning git should look for a reason.

Robusto

11:26

@RegDwigнt I have one. My new employer uses it.

tchrist

Yes, well.

Same, but it still gits my knickers in a snit from time to time.

Robusto

I prefer mercurial, but, well, not every institution can see the light.

I wonder what's in the 100k swag bag.

Gah, can't type without coffee. I'll try again later.

infinitesimal

Yes, you do recall correctly my friend. @JohanLarsson

RegDwigнt

11:48

There's a 100k swag bag?

Never read the memo.

But my guess is: there's swag in it.

tchrist

Which is just leftover shake from the bottom of the bag.

RegDwigнt

I read that as leftover snake.

Pictured from left to right: Snake, a bag of leftovers.

tchrist

12:21

heh

Robusto

12:42

@tchrist It will include leftovers from other sites that I frequent, the missive assures me.

RegDwigнt

Oh, I see. Twenty pounds of "give me the codez" that had expired seven years ago.

Yummy.

Robusto

> But getting a big ole box of cool stuff from our sites is also a fun way to mark the occasion, so we put together a collection of swag for you. It's just a small token of our appreciation for everything you've done.

That's a big ole box of RC coda.

RegDwigнt

So. Um. Big box of cool, or a small appreciation. Pick one.

You do know what "I appreciate it" means, right?

Robusto

Not just "a small appreciation" . . . it's "just a small appreciation."

RegDwigнt

"I appreciate it" is a very quick and easy way to identify people who wouldn't give a shit if you died tomorrow.

Robusto

12:47

@RegDwigнt The other quick way to identify such people is simply to look around and see other people.

RegDwigнt

Sounds like work.

Looking around is active. Hearing is passive.

Robusto

Easier than the work you describe.

RegDwigнt

Nah, I outsource the work of me having to look to them having to say it.

I think I'm in the plus here.

@Robusto it might be small, but it comes in a big box. Like LEGO.

And we're totally forgetting that the way is fun!

The way is the zeal, as they say in German. Or something like tat.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt I think they mean "The path is the goal." Or something like that.

RegDwigнt

Google says it's the route and not the path. Why do you suck at German so much?

Robusto

12:52

wonders if zeal and Ziel are related

Johan Larsson

Looks like my desk will be fixed in an enterprise way. The supplier requested an order before sending someone to fix it. Now I've been contacted by two persons from purchasing. Guess there will be meetings and stuff.

RegDwigнt

Navy Zeals.

Robusto

wonders if zeal and Ziel are retarded

Johan Larsson

Dunno how many weeks I'll be working standing up.

Robusto

@JohanLarsson Be happy that you are in the Workers' Paradise.

Johan Larsson

12:53

:)

RegDwigнt

Relates that Zelda is wondrous.

Robusto

@JohanLarsson I prefer to work standing up these days. That's something I believe I'll have to give up with the new job. But we'll see.

RegDwigнt

We're spending all our lives standing in the workers paradise.

Johan Larsson

I think it is a true paradise for those who aims to not work. Or do meta-mork.

RegDwigнt

Tell me why are we too blind to see?

Johan Larsson

12:54

@Robusto I guess standing is bearable, keyboard in nipple height is < optimal though.

infinitesimal

mork?

RegDwigнt

Shadow of Morkor.

Robusto

@JohanLarsson Anytime anyone says "enterprise solution" I think of a Rube Goldberg apparatus.

infinitesimal

Meta-Morkor :-)

Robusto

@JohanLarsson Better than chin height, what? But work the problem, man! You can have your own enterprise solution to the problem, which would be to take paid leave until they furnish you with a desk you can actually work at. Or, more likely, one you actually have to work to fuck off at.

RegDwigнt

12:56

@Robusto SAP R/3. The "R" stands for "Rube".

Robusto

0

Q: In the MLA style, can citations be placed in footnotes instead of parathentically?

I'm writing an research paper at the moment that I'm fairly certain has to be written in the MLA style. I would prefer to use Chicago style due to it's lovely citation format, but I don't think that is possible. My question is: is it permissible to cite works as footnotes instead of in a parenthe...

citation mla footnotes

Just gimme teh codez.

RegDwigнt

SAP does nothing and costs everything. And they built a very successful business around it.

Johan Larsson

@Robusto I'm working on secret stuff now. If I was|were not I could push it to github and go home and work.

was were is impossible to figure out.

Robusto

@JohanLarsson You are trying to secrete stuff? There's your problem, right there.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto the first rule of the MLA style is, "no one asks if you're using the MLA style".

Johan Larsson

12:58

derp, did I French it?

Robusto

@RegDwigнt The second rule is, "Who gives a flying fuck?"

RegDwigнt

Yes. The first two rules are always the same.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt SAP is the scientology of enterprise software solutions.

RegDwigнt

That'd be SESS. Or SoESS.

Dr Soess.

Robusto

Bad SoESS to you.

RegDwigнt

12:59

The SAP the SAP I do not like that SAP.

Robusto

Would you like it in a cubicle? Would you like it with a rubicle?

RegDwigнt

No seriously, we had people from our company fly over to SAP to help them with their shit. Their software does nothing, and they do not know what it is they want it it do, and if they did it'd still do nothing because they can't program their way out of a wet paper Hello World.

But look at them stocks. That's the way you do it.

We charged them a few million, and they didn't even blink, because that's how much they charge their customers for email postage in any given hour.

Robusto

What do they even say they do for you? I'm still confused about what they purport to offer.

RegDwigнt

When I grow up, I will invent a device to slap SAP over the Internet.

@Robusto they have a website with some blue on it. And smiling people with manila folders.

Robusto

It's like those ads for Nexium. They never even say what the drug does, they just say it's "the purple pill" and they show people flying in the sky. Well, who wouldn't want to be able to fly?

@RegDwigнt You will have to pay me royalties or face patent infringement litigation.

Speaking of which, why is the MLA question still open?

RegDwigнt

13:06

Because bitching about open questions is way more fun than not bitching about closed questions.

It's fan service.

Robusto

Next time try to get some more shots of Marina Sirtis's boobs into it.

RegDwigнt

Sounds Greek to me.

infinitesimal

in Mathematics, 28 mins ago, by iwriteonpeoplewhowriteonbanana

▒▒▒▒▒▒▐███████▌
▒▒▒▒▒▒▐░▀░▀░▀░▌
▒▒▒▒▒▒▐▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▌
▄▀▀▀█▒▐░▀▀▄▀▀░▌▒█▀▀▀▄
▌▌▌▌▐▒▄▌░▄▄▄░▐▄▒▌▐▐▐▐

RegDwigнt

Here are seven of her boobs. Enjoy.

Robusto

I'm still trying to figure out how Spanish managed to twist "the chemist" into el químico.

RegDwigнt

13:09

Same in Russian. Химик.

It's English that's the odd one out, with this -ist nonsense.

Robusto

Why can't people just speak English, like everybody else?

RegDwigнt

Chemiker.

@Robusto because people are boobs. From another planet.

It is the next generation. So cry me a river.

@infinitesimal I don't even know what that's supposed to mean.

It looks like an ill-bred mixture of Super Mario and a Super Mario level.

infinitesimal

Art

RegDwigнt

Yeah. As the German saying goes, "is this art, or can we throw it away".

infinitesimal

I tried to star it and they freaked out :(

RegDwigнt

13:13

Le freak, c'est chic.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt The bank I used to work for had a stempel that read Wegwerfsmateriel (or something like that). I used to wonder why you would stamp something like that instead of just throwing it away.

RegDwigнt

@infinitesimal so let's see what they do if someone pins it.

infinitesimal

Aah freak out!

RegDwigнt

@Robusto "And as for you. Guards! Bring me the forms I need to fill out to have her taken away!"

Robusto

The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!

►

terdon

13:15

@Robusto That might be straight from the Greek χημικός (chimikos).

RegDwigнt

Robusto

@terdon Nonsense. The Greeks were never enqueued.

RegDwigнt

They were enqueued with boobs. It was sirtious business.

terdon

@Robusto But they were often enculéed.

Robusto

@terdon Ouch. Next time give us some lubricant, willya!

infinitesimal

13:17

I'm gonna try and get suspended by starring them all };-)

Wish me luck

terdon

@infinitesimal Again?

Robusto

31

Q: Origins: "try and" over "try to" — how did we get there from here?

In written and standard semi-formal (and above) spoken English, one would use "try to": Try to be a better person. Try to get the fishhook out of my thumb, please. Try to find a pharmacy when you need one. But in spoken English, we (Americans, at least) usually substitute "try and...

etymology colloquialisms

RegDwigнt

@Robusto if they gave you lubricant, they'd be Romans and no Greeks.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt I think we need @Cerb to make a ruling on that.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto answer. We tried to get there from here and we succeeded.

Robusto

13:19

You say that, and yet you still live in Europe.

Keerist, is every music ever composed now available on YouTube?

RegDwigнt

Exactly. I failed to die with the other pioneers in their noble shit.

Better to live in Europe than to die in America.

Cheaper, too.

infinitesimal

@terdon if at first you don't succeed ...

RegDwigнt

But you must try, try and try, try and try, you'll convict at last.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt That's loser talk.

infinitesimal

... learn first from your mistakes

RegDwigнt

13:22

@Robusto yes, and you're paying thousands upon thousands of dollars to your government to buy computers to make a copy of this publicly available loser talk, and then not even read it.

infinitesimal

As well as your successes

RegDwigнt

At least to me my loser talk is free.

You can't beat that with your coupons.

Robusto

Hmm, "types of things" has surpassed "close the light" and appears to be pulling away.

RegDwigнt

Sounds like a job for the Midnight Towboy.

Robusto

> Ella llamaba a un hotel.

What did she used to call it?

Also, are you saying she's a ho?

RegDwigнt

13:30

THEN HO WAS PHONE

Robusto

Ho Chi Minh was a notable celebrity Ho from the '60s.

He was the Kim Kardashian of his day.

RegDwigнt

Holarious.

I had to correct my spelling after checking Know-Your-Meme.

mikeonly

Hi all.

Could anybody please explain some lines from Shakespeare's sonnet?

RegDwigнt

Ho-llo.

Robusto

Could? Yes.

RegDwigнt

13:34

We could try, though we could never succeed.

mikeonly

«Those lips that Love's own hand did make…»

RegDwigнt

It's poetry, not a hoover handbook.

mikeonly

What does «to make own hand» mean?

RegDwigнt

It means nothing, which is why that's not what Shakespeare says.

It's not "to make own hand". It is "own hand did make".

Robusto

@mikeonly Love is the personification of love. Think of Eros, the Greek god.

Or Aphrodite.

RegDwigнt

13:35

You do not make own hand. The own hand is the one making here.

It is the subject and not the object.

mikeonly

@RegDwigнt Ok. Sorry. So what is the phrase?

RegDwigнt

The phrase is "X makes Y".

mikeonly

Ok. So…

RegDwigнt

And the X is the hand.

And the Y is the lips.

mikeonly

Ok. I've understood that part.

RegDwigнt

13:36

I make a sandwich. You make a left turn. Love's own hand makes lips.

mikeonly

Thanks for clearing.

He refers to lips which are made by some God, doesn't he?

RegDwigнt

Why God?

He says Love.

He specifically does not say God's own hand.

He could, without even changing the metrum. But he doesn't.

mikeonly

@RegDwigнt Ok, understood.

Thanks. One more is coming.

Robusto

@tchrist: Consider the sentence "She did not call her family for two years." Which version of did not call would you use there, llamó or llamaba?

tchrist

Llamó

Durante.

mikeonly

13:40

«Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom…»

Robusto

@tchrist They are offering llamaba there, probably because they are talking about continuous past.

mikeonly

I think it should mean something like she has never used her tongue to say those hurty words.

tchrist

If you are talking about telling a story, yes then that would take the imperfect.

If you are saying that she didn't call you for five days last week, it would be preterite.

Robusto

@mikeonly Be sure to use the word "hurty" to your teacher. She will love it.

mikeonly

@Robusto Why?

Robusto

13:41

Just messin' with ya.

tchrist

Hurdy-gurdy

The hurdy-gurdy is a stringed instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents — small wedges, typically made of wood — against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board to make the vibration of the strings audible. Most hurdy-gurdies have multiple drone strings, which give a constant pitch accompaniment...

mikeonly

«Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom…»

So in which sense is «ever» used?

RegDwigнt

Organistrum.

Robusto

Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan

►

Andrew Leach

@mikeonly forever.

tchrist

13:42

@mikeonly Forever and ever, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

RegDwigнt

Always. It's an itensifier.

tchrist

jinx

And then there were three.

Kit Z. Fox

Holla. What ho?

mikeonly

Ok. So that tongue was forever sweet?

tchrist

@mikeonly Always.

RegDwigнt

13:44

That tongue.

tchrist

6

A: Use of “ever” in non-negated sentence

I do recall ever seeing my mother in the light of day. A legal reading of that sentence is one in which ever here means always, as ever and anon it is wont to do. Wherefore given that this sentence is clearly grammatical: I do recall always seeing my mother in the light of day. Then s...

RegDwigнt

I say always. I don't think you can say forever.

Just because it's ever sweet, you can't know if it's forever sweet.

tchrist

Right.

Kit Z. Fox

I agree. Always. As a habit.

mikeonly

@tchrist Oh, yes. So together «that ever sweet» is an adjective and further the verb goes?

Kit Z. Fox

13:46

No implication for the future, like forever would mean.

RegDwigнt

Boo-Ya Tribe can be ever sweet to you today, and then tomorrow kill your mother, your sister, your dad.

Kit Z. Fox

Right.

Robusto

@tchrist They use desde hace instead of durante. Which makes me more inclined to use llamó.

tchrist

@mikeonly Well.

@Robusto Oh, that might still be ongoing with desde hace.

Not sure, need more conttext.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto ¡Ka-ahrl!

Robusto

13:48

@tchrist They don't have more context. It's a sentence from an exercise.

tchrist

@mikeonly Change "ever sweet" to "eversweet" as in "evergreen", and it will clear up.

mikeonly

@tchrist Thanks. Now everything is clear. :)

tchrist

@Robusto "Ella no me llama desde hace dos años" => "She hasn’t called me in two years."

"Ella no me llamaba desde hace dos años" => "She hadn’t called me in two years."

In the context of relating something in the past.

Just backshifting.

Or "for two years". Same thing.

Robusto

@tchrist Don't you mean llamó?

tchrist

Just don’t say since.

@Robusto Not if you were narrating a past, using backshifting.

Robusto

13:53

Hmm. Confusion reigns.

tchrist

En aquella época, dominaba la confusión.

You’re not saying it’s a done deal yet.

You’re just switching to the narrative past.

Robusto

OK.

tchrist

@RegDwigнt Did you ever get as far along in your Spanish studies as Rob is getting?

Robusto

Damn their nitpicky behavior. Now they mark me off because I translate "Do you have something for a stomachache?" as Tienes algo para un dolor de estomago? when they prefer ¿Tienes algo para el dolor de estómago?

RegDwigнt

14:09

@tchrist what you mean, "as far"? Every sentence he's posted so far is Spanish 101.

2 days ago, by RegDwigнt

At 79.2%, I'd expect to be asked to understand something like "Descubrí que no soy disciplinado por virtud, sino como reacción contra mi negligencia; que parezco generoso por encubrir mi mezquindad, que me paso de prudente por mal pensado, que soy conciliador para no sucumbir a mis cóleras reprimidas, que sólo soy puntual para que no se sepa cuan poco me importa el tiempo ajeno. Descubrí, en fin, que el amor no es un estado del alma sino un signo del zodiaco."

Do note how my example, in turn, is still very, very simple.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt C&P is usually quite simple.

Anyway, cut me some slack. I've only been doing this a couple of months.

RegDwigнt

I'm not saying a thing. Tchrist asked.

I certainly wasn't as far in school after just a couple months.

But I was asked to compare your "couple months" to my "ever", so he's expecting a biased result.

> A groom had to return home without his bride from a marriage hall in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat district after he failed to solve a simple mathematical problem.

The bride-to-be got suspicious of the groom's educational qualification. Her cousins asked the groom to solve simple mathematical question, what is 15+6. The groom failed to give the correct answer and the girl refused to marry him on Wednesday.

> The bride and her cousins received a shock when the groom said 15+6 is 17 instead of 21. This angered the girl, who refused to marry the youth.

I do like it how they tell you what the correct answer would be.

Kit Z. Fox

14:30

My little son often happily declares the correct answer, but with reversed numbers.

Or he'll mix up -teens with -ties. Super cute.

He's also very excited to demonstrate how he can count to 100 by twos, then by fives.

RegDwigнt

Yeah and then they grow up to become senators and still can't tell the difference. So cute.

Sorry.

Just read a story on how the European Central Bank is now fooging us all.

Someone should have told them about the teens and the ties.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt That's what banks do. Don't be surprised, just bend over.

Kit Z. Fox

He was reciting while sitting on the stairs the other day and he got to 100 and flowed right into 102. Holy crap, you'd have thought he won the lottery. "Oh!" he says, jumping up and nearly falling down the stairs, "I bet I could count by twos up to a thousand!"

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

And the Thames and the Times.

Kit Z. Fox

I bet you could. Please do so quietly.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

14:33

@Rob I'm okay.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto yes, but regular banks come from the side, while this one is central. That's what I'm trying to come to terms with.

Robusto

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 That's good. You sounded down.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@Robusto I had to either leave the work building with my laptop, or leave it there and never come back.

Robusto

The European Central Bank Ass-Fucking Party, a new novel by Ben Dover.

RegDwigнt

Big Ben Dover.

Robusto

14:34

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 Heh, I take it you took your laptop with you.

infinitesimal

@KitZ.Fox quick teach him how to count with negative numbers

Kit Z. Fox

@infinitesimal He already knows that.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

@RegDwigнt I can almost understand that. I think.

@Robusto indeed.

BRB coffee

Kit Z. Fox

His kindergarten screening is going to be interesting.

RegDwigнt

@cornbreadninja麵包忍者 congratulations! You can now understand 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of all real Spanish text!

Almost.

But that's as good as anything.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

14:35

@RegDwigнt Gracias.

infinitesimal

@KitZ.Fox and fractions too?

Kit Z. Fox

@infinitesimal a little. He's got the gist. Mostly from looking over his brother's shoulder.

infinitesimal

Sit him down and do it formally.

Kit Z. Fox

Nah, too early.

infinitesimal

-_-

Kit Z. Fox

14:37

He's still having a hard time keeping his pants dry. That's a little more important right now.

RegDwigнt

Use the combo approach. "If you don't pee until you have counted by twos up to a million, your pants will stay dry".

Kit Z. Fox

Right, that's not the issue.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

RegDwigнt

Yes yes. I am here to suggest.

Kit Z. Fox

He wants to learn Irish.

You could suggest about that.

RegDwigнt

I suggest Tullamore Dew.

Then he can gradually get better.

Kit Z. Fox

14:40

haha

infinitesimal

Does he understand that -100<-1 @KitZ.Fox?

Kit Z. Fox

Yes.

Negative numbers go down.

RegDwigнt

To the ground.

Kit Z. Fox

Yes.

RegDwigнt

So that's why the Australian economy is backwards.

infinitesimal

14:42

So he counts negative numbers backwards?

RegDwigнt

Come to this chat, where we understand all things.

@infinitesimal which wards is back?

Kit Z. Fox

@infinitesimal Well, that depends on what you mean. I think he counts them the right way.

RegDwigнt

−100 to −1 or −1 to −100?

Kit Z. Fox

-1, -2, -3 ...

RegDwigнt

Teach him about the hyphens vs minuses before tchrist wakes up.

Kit Z. Fox

14:43

blech

Johan Larsson

@RegDwigнt git is the best vcs. <- period

RegDwigнt

@JohanLarsson I said look for a reason, and that is not a very reasonable thing to say.

It is the opposite of reason.

Git is so the best that after just a couple years we're about to switch to something else. Just like with every vcs before it. CVS, SVN, Tortoise, everything.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt Tortoise is not a VCS, but a VCS helper.

RegDwigнt

This is the sound of me not caring.

Robusto

We hear that a lot around here.

RegDwigнt

14:51

By the time I've learned one idiot's preferred way of spelling check out, our company switches to a different idiot.

Robusto

The Way of Companies by Ben Dover.

RegDwigнt

At least we still haven't considered using SAP R/3.

Which is to say, much rather we rewrote it from scratch.

So rather than not doing anything at all, our version does something except not what we want.

-1

Q: Specific And generic reference

So, My Dr Told Me To Make A Project About Specific And generic reference. And I Have No Idea What To Include And How To Start! Help!

generic reference

I think he should start by capitalizing generic reference.

Seriously, you can't not capitalize just the one thing that you're actually writing about.

It would feel insulted, like a balrog without wings.

Robusto

Burn it with fire.

Mitch

15:09

@RegDwigнt secretly glad I got the right answer

Johan Larsson

15:25

@RegDwigнt A couple of years is a long time in programming.

I can see merit with staying up-to-date.

Working version control is much nicer than broken version control.

RegDwigнt

@JohanLarsson sorry, argument invalid.

Why do I have to stay up-to-date? Why can't the software?

If SVN is the be-all-and-end-all today, why can't it work to stay that way in two years?

If it keeps releasing updates, and I keep updating it, then why does that not count as "staying-up-to-date" and I have to install an all-new tool instead?

And this is especially crucial in the context of version control.

I can still use my Notepad on Windows 95. But I can't go back a mere three years with my version control system.

Cerberus

15:55

@terdon I don't know it is possible, but the i was often used in other European languages too.

Dutch alchimie = alchemy.

French has chimie, I believe?

terdon

@Cerberus I think it was the -ist versus -ico that confused Rob.

Cerberus

Oh...

terdon

@Cerberus Yup

Cerberus

Well, -ist is ultimately Greek.

But other languages use it in alchemist and such?

Chemistry.

Oh, you meant the -co was Greek?

Mm I have to go join another march.

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…