English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

I have never used doubt or suspect properly before. Now I understand that they seem to bear quite the opposite meanings in a sentence. For example, Everybody believes him, but I suspect he is lying means I doubt he is telling the truth. Such pairs of words can be really challenging f...

user19161

I closed this but on second thoughts I think this is interesting so reopening.

Matt Эллен

1:15 AM

I wonder if I could get my luggage of at Amsterdam and get home by train...

user19161

@MattЭллен Be careful, my friend lost all luggage while on honeymoon in Germany.

Cerberus

@MattЭллен You could probably do that; but the train is expensive, and it probably takes a while.

Besides, it will probably be full.

So how is Taipei?

Matt Эллен

well, then maybe I won't :)

Cerberus

Hehe.

If I were you, I'd book an hotel in Amsterdam, walk around town for a few hours, then fly back to England.

Matt Эллен

Well, I'm in Taichung - I have to get back to Taipei to get my flight

user19161

1:17 AM

@Cerberus She is fine, hehe.

Cerberus

She?

How is Taiwan, then?

Matt Эллен

Taichung is great - really sunny

Cerberus

Good.

user19161

@Cerberus She is fine too.

Cerberus

At what local time does your plane leave from Taipei?

Matt Эллен

1:18 AM

19:30

user19161

@Cerberus Might as well walk around a few days if you are going to spend that money.

Cerberus

And how long does the flight take?

Matt Эллен

I've been really surprised at how hot it's been here - I thought it's be autumn.

user19161

@MattЭллен it'd

Cerberus

Hmm yeah, it is the same latitude as Egypt.

Matt Эллен

1:20 AM

I think it takes 10 hours

Cerberus

OK, so it will be 5 am Taiwanese time when you arrive at Schiphol?

So that is hmm 10 pm local time or so?

Matt Эллен

hmmmm

Cerberus

Yes.

So you'll arrive at 10 pm really tired and sleepy.

user19161

@Cerberus Maybe you can meet him, hehe.

Cerberus

10.30 in fact.

Matt Эллен

1:23 AM

I'm not 100% sure

Cerberus

About what?

Matt Эллен

how long the flight is

Cerberus

Oh.

Matt Эллен

if it's meant to be 28 hours

including stop over in Amsterdam

user19161

@MattЭллен I thought it was one continuous period!

Matt Эллен

1:24 AM

10 hours in Holland, +10 hours to Holland, plus an hour to the uk

user19161

Try taking my rocket then.

Matt Эллен

I don't know

user19161

@MattЭллен What computer are you using now?

Matt Эллен

@JasperLoy you have a rocket?

Cerberus

Hmm is your flight to Amsterdam non stop?

Matt Эллен

1:26 AM

@JasperLoy my friend's

I've been staying with him and his fiancee

Cerberus

Because I can't find any non-stop flight from Taipei to A'dam.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus I think there's a short (30 min) stop in Bangkok

user19161

Rocket

A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction. Rocket engines push rockets forwards simply by throwing their exhaust backwards extremely fast. Rockets for military and recreational uses date back to at least 13th century China. Significant scientific, interplanetary and industrial use did not occur until the 20th century, when rocketry was the enabling technology of the Space Age, includ...

Cerberus

Hehe.

OK.

Matt Эллен

but no new plane

user19161

1:28 AM

@MattЭллен Bangkok, or that was intentional?

Matt Эллен

thanks!

brb shower

user19161

@MattЭллен I really thought you did that on purpose...

user19161

@MattЭллен Enjoy.

Cerberus

Shortest flight I can find is 15 hours +.

user19161

@Cerberus Or he can close his eyes and pray to Zeus.

Cerberus

1:30 AM

I'd rather pray to KLM or Taiwan Air.

user19161

@Cerberus I rather pray to myself.

Matt Эллен

1:50 AM

@Cerberus Yeah, I'm going by KLM - hence the stop over in Schiphol

user19161

@MattЭллен That was a quick shower.

Matt Эллен

aye, I'm efficient!

@Cerberus I think the flight is 17 hours or so

Cerberus

Ah.

Yeah then you'll arrive at 5:30 am local time, ish.

And you will be exhausted. So I'd say book an hotel.

Matt Эллен

it's a good thought

Cerberus

Unless you don't care about little sleep.

Matt Эллен

1:54 AM

I could try sleeping on the plane

Cerberus

You could visit the city after a short night if you're in the mood and have enough time.

Yeah.

But you'll probably still be tired.

Matt Эллен

what's the weather like in Amsterdam?

Cerberus

How long before take-off do you need to be back at the airport?

Matt Эллен

I'm not sure - I guess they'll tell us when we land

Cerberus

weeronline.nl/Europa/Nederland/Amsterdam/4058223

If you need to be back two hours in advance, and you want some sleep, it hardly pays off to go visit the city.

Matt Эллен

1:56 AM

I might carry two coats with me...

Cerberus

Yeah you're coming from the tropics!

Ish.

Taiwan is half tropical.

Matt Эллен

apparently 28 degrees C is cold here...

Cerberus

Haha.

Funny.

I couldn't live in such a place.

user19161

@MattЭллен Same, since it's like 32 everyday.

Matt Эллен

no - it's great to visit

but living heere I would melt

@JasperLoy yeah, I guess you're near the same latitude

Cerberus

2:01 AM

I would hate to visit it too, unless there were a/c everywhere.

user19161

@Cerberus You are the only person to abbreviate it as such.

Cerberus

Oh yeah, Jasper's location is even hotter, and more humid!

@JasperLoy Am I?

user19161

@Cerberus Yes, I would think people usually use it for account instead.

Matt Эллен

there is A/C in all hotels, shops, museums

Cerberus

Apparently I'm not the only one...

Matt Эллен

2:02 AM

:D

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Oh that does make a difference!

user19161

@MattЭллен Looks like I have not been observant.

Cerberus

user19161

@Cerberus Good!

Matt Эллен

I meant aircraft

Cerberus

2:05 AM

Oh, even cooler!

Matt Эллен

;)

Cerberus

And do they have A/C in all A/C?

user19161

@Cerberus That is a difficult question.

Matt Эллен

yes

Cerberus

It is supposed to be infinitely recursive.

Yay!

user19161

2:07 AM

@Cerberus Sounds very mathematical!

Cerberus

Uhuh.

Matt Эллен

2:27 AM

see you in some indeterminate amount of time!

Cerberus

Bye!!

Kitḫ

11:22 AM

@MattЭллен Hi Matt! Welcome home!

Hugo

-2

Q: When do I use 'a' and when do I use 'an'?

I know 'an' is before vowels, and 'a' is before consonants. But what if there is more than word like: "A/An technically dead brain", does it make a difference?

articles

duplicte

aedia λ

5:20 PM

@MattЭллен Safe journey back!

Cerberus

9:41 PM

Hmm Matt is probably on his plane now.

He'll probably land here in six hours or so.

user19161

9:56 PM

@Cerberus Boo! It is a quiet day. While he is arriving there, I have arrived at the conclusion that there is no pattern of frequency of conversation in this room.

Cerberus

You've been keeping extensive stats?

user19161

@Cerberus No, but just a feeling from some simple observations. And I saw your answer on fire-breathing.

Cerberus

OK.

Do have any suggestions?

user19161

@Cerberus No, I am just surprised you have listed so many possibilities. You are a god!

Cerberus

Nope just a dog!

There are just so many possibilities.

user19161

9:59 PM

@Cerberus Interestingly this god/dog joke is what I always say with my mum!

user19161

Notice that god and dog are spelled oppositely.

user19161

Now I start to recall my childhood days when I used to mix them up. And I confused b with d too, and for some reason always spelled helicopter as helicapter.

Cerberus

That is understandable. It sounds pretty much like a in American, and even in British short o and a are fairly close.

user19161

Of course today my spelling is number one on EL&U!

user19161

Enjoy your Fri night. It must be midnight there, you should be out instead of chatting here.

user19161

10:04 PM

Go have a drink. I will have some tea now...

Cerberus

@JasperLoy Huh what do you mean?

Nope I'm staying at home. And yes the clock of midnight has already struck!

user19161

@Cerberus Er, just a joke that my spelling has improved since I am always correcting spellings here! You are slow, or am I bad at jokes?

user19161

Oh maybe you mean you are number one, OK I will take second place then...

user19161

@Cerberus Then you can have some tea as well, like you often do.

Cerberus

@JasperLoy Oh! I thought you had some question about spelling that was voted number one here of some sorts...

I don't claim any first prize in spelling!

@JasperLoy I'm trying not to drink any black tea in the evening any more, hoping that I might sleep better.

user19161

10:08 PM

I noticed occurence is another common misspelling. I just edited several of them earlier on.

user19161

And surprisingly many spell Merriam Webster as Miriam/Mirriam/Meriam too.

user19161

And also accomodate.

user19161

And of course the infamous pronounciation.

user19161

And I was surprised Matt really thought Bangkok was Bangcock.

user19161

That was very funny!

Cerberus

10:17 PM

He didn't think that?

He just made a joke.

user19161

0

Q: What word describes the generation of genetic information required for evolution?

I have grown tired of referring to the "generation of information" that is required for evolution. Is there a term that could replace this phrase?

terminology

user19161

Too localised in my opinion.

user19161

@Cerberus Really, I'm not sure now.

Cerberus

@JasperLoy Hmm you're right!

I didn't see that he had corrected himself.

I really thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. Most probably.

user19161

5

Q: Introducing the Stack Exchange Research Support and Fellowship Program

The mission of Stack Exchange is to make the internet a better place to get expert answers to your questions. The Stack Exchange Fellowship Program aims to support students conducting research in subjects related to our academic Q&A sites in order to (a) increase the quality of information in...

discussion site-promotion chaos

user19161

10:20 PM

Reminding everyone about this since she seems quite anxious about it.

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…