English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Cerberus

02:00

It's not really a peninsula.

Kitḫ

Somewhere in the Pacific?

Cerberus

Yes.

Sort of.

Kitḫ

So on a border.

Cerberus

Yeah.

Kitḫ

New Zealand?

Cerberus

02:01

Ding!

Kitḫ

Wow.

I pulled that out of my butt.

Cerberus

Looks funny, huh.

Kitḫ

Yeah, it does.

Cerberus

Well you must have a pretty smart ass, then.

Kitḫ

@Cerberus That's much funnier.

Cerberus

02:04

Hehe.

Kitḫ

@Cerberus Cripes. I know this. Give me a second.

Cerberus

It is another weird cut-out.

Know idea what the sea thing is called.

Kitḫ

Also in the Pacific-ish?

Cerberus

Yes.

You know the name of the land on the left and at the bottom right.

Kitḫ

I'm trying to remember the geography of Oceania.

Cerberus

02:05

Two different land masses.

Hint: the former is larger than the latter.

Kitḫ

Well, my thought was that it is one of the islands off of Australia.

But I can't remember the smaller ones.

Fiji?

Cerberus

You don't need to remember any names.

You know them.

I know you do.

Kitḫ

But I thought Fiji was pretty round.

Cerberus

I don't even know where Fiji is exactly.

Hint 2: the first hint was an understatement.

Kitḫ

Well, it's got to be Australia and New Zealand.

Cerberus

02:08

Ding!

Kitḫ

My other guess was the Phillipines and Asia.

But I can't remember what the Phillipines is near.

Cerberus

Kitḫ

WTF man?

Someplace cold.

Cerberus

Nope.

Hint: it is easier than you think, if you apply context.

The land masses in the top and bottom right corners are both islands.

Kitḫ

Big islands or little ones?

Cerberus

02:11

Quite big.

The thing at the centre-left is also an island.

Kitḫ

The Cote d'Azure?

Cerberus

Hint 2: an IE language is spoken on the bottom-right island, but not elsewhere on this map.

Nope.

Kitḫ

Still in the Pacific?

Cerberus

Nope.

But the Pacific is close.

Kitḫ

I don't think I know what qualifies as IE languages.

Cerberus

02:13

You know this language and that it is IE.

Kitḫ

4 mins ago, by Cerberus

Cerberus

You also know that no IE languages are normally spoken in the other two countries on the map.

Kitḫ

OK. Think, think, think.

Is China the landmass at the top?

Cerberus

But Dutch was once spoken on the top-right island, though I don't know to what extent.

Yes!

Kitḫ

So somewhere in the South China Sea, maybe?

Cerberus

02:16

Yes!

The island at the centre-left is not Hongkong, hehe.

In case you forgot.

Kitḫ

Then the island that I have always

That was what I was just writing.

Cerberus

Hehe.

Okay, so, ding!

What are the names of the islands on the right?

Kitḫ

The island that I always thought was Hong Kong. What is it really?

Cerberus

Hainan.

Actually I don't know the name of the bottom-right island; but to which country does it belong?

Kitḫ

Of course. Seasouth. Makes sense.

The top right must be Taiwan.

Cerberus

02:17

Wow, is that what it means!?

@Kitḫ Ding!

Kitḫ

@Cerberus Probably. Hard to say without the actual characters, but most Chinese place names are that simple.

Cerberus

Cool.

10 mins ago, by Kitḫ

My other guess was the Phillipines and Asia.

Kitḫ

"North Capital" "South Capital" "Eastern Pass"

Cerberus

Jing = capital?

Kitḫ

North Lake Province, South Lake Province etc.

@Cerberus Yes.

Shanghai = On the sea.

Cerberus

02:19

Wow.

Kitḫ

So you're saying the other island is part of the Phillipines?

Cerberus

That is actually interesting, because most of our geographical names also come from regular language, that we know of; the difference is that the sounds changed so much over the years that we don't recognize most of them. So the question is, why didn't they change in Chinese names?

@Kitḫ Yup.

Kitḫ

@Cerberus Dunno. Maybe they did change the sounds.

Chinese characters are probably a lot less mutable than spellings.

Cerberus

@Kitḫ Ahh yes, that must be it!

Kitḫ

Hi @jcolebrand! Lurking again this evening?

Cerberus

02:22

Kitḫ

Care for a beer?

Cerberus

Or a map?

Kitḫ

I think you have given me part of this one before.

Cerberus

Have I?

Part of it would be very hard!

Kitḫ

I'm not sure. I am thinking about where it might be.

Cerberus

02:23

I don't think I have.

Kitḫ

Shallow water, and an interesting inlet.

Cerberus

More like a sea.

Kitḫ

A harbor?

A sea?

Hmm.

Cerberus

There is a harbour whose name you might know here.

Kitḫ

Off the Black Sea?

Cerberus

02:25

Nope.

It's big.

Kitḫ

Not Black, I mean the other one.

Baltic?

Cerberus

There's just not much going on there.

Kitḫ

Baltic Sea area?

Cerberus

Warm...

But no.

Kitḫ

You mean close, or in a warm area?

Cerberus

02:26

Close-ish.

Kitḫ

4 mins ago, by Cerberus

Cerberus

It would take you quite a long time to sail from here to the Baltic Sea, if you would even succeed.

Kitḫ

Oh, oh. Um. That bit of Russia just past Scandinavia?

Cerberus

Ding!

Archangelsk is at the bottom-right bay.

Kitḫ

Ah HA!

What is that sea called?

Cerberus

02:29

White Sea!

This one's probably easy.

Kitḫ

Well, maybe.

Is it the bit between Denmark and Sweden?

Cerberus

Nope.

There is a capital on the map, and many famous islands.

Kitḫ

Is it the Greek islands?

And Turkey?

Cerberus

Ding!

You want to give me one?

Kitḫ

Well, I could. But isn't it more fun to make me guess?

Cerberus

02:32

OK.

Kitḫ

Unless you want me to give you one. I really don't mind.

Cerberus

Give me one next time, then.

Kitḫ

@Cerberus Is that the bay near Beijing?

Cerberus

Nope.

Hint: two capitals.

Kitḫ

Two?

Cerberus

02:35

Yes.

One big, one medium.

Kitḫ

Oh. Is that another city on the point near the mouth?

On the northern edge?

Cerberus

Yes.

Kitḫ

Oh! Oh!

I know!

Cerberus

Hehe.

Kitḫ

Argentina and the other one. Uruguay?

Cerberus

02:36

Ding!

Kitḫ

Monte Video?

Cerberus

Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

There aren't many capitals in the world so close together.

Kitḫ

I can't believe I couldn't think of the capital of Argentina.

I didn't realize they were so close.

OK. Let me find you one.

You're using Google maps?

You want hard or easy?

Cerberus

Ehh may I start with medium?

Or just fun with hints.

Kitḫ

What's the capital in this picture?

Cerberus

02:40

Hmm Katmandu?

Kitḫ

Yes!

Cerberus

Yay!

Good one.

This one is hard.

Hint: two capitals!

Both by the river, each on one side of the map.

Kitḫ

I was looking for another one for you...

Budapest.

Cerberus

Close.

Kitḫ

Only place it could be, neh?

Cerberus

02:42

Nope.

There are two capitals here, not 100 km apart.

Kitḫ

Two capitals separated by a river, and it's not Budapest?

Cerberus

Indeed not.

Kitḫ

scratches head

Cerberus

They're not separated by the river.

And Budapest is only one capital.

Kitḫ

Used to be two then.

Cerberus

02:43

The small one is on the left side of the map, but by the same river.

@Kitḫ Were they both capitals?

Kitḫ

Budapest

Budapest (, or ; ; names in other languages) is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization.{{cite web|title=Dövényi Zoltán-Kovács Zoltán: A szuburbanizáció térbeni-társadalmi jellemzői Budapest környékén (Spatial and societal parameters of the suburbanization in Budapest)|url=http://www.mtafki.hu/konyvtar/kiadv/FE1999/FE19991-2_3

Cerberus

In any case, it is the same river as Budapest!

Kitḫ

I thought so, but now I'm not sure.

Ach! The Danube?

jcolebrand

@Kitḫ I am. Sorry it took a bit to respond, logged onto my comp and then went in the other room for a bit

Kitḫ

Shit. Let me think what's along the Danube.

@jcolebrand It was funnier that way anyway.

Cerberus

02:45

@Kitḫ Yup!

Die Schöne Blaue Donau...

Know any other capitals by the Danube?

Kitḫ

Um. No.

I don't think so.

Cerberus

5 mins ago, by Cerberus

You definitely know the left one.

It used to control a large empire.

Kitḫ

Lots of farmland.

Cerberus

I have posted pictures of it here today.

jcolebrand

@Kitḫ indeed it was

Kitḫ

02:48

Vienna?

jcolebrand

back to lurking I go

Kitḫ

@jcolebrand Here, take a beer with you. Offers wheat beer

jcolebrand

merci!

Cerberus

@Kitḫ Ding!!

And the capital on the right?

Kitḫ

So Austria is next to Hungary...

Cerberus

02:50

Yeah.

Kitḫ

But that's not Budapest, is it?

Cerberus

Nope.

Bratislava!

Kitḫ

Oh!

Bratislava! I had a friend who lived there for a long time.

I had a huge crush on her.

Cerberus

Cool!

Now give me the one you had in mind, if you still want to play.

Kitḫ

I don't know if you will know this one or not.

Cerberus

02:53

That's OK.

Kitḫ

Cerberus

Hmm...

I don't recognize the lakes specifically. Maybe in Switzerland?

I do see mountains.

Kitḫ

It is not in Switzerland.

It is famous for being big.

Cerberus

If it is in America, it is impossible to underestimate me, hehe.

Hmm not Baikal...

Kitḫ

Nope.

Cerberus

02:56

Hmm do you think I would know its name?

Kitḫ

I am not sure.

It is famous for being big.

Cerberus

Is it in North America?

user19161

@Mahnax I have published my post on KFC. Not too long though. Yay!

Kitḫ

So if you don't know any big lakes, you probably won't know it.

@Cerberus No.

Cerberus

Hehe.

I really don't know any with that shape.

I know Victoria, Baikal, Aral.

Then there are some other big lakes in Africa.

user19161

02:58

Wah, you two are still playing games...

Cerberus

Maybe you could give me a hint about something that happened at the lake?

Kitḫ

It is half salt water and half fresh water...

Cerberus

Hmm...

Kitḫ

It is in Asia.

Cerberus

It is near mountains, some rivers flow into it.

Kitḫ

02:59

Seven rivers feed it.

Cerberus

Seven, even!

I know there are some lakes in central Asia, but I wouldn't know their names or their precise locations.

Kitḫ

OK, then maybe not a good map choice.

Cerberus

Well, it is pretty.

Kitḫ

It is in Kazakhstan.

Cerberus

Ah!

Kitḫ

03:01

It is pretty. And really big. And interesting.

Cerberus

And what is it called?

Kitḫ

Lake Balkhash.

I should have given you this one...

But it is only famous for being deep and maybe also having a monster.

It doesn't have fresh water on one side and salt on the other.

Boring!

Cerberus

Hehe.

Balkash does sound familiar, but I didn't really know much about it.

@Kitḫ That is Baikal!

Kitḫ

@Cerberus Yes, it is!

Cerberus

And... it's big!

Kitḫ

03:04

And deep!

Cerberus

And...big!

I don't know what these are called, but you might.

Pretty big too.

Though not as big.

Kitḫ

That's the Aral Sea again, isn't it?

Cerberus

No, but close.

Aral is/was a bit bigger.

Kitḫ

What? No way! That's the Caspian all the way on the left, isn't it?

Cerberus

With names.

Yes!

Ding!

Kitḫ

03:08

What's this basin? I thought that was the Aral Sea? Where's that then?

Cerberus

Aral has mostly dried up.

All the water is being drained for farming.

Kitḫ

So...confused...

Cerberus

It's OK.

We're here to learn.

Kitḫ

Same as with that stupid not-Hong-Kong island.

Cerberus

I now know where Lake Balqash is.

Yeah that one was funny.

Kitḫ

03:10

I always thought that guy's nose was the Aral Sea.

Cerberus

Haha!

Kitḫ

Look at this cool thing I found.

@Cerberus That makes me feel better. They were about the same shape when I learned them then.

Cerberus

Oh, nice colours!

@Kitḫ Yup.

Kitḫ

The tundra is gorgeous.

Cerberus

In your picture?

Kitḫ

03:13

And I think that must be a glacier.

@Cerberus Yes.

Cerberus

Hmmm...

That island thingie looks familiar.

Kitḫ

Oh. I don't think you will know this one.

I don't even know it.

I just thought it was interesting.

Cerberus

So it must be either Russia or Canada?

Hehe.

It is.

Kitḫ

Russia, yes.

The eastern part of the Taimyr peninsula.

Cerberus

Too bad there is no option to turn on real photo for seas.

There could be ice on the sea, couldn't it?

Kitḫ

03:16

Might be ice, yes.

I don't know the difference between ice and glacier.

Cerberus

Glacier is moving, I think.

Kitḫ

> The peninsula is the site of the last known naturally occurring muskox outside of North America, which died out about 2,000 years ago. They were successfully reintroduced in 1975.

Cerberus

Because new water streams onto it from above from a river.

Kitḫ

That is an oddly phrased sentence.

Cerberus

It should be oxen?

So singular ≠ plural?

No idea how hard this is.

I certainly wouldn't know this one.

Kitḫ

03:18

I'm not sure how you can reintroduce a species that died out 2,000 years ago.

Cerberus

@Kitḫ From North America?

Kitḫ

@Cerberus I don't know. That's why it is confusing.

Cerberus

They only died out in Eurasia.

Theta30

that's why we are at ELU

Cerberus

That's what the sentence implies to me.

Hi!

Kitḫ

03:20

A city with a cape?

Cerberus

I really don't know much about it, except that it is huge and you know it better than I.

Does this help?

Kitḫ

Oh FFS.

Cerberus

Hehe.

I presume that is a yes.

Kitḫ

It looks weird though.

Cerberus

Yeah?

Kitḫ

03:22

Well, I mean. Is that Cape Cod?

Cerberus

Yup.

I hacked the Satellite and sent Photoshopped images to Google.

Kitḫ

So that's northern Massachusetts in your original.

And Boston.

Cerberus

Yup!

Kitḫ

I wonder what that little nub is called.

Cerberus

Kitḫ

03:25

So that's where Gloucester is.

Looks like it might actually be an island.

Hey so you see that little island in the bay near Boston?

Just north of that, on the mainland, there is a town called Lynn.

Cerberus

This this picture?

Kitḫ

We have a children's rhyme that goes:
Trot, trot to Boston
Trot, trot to Lynn
Look out [kid's name]
Don't fall in!

You bounce the kid on your knees and then "drop" them between your legs.

Cerberus

Aww.

So the ehm area between your legs is the bay?

placespotting.com/solve.php?placeId=2609-4ECDAEF3-165F

You now this site?

Kitḫ

Cerberus

Ah!

So your legs are the island and the little Bostonian peninsula.

Kitḫ

03:31

OK. My husband is home, so I am going to go now.

Cerberus

OK, bye!

Kitḫ

See you tomorrow.

Cerberus

Well played.

Mahnax