English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Mitch

01:56

@MattE.Эллен hmm... Very metonymic...al

Sounds weird

Maybe if you're pointing at a cup of water that is full. Otherwise it sounds bizarrely obstetrical

tchrist

03:07

@Cerberus Here’s another of those interesting French accents:

Can You Move in Armour?

►

Mazura

05:00

Which dialect of English does the business world speak?

Tonepoet

05:24

@tchrist It was apparently in 1735: babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/…

NVZ

09:13

@andrewleach hello

Mods, anyone here?

My "spam" flag was declined on this answer, why?: english.stackexchange.com/questions/334619/…

terdon

09:33

@NVZ Strictly speaking, that isn't spam. It's nonsense. The mods would probably have preferred that you flag it as "not an answer" instead.

NVZ

IMHO, this should be "spam" because that's how most sites classify it as.

An answer that talks about good stuff, makes a comment, etc. but not actually answering the question can be "NAA"

This is, IMHO, a very poor design by SE.

terdon

@NVZ No, spam is, very specifically, an attempt to sell a product. This is a pretty classic example of "not an answer". It isn't selling anything, so not spam, but is also not even trying to answer, therefore NAA

@tchrist Wow, that's quite something. I have the feeling it's a maghrebian speaking for some reason.

NVZ

thank you. :)

Darshan Chaudhary

10:25

Gentlemen, my greetings!

English is beauty. She is, I insist.

Shafizadeh

10:58

What's the meaning of "daddy" in following sentence? Is that a sarcasm right?

- who's your daddy?
- daddy is talking know.

Darshan Chaudhary

Yes Shafizadeh, that'd qualify as sarcasm

Also, Eid Mubarak

@Shafizadeh

Shafizadeh

ah ok thx

Darshan Chaudhary

daddy is talking *now

or know daddy is talking

or, daddy is talking, know that

Matt E. Эллен

11:18

@Shafizadeh how is it sarcasm?

"who's your daddy?" sounds like a reference to porn. it's not using a phrase or word to mean the opposite in a mocking way

"daddy is talking now" sounds patronising, not sarcastic

terdon

11:38

@MattE.Эллен Not only. It could be any kind of one-upmanship.

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon not only what?

terdon

> Who's your daddy? is a slang expression that, in one use, takes the form of a rhetorical question. It is commonly used as a boastful claim of dominance over the intended listener.[1] The phrase itself stands out as a noteworthy lyric from the 1968 song "Time of the Season", by The Zombies: "What's your name? Who's your daddy? Is he rich like me?" (The lyrics, however, refer to the person's literal father as evidenced by the following lines which question her upbringing.)

@MattE.Эллен Not only porn.

Matt E. Эллен

oh

terdon

Sure, the phrase often has sexual undertones as in sugar daddy, but not exclusively.

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon sure, but that's it's current place in culture

back when I was in school it's connotation was mostly as a reference to the film "Scum", but that was a long time ago

which was about being in prison

terdon

11:41

@MattE.Эллен Hmm. That really sin't the first thing that comes to mind for me. I think of it as more of a humorous line. The sort of thing I'd say, for example, if I were to score an impressive point in ping pong or whatever: "wham! Who's your daddy"? Kinda like "Who da man?"

Matt E. Эллен

SCUM whos the Daddy?

►

terdon

But yeah, the sexual thing is certainly part of it. A large part of it.

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon for me the phrase has always felt weird.

with the exception of trying to help children find their fathers

terdon

:) Duh!

Well yeah, it isn't something I'd say in all seriousness either. I just don't necessarily associate it with porn, is all.

With some kind of dominan/subservient, probably sexual relationship, yes. Just not porn by definition.

user208178

what about "sugar mommy"?

user208178

11:56

okay don't answer that.

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon probably means I watch too much porn

terdon

@MattE.Эллен I am so very disappointed in you.

:P

Matt E. Эллен

:D

me too

Cerberus

12:35

@tchrist That's probably supposed to sound like Middle French?

tchrist

Apparently.

tchrist

13:22

MornIng EvEryBody I ApPear BeFore this AuGust AsSemBly ToDay ReAlIzIng that I am BeSet with a TrouBleSome DisOrDer agaInst which I am MySelf UtTerLy PowErLess WhereFore I must needs SoLicIt ExTerNal RemEDy from such learNèd and SenSiTive ScholArs as YourSelVes.

It ApPears that no MatTer how hard I try I CanNot shed my ConTempt and DisApProval for that PheNomenon of AtTenTionSeekIng MarKetIng mavens WhereBy they RanDomLy paste ToGethEr words to CreAte new TheORetICalLy CatchiEr PerChance uniquier ComPounds of EfFecTiveLy RanDomLy ArRanged CapITalIzionS.

ParTicULar VexOm is when said MarKetIng mavens SubSeQuentLy DeMand that we AdHere to their SillYSeaSon DicTa WhenEvEr we OurSelves EnDeavOur to RenDer InTo type their AnNoyIng MaSuClatEd words BroKen by DeLibErAte DeCiSion ConTrary to the EsTabLished OrThoGraphIc PrinCiPles.

Pennf0lio

Hello guys, I just want to confirm, is "Can I consult to you my problem" grammatically correct?

tchrist

No, it is not correct. The verb consult does not work that way.

Pennf0lio

I see. do you have an alternative way of saying that? sorry english is not my first language

tchrist

What do you wish to say?

May I please consult with you about my problem?

Pennf0lio

I'm trying to ask an expert about my problem and ask her advice

tchrist

13:26

May I discuss my problem with you?

Pennf0lio

I see. that's not the effect of what i'm trying to look I think. What If I wanted to ask for her advice instead?

Because she's a consultant and i'm trying to get her opinion about my problem

tchrist

The direct object of consult is a person.

You consult a doctor regarding your trouble.

You can also consult a dictionary looking for the correct spelling or sense of some word.

Pennf0lio

I see. got it! thank you!

tchrist

oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/consult

That has example sentences.

@Pennf0lio You’re welcome. Good luck.

consult

Noun: consult ‎(plural consults)

(obsolete) The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consultation; determination; decision.
The council broke; And all grave consults dissolved in smoke. -John Dryden.
(obsolete) A council; a meeting for consultation.
A consult of coquettes. -Jonathan Swift.
(obsolete) Agreement; concert.
(US) A visit, e.g. to a doctor; a consultation.

Verb: consult ‎(third-person singular simple present consults, present participle consulting, simple past and past participle consulted)

(intransitive) To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer.
Let us consult upon to-morrow's business. -William Shakespeare
All the laws of England have been made by the kings of England, consulting with the nobility and commons. - Thomas Hobbes.
(intransitive) To advise or offer expertise.
(intransitive) To work as a consultant or contractor rather than as a full-time employee of a firm.

(8 more not shown…)

stack

14:34

Is this context correct?

There is few kinds of links which validate something. For example when you create an account into a website, that website sends you an activating-link. You have to check your inbox and click on the email to activate your account.
As you know, that email isn't valid forever, it will be expired after a while. Why? What's the benefit of expiring links? In other word, what's wrong with keeping them valid until user uses them?

Matt E. Эллен

how can a context be incorrect?

stack

@MattE.Эллен wrong English grammar

Matt E. Эллен

ah, so it's the grammar that could be incorrect

"There is few kinds" -> is should be are

stack

:)

@MattE.Эллен oh .. you are right

skullpatrol

grammatical context?

Matt E. Эллен

14:37

"into a website" -> should be on, not into

stack

@MattE.Эллен ah ok ..

Matt E. Эллен

"until user uses them" -> "until the user uses them"

otherwise it seems fine to me.

stack

@MattE.Эллен thank you very much. your advises were good :-)

Matt E. Эллен

no probs :)

stack

@MattE.Эллен Oh just one thing, is this sentence correct as the title? "Why should I expire validator links after a while?"

Matt E. Эллен

14:40

@stack yes

stack

good

terdon

@MattE.Эллен Really? Expire is a transitive verb now? I will expire this as opposed to I will make this expire?

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon don't drink expired milk

etc

it's fine

terdon

@MattE.Эллен Sure, but "time will expire this milk"?

it will be expired after a while?

Matt E. Эллен

I think in the context of computer jargon it's ok

terdon

14:49

Wow. It seems really off to me.

Matt E. Эллен

like, there are many ways you could improve the sentence, but it didn't seem like a big jump to have expire be transitive

I need to expire these links programmatically

terdon

I believe you, I've just never seen that and it certainly doesn't scan for me.

Matt E. Эллен

would you baulk at, say, "I need to logout these users automatically"?

stack

Sorry to asking a lot. That's almost the last one for today :-) .. Is this correct?

"If the user is able to guess the validation code, surely he can do that within a normal being-valid-time (ex: 1 day). So no difference between a limit-valid-time link and a link which is valid forever."

terdon

@MattE.Эллен No, but that's because (I think) I parse that as "log out". Granted, I'd probably say that "I need to log these users out automatically".

Matt E. Эллен

14:52

@stack "a link with time-limited validity"

terdon

@stack how about: "If the user is able to guess the validation code, surely they can do so before the expiry date (e.g. 1 day). So there is no difference between a link that expires and one which is valid forever."

Although I fail to see your logic. That the user can guess something doesn't imply that they can do so in a specified length of time. I could guess your PIN, but probably not in a day. If you give me a few months though...

Matt E. Эллен

@terdon's pin is 1111

terdon

Damn!

Matt E. Эллен

I knew my psychic powers weren't just a fluke!

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

15:18

wow! That's my pin too!

Except in the reverse order

Matt E. Эллен

lol

Cerberus

Is it true that SE chat masks your pin by asterisks if you type it here?

Matt E. Эллен

yes, but it only masks your pin. if you type someone else's then it's visible

Cerberus

Ahh I see.

Let me try it.

****

It works!

7382

Yeah.

Matt E. Эллен

:D

user208178

15:41

****

user208178

nice.

stack

16:02

@MattE.Эллен Ah

@terdon thank you pal :-)

GforOevOerD

Hi. I'm practicing with an English tutorial book named "Passages" and I came to a question which is as so: "Complete sentences with (not) had to , was (not) supposed to, should(not) have, or (not) needed to and the correct form of the verb parentheses."

I'm wondering, what does (not) had to mean?
I have never ever heard (not) had to before whole my life.

Matt E. Эллен

it means you need to complete sentences with either "had to" or "not had to"

GforOevOerD

And is the negative form of had to : Didn't have to + infinitive. correct?

Matt E. Эллен

I would say maybe. "I had had to eat for a week" vs "I had not had to eat for a week" is also a possibility

MετάEd

16:26

10

Q: What is the word for individuals who unwittingly post very similar questions asking for the same words, without doing any previous research?

Many newcomers on EL&U post very similar single-word-requests, all asking for more or less the same words. The two main categories appear to be asking about verbosity and thriftiness. What is the word for: Users who don't do any previous research and unwittingly post similar questions on Q&...

Really? I go home for, what, ten hours, and what do you do?

Matt E. Эллен

sigh

passive aggression. such a productive use of time

terdon

Was she looking for meta?

Matt E. Эллен

no

terdon

Ah. I like it when you get succinct.

Matt E. Эллен

it's possibly more appropriate there, but it seems like a genuine request for a single word

:D

> This may seem like a facetious single-word-request, but I really want to know if such a word exists. Failing that, an idiom or pithy expression that can substitute my description will do very nicely. I would use this word or concise phrase whenever the topic of single-word-requests crops up on EL&U meta.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

16:31

We used to have a close reason called "peeving disguised as a question"

There is a problem with the question though, which is the assumption that something can make people stop asking questions that other people had. The fact that people have questions that are the same as other people is the entire reason we have this site.

terdon

Yup.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

And for SWR FAQs I have to wonder if there isn't some difficulty in formulating the question such that Google can answer it.

But in any case I think the word for someone who asks an FAQ is faqqer

terdon

:)

GforOevOerD

@MattE.Эллен Thank you so much.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

or maybe FAQ'er

Matt E. Эллен

16:37

@GforOevOerD no probs :)

terdon

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 I hardly know'er!

Sorry, cheap shot, couldn't resist.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

heh

terdon

Should we migrate this to ELL? Does it pass the crap test? I'm leaning towards no.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I wonder if we have a canonical answer for that sort of question we could close this as a dupe of instead.

Matt E. Эллен

I know JR wouldn't mind, but I think WendiKidd would

6

Q: "I played two music" vs. "I played two pieces of music"

I have a Canadian friend who sometimes helps me improve my English. A few days ago she sent me a list of some words (nouns) which the plural form is the same of the singular. One of these words was "music". I said to her that I didn't know that "music" don't need the "s" at the end to function as...

grammatical-number nouns uncountable-nouns

I think that one covers it

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

16:48

Hm. It doesn't really discuss the use of a as an article with music or uncountable nouns in general.

Matt E. Эллен

it covers music being an uncountable noun

plus @Cerberus' answer covers uncountable nouns in general

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MattE.Эллен yes, but it doesn't address the article, which is what the other Q asks about.

Someone who doesn't know about mass nouns and articles isn't going to get there from cerb's (excellent) answer

44

Q: Are there any simple rules for choosing the definite vs. indefinite (vs. none) article?

I can’t for the life of me figure out where to use a and where to use the — and where there is no article at all. Is there a simple rule of thumb to memorize? The standard rule you always hear: “If a person knows which item you are talking about then use "the" . . . doesn’t clear things u...

grammar articles definite-article indefinite-article determiners

Matt E. Эллен

true. I'll just close it as lacking reseach

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

This question looks like it addresses it but doesn't either

terdon

@MattE.Эллен That was my thought too.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

16:52

articles are tricky for NNS. we should have a set of canonical Qs and As for these, I think.

Matt E. Эллен

ELL should

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah they should too. Though I have to admit i'm not convinced the split was a good idea.

Matt E. Эллен

25

Q: Why don't we use the indefinite article with 'software'?

Generally, one doesn't use the indefinite article with a noun because it's plural, but sometimes you get nouns where, for some reason, the indefinite article isn't used even though the noun is singular. I would never say 'a software', though it seems to be a singular noun, and I've heard it said...

grammatical-number nouns indefinite-article

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 The split was necessary not for the topics necessarily (although there is some argument for that) but for the chance for ELLs to have a nurturing community, which EL&U didn't seem to be able to provide

and now it doesn't have to try, so it needs to find something else to feel elitist about. enter SWRs

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MattE.Эллен well, I don't want to debate it. I may try to find or craft a good QnA for article use.

Matt E. Эллен

cool cool

I look forward to it!

have either of you tried lang-8.com ?

I've had a brief play. It's in some ways better and some ways worse than ELL or EL&U chat

IMO it has a better structure for the questions, but it's got a crappy interface

Shafizadeh

17:10

@MattE.Эллен That's correct .. it is related to the porn.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@MattE.Эллен years ago, I tried it. Haven't been back.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 fair enough

MετάEd

17:26

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 Peeving disguised as a question is still off topic. The associated close reason is "primarily opinion-based".

Matt E. Эллен

@Shafizadeh so it's not sarcastic?

terdon

@MattE.Эллен Well, the root of sarcasm is the Greek σάρκα which means flesh, so the two might not be mutually exclusive :P

Færd

Someone who works at a school but not teaches, does the paper/computer work, keeps and arranges the grades etc, what is their job called?

... prepares report cards, etc

Matt E. Эллен

17:51

@terdon huh. interesting!

terdon

> 1570s, sarcasmus, from Late Latin sarcasmus, from late Greek sarkasmos "a sneer, jest, taunt, mockery," from sarkazein "to speak bitterly, sneer," literally "to strip off the flesh," from sarx (genitive sarkos) "flesh," properly "piece of meat," from PIE root *twerk- "to cut" (source also of Avestan thwares "to cut"). Current form of the English word is from 1610s. For nuances of usage, see humor (n.).

Matt E. Эллен

@Færd administrator

Færd

@MattE.Эллен Thank you. You're British, right?

Matt E. Эллен

@Færd yes

terdon

Holy convergent evolution Batman! "from PIE root -twerk- "to cut"" seriously?

Færd

17:53

@MattE.Эллен I was wondering, would you call something like this a schedule? Or is it nothing other than a timetable for you?

Matt E. Эллен

yes, I could call it a schedule, or a programme

Færd

What about a timetable at an airport?

Matt E. Эллен

I probably wouldn't call that a schedule

Færd

Okay. Thanks.

Matt E. Эллен

no probs :)

@terdon lol

terdon

17:56

The plot thickens, etymonline actually has an entry for twerk:

> "to dance in a way that simulates the body's action in copulation," by 2005, alteration of twurk, which seems to have originated in the Atlanta, Georgia, strip club and hip-hop scene and first came to wide attention in the Ying Yang Twins' 2000 song "Whistle While You Twurk," described as "an ode to strippers" ["Country Fried Soul, Adventures in Dirty South Hip-Hop"]. Probably ultimately imitative of something.
Related: Twerked; twerking. There is a verb twirk from 1599, "to pull, tug, twirl," what a man does with his mustache, but OED regards this as possibly a misprint of twirl.

Matt E. Эллен

:-o

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

I always assumed "twerk" was formed from some word ending in -t + work

Matt E. Эллен

me too

Færd

@MattE.Эллен I thought administrators are important people who do management and decisive stuff.

Maybe I was wrong.

Matt E. Эллен

@Færd that too, but administration is all about moving paper around, not teaching

Færd

18:05

I see.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Oxford Dictionaries traces twerk back to the 1820s (twist + jerk)

terdon

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 No fewmets?

Wow.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 cool!

terdon

18:25

I'm still rooting for the PIE root.

Shafizadeh

@MattE.Эллен It seems to me kinda sensual.

Matt E. Эллен

@Shafizadeh OK, but what has that got to do with sarcasm?

I mean I wouldn't call it sensual. Sexual, but not sensual

Shafizadeh

@MattE.Эллен I thought that's a sarcasm, but now I understand that's a thing which is related to sex

terdon

@Shafizadeh Simply put, sarcasm is saying one thing but meaning the opposite. For example "Yes, I love it when you step on my foot, please do it again".

Matt E. Эллен

@Shafizadeh ah, ok :D. As @terdon says.

Færd

18:48

@terdon Not necessarily sarcasm.

terdon

Fair enough.

Matt E. Эллен

sarcasm is 90% tone of voice

that's why it doesn't work online

in text only chat rooms

Færd

Mhm.

terdon

@MattE.Эллен Yeah, right.

Matt E. Эллен

:D

My generalisations are never over generalisations

Færd

18:57

Give me a definite text-only sarcasm then. :)

Never mind. my request was irrelevant. I misunderstood something.

Mitch

19:57

@MattE.Эллен what's with the attitude?

@Færd I've heard that there have been attempts to make an emoticon for sarcasm, but none of them really work.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch What could be. I haven't seen what in a while.

Mitch

@Færd that looks like someone is trying to touch their toes but strangely has feet for hands.

@MattE.Эллен snerk

Sorry I was just snorting back some mucus.

Matt E. Эллен

lovely

user208178

20:12

@Mitch not an emoticon but some people use "/s"

Færd

@Mitch Eww, backward feet.

MετάEd

Sarcasm is not mistaken for anything else when it is done properly.

MετάEd

21:41

10

Q: What is the word for individuals who unwittingly post very similar questions asking for the same words, without doing any previous research?

Many newcomers on EL&U post very similar single-word-requests, all asking for more or less the same words. The two main categories appear to be asking about verbosity and thriftiness. What is the word for: Users who don't do any previous research and unwittingly post similar questions on Q&...

single-word-requests phrase-requests idiom-requests

Stop ... me ... from ... asking ... a ... similar ... question.

terdon

@MετάEd No, actually, I don't think I will. I'll just get popcorn instead.

Matt E. Эллен

Why is this voted up? That's not a rhetorical question, what I mean is: "So, we know the voting patterns on ELU are insane, bizarre, utterly-freakin'-bat-shit. What can we learn from this particular example about the Why of the matter?" One theory I have is that if you simply post any complicated sounding word you get votes; perhaps this is an example of that. — Joe Blow 8 hours ago

for once I agree with Joe

terdon

@MattE.Эллен Strange feeling, that.

Matt E. Эллен

well, the "why does this have upvotes?" portion anyway

terdon

Although, I kind of like the coining of a new word for this. Inasmuch as I can be said to like the question at all.

Matt E. Эллен

21:48

:D

MετάEd

22:12

@terdon Dammit.

Cerberus

22:25

@MattE.Эллен Hah, well said. By "it" you mean EL&U, I presume.

Matt E. Эллен

22:41

@Cerberus yes :D

Cerberus

@MattE.Эллен What will they pick after swr.stackexchange.com goes live?

Matt E. Эллен

@Cerberus hmmmm. I can't think off the top of my head what gets the next most scorn

Cerberus

Perhaps questions about English.

Matt E. Эллен

lol

possibly questions about preposition use, or maybe apostrophes

Cerberus

22:59

Hmm don't those already "belong" on ELL?

Mitch

@MετάEd What do you mean by that?

Or What the hell do you mean by that?

@MattE.Эллен preposterophes

2

Matt E. Эллен

@Cerberus perhaps! my work here is done :D

Mitch

@Cerberus I vote for bringing back usenet, where it would be just as easy to create an alt.english.usage.swr

wait...that's what reddit is for.

@MattE.Эллен You've done well, young padawan. Or is it grasshopper?

roasted. chocolate covered, a little peanutty taste.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch I'm not edible

@Mitch catastrositions

user208178

hello @MattE.Эллен @Mitch I hope you guys are well.

Matt E. Эллен

23:09

Hi @Arrowfar. I hope you're well, too

user208178

yes I'm fine, thanks!

Mitch

@MattE.Эллен WHy is it on regular ELU and not meta, I don't know. It should totally be moved to meta

@MattE.Эллен OK. If that makes you feel more comfortable.

@Arrowfar Sick, sick, sick.

user208178

oh I forgot to share something. reddit profiles everyone. check this out:

Mitch

I'm totally kidding.

user208178

23:12

I don't even remember writing all that ^_^

Mitch

At this very moment I'm having the worst of, not 1st world problems, but rather 1/2 world problems.

user208178

@Mitch :)

Mitch

The swimming pool I'm in, has the water really nice temperature, but the part that is in the air is slightly cooler.

Happy times ruined.

Matt E. Эллен

@Mitch because it's apparently a real SWR. it's not a question about how the site should be run, but a word she wants to use. She's asking for localised jargon, but I'm not sure it's so localised it should be moved to meta

but maybe.

people can vote to move it there

user208178

@Mitch I see. Are you on your vacations?

Mitch

23:14

@Arrowfar ooh! like TV? Like forensic pathologists trying to figure out the personality of a serial killer?

user208178

lol

Mitch

@Arrowfar well, don't worry, the stormtroopers won't be rappeling through your windows.

What will happen is you'll start getting packages from Amazon that you didn't order but you're actually glad you have.

And then a super exorbitant bill in the mail.

user208178

nooo I'm no shoes poor.

user208178

;)

Mitch

@Arrowfar No. I'm visiting family.

hahhahahah.

user208178

23:18

ah nice.

Mitch

that's so western to say

user208178

yeah, I have been reading a lot so English is getting better.

user208178

well, they have an algorithm that can profile people based on what they write in comments/questions etc.

user208178

on reddit I mean.

Mitch

I tell people that visiting family, as good as it is to see people you used to live with or spent years knawing, it's not as fun as when you are on a vacation with friends. Because with family, you have to talk to them.

@Arrowfar considers avoiding reddit altogether

user208178

23:20

yeah heh.

Mitch

would take a concerted effort to start using reddit in order to have the consideration to avoid it

WHy do I need reddit to do that? @Cerberus has already figured me out. When I say something mean, he already knows that I didn't mean to be mean but messed up a joke. Or that I was actually mean. Well, he would know the difference.

@Arrowfar intellectually, reddit seems like the perfect next step for usenet. Except when I look at it by some reference, I never feel like anything useful is being said.

I fel compelled to make snarky comments on MariLou's question...let me go read the comments there...

Cerberus

@Mitch I would indeed.

Mitch

23:37

@Cerberus Get off my wavelength, you effing prescriptivist.

Ooh...I can make that insult worse... conversational prescriptivist.

terdon

@Mitch For some reason, I read that as though it were spoken by Daffy Duck.

Mitch

I'm a proscriptivist, I don't tell people they should or shou'nt say things. I tell them there are somethings they are just forbidden to say.

Cerberus

praescribes you

Proscription

Proscription (Latin: proscriptio) is, in current usage, a "decree of condemnation to death or banishment" (OED) and can be used in a political context to refer to state-approved murder or banishment. The term originated in Ancient Rome, where it included public identification and official condemnation of declared enemies of the state. It has been used broadly since to describe similar governmental and political actions, with varying degrees of nuance, including the en masse suppression of ideologies and elimination of political rivals or personal enemies. In addition to its recurrences during the...

Mitch

@terdon The effect is that more chilling when the laser beam is about to cut the chain to drop you into the alligator-shark tank

terdon

@Cerberus Surely you meant præscribes you.

Mitch

23:40

@Cerberus yeah, that!

terdon

@Mitch :)

Cerberus

@terdon Ah, I sort of encourage ligatures, but I don't use them myself.

I wouldn't even know how to properly write the Dutch ligature ij.

Mitch

@Cerberus ??? there's a ligature for that?

augh! why are accents so hard to type? I don't want to have to install some g_d'd keyboard, and I can't remember all those g_d'd ascii codes!

Cerberus

@Mitch It would be weird not to write ij attached in Dutch manuscript.

And the entire letter should always be capitalised if at all, never Ij.

Mitch

So I saw some tweet about some woman complaining that she couldn't write her name in Gaelic because the form that she was writing in didn't allow accents (which are necessary in Irish (you know, for accent).

Cerberus

23:46

Poor woman.

Mitch

And my first impression was "shut the front door, you're lucky the English haven't used you all up for the kidney in steak and kidney pie"

eg "how dare you complain about stupid accents which aren't even spelling wise in minimal pairs (at least I don't think so, I think it just helps with pronunciation)

@Cerberus don't most variable width fonts automatically do ligatures, like for 'fl' or 'fi'? Hm... this one doesn't even do it.

what is the world coming to?

Cerberus

@Mitch I don't know.

Mitch

we're plummeting headlong into the future, with self driving cars, universal translators, probably someone has a handheld transporter system in beta, and we can't get ligatures right without thinking?

Cerberus

Mitch

Sad!

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