English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Mahnax

06:00

Does that make sense?

Cerberus

Hmm yes, even I can control when I wake up to some degree.

But that doesn't mean it's healthy.

Mahnax

I see no negative effects.

I am never sick.

Cerberus

Hmm.

sceptical look

I don't know.

Mahnax

Nor do I.

Cerberus

If you used to sleep longer, and you sleep long when you're relaxed...

Mahnax

06:03

I know, it sounds bad.

Cerberus

Think about it.

Maybe try 7.5 hours sometime.

Gigili

I think I should do the same.

18 mins ago, by Cerberus

The other two will go to bed very late, in order to regain normal bed time.

Cerberus

Hi!

Gigili

I cannot sleep!

Cerberus

Did you wake up again?

Mahnax

06:04

Oh, Miss Gigi is back, hello!

Cerberus

Or did you never fall asleep?

You're a bad sleeper too, huh.

Gigili

The latter

Mahnax

I could not sleep last night.

Cerberus

As long as I remember, well, since I was 6 or so, sleep has been some sort of a problem.

Gigili

Same here.

Cerberus

06:05

Maybe half the people have some minor or major issue with sleeping.

It's really strange.

Why has nature handicapped us so?

Mahnax

Oh goodness, I am so hungry.

This is not good.

Gigili

@Cerberus Jealousy?

Cerberus

@Gigili She's a biatch.

@Mahnax Eat something small?

Mahnax

@Cerberus I cannot, there is nothing to eat in my bedroom.

Cerberus

And the journey downstairs is too arduous?

Mahnax

06:07

Upstairs, actually.

I sleep in the basement.

Cerberus

Oh!

Funny.

Mahnax

It is fully finished.

I love it down here, nice and cool.

Cerberus

Nice.

Coolness is cool.

Mahnax

But yeah, the door to the main level is very squeaky.

I would surely be noticed, and my parents think I go to bed a lot earlier than this.

Cerberus

And your parents don't like your eating stuff at night?

Ah.

You could have woken up.

Mahnax

06:08

I suppose.

Gigili

You're teaching him to lie easier?

Mahnax

Actually, I was just about to say the same thing as he did.

Cerberus

Well, I was just saying that his parents might not conclude that he goes to bed late based on his going to the kitchen now.

Mahnax

Hm, work has absolutely destroyed my eating schedule.

Gigili

@Mahnax You've been taught before, very nice.

Cerberus

06:10

Mahnax suggested that they might conclude that.

Gigili

But it's pretty obvious from his eyes that he hasn't slept yet.

Kill edit history

Cerberus

Could be. But it might be dark. And they might not be paying too much attention.

Mahnax

@Gigili What?

Gigili

Hum?

Mahnax

Whose eyes?

Cerberus

06:16

Thine eyes.

Mahnax

I see.

Oh, sleep time, bye!

Cerberus

Good luck!

David Wallace

06:57

@Cerberus I thought they weren't all the same length.

@Cerberus They couldn't possibly afford it.

Cerberus

@DavidWallace They would load the debt on you like any private-equity fund.

@DavidWallace Hmm you're probably right. But I thought six was a good number. Now I have a déjà-vu.

David Wallace

07:12

@Cerberus I was told that the first one was the longest; you stay in deep sleep for a long time because your body needs it. Then you pop up into REM sleep to rest your mind, then drop back into deep sleep. The alternations between these two states (and the ones in between) repeat, but get shorter and shorter, until you eventually wake up.

Don't expect me to be able to cite any reputable source though.

Cerberus

You're reputable enough.

Gigili

No flirting blabla

webmd.com/diet/rm-quiz-fats

David Wallace

I scored 5/15.

For the quiz, not the flirting.

Gigili

Huh, 6.

For the flirting.

Did you see my email, BTW?

David Wallace

Yes, of course.

It was clearly urgent. :-)

and FWIW, I think your English has been improving constantly, for all of the time that I've known you.

Gigili

07:29

@DavidWallace My 2nd email? And third?

David Wallace

I only have two emails from you today.

If you want to talk somewhere else about the thing you suggested talking about, we can make a private room.

Gigili

@DavidWallace Only?

David Wallace

I have one that arrived almost 2 hours ago, and one that arrived 45 minutes later. Are there supposed to be three?

Gigili

@DavidWallace Umm, wherever you want, no significant differences for me.

I think it was three but I'm not sure now that you say so.

David Wallace

OK, I've opened a room; not sure how it looks for you.

Gigili

07:39

Hum? I see nothing.

You have to stay awake @Cerberus.

David Wallace

I don't really know how this works. Try going to "all rooms" - you might see one called Room for David Wallace and Gigili.

user19161

@DavidWallace No rooms are private. Anyone may enter and see.

David Wallace

Seriously? Then what's the point?

Cerberus

08:00

@Gigili Hmm why?

I presume your conversation is private?

I got 87 %, but I misread the question once and went back, and once I really misread the question. So It should be lower, 80 % or so.

David Wallace

Seriously, you got 13/15 for that silly fat test?

Cerberus

Yes.

I am good at m/c.

David Wallace

m/c?

Cerberus

Multiple choice.

David Wallace

d'oh!

Gigili

08:09

@Cerberus "in order to regain normal bed time."?

Cerberus

@Gigili Oh, right.

I was thinking of taking a short nap.

Because I'm really tired.

Gigili

Me too. But I am sure even a short nap will ruin the plan. I won't fall asleep again if I take a short nap as long as it surely won't be short.

David Wallace

Cerby, don't listen to Gigili. If your body is telling you to sleep, then for Christ's sake go to bed.

Cerberus

"As long as it surely won't be short"?

@DavidWallace The thing is, I need to be up between 3 pm and 7 pm tomorrow, and 10 am and 1 pm the day after.

David Wallace

to which I say ALARM CLOCK!

Cerberus

08:16

So I need to shift my cycle such that I go to bed at 7 pm tomorrow.

So I will try 3 pm today.

That will be a 4-hour shift from yesterday.

Then I'm golden.

And 10 am will be a piece of cake.

David Wallace

Or you could go to sleep now, wake up when your body tells you to wake up, and take it from there.

Gigili

Ono, that won't work.

Cerberus

Then I will be asleep when I have to do stuff. Or I will have to set an alarm clock to wake me up after 2 hours of sleep. Both unacceptable.

David Wallace

Of course it will. He's been awake for some ungodly number of hours. If he sleeps for long enough now, he'll be able to do that again, and still be awake at 7pm tomorrow.

Cerberus

Cycling forward is the only thing that always works with a minimum of discomfort.

@DavidWallace Hmm no it doesn't work that way for me.

I went to bed yesterday about 23 hours ago.

And woke up 8 hours later.

So 15 hours ago.

With a little nap, the forward shift should be attainable.

Gigili

08:21

The most important point is, if you sleep during the day instead of night, the duration should be doubled. Or at least more than 8 hours.

Cerberus

You think so? I often sleep during the day. Never noticed much difference.

David Wallace

@Cerberus So how come you're so tired now, if you've only been awake 15 hours?

Gigili

I've noticed it, that's why I'm trying to get back to normal sleep pattern.

@DavidWallace No sleep at night, that's why.

David Wallace

Well, speaking of sleep, I'm out of here. Goedenacht and شب خوب

Gigili

I've been awake for 26 hours.

Good night.

Cerberus

08:28

Nacht!

@Gigili Oh, that is long.

That gets you tired.

Gigili

Uhum.

Cerberus

Sleeping pill?

Gigili

I really need to sleep at night.

Umm, I think it'll be be okay by tomorrow but I'm not sure.

Yesterday I tried to sleep at 11 PM but didn't work.

Cerberus

Is your bedroom very dark?

And not too hot?

Gigili

It's rather cold. And yes, I like it dark.

Cerberus

08:35

Hmm.

Strange that you can't sleep then.

I suppose it is different for everybody.

Gigili

You can sleep whenever you want to?

Cerberus

No, but whether I can sleep or not does not depend on the time of day or night.

It rather depends on how long I have been awake and such.

user19161

2

Q: Why on earth are binoculars pronounced as /bɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ instead of /baɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/?

I once pronounced binoculars as /baɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ and my friend told me that it is supposed to be pronounced as /bɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ I didn't believe him as I was very sure that the prefix bi- is pronounced as /baɪ-/ instead of /bɪ-/ and so should the word binoculars until ...

pronunciation

user19161

I just realized I have been pronouncing binoculars wrongly my whole life.

user19161

This site never fails to amaze me.

Cerberus

08:41

/bai/- isn't wrong.

Bot pronunciations exist.

user19161

@Cerberus So it is listed as an alternative in the OED?

user19161

Perhaps you should comment or answer there.

Cerberus

The OED gives only /bɪ/, but Dictionary.com gives both.

user19161

@Cerberus Well, if it is not listed in the OED, it means the pronunciation is very uncommon.

Cerberus

I wouldn't say that. The OED is (rightly) focused on England.

And on educated speech.

user19161

08:44

Even the American MW agrees.

Cerberus

Hmm.

Well, I'd say /bɪ/- is certainly more common.

user19161

@Cerberus Actually I just checked the online MW. It lists the pronunciation I always used, so maybe the OP misread.

user19161

But it lists only binocular and not binoculars.

user19161

This is getting terribly bizarre.

user19161

Am I in twilight zone already?

Cerberus

08:48

Well, the plural probably falls under entry of the singular.

Just as in the OED.

user19161

Also, how do you pronounce graphic?

Cerberus

There is only one way?

/græfɪk/

user19161

@Cerberus That's not the way I have always used, so I was also shocked when I saw that.

Cerberus

Huh? Then how did you pronounce it?

I mean, bainoculairs doesn't sound so strange.

But I can't think of any other way of pronouncing graphic that wouldn't sound very odd.

Like graph, perhaps?

user19161

@Cerberus ʌ instead of æ

Cerberus

08:52

Oh, hmm yes, I'd find that strange.

user19161

@Cerberus Everyone here would use that I would say.

Cerberus

How odd.

user19161

But note that graph has two pronunciations.

user19161

ɡræf and ɡrɑːf

Cerberus

Well, there is the American pronunciation, but if you disregard that?

Yes.

user19161

08:53

But only the latter is used here.

Cerberus

Of course.

user19161

I don't like the answer there. It does not explain why the word is pronounced this way. There are words like binary.

Cerberus

Stressed syllables are more likely to be long and bai.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Oh I see you are discussing the answer I was going to bring up.

1

A: Why on earth are binoculars pronounced as /bɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/ instead of /baɪˈnɒk.jʊ.ləz/?

It comes down to the prefix. It isn't bi- but bin-. Bi-ocular would be pronounced /baɪ-/ but binocular forces the harder /bɪ-/ sound

I left a comment and a link to the bicycle question.

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 Have a cookie.

Cerberus

09:03

Morn!

RegDwight Ѭſ道

@Cerberus you should probably comment with the "both pronunciations possible" thingy.

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 I think I should do that with the MW link.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

@WillHunting Knock yourself out.

user19161

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/binocular

user19161

Though note that what is listed strictly is the singular and not the plural but I guess that does not matter.

user19161

09:09

Also note that MW does not use IPA.

user19161

@RegDwightѬſ道 I will give myself a cookie.

Carlo_R.

How can I follow a tag? I would like to follow etymology tag.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

09:31

Direct link to RSS feed‌.

Gigili

What did you say about "suchi" and "shusi" Reg? They're metawhat?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Metathesis.

Gigili

Thank you.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

15

A: What is the correct pronunciation and spelling of "asterisk"?

The phenomenon is called metathesis, and it is actually not that uncommon in English and many other languages. Note how you say three, but not threeteen or thrid; you say thirteen and third instead. That's because thirteen and third have undergone a metathesis from Old English þreotene and þridd...

10

A: Why is "ask" sometimes pronounced "aks"?

This phenomenon is called metathesis. I humbly direct you to my answer to a related question for details. Here, I will just note that aks goes back to Old English, where there were two versions of the verb, ascian and acsian. See this Language Log post: As the OED explains, the verb form spel...

26

A: What causes the pronunciation "nucular"

This phenomenon is known as metathesis. Two major hypotheses for the metathesis in this particular case: Steven Pinker has proposed a phonotactic explanation for the conversion of nuclear to nucular: the unusual and disfavored sequence [kli.ər] is gradually transformed to a more acceptable c...

Gigili

Thank you!

KitFox

11:26

needs coffee

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Yo.

KitFox

Hi @Reg.

RegDwight Ѭſ道

Hello Kitty.

KitFox

Sounded like you were ready to pop a vein yesterday. Were the questions really awful?

RegDwight Ѭſ道

The whole day was just a waste. I want that chunk of my lifetime back.

thenewipadishere.com

Why does SE give free Apple hardware to precisely the people who are most likely to get it anyway, or already have it?

Gigili

11:32

They're es-too-pid.

'Ello Kit.

KitFox

'Ello, sweetie.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…