English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

RegDwigнt

00:32

@Robusto No, silly. My harp.

Seven of them. Three fucking positions each.

How are you supposed to even play anything with your hands when your feet are instructed to break out in a quadrille every three bars.

So yeah. Get them shoes.

Srsly tho. Half your music looks like this. WTF.

And that's, like, the easy shorthand. It took them five millenia to figure this one out.

Robusto

00:51

@RegDwigнt What happened to the violin?

But your lot in life could be worse. You could be an organist. Try doing those pedals with your feet while each hand is on a different manual.

RegDwigнt

I've mastered it. Moving on.

Nah just pulling your leg. I practice every day.

For the rest of my life.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt You and Henderson the Rain King.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto I am actually quite comfortable with an organ.

Robusto

Not that organ.

RegDwigнt

Not with that big-ass one you have in your Macey's somewhere or where is it now.

But I can make do on a Hammond.

Robusto

00:53

Feet too?

RegDwigнt

What the fuck is with the italics, they flash and disappear.

Robusto

Maybe it's your medication?

RegDwigнt

Robusto

... the fuck?

RegDwigнt

Yeah. I'm done imagining things for today. Now I'm relaxing, so whatever I see is actually for realsies.

Robusto

00:55

A DDOS attack on italics. Hmm.

RegDwigнt

I blame Putin.

Robusto

And Trump.

RegDwigнt

No sorry, what's his name. Obama. Yes. I blame Obama.

Robusto

So does Trump.

RegDwigнt

He's a simple guy. Goes for the low hanging... um... fruit.

Okay I just misspelled low as long. Maybe you're right about the organ thing.

Robusto

00:56

QED

RegDwigнt

So a thing just happened to me, that's also happened to me in the past many times, but I had forgotten that it's a thing that happens often so I was like Keanu-Reeves Whoa.

Robusto

Whoa.

Wagner - Das Rheingold Finale, sung in English ("Heda! Heda hedo!")

►

Six harps getting down to cases.

RegDwigнt

I read an answer of mine from four years ago. And I was like whoa who the fuck is that person, guy sure can write.

What even happened to him.

Robusto

Been there, done that.

RegDwigнt

But then I was like, nah. Four years from now you'll be reading the shit you're typing now, and thinking how well it is qwrigthten.

Robusto

01:01

Sounds like a steady decline, in retrospect.

RegDwigнt

Always does. Youth is wasted on the young.

Earlier today I was thinking about asking you if you knew a song, or even more to your point if your wife did.

Like, not any song. That particular song I was looking at.

Fucking English with fucking articles.

Robusto

What song?

And why my wife?

RegDwigнt

That will be clear in a sec. Sec.

加藤登紀子百万本のバラ

►

Which is the biggest hit ever to come out of Latvia.

Robusto

Wife's at a book club. I'll ask her to look at it later.

@RegDwigнt ¿Cómo?

I don't know any hits that came out of the Baltic states.

RegDwigнt

It came out in 1982, written by a Latvian composer for a huge Russian pop star of the time. Or of, like, ever. But then it conquered not just Russia, but half of Europe and Asia. Then countless cover versions spawned in many languages, from French to Finnish to Hungarian to Korean to Japanese. All based off that Russian pop song written by that Latvian guy.

Robusto

01:07

Weird.

RegDwigнt

Like, for real, entire nations have made the song their own and are oblivious to its actual origin.

And here's the plot twist: That includes the Russians.

Robusto

Surprised?

RegDwigнt

Because one year prior that guy had already published that song in Latvia, with Latvian lyrics.

And here comes the stunt: those lyrics were somehow even insufferably darker than those of the Russian version.

Where's Keanu with his whoa.

Robusto

How do you get darker than Russian lyrics?

RegDwigнt

Exactly.

Robusto

01:08

Maybe have a contrabass sing it?

Basso profundo.

RegDwigнt

But Jesus fuck am I happy I don't speak Latvian because even the mangled Google Translate shit makes me cry huge manly tears, and there's like only three words in there that make any sense at all.

I don't want to know about the rest.

Robusto

Whoa.

RegDwigнt

Anyway, there's like a million zillion Japanese versions, but this venerable old lady seems to have sung the canonical one.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt Maybe it's the vodka?

@RegDwigнt The more I know about Japan, the less I really understand.

RegDwigнt

Nah if you cry while drinking vodka, you're crying out all the vodka. What a waste. You no Russian.

Robusto

01:12

Me no Russian.

RegDwigнt

I was researching the song for an upcoming soundslice of mine that I just finished, and you won't believe how deep the rabbit hole went, Keanu.

Robusto

Anyway, either Japan is way simpler than I want to believe, or complicated in such strange ways that I have no hope of ever understanding the slightest thing about it.

RegDwigнt

Like, there's a French guy playing it on a contrabass, with accordion support.

And some Armenian lady who recorded it in Italian.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt This does seem like the veritable rabbit hole.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto something something red-haired lady.

And I can't even find that story of yours. But I remember it.

Robusto

01:15

@RegDwigнt Which story?

RegDwigнt

Something something about a red-haired lady you saw in Japan.

Robusto

Ohhh!

Yes.

RegDwigнt

ikr

I remember all the things. All the things.

Robusto

She was a friend of mine, not someone I saw. And she would literally stop traffic in Tokyo.

RegDwigнt

That's part of the mental image that I kept.

Robusto

01:17

Six feet tall with flaming red hair.

RegDwigнt

Because when you said you'll never understand Japan I was thinking what stupid joke I could make, like they drive on the wrong side of the road, blah, and then I saw a road ín Tokyo and instantly a red-haired lady crossing it.

Robusto

I mean, flaming red hair to her waist.

@RegDwigнt Sometimes I think the whole country and culture are just a facade, something to mask what's really going on there.

Which I have no idea what that could be.

RegDwigнt

Well. Have you ever actually seen Godzilla?

Robusto

Whoa.

RegDwigнt

Well. Good we've cleared up absolutely everything for it's half past three here and I might as well go to bed.

Or half three, as they say in Britain for some weird reason.

Robusto

01:23

Yeah. Opposite of German.

RegDwigнt

I don't think you say that anywhere in America, do you now?

Robusto

No.

RegDwigнt

@Robusto More like the opposite of math.

Robusto

Halb drei is 2:30, not 3:30.

But half three is 3:30.

Weird.

RegDwigнt

It's literally half of the fourth hour. In every language I can think of. Because that's what it is. Except in British English no it is not.

Robusto

01:24

Dem funny Brits.

RegDwigнt

Yeah. And they are laughing at the Welsh. Like, why.

Sheep shagging nonwithstanding.

So anyway. Have fun listening to that huge Japanese hit.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt Because they subjugated the Welsh, that's why.

@RegDwigнt A Million Roses ...

RegDwigнt

Actually the song really is quite good.

Robusto

Exactly? Did someone count them all?

RegDwigнt

Well, it's about a painter that sold everything he had to buy them, so I'm guessing he had to know the exact number at the shop.

Robusto

01:26

in Japanese that's hyaku-man no bara

RegDwigнt

That's a no-barainer to me.

Robusto

Notice that I'm eschewing italics just for you.

RegDwigнt

Thank you. For I forgot to eschew mine just a minute ago, and couldn't read my own shit.

Robusto

Because you appear to be allergic to italics tonight.

RegDwigнt

Not that you could conceivably blame italics for that, but this one time I could.

Robusto

01:27

Hey, maybe it is an allergy.

How about bold words?

Or bold and italic words?

RegDwigнt

Them's fine. Well, not fine. The opposite. Quite bold.

Robusto

Punster.

RegDwigнt

Robusto

Martha would thwack you.

@RegDwigнt Whoa.

How about ~~strikethrough~~?

RegDwigнt

Wurks.

Like, even the room description is broken. I'm guessing this entire window has been hacked.

Robusto

01:30

Maybe relaunch your browser? Close all 3,562 tabs and bite the bullet?

RegDwigнt

Robusto

That part is italic.

RegDwigнt

Which is what I am going to do anyway, for past half past three it is now.

Robusto

Have a good one.

Good talking to you again.

RegDwigнt

Nice talking at ya.

Jinx.

Robusto

01:31

Just like old times, sorta.

RegDwigнt

You owe me a Pepsi.

Robusto

No Pepsi Coke.

RegDwigнt

I won't drink it anyway, just sell it to buy a million red vodkas.

Take care.

Robusto

img.etsystatic.com/il/c9a0ca/803768470/…

RegDwigнt

Reg out.

Robusto

01:32

A rose coke. Just for you.

RegDwigнt

Close but no Pepsi.

Robusto

laterz.

They didn't have Pepsi.

KannE

02:33

@Mitch Ha-ha, there is a sign for Exactamundo! in ASL (slang)--two thumbs up [the Fonz, Happy Days].

Cerberus

02:44

> They were met by an army commanded by King Philip III Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice, which immediately defected, leaving the king and Eurydice to Olympias's not so tender mercies, and they were killed (317 BC).

I'll leave this funny quotation from Wikipaedia to your consideration.

Olympias was the mother of Alexander the Great.

SmokeDetector

04:34

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] URL in title, bad keyword in body, bad keyword in title, blacklisted website in body, blacklisted website in title, +2 more: freemp3download.xyz/santana-alonzo-mp3-song-download/ by Oterntoe on english.SE

CowperKettle

05:27

> The scientific significance of the obtained results likes in the differentiation of the influence of supporting and regulatory institutions in developed and developing countries.

A sentence translated by me from Russian. I wonder if it's comprehensible to native speakers.

Faheem Mitha

05:55

@CowperKettle As it stands, not very easily.

The central bit, specifically. "likes in the differentiation of the influence"

CowperKettle

06:19

@FaheemMitha My final edit goes like this

> The scientific significance of the obtained results lies in the fact that the assessment of the influence of supporting and regulatory institutions differentiates between developed and developing countries. This work will prove helpful to researchers investigating the phenomena of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, because it helps to find out which factors further the development of this type of activity.

Basically, the countries investigated in the study were separated into "developed" and "developing", and the influence of institutions was calculated separately for each group.

This permitted the comparison of which factors better help the development of social entrepreneurship in each of the two different types of country.

My first edit turned out a bit инкомпрехенсибл indeed.

Faheem Mitha

06:43

@CowperKettle Still unwieldy. Instead of "lies in the fact" why not just "is", for example?

@CowperKettle And by "differentiates" do you mean differs?

No offense, but those sentences lie in MEGO territory, at least for me.

But I might be biased. I've read enough research articles and so forth to have developed a violent aversion to polysyllabic Latinate phrases.

Especially as much of the time their purpose seems to be to obfuscate (or conceal, if you prefer) meaning.

No offense intended. But I see I said that already.

CowperKettle

07:23

@FaheemMitha Becaue the original article in Russian i unwieldy and scientificy

@FaheemMitha Yes!

But I should be true to the original, I'm a mere translator

Faheem Mitha

@CowperKettle That's unfortunate, but unsurprising.

CowperKettle

I cannot say to the authors that their text is abysmal. I need to come up with an equally abysmal translation.

Word of the day: MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over)

I've never heard this expression before

Faheem Mitha

08:12

@CowperKettle Point taken.

@CowperKettle It is, or used to be, a fairly popular expression on the Net.

A lot of academic writers really should be taking courses in how to write. But unfortunately they won't.

M.A.R. ಠ_ಠ

08:26

@FaheemMitha he keeps sneezing near me. I caught what he has

Anonymous

09:30

@CowperKettle catb.org/jargon/html/M/MEGO.html

Anonymous

Yanny vs. Laurel on Language Log: languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=38274

6

Matt E. Эллен

09:59

The latest craze is Brainstorm vs Green Needle

Brainstorm or Green Needle?

►

People are reporting Brain Needle and Green Storm

Feeds

12:11

0

Q: what is the word for using a thing without the other person's consent

I seem to require an adjective for using a person's thing without his consent. Maybe hijack or something.

single-word-requests

caub

12:37

@tchrist Hi, asking this to you since you're certainly a regex guru. What would be the complexity of .replace(/^(?!.*\.js$).*$/, '$&.js') ? is it efficient to compute?

@snailboat nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/16/upshot/…

Mitch

12:57

Feeds

0

Q: Make of or Make in this sentence

I am writing a sentence and the premise is this: Person A is regraded as a legend/bad-ass fighter because he possessed a unique fighting technique; Person B , who is A's grandchild also learned the unique technique. In the sentence, i am trying to say that person B could also be a legend/bad-ass...

single-word-requests grammar word-choice

KannE

14:41

@Mitch I'm not sure what that is...maybe OMG...definitely not "ten" (you only need one thumb for that).

Mitch

@KannE It's 'jazz hands', for ASL clapping

Not exactly what Capt Kirk intended but there it is.

Mitch

14:56

Fun with formants: We Made a Tool So You Can Hear Both Yanny and Laurel

For the record, when I first heard the clip I thought it said 'lemma'

Educ

15:17

Hello

How can I say that i'm doing Ramadan ?

"I'm fasting " ?

During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims are obligated to fast, every day from dawn to sunset. Fasting requires the abstinence from food, drink and sexual activity.

Muslims traditionally break their fasts in Ramadan with dates (like those offered by this date seller in Kuwait City), as was the recorded practice (Sunnah) of Muhammad.

I like dates

:)

bertieb

Forgive the shameless plug, but I have a question currently on hold for being opinion-based; are there any changes I can make to improve its quality?

(no comment replies so figured I'd ask here)

KannE

@Mitch Kirk looks more frozen in time, like Han perhaps, than all shaky like Elmo, I think.

Feeds

15:32

0

Q: Finish the phrase: "Coincidence? or _________"

Today I was wearing the same shirt as someone else, and we were paired together in a group project. I wanted to say the saying: "Coincidence? or ______" but I could not remember what word was supposed to go in the blank. Can someone help me?

single-word-requests

Mitch

16:05

@bertieb It is a very reasonable question. I have upvoted and voted to reopen. And strongly worded comment. I'm also going to write a letter to the New York Times, but then not send it.

@Educ Depends on the audience.

"I'm fasting for Ramadan" when sitting at lunch with non-Muslims who ask you why you're not eating.

bertieb

@Mitch Thanks Mitch :)

Mitch

"I'm fasting" if you're with only Muslims at lunch. Or no need to say anything at all because they'll know what is going on.

Are you looking for a special English word for the fasting for Ramadan?

Is there one in Arabic that is different from just everyday plain old non-Ramadan fasting?

eg one can 'eat crackers and drink wine' any old time, but if you do it in a Catholic church at the altar given by a priest it is called 'taking communion'

Faheem Mitha

I think "roza" is used.

Mitch

@FaheemMitha for what? for general fasting or for ramadan fasting or for both?

Faheem Mitha

Random link - quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-Urdu-word-Roza

@Mitch I've heard it used specifically for Ramadan.

I think it can be used as a general term for fasting.

But I'm not sure. Anyway, for most Muslims, this period is the big fasting time. But you already know that.

Mitch

16:11

@FaheemMitha those two sentences are suprisingly contradictory, given my previous question.

Faheem Mitha

@Mitch What two sentences?

Mitch

argh

"I've heard it used specifically for Ramadan." and
"I think it can be used as a general term for fasting."

Faheem Mitha

@Mitch Ok, to be clearer. I've personally only ever heard it used specifically in the context of Ramadan.

But it might be a general term. Few if any Muslims would fast outside this prescribed period, so it's possible it just doesn't come up. If you get my drift.

Muslims, like most other religions, are all about doing things in large groups.

Mitch

OK

Faheem Mitha

I've heard that Ramadan is a big social time. They have parties after dark and stuff.

I'm technically Muslim myself, but have no idea.

I think I've been to a mosque once, myself. Possible more than that, but I remember one occasion. That was in Hyderabad, if I recall correctly.

Mitch

16:15

@Educ The English word fasting only refers to not eating. It does not include the concept of no drinking or no sex, so you have to specify that explicitly.

@FaheemMitha i don't know how wikipedia is but they seem to imply that sayim or rozeh are general terms for fasting

Fasting in Islam

Fasting in Islam, known as Sawm (صَوْم) or Siyām (صِيَام), the Arabic words for fasting, also commonly known as Rūzeh or Rōzah (Persian: روزه‎) in some Muslim countries, is the practice of abstaining, usually from food and drink. The observance of Sawm during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam, but is not solely confined to that month. == Etymology == Literally meaning "to abstain," ṣawm is a semitic cognate to Syriac: ܨܘܡܐ‎ ṣawmā, Hebrew: צוֹם‎ "ṣōm", and Ge'ez: ጾም "ṣom". === Other languages === The Muslims of Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, ...

also not clear if those two words are more like 'abstention' implying no food/drink/sex all of them.

Faheem Mitha

@Mitch Ok. Like I said, that's quite possible. I can't think of any good reason why that particular fasting period would have a special name.

Though I suppose the mode of fasting is a little bit specific. I mean, there are lots of different ways to fast.

Mitch

@FaheemMitha there's always a good reason for naming something everyday something different if it is religious. see my example for communion above

Faheem Mitha

@Mitch Sure. But Catholics tend to be prolific namers. Not everyone is.

Mitch

16:31

??? How is that possibly even a thing?

"The Hungarians are prolific namers. It's like they have a different word for everything"

Faheem Mitha

Take, for example, transubstantiation.

Sounds like a Physics term, but isn't.

Mitch

Good point, when there are perfectly good existing terms for it like 'cannibalism' or 'pretending'

Then again, physics creates words left and right in comparison to Catholicism and even moreso then those tightl-ipped Jehovah's Witnesses.

Faheem Mitha

@Mitch theological cannibalism.

Mitch

theophagy

they missed a good new word

Catholics can barely make up new words, let alone use the existing ones

Feeds

0

Q: What's the English equivalent of the Hindi word फेंकना (fenkna)?

In Hindi, the word फेंकना (fenkna) describe an act of boasting in a way that is obviously untrue and ridiculous. It might be me bragging about swimming twenty miles few years ago. If you know me, and the fact that I lack any athletic experience, it would be easy to infer that the claim is plain ...

single-word-requests

Educ

17:56

Does anyone of you tired ramadan ?

by the way, still one hour and half to break my fasting and i'm so hungry

M.A.R. ಠ_ಠ

@Educ yes

Educ

@M.A.R.ಠ_ಠ How do you found it and how many days did you try ?

M.A.R. ಠ_ಠ

It's already eftar here

@Educ I can't fast

Educ

@M.A.R.ಠ_ಠ Where ?

M.A.R. ಠ_ಠ

@Educ Iran. Been for an hour and half

Educ

17:59

ah I see, here in Morocco it's just 17:59 PM

@M.A.R.ಠ_ಠ When you tried fasting ramadan did you study well ?

How to cope with Ramadan fasting during student exams

M.A.R. ಠ_ಠ

@Educ no, not really

@Educ hungry? I always only felt thirsty

@Educ it's 22:36 here

I hear the nearer to the equator, the easier you have it

Educ

18:15

I don't eat too much in ramadan that's why i'm hungry the whole day

"all the day long"

3 Things To Maximize Fat Loss During Ramadan

►

What Happens to Your Body When You Fast (During Ramadan)

►

Feeds

20:04

0

Q: Need a word that means oversimplified or unnuanced such as to serve a political purpose

Don't want to start a deeper debate on the context, but the context is the proposition that everyone is a racist. A counterpoint is that it is a politically expedient and simple framework to get people to think about hidden prejudices, but lacks any distinction for intent (as in murder 1 vs murde...

single-word-requests

M.A.R. ಠ_ಠ

@Educ all day long

Feeds

21:51

1

Q: What I'm going to do is, I'm going to ask you about this sentence form

Is there a name for sentence forms that tell you that they’re about to tell you something? For example: “What he did was, he went to the bus stop to meet his friend.” “What she’s doing is, she’s priming the canvas with gesso.” “What I’ll do is, I’ll call you if I’m running late.” ...

single-word-requests grammar terminology

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…