English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

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01:10

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Q: How do you say rolling's one's eyes or an eye roll in this situation?

Rolling one's eyes due to orgasm. Checked most English dictionaries but most definitions ard negative, e.g. due to frustration.

Robusto

@RegDwigнt Nice. Can't wait to hear the rest. Hurry the fuck up, willya, ya neeeerd.

You mean that one?

@tchrist This was my favorite line from the whole article: "To say that someone does not have an accent is as believable as saying that someone does not have any facial features."

Educ

06:54

Hi

Feeds

10:19

0

Q: Word to describe somebody discovering the issue (i.e. fire)

I want to use a word to describe somebody discovering the issue (i.e. fire). Could you help? thanks.

single-word-requests

RegDwigнt

11:22

@Robusto obviously you've never seen Steven Seagal.

RegDwigнt

11:39

@Cerberus hm. Not really, no. Like, not even subconsciously or by accident. I just went and checked after you mentioned it because I was worried that you were onto something.

Like. Actually, you couldn't make them more different if you tried...

The time signature is different, the tempo is different, the key is different, the harmonic progressions are different, the phrasing is different, the figuration is different.

CowperKettle

Good afternoon English Language Usagers

RegDwigнt

Emptiness is just arpeggios up, scales down. In 4/4. The waltz is chromatic shit up, chromatic shit down, and also chromatic shit sideways. In 3/4.

CowperKettle

Did you hear this song - Песенка на память, @RegDwigнt?

RegDwigнt

Lol "слова М.Минкова, музыка П.Синявского". That's wrong.

Minkov was the composer. Sinyavsky the lyricist.

CowperKettle

So you know the song?

I like it very much

RegDwigнt

11:43

No, I never heard this one. But Minkov wrote "Мы из джаза" and also "Дорогою добра".

And a million other things, but these are the things that everyone knows.

CowperKettle

> Stars are out and we sing together
But the stanzas are getting few.
Will they blow down this wind forever,
Can we borrow a breath or two?
Will they blow down the wind forever,
Will they blow down the wind forever,
Will they lose in the air forever,
Can we borrow a breath or two?

I tried translating it

> Как задумчиво светит вечер
Голубыми глазами звёзд
Вот бы взять нам на память ветер,
Тот, что песенку вдаль унёс
Вот бы взять нам на память ветер,
Вот бы взять нам на память ветер,
Вот бы взять нам на память ветер,
Тот, что песенку вдаль унёс

RegDwigнt

Yeah good luck, mate. Translating poetry is impossible.

I should know, I studied it.

I created exactly one excellent translation, and then I stopped. Because I knew there was nowhere to go from there but down.

It was "The Sail" by Lermontov, in case you wonder. Into German.

CowperKettle

Wow

RegDwigнt

And yeah just as a headsup, "Getting few" sounds distinctly wrong. You need some kind of adjective there, like "Getting sparse" or whatever. But that only rhymes with "arse". So yeah, good luck!

CowperKettle

Oops

I know one perfect translation of Pushkin into English, his poem "К поэту"

RegDwigнt

11:50

Like, when a couple weeks ago I translated Mandelstam for my YouTube videos, I just said fuck it, and went for the literal translation.

CowperKettle

> No poet should set store by public acclamation.
Ecstatic praise will pass, an instant in the ear;
The empty crowd will laugh, the fool will have his oration,
But you must stay quite calm, unbending, and austere.

A king, then, live alone. You choose your destination,
Go where you questioning mind shall now elect to steer
To bring perfection to the thoughts you hold most dear,
Requiring no rewards, achieving consummation -

They lie within yourself. As judge you are the best;
In valuing your works, severer than the rest,

This is it.

I even memorized it by heart, it's superb and recreates the same feelings as Pushkin's original in Russian.

RegDwigнt

Feelings, yes. Language, not at all.

"Go where you questioning mind shall now elect to steer". Nobody talks like that. Ever.

The whole point of Pushkin was that he wrote like you would actually talk.

CowperKettle

It is high poetic style

RegDwigнt

Exactly. And Pushkin was the opposite of that.

Lermontov, too.

That was their whole revolution that they kicked off.

Before them, people would write things like "To bring perfection to the thoughts you hold most dear,".

CowperKettle

I know of that revolution but this particular translation is superb, and I like "Go where your .. " etc.

RegDwigнt

11:53

Then Pushkin came along and wrote things like "I hope my uncle fucking dies".

That was kind of the whole point.

CowperKettle

That's a simplification

RegDwigнt

I don't have the time nor the space here to go into detail.

Mitch

Da dum da dum, da dum, da dum, da dum ditty dum ditty dum

Yeah, that's my uncle

RegDwigнt

I suggest that you read Перпендикуляр by Веллер.

It's a series of lectures on this very subject. Very detailed. Truly excellent.

Mitch

Poetry is crap

Cup Fever

11:54

says you

Mitch

Just a bunch of words strung together

@CupFever sez me, Mr. The World Cup is over what the hell is left to life.

Cup Fever

:(

Mitch

TdF!!!!

France wins it all

if you can call a mode of transport to make life easier a sport.

like fishing

or golf

just round and round

snooze fest

RegDwigнt

Mitch

And soccer? just use your goddam hands already

RegDwigнt

11:57

There. Just for Mitch. No poetry there.

Cup Fever

lol

Mitch

@RegDwigнt I see words in it. Poetic Justice. So you're wrong again. As usual

RegDwigнt

If I am wrong, then right has no meaning.

Mitch

There was a movie called poetic justice. It's just calling out for ridicule

RegDwigнt

Poetic Justice League of the Extraordinary Few Good Men?

Mitch

11:58

@RegDwigнt By the laws of syllogistic reasoning, there is no meaning

CowperKettle

@RegDwigнt If I ever have free time, I will. I like Veller.

RegDwigнt

Yeah you should do that.

Cup Fever

Drop the internet and you'll have plenty of time.

RegDwigнt

It's like only 200 pages, and it's just a transcript of his lectures, so the language is very casual and it's easy to read and digest. All the while what he says is not mundane at all.

@CupFever to drop the Internet you would have to pick it up first, and those pipes weigh a ton, mate. At least.

Sorry, tubes, not pipes. I'm not a sysadmin. But you get my point.

Cup Fever

yeah, I do

I hope you get mine.

RegDwigнt

12:03

I don't know. You post all your points on the Internet, and I don't have time for that.

Cup Fever

Ain't nobody got time for that

RegDwigнt

Fuck it, dude, let's go bowlin'.

Cup Fever

smbc-comics.com/comic/college-level-mathematics

RegDwigнt

12:27

Well I'll take the three PhDs and a couple Siberian tigers, then. And let them all fight to death. Thanks, mom!

Robusto

@RegDwigнt And yet they're both written using standard musical notation, on staves, black on white. Plagiarism!

RegDwigнt

@Robusto oh fuck I forgot your were Marvin Gaye...

Well I remembered you were gay alright.

It's the other part I forgot.

Also, haha, you just called the alto key "standard notation". Gotcha. Get outta here, filthy violist!

Also also, yesterday I learned that the bassoon is apparently much easier to play than the flute.

Professional vs Beginner Bassoon

►

On the minus side, you never get to play it because you have to make reeds 40 hours a day, every day.

Robusto

13:04

@tchrist: I see people using se ve que as one would me parece que. Is one more colloquial than the other, or is it just a matter of me parece adding more ownership to the impression?

CowperKettle

14:01

@RegDwigнt Did you see this cartoon?

RegDwigнt

14:57

Lol.

Simba

15:32

Can someone tell me which of the following sentence is correct and why?

a) What did you do after you come back from the school?

b) What did you do after you came back from the school?

Cerberus

15:51

@Simba Came.

The conjunction after introduces a subordinate clause. Came is the (finite) verb in that clause.

Because the clause happened in the past (you came back from school in the past, not now), it needs a past verb.

Simba

Oh... Thanks @Cerberus

Cerberus

No prob.

Lawrence

16:08

Hi @Simba!

Glad to see that you got an answer to your question, albeit in chat. :)

Cerberus

Ah, you are acquainted?

Chat is a good place to ask such questions.

Lawrence

16:25

@Cerberus Only at the question itself. I felt it was left somewhat hanging. Thanks for answering Simba's question succinctly.

Cerberus

16:38

You were acquainted at a question?

Are you talking about a question on the main site?

Lawrence

@Cerberus Here's the original question:

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Q: Question regarding correct form of verb?

I have a doubt regarding the rule of "Simple Past". Consider this: a) What did you do after you come back from the school? b) What did you do after you came back from the school? My "instinct" says that b) is correct in this case, but I want to know the rules so that I can convince myself and ...

grammar tenses verb-forms

I posted some comments there.

Cerberus

Ah, I see.

Lawrence

That just about closes the loop. :)

I don't think I've made a friend this round, though. :/

At least we've been civil to each other.

@Cerberus Seems a bit quiet here in chat these days. I miss the interactions with @KitZ.Fox, @Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 and the rest of the old crowd. Good to see that you're still around. :)

Cerberus

@Lawrence Yeah, became quiet after there was this huge conflict a year and a half ago.

Lawrence

What happened?

Was that around the time of the elections?

Cerberus

16:50

No, I don't think so.

Lawrence

There was another big conflict after that?

Cerberus

People from outside were flagging stuff in the room, and many of our most regular users were affronted.

I don't remember any conflict around elections?

Lawrence

@Cerberus Oh, that's a pity.

Cerberus

I don't remember the details.

Lawrence

@Cerberus There was a book involved.

Cerberus

16:52

A book, even?

Lawrence

Hang on, let me see if I can dig it up.

Cerberus

But recently Reg and Rob have been coming here again, so it's less quiet than a year or so ago.

And Faerd is often here talking.

Lawrence

Ok, I've found it. It's in Meta. Should I post a link?

Just mindful that I don't want to step on any toes even after all this time.

Cerberus

Sure.

Lawrence

6

A: Are requests for arbitrary lines from novels on-topic?

Full disclosure: I did not vote to close or reopen the question itself, but I did engage in a lengthy discussion on it in chat. The discussion started here and ended here. As requested by a moderator, here is a summary of that discussion. The topic was posted in chat in the usual manner, accomp...

Hopefully, people start coming back.

@Cerberus If the problem was with people from outside, why didn't the room owners just kick them out?

Cerberus

17:03

@Lawrence So the conflict was about that question?

Lawrence

I thought the old mods were just letting the new mods take the reins. So sad.

Cerberus

I voted on that Meta question, so I must have read it at the time.

Lawrence

@Cerberus That particular conflict was.

Cerberus

@Lawrence One did, but that even intensified the conflict. And Kit decided to disown several room owners after one kicked out an outsider (this only happened once).

Lawrence

@Cerberus It looks like that particular conflict has been resolved.

Cerberus

17:05

Good.

Lawrence

@Cerberus Must have been really bad. Kit's normally pretty level-headed about things.

Færd

Are there really no questions on the main site about podium vs lectern?

Feeds

0

Q: what does the term calculated promises means?

It was said in a song called "all stars are closer" so I wanna know what does it mean exactly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOh7vVqlaE

single-word-requests meaning grammar word-choice word-usage

Cerberus

She was really bad.

It's also why she left.

More or less.

Lawrence

@Cerberus She was bad?

Cerberus

17:06

@Færd Outrageous!

@Lawrence Well, I thought so.

But, w'evs.

It's been years.

Lawrence

@Cerberus No ... say it ain't so!

MetaEd

Mornin, campers.

Lawrence

@Cerberus Oh well, perhaps time will heal the wounds.

Cerberus

Greetings.

Lawrence

@MetaEd Yoo hoo.

Or perhaps I should say, "Coo-ee!"

Cerberus

17:07

@Lawrence Not exactly heal, but rather form stable scars.

I didn't know you were an animal as wlel.

MetaEd

@Lawrence I might have to have a translation :-)

Lawrence

@Cerberus Scars first, then healing. We all cop it at times.

Cerberus

I don't think that's going to happen.

Lawrence

@Cerberus Animal? Really now! :)

Cerberus

But no matter.

@Lawrence Oh, dear, isn't it?

Lawrence

17:09

@MetaEd It's an Australian ... um ... greeting? call? whistle from yonder?

Cerberus

I didn't know humans made such sounds, even though we are just another kind of animal.

MetaEd

@Lawrence I'll buy that.

Cerberus

I see.

Lawrence

@MetaEd Ah, a shout.

Cooee

Cooee! () is a shout used in Australia, usually in the bush, to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location. When done correctly—loudly and shrilly—a call of "cooee" can carry over a considerable distance. The distance one's cooee call travels can be a matter of competitive pride. It is also known as a call of help, which can blend in with different natural sounds in the bush. == Etymology == The word "cooee" originates from the Dharug language of the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. It means "come here", and has now become widely used in Australia as a call...

Cerberus

So is that how your address your mother in law?

@Lawrence That's nice.

Lawrence

17:11

@Cerberus I'll pretend you were asking that of someone else. :P

Cerberus

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Lawrence

It's getting late in these parts. I'd better hit the sack. G'night, all! @Cerberus @MetaEd

Cerberus

Sleep well!

It's other side of the world, of course!

Perhaps we could install hooks and drag the Australian continental plate a bit more to the north-west.

Færd

17:45

So Eurocentric.

It would also be too hard on India.

MetaEd

Attach heavy weights to the edge of the plate so it subducts under the plate to the northwest.

Færd

Still to India's detriment: it would become entrapped in mountain ranges.

Cerberus

Which would be all Britain's fault.

Færd

Of course.

Cerberus

18:01

(I was Faheem.)

(I hope he won't get mad over my little joke.)

Færd

Let's lighten the mood.

vimeo.com/134953133

SmokeDetector

18:19

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Offensive answer detected, toxic answer detected: What’s a funny word for someone who is frequently breaking things? ✏️ by Geoff_Clapp on english.SE

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

> Every accusation is a confession

The most succinct description of Trump's language I've seen

Mitch

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 good feeling ruined

Angler Fish Scene (Nemo)

►

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

@Mitch my work here is done

Mitch

What's the emoji which is laughing so hard you're crying, but there's no laughing?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

😭

Mitch

18:30

😿

Mine's a cat

OMG emojis are stupid.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Blind people must hate them

Mitch

I can read letters just fine, no glasses, but emojis are just below my threshold. both those look the same to me, kind of a yellowy face with maybe some blue? But happy or sad or grinning or whatever I have no idea.

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

Yeah the crying one is supposed to be like two waterfalls of tears

but the eyes are so small and even the mouth is pretty indistinct I can't tell if it's supposed to be happy or sad

Mitch

18:46

And frankly the set of emotions that were chosen to be emojis are this bizarre subset of life WEIRD

A billion Chinese are slowly moving away from ideographs towards pinyin, and some internet goofballs are getting their inarticulate and inconsistent feelings picturized?

Mr. Shiny and New 安宇

yeah. drawing weirds language

Færd

20:03

I kinda like Ariana Grande's God Is a Woman.

The basic meaning of the song is that she'll convince her partner that she's a sex goddess.

But the music video takes to another, rather amusing, level.

Johan Larsson

20:28

physicsbuzz.physicscentral.com/2018/07/…

Feeds

22:27

0

Q: Primary, secondary, tertiary, etc... - what is the -ary for the etc? The nth-ary?

Target: I've been losing my mind ever since I learned "tertiary" corresponds to 3 instead of encompassing all the lower orders. I have bi-weekly need of a word in the same vein as primary/secondary, but unspecified and non-primary, when talking about computery things, religion, and philosophy. I'...

single-word-requests ordinals

Feeds

23:02

0

Q: Single word for 'lucid exposition'

Is there a single word that means the same as 'lucid exposition' or 'clear explanation'? Perhaps, a lucid exposition of a difficult or tense subject.

single-word-requests

Feeds

23:20

0

Q: a word (or more) to describe unhealthy passion

I thought about the term 'nudging-sickness passion', but I'm not sure if the use of the two first words is correct. If not, I wanted to know words to describe a very intense passion, like the one you'd die for or kill for, something that is sick like an obsession and never fades away.

single-word-requests

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…