English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Robusto

2:00 PM

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after."

RegDwight

@Robusto Then just ask what it means on english.stackexchange.com!

@Robusto I've been using that phrase for decades.

Robusto

@RegDwight: Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it.

Eventually.

0

Q: usage of "Yours faithfully"

I just googled and found that I can say "Yours faithfully" instead of “Yours sincerely”. I think its very funny, because for me it means that I'm not a cheater and I don't cheat. Thats how faithfully is translated to my language. Can I use it in e-mail to anybody or only to spouse/girlfriend?

sentence

Two close votes. Anyone want to make it three?

FX_

@Robusto yes, pretty please!

RegDwight

Okay, so the translation -> German -> Japanese -> Greek -> Danish -> Indonesian -> Hebrew -> English returns this: "All the resources to help someone, I think the word you are another area / public /; that's what my uncle to me. I'll write him letters in English."

Eldros

@RegDwight funny, when I look at the definition of the word, the first word which came to my mind is twilight

Ah finally I got to post my message

Robusto

2:05 PM

@RegDwight — You are one sick, sick puppy.

FX_

@RegDwight funny, the last sentence is pretty much unchanged

RegDwight

Yeah, that's why I kept choosing language after language. It was too robust.

Robusto

o

FX_

@Robusto now, that's 3; with four votes, we can play bridge!

RegDwight

@Robusto No, that would be copyrighted.

I learned my lessons.

Robusto

2:07 PM

orly?

RegDwight

No.

That's in Paris.

Robusto

orly?

RegDwight

Paris-Orly Airport

Paris-Orly Airport () is an airport located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris, France. It has flights to cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Southeast Asia. Prior to the construction of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly was the main airport of Paris. Even with the shift of most international traffic to Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly remains the busiest French airport for domestic traffic and the second busiest French airport overall in terms of passenger boardings with 26,441,000 in 2007. Orly Airport extends ov...

Robusto

[making a macro]

FX_

please, no talks of copyright, I've received a letter of lawyers from Adobe this morning :(

Robusto

2:07 PM

orly?

Eldros

Yarly

RegDwight

Who's the sick puppy now.

Robusto

I wanted to fly into Orly, but I didn't have De Gaulle to do it.

FX_

0

Q: Ofcourse or of course?

Hello, I have been using the term Ofcourse ever since Kindergarten, and many novels too use the same phrase. However, I recently stumbled upon a site that claims Of course is how the term is correctly used and not Ofcourse. Want to seek the community's opinion about which is the correct usage ...

word-choice

RegDwight

Slow thwack.

Robusto

2:08 PM

[waits, cringing]

RegDwight

Yeah, it was very slow.

Eldros

@FX_ Seriously?

FX_

seriously to what: the question, or my comment? :)

Eldros

the question

FX_

well, yes, it exists

Eldros

2:12 PM

Even Google is doubting the existance of the word.

although

englishforums.com/English/OfcourseOrOfCourse/wvrlb/post.htm

FX_

@Artic: something is wrong with your comment “Are you live in germany?”

Germany, as name of a country, must be capitalized

and now, Robusto and RegDwight are making sweet rep from this question!

Robusto

@FX_: I'm already rep-capped, so @RegDwight is the only one garnering rep from this.

RegDwight

Yeah well, while I was checking BNC and COCA, you were collecting upvotes. <Shakes fist>

Robusto

See? You waste time with all those citations. I go with my gut.

My gut is faster than your search engine.

RegDwight

yesterday, by RegDwight

So you just post moar. I know you. Quantity over quality. You capitalist.

FX_

2:19 PM

@Robusto: yeah, that's truthiness!

RegDwight

It's not like I don't have a gut, too. It's just that I like to throw in, you know, some proof for good measure.

Robusto

Weep and moan all you want, but the fact is our answers arrive at identical conclusions. Mine is funnier, though, and less cluttered with meaningless charts.

Eldros

I would like to retract my upvote to Robusto

he doesn't need it anyway

RegDwight

Hahaha. Too late.

FX_

@Eldros you can

RegDwight

2:21 PM

I can downvote him on your behalf. Hahahahahahahaha.

Eldros

If you don't mind the rep loss, be my guest

Robusto

Yeah, but that would be an infraction of the rules. And it would not portend great things for your now seemingly inevitable moderatorship.

RegDwight

orly?

Eldros

oh snap

RegDwight

I think you should look up "hahaha" in a dictionary of your choice or in your gut or something.

Robusto

2:22 PM

You did it. And I thought votes weren't supposed to be made vindictively.

RegDwight

What?

Robusto

Feet of clay. Well, there is still time for me to unvote for you for moderator too, I guess ...

RegDwight

Wait a second. I have not downvoted anyone.

Eldros

That, my friend, is why I don't involve myself in politic

Robusto

Someone downvoted it for a few seconds, then obviously took it back.

FX_

2:23 PM

noone downvoted anyone, did they?

I see +6/0 and +4/0

Robusto

I guess the take-back was within the grace period.

RegDwight

@Robusto Whoever that was, it wasn't me.

I can prove it to you by upvoting your answer in 10 minutes or something.

Eldros

One must say, the timing was perfect

RegDwight

Well, not for me, FFS.

Eldros

Who's talking about you?

Artic

2:25 PM

@FX_ I'm not a native speaker.

RegDwight

@Eldros I am. Like, always.

FX_

@Artic neither am I, but I like to improve my English

Robusto

No problem. Someone was just messin' with me, I guess.

RegDwight

I maintain that he was messing with me.

Robusto

You're the one who stated that intention, so I only assumed it was @RegDwight.

FX_

2:26 PM

well, I actually, I think I understand, but it's certainly no fun

RegDwight

@Robusto Well, I certainly don't blame you for that.

Artic

@FX_ So am I!

Eldros

Who says it wasn't him, and now he's playing innocent? >_> (See, forward looking this time)

RegDwight

3 mins ago, by RegDwight

I can prove it to you by upvoting your answer in 10 minutes or something.

FX_

ok, guys, work will be much more fun than this!

RegDwight

2:28 PM

If that downvote were mine and I retracted it, it would be locked in. I wouldn't be able to upvote Robusto in ten minutes.

FX_

see you later

RegDwight

CU.

Robusto

Laterz.

No, I believe you, @RegDwight.

Eldros

Well, yay, but you could bluff, and try to attribute yourself... ok I stop here.

conspiration theory is not my cup of tea actually

Robusto

I trust all Commies whose stated goal is the hostile takeover of my back yard.

RegDwight

2:29 PM

@Eldros Well, obviously, we can agree on the exact second.

@Robusto Thank you. But I am terrified how I could possibly prove it if I already had upvoted your answer.

Eldros

@RegDwight There is always sock puppet

sorry, can't help it

RegDwight

Now that starts getting complicated, innit?

Eldros

eben

RegDwight

I would need to get to what, 100 points or was it 150, in ten minutes?

No wait, it's actually just 15.

But anyhow, not worth it.

Eldros

That and you could already have the sock puppet available for another task

Robusto

2:31 PM

Please, don't get all in a lather. I'm cool with it. Just a misunderstanding.

Eldros

Agh, could this paranoid soul stop possessing me!

RegDwight

I'm not getting in anything)) Just disproving conspiracy theories.

I mean, I could also be George Walker Bush.

But I am not.

Eldros

orly?

Rhodri

@RegDwight That makes you part of Teh Establishment OMG!!!!1!

Robusto

Wait, now I'm scared. I never thought you might be George W. Bush ... until now. You have sown the seeds of doubt, my friend.

Rhodri

2:33 PM

@Eldros lolcode.com

RegDwight

Well, I'm too tired disproving, so I guess I'm fine with people thinking that I am him.

Eldros

@Rhodri Ya, that's my main programming language, why do you ask?

Robusto

Here's the W. test: pronounce "nucular" for us.

RegDwight

I just have. How did you like it?

Eldros

lol

Robusto

2:36 PM

So you are him. I knew it.

RegDwight

Damn. I tried my best at the Russian accent Wolfowitz taught me.

Robusto

You gotta pronounce it Rooshian.

And remember, Bush did say he looked into Putin's eyes and saw his soul. That would be enough to shrivel the hairs off of my behind, I can tell you.

Eldros

On what drug was he?

Robusto

Power.

Or, as Kissinger called it, "the ultimate aphrodisiac."

Eldros

That's a drug? I should find a new way to start my computer then.

No wonder I am addicted

RegDwight

2:44 PM

Heh, kiamlaluno is bumping old exchanges of mine with Kosmonaut.

The question reads as bogus as nohat's answer.

Kosmonaut

I just got a good answer badge this morning for a question of yours.

Rhodri

This is just pimping for the mod elections, isn't it?

RegDwight

@Kosmonaut Well, nohat still needs 22 votes to get a good answer out of that.

Rhodri

Got to go, I have to practice lying to management again.

"Software project, it take two weeks."

RegDwight

@Kosmonaut And you've got me all confused looking in the wrong place. Yours is a nice answer, not a good one.)))

Kosmonaut

2:48 PM

Sorry, I forgot that "nice" is more than twice as good as "good".

Although I have to say that telling a woman "you look good" is much better than "you look nice".

RegDwight

Err, it's the other way round. Not with women, with badges.

Kosmonaut

Haha, good lord...

RegDwight

Stop confusing me even further.

Kosmonaut

My mind can barely hold a thought this morning apparently.

RegDwight

That's nice Lord.

No wait, that's nice the Lord.

Kosmonaut

2:50 PM

Can I blame Friday Fatigue?

RegDwight

You can try.

Eldros

Do you live in Iceland?

Kosmonaut

All of us?

RegDwight

Who? Why? Since when?

@Kosmonaut ROFLMAO.

No, some of us live in Novosibirsk.

Kosmonaut

I have a vacation home there.

Eldros

2:53 PM

I was talking to @Kosmonaut

Because you know :

11

Q: Always Friday in Iceland?

Just because I can't find where this has been asked before (I am pretty certain it is somewhere), could someone explain the always-friday-in-iceland meme?

discussion fun memes

RegDwight

Geez, I didn't even draw the connection.

Kosmonaut

Ah, haha

RegDwight

And I used to post in that tag.

Until it got renamed into fun. At which point everybody stopped posting.

Eldros

You are not as young as you used to. You get forgetful with the age.

RegDwight

20 hours ago, by RegDwight

You're getting old. On the plus side, you're getting wise. While those kids are just ridiculous all over.

We went on to discover that it was Kosmonaut who was ridiculous all over.

Eldros

2:57 PM

wow, already that late! I nearly didn't do anything today...

Martha

Late? It's not even 10 a.m. yet!

Eldros

I really forgot how addictive it can be to be here

@Martha I've been at work cough for about 7 hours.

RegDwight

Ah, right, that's how they call the place I've spent the last 7 hours at...

Eldros

@RegDwight Yeah right! Nearly forgot myself.

RegDwight

Hm, I can almost see Eldros from here. Bitte einmal winken!

Eldros

3:02 PM

Did you see it?

RegDwight

Ah! That was you?

Robusto

@Kosmonaut — In America, it's customary to tell women they look easy, not nice.

Eldros

Somehow Easy Question wouldn't make a good badge

sorry a nice badge

@RegDwight Surprised?

Robusto

We also need a "laugher" badge, which you get for making fun of people. I'm just saying ...

Eldros

I'm sure you would have quite a collection

RegDwight

3:05 PM

I don't have enough space to store those. You at least have a backyard.

Robusto

My neighbor already complains about those.

RegDwight

Throw a few at him.

Eldros

You should try and rant a room, or make a museum out of it.

RegDwight

With your snow thrower.

+1 for "rant a room". Very fitting.

Eldros

@RegDwight I don't accept charity

RegDwight

3:07 PM

I didn't say it would come for free. Mail me a cheque first.

Robusto

We already have the option to star chat posts. I think we should have hearts as well, which will be referred to as "pity stars" and will be given for posts that are so lame we feel bad for the poster.

2

Eldros

I don't do shady deal also. That's really true what they say about east european...

RegDwight

@Robusto I think that's how the stars are already being used.

Robusto

hahaha.

Eldros

@RegDwight I concur

I've been quite generous today

Robusto

3:09 PM

And people not in on the joke will think people just like them. It's truly insidiously ingenious.

RegDwight

I mean, just look at the list. Quite the inflation.

Eldros

You are quite popular Robusto

RegDwight

Yeah, he's got the Populist badge.

Eldros

goes all well together

Robusto

I don't need love, so long as I am feared.

Eldros

3:11 PM

well, it failed miserably

RegDwight

3 hours ago, by Robusto

Well, we need more orthodoxy around here, not less. If you elect me, I'll bring the hammer down on all that crap. I'll be just like Stalin, only this time no more Mr. Nice Guy.

You stay true to yourself. At least in the last 3 hours.

Kosmonaut

Are you going to kill him?

Eldros

Please, we are between civilized people

Robusto

Is that like being "between jobs"?

Kosmonaut

LOL

RegDwight

3:14 PM

Between a hard place and a civilized person.

Eldros

Didn't knew the Rock was civilized...

RegDwight

Mwuaharharharhar.

Robusto

I always heard it as "between Rachmaninoff and a hard piece" back in my music days.

Kosmonaut

I got a message that my own "LOL" post was flagged as offensive... that was odd.

Eldros

lol

Robusto

3:15 PM

Wow, someone has no sense of humor.

Kosmonaut

But then it disappeared.

I think it was a flag-o

RegDwight

@Kosmonaut That is interesting. I saw a blue rectangle flash to the right of the post, was gonna make a screenshot and ask what it was, but it disappeared.

Martha

@Kosmonaut, is that like a typo, only with flags?

RegDwight

Do my mystic powers now allow me to see flags?

Kosmonaut

@Martha: Exactly.

@RegDwight: Must be!

@RegDwight: You have so many powers now that it may be underwhelming if you become a moderator. It will be like adding an AM radio to your fully-loaded luxury car.

FX_

3:18 PM

@Kosmonaut: might be me, I was looking at the options below “mark as starred” and wondering what the difference was between “flag as offensive” and “flag for moderator”

RegDwight

Artist's impression.

FX_

is that the blue rectangle?

RegDwight

Yeah, precisely.

FX_

at least, it doesn't go away if I click on it

so it is me, then

Eldros

Where do you host your images by the way?

Robusto

3:19 PM

@Kosmonaut: Do mods get notified about all flags?

RegDwight

If you click on it, it flags Kosmonaut recursively.

Kosmonaut

@Robusto: That was the first time there was a flag while I was in the Chat.

FX_

I've had some spurious clicks with the new Apple touch-sensitive mouse

@Kosmonaut: how can I remove it?

Kosmonaut

We do get notified about all forum flags.

@FX_: It already disappeared for me.

I think it is harmless.

FX_

ok, sorry in any case

RegDwight

3:20 PM

@Kosmonaut Berühmte letzte Worte.

Kosmonaut

True.

Robusto

When I got banned from chat for an hour last Friday I was still able to post in the forum, edit posts, approve/reject edits, vote to close, etc.

Kosmonaut

Other famous last words include: "dare me to drink this?"

Eldros

@RegDwight I would star this message, but I like the list how it looks like right now

FX_

@Robusto you got banned from chat?

RegDwight

3:22 PM

Feb 18 at 17:40, by RegDwight

Wait, what? Robusto's suspended for half an hour now?

Martha

@FX_, yep. Last Friday. I was there.

drachenstern

@Robusto yeah, funny that "banned from chat" didn't affect the main site ...

:p

Robusto

Favorite all-time last words, from The Darwin Awards, from a woman who was killed base-jumping off of El Capitan in Yosemite Nat'l Park, CA. "I don't want to use my good parachute because it might get confiscated by the park rangers."

RegDwight

I was kind of there, but I was rebooting.

drachenstern

Also note, it was a flag-based ban, not a mod ban

RegDwight

3:22 PM

Gimme the goat!

FX_

@drachenstern couldn't have been me, I have an alibi

well, I had one... where is it... (peering through his alibis folder) there!

RegDwight

BTW now that Rebecca is here, I haven't registered for the THC so as not to make any empty promises, but if my wife lets me participate at 2 a.m., I plan to do just that.

Kosmonaut

Wow, THC is legal there?

Robusto

@RegDwight: You need a prescription for that.

Semi-jinx!

RegDwight

Old joke, Kosmonaut. Sooo old.

14 hours ago, by Robusto

Tetrahydrocannabinol

Tetrahydrocannabinol ( ) (THC), also known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), Δ1-THC (using an older chemical nomenclature), or dronabinol, is the main psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant. There is no evidence to suggest that THC is physically addictive, though one may become mentally dependent on the drug as a result of habit or an emotional connection with it. It was first isolated by Yechiel Gaoni and Raphael Mechoulam from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, in 1964. In pure form, it is a glassy solid when cold, and becomes viscous and sticky...

drachenstern

3:25 PM

Wait, we gotta register for the THC? >_>

Robusto

Yeah, @Kosmonaut, that is so 14 hours ago ...

RegDwight

@Kosmonaut But to answer your question, I wouldn't have to drive too far to get some legally.

Robusto

So ... Hamburg area, perhaps?

Martha

@drachenstern, I was wondering how the whole registration thing works, too. Does it send you reminders if you register?

Kosmonaut

Nordisch by nature?

RegDwight

3:27 PM

@Robusto Stop guessing. Look at the protocol.

26 mins ago, by RegDwight

Hm, I can almost see Eldros from here. Bitte einmal winken!

Robusto

Well, a wink is as good as a wave.

RegDwight

@Kosmonaut That's a cool song.

Robusto

In America, that translates as microwave.

RegDwight

@Robusto Thwack. @Martha: here's your ruler.

Robusto

I get no appreciation for how hard I work to bring you fresh puns.

Martha

3:29 PM

Thanks. You can borrow it anytime.

RegDwight

@Robusto THWACKTHWACKTHWACK

Robusto

I had to go to freakin' Germany to get that pun, TYVM.

I should just say, "You're welcome," and leave it at that.

thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-february-16-2011/…

Martha

brb

Eldros

As my day was very "productive" I'm nearly tempted to go home and leave the thing as it is.

drachenstern

@Martha It does.

RegDwight

3:34 PM

@Eldros Which images, btw?

Eldros

The one I can't see

RegDwight

You can't see an image?

Eldros

16 mins ago, by RegDwight

for example

RegDwight

I can see that image just fine. I've used the chat interface to upload it.

Eldros

Yeah, well I can't see a lot of images

RegDwight

3:35 PM

It's on imgur.

Well, that could be your firewall or something.

I can still see it, thanks.))

Eldros

2 hours ago, by Eldros

(bloody firewall who won't let the picture display themselves...)

Didn't want to paste the message twice

and the thing with the firewall, I had my doubt

RegDwight

Well, do you see your own image? I mean, it's on imgur, too.

Eldros

Wou mean the gravatar?

Because otherwise I don't have any hosted

RegDwight

18 mins ago, by FX_

Oh, that was FX.

Eldros

yes

RegDwight

3:38 PM

You all have the same gravatar, for Jesus' sake.

Eldros

And I don't see it

not true

mine is hmm... heller

Can't find the english word right now

RegDwight

Lighter.

Eldros

Don't want to ask leo

yeah right

RegDwight

Or haler.

Eldros

that word, I didn't knew about

I guess it is not used that frequently

RegDwight

3:39 PM

Heller (money)

The Heller or Häller was originally a German coin valued at half a pfennig and named after the city of Hall am Kocher (today Schwäbisch Hall). The coin was produced from the beginning of the 13th century based on a prevoriously produced silver pfennig (Häller Pfennig, sometimes called Händelheller for it's depiction of a hand on the front face), but was deteriorated by mixing in copper little by little so that it was no longer considered to be a silver coin. There were red, white and black Hellers. Beginning in the middle ages became a symbol of low worth, and a common german byword is ...

Eldros

No I was using an adjective

Still interesting

RegDwight

And I'm trying to make a joke.

Obviously your gravatar is not a German coin.

Eldros

Seriously?

But still the coin is named Häller

so you weren't referencing to it

Haler

Haler () is a town in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Hunsel, and lies about 9 km southeast of Weert. In 2001, Haler had 258 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.08 km², and contained 89 residences. References

RegDwight

Yeah, I was referring to the Czech coin actually, but Wikipedia doesn't have an article on that one.

Eldros

Surely, your provider lives here

RegDwight

3:42 PM

Anyhow, if I squint, they all look the same.

Eldros

then don't squint

RegDwight

Ah! Thanks. That must be it.

Eldros

Or find me an avatar

RegDwight

Well, use the Heller.

Eldros

You know what, I'll do it.

Or I would have if the gravatar site wouldn't have been blocked by the firewall

I guess that is my cue to go home

RegDwight

3:45 PM

Have fun updating it from there)))

Kosmonaut

You're allowed to go home if something gets blocked by a firewall? Can I use that reason?

And RegDwight can put in orders for THC at his job... Europe is crazy

Eldros

No, I could already have been home one hour ago

RegDwight

Nothing gets blocked in this liberal hole I'm living in. <Sigh>

Kosmonaut

I'm on a university campus so nothing gets blocked here actually.

Eldros

I don't need a reason

RegDwight

3:47 PM

@Kosmonaut Haha. Tell that to your campus police. Don't block me, bro.

Eldros

So I'll see you as soon as I'm home

Kosmonaut

Well, nothing gravatar related, I should say.

RegDwight

Cheers.

Eldros

Bis gleich

Kosmonaut

This is a great question:

1

Q: What is the history of adding the a- prefix to form words?

I have always found the a- prefix to words (as in anew, ajar, aside, awake, afoot, a-hunting, etc.) fascinating. The NOAD says on this topic: a- 2. prefix •to; toward : aside | ashore. • in a specified state or manner : asleep | aloud. • in the process of (an activity) : a...

history prefixes old-english

RegDwight

3:50 PM

Yes. I hoped you would notice.

Kosmonaut

I actually was thinking about writing a paper for a class on this a few years ago... but then I ended up doing something else.

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…