English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Q: Best link to forward to juniors re: correct use of apostrophes, possessives and contractions

6:11 PM

I'm tired of my junior employees abusing, misusing and otherwise being cavalier about possessives and the use of apostrophes. I could wag my finger at them, point them to some Guide of Style or to any of a myriad of pedantic websites that come up in a simple Google Search. What I'm looking for s...

On topic? Off topic?

6:35 PM

@Robusto No idea. Is that "peeving disguised as a question" yet?

Feels kind that way.

I'll see what others say. In the mean time, I can't resist posting a link to Bob the Angry Flower.

As a comment, mind you.

Remarkable restraint. Proud of you.

Haha.

No seriously, if there were like two close votes, I'd just ignore the question altogether.

What I most certainly don't appreciate is being called a "fellow pedant".

Unless, of course, it would be coming from you. You've called me worse things already.

Well, I would never call you a "fellow pedant" ... that would imply I'm one too.

Plus let's not say things we can't take back.

6:39 PM

Well, I've called you worse things, too. You ladder.

Oh yeah ...

I'm a go all Rufus T. Firefly on your ass for that one.

Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand?

Firefly (TV series)

Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear. The series is set in the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, and follows the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a "Firefly-class" spaceship. The ensemble cast portrays the nine characters who live on Serenity. Whedon pitched the show as "nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine differen...

Duck Soup (1933 film)

Duck Soup is a 1933 Marx Brothers anarchic comedy film written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin, and directed by Leo McCarey. First released theatrically by Paramount Pictures on November 17, 1933, it starred what were then billed as the "Four Marx Brothers" (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo) and also featured Margaret Dumont, Raquel Torres, Louis Calhern and Edgar Kennedy. It was the last Marx Brothers film to feature Zeppo, and the last of five Marx Brothers movies released by Paramount. Compared to the Marx Brothers' previous Par...

I must admit I don't remember seeing that one.

It's been way too long since I've seen that. A Night at the Opera is my current favorite Marx Brothers movie.

Rhodri

6:43 PM

You should, it's a classic.

Q: How to cite a Standard (e.g. ISO)?

filmsite.org/duck.html

Rhodri

Is this on topic?

I want to cite ISO 9001:2000. How would I fill this reference? . Institution: International Organization for Standardization Year: 2000 Title: Quality management systems - Requirements Section Title: Place Published: Publisher: Rule Number: Session Number: Section Number: Paper Number: Date: D...

writing

So what exactly do you mean by "going Rufus T Firefly" on him?

script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/d/…

Scroll down to "I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY
IF I WAS IN YOUR PLACE. MAYBE YOU CAN SUGGEST SOMETHING." and read a dozen or so lines.

@Rhodri I don't think so. It's more for writers.stackexchange.com, I think.

6:47 PM

I can't stop after a dozen or so lines.

Have to force myself.

Basically, the joke is that Groucho Marx is agreeing to forget his differences with Ambassador Trentino, but wonders what it was the ambassador called him that got him so riled in the first place. He goes through the whole list, and when he hears the one that ticked him off, he gets mad all over again and the peace plans are abandoned.

@Robusto That's worse than the start of 'Opera'.

Rhodri

@Michael: that's more or less what I thought. It looks awfully publication specific to me.

It's just been deleted anyway.

So it seems.

script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/n/…

Anyhow guys, I'm out.

6 hours ago, by RegDwight

I am a bit worried how to stay awake until 3 o'clock this night, to participate in the THC.

6:55 PM

Laterz

You need to write a chatbot, of course.

1 hour later…

8:01 PM

I may be wrong, but if I offer a bounty for a question, don't I get my reputation reduced by the bounty I offered?

How can a user with a reputation of 245 offer a bounty of 250?

He already offered it.

Yes, but he doesn't have 250 points.

The bounty has not yet assigned.

Any more. ;)

You lose the bounty when you offer it.

Oh.

That makes the difference. :-)

@MichaelMyers: Thank you.

It was changed about a year ago, I think. Maybe last summer.

8:08 PM

I thought it was different, before. At least I didn't dream it. :-)

I am not updated with the last changes. Fortunately, I have read about the flag weight, and I am not wondering why they think my weight is 150. :-)

Martha

I wish my weight was 150...

Me too, but maybe for a different reason.

Martha

8:24 PM

All of the starred chats say they were posted "NaNd ago". What unit of time is a NaNd?