English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Carlo_R.

22:01

I have noticed Monica user questions recently are so bad

And I have noticed a lot of dupe

simchona

@Carlo_R. No. It was a different user, and he has been suspended for a year.

Carlo_R.

People no longer search before asking

simchona

@Mitch Ugh.

ΜετάEd

@KitFox Tie a yellow ribbon around it.

Carlo_R.

@sim Nortons is suspended for a years too

But there is (in Italy) an antivirus called "Nortons"

simchona

22:05

@Carlo_R. Why are you hung up on Nortonn?

Carlo_R.

@sim is there in America an antivirus called "Carlons"?

Matt Эллен

Norton Antivirus is well known the world over

Carlo_R.

@sim "Nortonn" is a well known bad user, but today he ask a good question on dangling

simchona

@Carlo_R. Stop talking about Nortonn.

There are much worse users than that.

waiwai933

This room was placed in timeout for 2 minutes; users are reminded to remain polite.

ChairOTP

22:12

What happened?

Carlo_R.

@ChairOTP I have the same question

@ChairOTP have you read "2001: A space odissey"?

ChairOTP

@Carlo_R. Not really. What is it about?

Carlo_R.

@ChairOTP there is a film on this book (The sentinel)

A film of Stanley Kubrik

ChairOTP

@Carlo_R. I'm usually more the kind of don't-judge-a-book-by-its-film person.

Matt Эллен

The film of the book is called 2001: a space odyssey

so, theyhave the same name

Carlo_R.

22:18

@Matt yes, do you know that film

Matt Эллен

as far as I can tell, The Sentinel is entirely unrelated.

@Carlo_R. I've seen bits. I've read bits of the book, but not all of it.

ChairOTP

@MattЭллен from what you've read, is it worth it?

Carlo_R.

The book is not so well, but the story is fantastic

Matt Эллен

It's a well known work, so it's useful to know it. I was young when I started reading it, so I got bored after a while. I'd probably enjoy it if I tried again, now.

the first part, about the evolution of man, is fun to read

after that it got a bit dry for my teenage mind

Carlo_R.

Yes @Matt, I agree

ChairOTP

22:21

I think I'm going to give it a try and take a quick look at it.

Carlo_R.

"Someone, somewhere in summertime" is the title of a song by "Simple Mind". Is it well known in America?

Matt Эллен

I'm not American, so I can't tell you :D

Carlo_R.

Probabily it is too old for rememeber. I was 50 years old at that time

ChairOTP

@Carlo_R. May I ask how old are you?

Carlo_R.

@Matt sorry I should have say "US", not America

@ChairOTP yes, I'm 79 year old

When I was teenager "The sentinel" was a legend

Matt Эллен

22:28

@Carlo_R. That's OK, America is fine :D I'm from the UK!

ChairOTP

@MattЭллен Let me envy you.

Matt Эллен

go right ahead :D

Carlo_R.

@Matt London is beautiful, I was there with my spouse in 1963

Matt Эллен

nice. It certainly has it's good points. It's no doubt changed a lot since then!

ChairOTP

Please don't talk about the UK, it makes me sad lol

Matt Эллен

22:31

Why's that?

ChairOTP

Because I'd love to go to the UK and the US.

Those are places that I have a feeling that I must go, I don't know why...

Odd thing.

Matt Эллен

Getting to the UK should be easy if you're in Europe?

ChairOTP

I'm not in Europe...

Matt Эллен

Ah, sorry! I don't know why I made that assumption

Carlo_R.

@ChairOTP where you come from

ChairOTP

22:33

@Carlo_R. South America.

Carlo_R.

@ChairOTP Beautiful

ChairOTP

@Carlo_R. dull.

Carlo_R.

sud america has an irresistible fascination

Matt Эллен

@ChairOTP don't you have wilderness filled with dangerous creatures?

The UK has none of that.

not that is doesn't have beautiful countryside

but you're unlikely to find mountain lions or parrots in the wild :D

Carlo_R.

@ChairOTP when I was young I have worked in Colombia in enginering construction sector

ChairOTP

22:36

@MattЭллен We have a great diversity of flora and fauna of course, but I think I've had enough of it. Plus, I have create this pedestal in my mind in which the UK and US are standing on

@Carlo_R. what are the chances, I live in Colombia.

Do you remember where did you exactly work?

Matt Эллен

@ChairOTP I understand. I used to feel that way about Japan. I still haven't been, but I've lost that feeling. I should go though. I want to see if it lives up to my past expectations at all.

ChairOTP

@MattЭллен I don't think I'll ever lose the feeling. I always wake up wishing that something is going to happen and I'm going to have the chance to go there, it's always there...never stumps...

Carlo_R.

it was in Cundinamarca Departement, but it 50 more years passed @Chair

ChairOTP

@Carlo_R. Then you probably were in the capital Bogotá.

Matt Эллен

@ChairOTP you just have to come up with a plan! work backwards from being in the UK to find the steps required and then go through with it!

Carlo_R.

22:40

Yes, I lived in the campus of construction

ChairOTP

@MattЭллен I'm currently studying but I think I may go to the US the next year, a summer job perhaps, I still don't know, I just hope every single day it comes true.

Carlo_R.

@sim do you know Colombia?

Matt Эллен

@ChairOTP good luck. I'm sure you'll make it.

Carlo_R.

@Chair goof luck from me, too

ChairOTP

@MattЭллен Thank you, I remain optimist above all.

@Carlo_R. Thank you too.

ЯegDwight

22:43

Today is the International Timeout Day.

Matt Эллен

I blame the parents

ЯegDwight

@KitFox your Irish is showing. Contracting the main verb like that is ungrammatical on the West side of the pond.

Carlo_R.

@Reg this is the world

Matt Эллен

@ЯegDwight TI'veL

ЯegDwight

@MattЭллен if T stands for Two years ago, then yes.

6

A: Can you contract the main verb in a sentence?

In American English, the contracted form ’ve is only possible as an auxiliary verb. It is not grammatical as a main verb. This is not the case in British English, where it is grammatical, and this is one of the differences between British and American English

ChairOTP

22:45

@MattЭллен Is 'shall' still commonly used in the UK?

Carlo_R.

@reg I have some difficult to type the inverse R, could you change in its oppose?

Matt Эллен

@ChairOTP depends to whom you speak. It's a little old fashioned, but not gone from my vocabulary, that's for sure.

Carlo_R.

@Chair no, only in formal writing

Matt Эллен

Nah, it's spoken alright

usually in a pretentious way, but still

ЯegDwight

@Carlo_R. you mean ɹegdwight?

Or ʁegdwight?

Matt Эллен

22:48

your name starts with a bunny!

Carlo_R.

Sorry I have a problem with my phone. There is only one letter R on my keypad

But tomorrow I will buy iPhone5

ChairOTP

@Carlo_R. Hoping the day I can say that comes soon.

Jez

Why does "He doesn't represent A or B" sound more natural to me than "He doesn't represent A nor B"?

shouldn't the latter actually be correct?

Carlo_R.

My battery is almost esausted - I must leave you - hello to everyone - probabily I come back tomorrow - thank you

Matt Эллен

@Jez I use the former. I guess it's because there's already one negation, so the intent is clear

@Carlo_R. CU

Jez

22:55

@MattЭллен but the intent is always clear. "nor" is always redundant

"neither A or B" must mean "not either of them"

Matt Эллен

aye

I think a lot of people have dropped nor

Jez

well the funny thing is that I haven't for the most part

but this case of "doesn't verb..." feels like an exception

i'm not sure why

Matt Эллен

hmmm. I don't know if I have

Jez

I'd always say "neither X nor Y" and "I am not Xing nor am I Ying"

though I might say "I am not Xing or Ying" and "He doesn't X or Y"

it's pretty random

Matt Эллен

:D

ЯegDwight

22:58

32

Q: France is not within 30 miles of London

On StackOverflow Careers, I regularly do a search for candidates within 30 miles of London. I often get matches with candidates who have listed that they want to work in France, and expressly not listed London, England, Europe, or Earth (any of which would legitimately match the search). Please t...

status-bydesign

Jez

what the actual fuck is that text

Matt Эллен

it's not on its own line

Now you are just questioning French people's capacity to teleport. That's ridiculous. — Gnoupi Apr 13 '10 at 7:39

Jez

it's a close call. Boulogne-sur-mer is within maybe 50 miles of London

Matt Эллен

@ЯegDwight yup, it's wrong by design. that's how I explain all my bugs

especially since I'm given no design normally, so I get to say what is intentional!

ЯegDwight

Bugs deserve design, too.

I think I'll go and put that on my business card. Bug Designer. No, Senior Bug Architect.

Matt Эллен

23:02

:D

Senior Bug Guru

ЯegDwight

Chief Bug Officer.

Matt Эллен

like Woody Allen

ЯegDwight

No. I will never like him.

Matt Эллен

He's a patient man. He'll wait for you

Jez

now you couldn't get that ambiguity in most languages

English, where the imperative, infinitive, and subjunctive are identical

Matt Эллен

23:07

it's why we're kings of comedy

or queens

Jez

and the indicative, i forgot that one.

I like Woody Allen. It's good to like Woody Allen. It's important a person like Woody Allen. Like Woody Allen!!!

ЯegDwight

@Jez yes. A lawyers' playground of a language. Everyone gets to interpret every shit any way he likes it.

Jez

in French that's aime, aimer, aime, and aimez

subjunctive is the same as indicative

sometimes.

ЯegDwight

Je vais appeler ça un jour.

Ouvert et haut !

Jez

open and high?

presumably a pun on "over and out"

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