English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

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cornbread ninja

17:10

►

I love the giant gum pack.

Sudhir

Hi @MattЭллен

How are doing?

Matt Эллен

Hi. I'm OK.

Sudhir

It's being long time since we had talked

So how's your work going on?

Matt Эллен

Fine, thanks.

Sudhir

@MattЭллен:While discussing with one of my friends

I got confused

Could you clarify my doubt?

if you are free

Matt Эллен

17:20

OK. What is your question?

Sudhir

If our friends are not able to take us in their car, we must make alternate/alternative arrangements to go to the airport.

For me alternate sounds more apt

Matt Эллен

Either word is fine there. Alternate is used more often in the US, alternative is used more in the UK.

Sudhir

So both are right?

Matt Эллен

yes

Sudhir

Is Google is a word in English?

Matt Эллен

17:24

(to paraphrase NoHat) a word is English if you use it when speaking English

Sudhir

I was surprised when my spell checker didn't complained

Matt Эллен

They've been a round for a while now, and have had a huge influence on the technology sector, of which spell checker creators are part.

Sudhir

So its a word in English?

Matt Эллен

yes

Sudhir

But google(small g) used as a verb it complains. Why so?

Matt Эллен

17:27

because it is a proper noun

not just a proper noun, but also a trademark

trademarks get spelt how the trademark owner decides

e.g. iPhone

Sudhir

So trader-makers decides what to spelt

and how to spelt

Matt Эллен

they decide how to spell their trademarks, yes

(spelt is the past tense of spell)

Sudhir

Ya you are right

You've a great knowledge. I just love it in acquiring this stuff.

One thing I've noticed the people whose native language is English don't write short forms of English. Why so?

Like we Indians have very bad habit of writing short cuts(like you is written as u).

Matt Эллен

I don't think that is universally true. Teenagers often write in some abbreviated forms

People just use what feels natural at the time

Sudhir

So in UK teenagers write shortcuts?

Matt Эллен

17:37

all the time

not in formal writing, but online and such

Sudhir

Also, while discussing with my best friend, she said
I need to practise to secure high rank in the exam

Here practise sounds weird according to me.

But she told that its correct

What you say?

Matt Эллен

practice makes sense. what sounds weird?

Sudhir

Practise

Is it right?

Matt Эллен

it's the US spelling

Sudhir

But its right in usage ?

in this sentence

So why my spell checker complains as it is used in American English?

Matt Эллен

17:46

I don't know. I didn't write your spell checker :D

practice

Sudhir

You try in your textbox

Cerberus

@MattЭллен Huh?

Matt Эллен

huh

Cerberus

In American English, they use practice for both verb and noun.

Matt Эллен

well, I get confused with that anyway.

Cerberus

17:48

In British, practice for the noun, practise for the verb. Is t not so?

@MattЭллен Me too!

I always have to think about it.

Matt Эллен

@Cerberus yes, that seems to be the case

Cerberus

It doesn't really matter anyway.

OK!

Sudhir

@Cerberus: Why it complains?

as it can be used as verb

Cerberus

Not in America, probably. Set your spelling checker to British.

Sudhir

How to do that?

ok @MattЭллен

Just leaving

got tired

Bye

Take care

Matt Эллен

17:55

Sudhir

What's that mean

Matt Эллен

C = see U = you

Cerberus

I have to go too...bye!

Matt Эллен

18:11

byee!

Epitorial

Hello. Do you know an online site for searching (difficult) words for a particular description? Here's an example:
vi·tu·per·a·tive
Adjective
Bitter and abusive.

(Google)

simchona

Like a dictionary?

Epitorial

Yes.

Matt Эллен

18:58

oxforddictionaries.com

@tchrist @kit it seems the charts I showed you already do exclude duplicates.

tchrist

19:40

@MattЭллен Oh!

2 hours later…

Mitch

21:40

WTF

Q: What is the origin / reason for adding asterisks within swear words like f**k?

Several variants of this topic have already been covered here, such as: What name for bowdlerisation with asterisks (e.g., “f*ck”)? What the #$@&%*! is that called? However, these deal with the naming of this convention or with replacing whole words with asterisks / obscenicons / grawlixes...