English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

tchrist

01:18

0

Q: What is “long” doing in “all (time-period) long”?

What part of speech is long playing the part of in the bold parts of the quotations below? For one thing, it shows at a glance how much money is on hand for any particular purpose all month long. The fishermen stayed in their nets the whole night long. Some people prefer to live in places t...

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

we've been having fun all summer long

tchrist

I think it’s a postposition. Am I nuts?

It is equivalent to during the whole summer, and during is a preposition.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

Or a preposition governing a previous verb.

Wonder what Lawler will say.

tchrist

I don’t like calling it an adverb any more than I like calling ago an adverb. It doesn’t sit right with me that adverbs take complements.

We call thems that do “prepositions”. ’Cept this one comes after.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

Thems that did.

tchrist

01:30

And I even less like calling it an adjective modifying the time period.

Although “all the livelong day” does have livelong as an adjective, but that’s different. Kinda.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

works on the railroad

@tchrist all summer = all summer long

tchrist

Yes.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

The whole day v. the whole day through.

Unnecessary emphasis. Loss of ten yards, repeat first down.

I must travel to the cave with the wine and the boyfriend.

tchrist

Go in peace.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

Good night, and good luck.

(BBL)

tchrist

01:35

Lawler may still be awake, but almost everybody else is long gone.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

02:30

mother, will they put me in the firing line / ooh, ahh / is it just a waste of time

TemporaryNickName

03:05

hmmm, Kim Jung un was named as 'Sexiest man alive' by comedy website Onion news and the whole North Korea believes that it's true

TemporaryNickName

03:31

wow

►

this seaman video is freaking funny

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

03:52

@TemporaryNickName that sounds like the voice reading this here youmakemetouchyourhandsforstupidreasons.ytmnd.com

RegDwighт

08:44

1

Q: What you think about INDIAN ENGLISH

What you think about Indian English. i read about an article in Indian news paper about the Indian English, a developing new language such as Canadian English and American English from British English. What you think about it? is it possible to Indians to make their own language? and is it accept...

british-english indian-english

Dear next person who upvotes questions that are egregiously off-topic on every site of the network: I will personally come to your house and bludgeon you to death with a giant Indian.

Matt Эллен

11:18

@RegDwighт would it be the world's fastest Indian?

RegDwighт

11:34

He would try to bludgeon as fast as possible, yes.

Johan Larsson

why not just pun them to death?

Matt Эллен

@A As much as it is Uncommon, is it correct? — artfullyContrived 15 mins ago

brain asplode

3 comments and 1 answer say it's fine. what more can we tell you?

KitFox

Do I need to just plow through and close shit again?

RegDwighт

@JohanLarsson wait, you still alive?

Matt Эллен

@KitFox maybes

RegDwighт

11:47

That means I can't pun people to death.

KitFox

My "don't flag stuff as gen ref" is not popular.

Matt Эллен

but this one's gen ref with 3 close votes

@RegDwighт or you haven't tried hard enough

@KitFox I did see some down votes

RegDwighт

I did try trying hard enough.

Perhaps I didn't try hard enough.

Matt Эллен

:D

KitFox

Oh, right. Updates. brb

And I'm back.

Did you miss me?

Matt Эллен

11:53

terribly

RegDwighт

I missed you seven.

KitFox

Only seven?

RegDwighт

Actually eight, but I don't want to be whining.

KitFox

Famosity has changed you.

RegDwighт

Speaking of famosity, where the heck is my CUUSOO project, LEGO?

You said two days, or 72 hours at most.

KitFox

11:57

Today, today. Patience. Don't get your feathers ruffled.

They said two business days.

RegDwighт

So.

It's Mittwoch.

KitFox

Those are like progress bar minutes.

RegDwighт

Yeah, Microsoft days.

KitFox

I bought @Rob's new book.

Matt Эллен

If you were on a desert island, it could be a Robinson Cuusoo project.

KitFox

11:59

groans

Matt Эллен

I thank you

KitFox

Can you tell me why I added a datatable of keys as a parameter here?

Why would I do that?

Matt Эллен

so you could easily get at the keys

RegDwighт

@KitFox so you never have to look for you keys again.

Damn, Matt is faster.

Robusto

@KitFox Awesome. Thanks.

KitFox

12:01

I expect more from my meat, @Rob.

stamps foot

Robusto

Haha, I know you do.

RegDwighт

Sadly I don't own a Kindle. So I can't even pirate Rob's new book.

KitFox

I'll rip it into a pdf and email it to you.

RegDwighт

Perhaps he can retell it here, in his own words.

Robusto

@RegDwighт Kindle Player for PC.

KitFox

12:02

I don't own a Kindle either.

There's also the cloud reader.

RegDwighт

@Robusto it's a thing?

And it's a free thing?

Robusto

Yep.

KitFox

Yes.

RegDwighт

Tresting.

KitFox

How else do you plan to read my novels when I finish writing them?

MετάEd

12:03

If you don't read one right away, is it still novel?

KitFox

I guess I could give you a free copy for doing the German translation.

@MετάEd That's awful. Just awful. I will have to steal it.

Matt Эллен

I don't like the whole "we can take all your ebooks away on a whim" nature of amazon, so some other way, I guess.

MετάEd

@MattЭллен We have a real paper book for sale on Amazon.

KitFox

@MattЭллен I will trade you for one of yours then.

Robusto

Fuck, I was going to work from home but my rermote desktop doesn't want to work. I may have to go in after all. Fuck.

MετάEd

12:04

can't take that awaaaaay from meeeee

Matt Эллен

@KitFox :D deal!

KitFox

@Robusto Oh that bites. Increased security?

Matt Эллен

@MετάEd orly? what is it?

MετάEd

It's a collection of fairy tale poetry.

KitFox

That sounds like fun.

I like fairy tales.

Robusto

12:05

@KitFox I dunno. Might be a network issue at work, or my work computer may have shut down unexpectedly. Either way, hassle time.

KitFox

Try punching it.

Or jQuery.

I guess I passed this table so that the detail would match the summary. scratches head

MετάEd

@KitFox We got Gail Carson Levine.

Robusto

I hate network issues.

MετάEd

The writing is amazing.

RegDwighт

@KitFox um. If I am to do the German translation, I will have a free copy, in two languages.

Whacha wanna gimme, the text I only just translated?

In fact, if I am to do the German translation, I will give you a free copy of your book. In German.

KitFox

12:09

Yeah. See? It's funny.

RegDwighт

Es ist lustig.

KitFox

And I'll give you a second copy, absolutely free, for doing the Russian translation.

I am just full of beans this morning.

RegDwighт

But what if I order now and am among the first hundred callers?

KitFox

Then I'll throw in a pair of gently used panties.

RegDwighт

I'd expect a free skyscraper and some shea butter.

KitFox

12:10

Laundered, if you prefer.

Matt Эллен

@RegDwighт but wait! if you order ... now then you'll get a free set of steak knives

RegDwighт

I only accept stuff I laundered myself, and only in money.

KitFox

@MετάEd Really? That's cool.

RegDwighт

@MattЭллен aMAzing! What will they invent next?

Matt Эллен

wonders never cease!

RegDwighт

12:11

Dear wonders, please cease and desist.

MετάEd

@KitFox Yes.

Robusto

@RegDwighт All Russian money is laundered, I thought.

RegDwighт

I said money. As in, not Russian.

Robusto

Which reminds me: is the Russian mafia going to put a hit out on Cyprus now?

RegDwighт

Who gives a shit about Cyprus. Not even half of Cyprus.

MετάEd

12:13

@Robusto You mean like break one of its fingers?

RegDwighт

Why one?

KitFox

►

Robusto

@RegDwighт Well, from what I understand, Cyprus was a favorite spot for laundering (and folding and storing) Russian money.

RegDwighт

That was like a year ago. They are long gone. They are not stupid.

The buck starts with these people, it never stops with them.

KitFox

You funneh.

RegDwighт

12:16

And you're a fox.

►

KitFox

I am? checks Oh yeah.

Robusto

Also a kit.

RegDwighт

We'd need to check her affiliations.

KitFox

Oh, sorry. Rabbit-holed.

I haven't watched Seinfeld in maybe fifteen years.

tchrist

@RegDwighт We call those fillies of hers littermates where I come from.

RegDwighт

12:23

Here they started airing the very first seasons a few weeks ago.

KitFox

May 23 '11 at 12:05, by Kit

@RegDwight I am not affiliated with Knight Industries.

RegDwighт

These I haven't watched in maybe sixteen years.

I did watch Knight Rider just the other day, though.

And I think there was a character called Kit.

KitFox

I was funnier back then.

tchrist

> Is its too a development in the Indian English?

0

Q: Indian English usage of "na"

I have heard a lot of conversations end up in the word "na" mainly among in youth of India. eg: You know naa.., You have phone naa.. etc. Does it make any sense? Is its too a development in the Indian English?

indian-english

Mitch

The car was a kit you bought from an ad in the back of a 'gentleman's' magazine.

...from parts picked in the dumpster outside the back of Radio Shack

tchrist

12:27

I think it’s a “Hey, Jude” question.

@Mitch Which magazine, Justice League of America?

Mitch

Popular mechanics

Yeah it's a 'hey jew' question. 'naa' is from Ashkenazi 'nu'. "I'll just sit here in the dark, nu."

KitFox

Anyone happen to know the LaTeX control sequence for an endash?

RegDwighт

--

That's the one I use.

tchrist

@KitFox Two hyphen-minus characters.

Jinx.

23

Q: What is the LaTeX command for "em dash" (—)?

I am trying to insert the symbol in the title of the question, which I copied from a PDF article, but it appears as space in the output file. What is the corresponding LaTeX command?

symbols punctuation

RegDwighт

Em dash is three.

tchrist

12:38

Take 3 for an em dash.

RegDwighт

Haha.

tchrist

Damn it.

RegDwighт

I am so faster.

KitFox

Thx. I don't know why I couldn't remember that.

tchrist

I don’t think this can be rescued:

0

Q: Help sheet for determiners and prepositions

I'm trying to produce a simple help sheet for foriegn speakers on English determiners and prepositions. Specifically, a basic description of when to use each type of determiner, and then the list of exceptions etc. Also, for prepositions, perhaps a list of the 10 or 20 most commonly used prepos...

prepositions british-english determiners prepositional-phrase

Robusto

12:45

Kit Carson

Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson (December 24, 1809 Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married into the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes. He was hired by John C. Fremont as a guide, and led 'the Pathfinder' through much of California, Oregon and the Great Basin area. He achieved national fame through Fremont's accounts of his expeditions. He became the hero of many dime novels. Carson was a courier and scout during the Mexican-American war from 1846 to 1848, celebrated for his rescue mission after the Battle of San Pasqual and h...

Other famous Kits.

And I'm out. Laters.

tchrist

That’s the one everybody knows.

He lives down in the Crestones.

Kit Carson Peak

Kit Carson Peak is one of the 54 fourteeners in the state of Colorado. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Range near Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle and is named after the frontiersman Kit Carson. The peak is also known as Kit Carson Mountain, a name that is used for both the massif with three summits (Columbia Point, Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point) or to describe the main summit only. Recent history In 1995, the Baca Ranch, which included Kit Carson Peak, was purchased for $15 million by a group that included Yale University. By 1997, one of the partners in the group, ranch...

I used to go there a lot. It’s very nice.

Mitch

The exceptions have exceptions. The rules are chaos. A cheat sheet is hopeless, you cant even cheat at English. Just learn them one by one. Or learn Java, no prepositions

RegDwighт

@tchrist good luck with that.

Help sheet for prepositions.

Hah.

That's the last thing anybody needs. Literally. It's the last thing one can possibly master.

Filling three tomes, too.

cornbread ninja 麵包忍者

everyone you meet / they're jamming in the street / all night long

tchrist

@RegDwighт They misunderstand the entire language acquisition process.

Or misapprehend, even.

RegDwighт

13:01

Everyone does that. Especially people who have never learned a foreign language. But also the rest.

Nobody stops to think for a second how they learned their mother tongue.

Matt Эллен

It'll be a hit new comedy: How I Tongued Your Mother

RegDwighт

How I Misacquired A Language.

RegDwighт

13:15

Hm.

When I search for bubo scandiacus, my image is the second.

Is that because I am logged in as me?

That can't be because that image is on Commons and in no way tied to my Google account.

Has Google become that smart? Or my image that popular?

Matt Эллен

when I search, your image is 3rd

RegDwighт

So it's still on top.

Matt Эллен

the 3rd image in your screen grab is first and the second one is second

yes

RegDwighт

One place is nothing, could do with IP, time zone, previous search history, browser, orc color, really anything.

@MattЭллен the third image is first? But that's mine as well.

It's the same owl.

The photos were taken like thirty seconds apart.

Matt Эллен

@RegDwighт ah, well there you go. you're famous!

RegDwighт

13:18

Incréible.

tchrist

On y voit.

RegDwighт

Y?

Did you mean en?

tchrist

Well, I’m being locative.

Matt Эллен

Y tú mamá tambien

tchrist

Not partitive.

We see there/that thing.

RegDwighт

13:22

Yes, and I'm being tryingtounderstandive.

Ah.

On le voit, then.

tchrist

Yes, better.

@MattЭллен Esa película ya la vi.

Matt Эллен

Moi aussi

tchrist

¿Y te ha divertido ésa?

KitFox

Que?

Matt Эллен

oh, wait, not I haven't

tchrist

13:24

faults

Matt Эллен

I just remember thinking about watching it a lot.

tchrist

Curious.

KitFox

@MattЭллен It's really good. I watched it a few months ago.

RegDwighт

Mkay, they are adding new projects to CUUSOO now.

Three are up already.

Mine is not.

KitFox

waits for it

RegDwighт

13:25

It's usually only three to five per day.

tchrist

@MattЭллен You should watch it.

Matt Эллен

hmmm. it's not on Lovefilm instant. why aren't all their films on instant? ripping is really easy FFS

tchrist

Même si tu n’as pas d’espagnole.

Why the hell French uses indicative there I Do Not Understand.

KitFox

What the hell French is that?

tchrist

Why isn’t that subjunctive?

skullpatrol

13:29

hells bells

Matt Эллен

Hall's balls

tchrist

I guess you have to use bien que if you want a subjunctive clause. That’s lamissimo.

KitFox

@RegDwighт Now I know where you live.

Matt Эллен

No comprendo, pero si, hablo un poco de Español. No mucho, y no bien.

skullpatrol

►

KitFox

13:31

I had no idea you were caged.

tchrist

@MattЭллен You have to use sí with an acute whenever you mean yes or the emphatic particle. The other si means either if or the reflexive pronoun.

Matt Эллен

I did wonder. I forget how accents work in languages, because I don't use them

tchrist

Yo sí sé lo que dices, pero no no sé si lo sabes tú.

skullpatrol

1982 wow

KitFox

Yay for writing documentation!

tchrist

13:36

@MattЭллен Spanish uses written accents either to override the stress rule or else to distinguish homophones.

RegDwighт

@KitFox it's not much of a secret. It's on my wiki user page.

Has been for a decade.

tchrist

@MattЭллен Every language uses them for different things altogether. French uses them for pronunciation or etymology, not for stress.

Matt Эллен

hiding in plain sight!

tchrist

@MattЭллен Además, no se usa letra mayúscula con lenguas en castellano.

KitFox

@RegDwighт I meant the owl. Sheesh. No fun at all.

RegDwighт

13:38

@KitFox so did I. Sheesh.

Matt Эллен

oh. I guess that's just my English showing

KitFox

@RegDwighт Sheesh.

RegDwighт

Did you know that sheesh backwards is hseehs?

KitFox

I can see that.

skullpatrol

how did you guys like my musical intermission?

RegDwighт

13:40

It was not yours. It was Falco's.

KitFox

Old school, bro.

RegDwighт

And it wasn't available in my country.

tchrist

@RegDwighт Untrue: ʃiʃ backwards is still ʃiʃ.

RegDwighт

And I had posted it in this room myself countless times.

@tchrist untrue. A ʃ in front of an i is nothing like a ʃ.

tchrist

?

RegDwighт

13:43

ʃi is not the same as ʃ, glottal stop, i. If that makes it easier.

Someone should do that nice visualization, what's it's called.

tchrist

examines his glottis

RegDwighт

The stuff linguists do day in day out, I can never remember the name.

Some spectogram shit.

tchrist

phonoblah.

RegDwighт

Yeah.

Phonospectoshitblah.

Gram.

tchrist

or graph?

RegDwighт

13:44

Or that.

Especially seeing that it's Wodan's day.

KitFox

Phonospectrogram.

tchrist

Graph doesn’t count.

RegDwighт

Graph is German for count!

tchrist

Nor is one.

jinx

RegDwighт

Count van Count.

KitFox

13:45

@RegDwighт Makes more sense on Tyr's day, dunnit?

RegDwighт

Graf Zahl.

@KitFox you tell me. I'm not much into sense these days.

tchrist

hands @Kit a drink to quench her Tryst

KitFox

Sense and sensormatically.

I have no trysts.

tchrist

Not on Wodan’s day, no.

Today you have wood.

KitFox

Wood?

tchrist

13:46

Would.

Wold.

KitFox

I thought I had just one.

RegDwighт

Ed Wood.

Het Wood.

tchrist

It’s fucking blizzarding on me again. I just had 14" and now I can’t see again. This is the oddest not-spring.

RegDwighт

Het woodtje.

tchrist

Chetwood.

RegDwighт

13:48

Where's Cerberustje?

tchrist

A gould question.

RegDwighт

@Cerberus! Whereje artje thouje?

Matt Эллен

13:59

he's taking a dragon's age to respond

KitFox

Oh! I get it. Hahah.

Transcript for

English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…