English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

RegDwight

12:00 AM

If you read my answer on meta it actually says "here are other examples, all of them open, so...".

Mr. Disappointment

I was just sayin'.

MrHen

FWIW, I don't care that much. I just have an opinion on everything.

@RegDwight Yeah, that answer from way back when? I saw that and thought, "Heh, well that's that."

RegDwight

I will always research and post stuff like that when I am on the fence or indifferent myself.

MrHen

And figured it was a good way to deal with it.

RegDwight

See e.g. here:

2

A: Is asking a question about the politeness of a phrase on-topic?

Well, we do have these (and many more, just search the site for "polite" or "rude"): Is “Can I have a cup of coffee?” polite? “Excuse Me”… Is it polite or just a terse way to ask others to step aside? Is “thanks” appropriate to be polite in this situation? Is “can” or “could” more polite? Is it...

MrHen

12:01 AM

The biggest issue I see with the joke/lyric/poem questions is the same issue that arises every time we get those, "I read this in a newspaper. What does it mean?" questions.

RegDwight

That's the most recent one of that kind.

@MrHen See, some people hate those. Others love them.

MrHen

Right. And, actually, just having the data/examples is good.

RegDwight

Robusto and Yoichi got tons of reps out of them.

MrHen

@RegDwight Right. I see the joke/lyric/poem stuff as a step further down that path.

Sometimes they are interesting; sometimes not.

But the way the question is phrased makes all the difference, in my opinion.

RegDwight

The thing is, that is true of all questions.

MrHen

12:03 AM

@RegDwight But some topics have a worse signal-to-noise ratio

Which is probably what Jeff is trying to point out.

RegDwight

I am not so sure.

Mr. Disappointment

And it's not that I think they should be cast to oblivion, either; some selective ones might well be good cases (and this draws double standards, potentially) - but people find it difficult to post a good question, not to mention a good question regarding a joke.

MrHen

@RegDwight How so?

@MrDisappointment Agreed.

RegDwight

There are lots of would-be linguisticky questions on the site that are actually total crap.

In fact, those recent poor-quality questions were about etymology and whatnot.

MrHen

@RegDwight True. But is it fair to say that some topics have a better history on EL&U than others?

RegDwight

12:05 AM

@MrHen I honestly couldn't tell.

MrHen

@RegDwight Fair enough.

RegDwight

And in fact, I have posted a ton of subpar questions myself, to populate the site.

During the beta.

MrHen

As I alluded to, I tend to land on the close it first, ask questions later side of things.

@RegDwight I think Beta deserves special treatment.

RegDwight

But that's the thing! The Chuck Norris and all those other questions are from the beta phase!

MrHen

Sure. To clarify: Beta deserves special treatment while in Beta.

I sent you guys a bunch of old "do not act like this" questions.

Closing the Chuck Norris joke is purely symbolic

RegDwight

12:08 AM

@MrHen Normally such questions get a special note.

MrHen

@RegDwight Agreed. I think it was callous of Jeff to just close it. Not very... political.

But hey, to each their own.

trg787

4:17 AM

Lenin - Grib..... haha.... At the end of interview the interviewr could1n't help but laugh , Kurekhin too couldn't help and laughed.... It was a mistification, for 1 hour they very seriously d1iscussed why Lenin was a mushroom. Thousands of stupid asses wrote letters to TV.....Why Lenin was a mushroom? How is it?

Waldir

4:40 AM

Hi all. Quick question: should one say "vertical rectangular cross-section" or "rectangular vertical cross-section"? I feel that the first one is right but I'm not sure...

trg787

4:58 AM

Definitely both options are equal

Jez

9:03 AM

humm

so is the US gonna be downgraded in credit rating?

Jez

9:20 AM

lol @z7sg curious, i was just thinking about your unicorn avatar for some reason

z7sg

@Jez ?!

RegDwight

9:43 AM

Another awesomely descriptive title.

2

Q: Language usage- connotations of words - synonyms

Does the word, pertinacity have positive or negative connotations?

synonyms

Though the last one was even better.

Jul 8 at 7:59, by RegDwight

1

Q: Usage: grammar or style

Does one say, give your best OR give of your best when it comes to effort?

grammar

z7sg

Another H&B sockpuppet?

RegDwight

You know what, that crossed my mind.

Jez

Anyone have any clue about this?

0

Q: Is Jutland so-called because the region it describes 'juts out' into the ocean?

I know that 'Jutland', a part of Denmark, comes from the Danish 'Jylland', which describes the same region. But was that name just invented at random, or does it come from the verb 'jut', as the land juts out into the ocean?

etymology geography

RegDwight

@z7sg I have no idea why the question is tagged "synonyms" and the title mentions synonyms, but the actual question is about connotations.

@Jez I don't know. Never thought about it.

Wow, hold on. Was I wrong in thinking that the two indescriptive questions were by the same user?

The gravatars look identical.

And so are the user names.

But them are two different users.

What the.

Mary

21 1

word-choice grammaticality prepositions

Mary

11 1

nouns connotation

Merged.

Alenanno

10:14 AM

0

Q: finding reliable source

I'll write a essay on topic "parents must give permission to their teens to make their own decision". I've searching but I've not seen any reliable source or any article. Can one help me to find a source or webcite on that topic ?

resources essay online-resources

deleted by its own author

trg787

Why do you think that "parents must give permission to their teens to make their own decision"? It's a nonsense. Teens must be controlled even better than cattle,

Alenanno

lol

trg787

heh :)

RegDwight

10:42 AM

Wow, the Wikipedia section on transitive Hungarian verbs is so poorly written it hurts.

Transitive verb

In syntax, a transitive verb is a verb that requires both a direct subject and one or more objects. The term is used to contrast intransitive verbs, which do not have objects. Examples Some examples of sentences with transitive verbs: *You lifted the bag. ("bag" is the direct object of "lifted") *I punished you. ("you" is the direct object of "punished") *I gave you the book. ("book" is the direct object, and "you" is the non-prepositional indirect object of "give") *John traded his apple and Jane's orange with her. ("his apple and Jane's orange" is the object of "traded", but "with her"...

@Martha: do the examples provided have anything to do with the subject at hand?

I started editing it for brevity and proper formatting but then it occurred to me that one might simply wish to kill it with fire.

Alenanno

You know Hungarian?

RegDwight

No. Then I wouldn't be asking.

Alenanno

I see :P

Alenanno

11:42 AM

@RegDwight I'm quite sure of an answer I want to post but I couldn't find anything, neither to prove it, nor against it... Should I post it or wait until I find something?

Kit

Morning!

Alenanno

hey Kit

Kit

Oh, my, starting off the morning with an edit to "Morning!". That does not bode well.

What's new?

Alenanno

xD

I'll go eat now

:D

see you later

RegDwight

@Alenanno I... I don't know. Too little information.

But people post wrong stuff all the time. As long as it is identified as wrong and downvoted/deleted/amended/improved...

Hm. I think I have a new favourite phrase: "according to the English language".

0

Q: "Lots of milk and sugar" or "lots of milk and (lots) of sugar"

When asking how someone wants their tea, they reply: "lots of milk and sugar". Is that to be interpreted as "Lots of milk and sugar" or "lots of milk and (lots) of sugar" according to the english language?

conversation

Make that "according to the english language", even.

Ed Guiness

12:11 PM

funny, I didn't actually notice that phrase when replying. All I could think of was past experiences with greedy plumbers.

Kit

Hi @EdGuiness! Such a pleasure to see you in chat.

Unfortunately, I'm on my way to get some coffee. TTFN.

Ed Guiness

Why thank you Kit, and it's a pleasure to see another small furry avatar. Never have too many of those.

Kit

12:26 PM

@EdGuiness But I notice your avatar is not so small and furry...

RobinHood

hi @RegDwight how are you?

RegDwight

12:41 PM

← 120 messages moved from War Metal Tyrant

@RobinHood Helloes. I'm fine though a bit sleepy. And you?

Ed Guiness

@Kit try to not hold it against me?

RegDwight

Yeah, Kit's trying skills are quite mad. :P

Robusto

@RegDwight — Haha, I couldn't resist replying to that. Pulp Fiction opportunity!

RegDwight

Are you the English language?

Robusto

What gave it away?

RegDwight

12:45 PM

Your inventing the adjectives.

Also, your discovering yourself.

Kit

@EdGuiness Naturally I wouldn't. But then, I'm not the one with a penchant for small, furry animal avatars. ☺

RegDwight

Mar 29 at 13:16, by Robusto

I discovered English. Everyone who speaks it should be paying me royalties.

Robusto

Columbus discovered me. Wait, what? Who am I really? America or the English Language? There is room for some doubt.

RegDwight

There is, but this isn't it.

Robusto

@RegDwight — Oh, that's right. Thanks for the citation. And keep those royalty checks coming.

RegDwight

12:46 PM

My wrist hurts.

Robusto

Then stop pleasuring yourself so much.

Ed Guiness

@RegDwight been thwacking?

Kit

Softly masticating.

RegDwight

@EdGuiness Yeah. Thwacking the czechs. Now that is some fun, me's tellinya.

Kit

@EdGuiness Your answer reminds me of the electrician's old jibe "If I were any dumber, I'd've been a plumber."

RegDwight

12:47 PM

Wer nichts wird, wird Wirt!

Ed Guiness

@Robusto I like your answer, esp the pulp fiction ref, but you come right out and say its unequivocal then... equivocate? english.stackexchange.com/questions/33664/…

@Kit electricians are just as thirsty for tea and hungry for biscuits, in my exp.

Robusto

@EdGuiness That's not what I said. I said "To me this seems unequivocally to mean ..."

Ed Guiness

@RegDwight Can't say I've thwacked many czechs. I'm sure its quite an experience

Robusto

If I were taking coffee orders, I would give large quantities of milk and sugar. But I'm not everyone.

RegDwight

@EdGuiness There's always a first time.

Robusto

12:50 PM

And I go on to explain about "room for doubt" and so on. All of which proves my point: If a thing can be misinterpreted, someone will misinterpret it. Q.E.D.

RegDwight

Well, technically, only once.

Kit

So here's something funny...

Ed Guiness

@Robusto I see that... I'm just obsessing over the word unequivocal, which means (as I understand it) the same as unambiguous.

RegDwight

"What is the difference between misinterpret and Miss America?"

Ed Guiness

despite being your opinion (what else would it be)

RegDwight

12:51 PM

@Kit Fun fact about funny...

Kit

There was a thunderstorm this weekend, the server's offline, and no one is around who has access to enter the password and reboot.

So I actually have a reason to sit around and goof off.

Ed Guiness

@RegDwight (snicker) don't you mean Miss South Carolina?

Kit

And I find I have quite lost my taste for it.

RobinHood

@RegDwight oOhh little bit busy..

Ed Guiness

@Kit goof off? thwack czechs? you guys...

RegDwight

12:52 PM

Kit is not a guy in this room.

Ed Guiness

you peoples...?

Kit

@RegDwight That's right. Only in the secret boys' room.

RegDwight

And that @notaguy can now play War Metal Tyrant all day without rebooting.

I'm envious.

Kit

Actually, I could be a guy in the gender neutral sense in this room.

Robusto

@Kit — "To me ..." and "seems" are my rebuttal to this.

RegDwight

12:53 PM

@Kit See, could.

9 mins ago, by RegDwight

Yeah, Kit's trying skills are quite mad. :P

Kit

Now I'm confused.

RegDwight

I am here to confuse.

Ed Guiness

@Robusto was that meant for me?

RegDwight

Jun 30 at 21:30, by Mr. Disappointment

It's mostly comprehensible in your absence, so you can go ahead and ignore it.

@EdGuiness Hey it's much funnier as is.

Robusto

@EdGuiness — Yes. Sorry. Too late to edit now.

Kit

12:55 PM

@RegDwight I think I'm pretty good at being a guy. Is it hard to tell sometimes?

RegDwight

Huhuh, she said hard, huhuh.

Ed Guiness

oh poo, now someones gone and downvoted my reply. and i quite liked it, too.

..ooO(succumb or defend, roll over or resist)

Robusto

Wasn't me.

RegDwight

Jul 6 at 15:21, by RegDwight

Resistance is futile!

Robusto

I only downvote if something is flat wrong.

Ed Guiness

12:58 PM

oh well, a little downvoting is healthy for my otherwise uncontained ego, I spose.

i no complain

RegDwight

You misspelled spouse.

RobinHood

genius

Robusto

@RegDwight — He spelled it "ego"?

Kit

@RobinHood I think you mean "jeenyus"

RegDwight

@Robusto You misspelled communist.

Robusto

12:59 PM

@RegDwight — And you capitalized on the opportunity. Traitor!

RobinHood

lol

Ed Guiness

this is becoming quite the jazz session

RegDwight

That's Commie Mutant Traitor to you.

Robusto

@RegDwight — Da, tovarich.

Kit

@Robusto If he were capitalizing on it, he would have said Communist.

RobinHood

1:01 PM

@RegDwight now i have to go..see you tomorrow.byee Genius.

RegDwight

@Robusto That's a щ, not a ч.

Ed Guiness

...what with all the syncopated non sequiturs

Robusto

@EdGuiness — Hey, you got a 3-vote and an accept for "teacup" ... you should feel blessed.

RegDwight

@Kit Robusto is the Capitalizationist of this room.

Robusto

THAT IS CORRECT.

RegDwight

1:01 PM

Mar 14 at 16:22, by Robusto

I'm a Capitalizationist. I Thought You Knew That.

Robusto

Now, what would Don Draper do?

theoatmeal.com/comics/wwddd

RegDwight

@EdGuiness How are any these non-sequiturs? Daffodil winter.

Ed Guiness

@Robusto indeed, and blessed again for getting away with thinly veiled rant

MrHen

1:12 PM

@RegDwight: I would throw this question in the same grouping we were talking about yesterday:

0

Q: "Grizzly status"

In a Youtube video I was watching yesterday I heard some young kid shouting "grizzly status!" over and over again. According to urban dictionary, it applies to extremely extraordinary achievements which demonstrate high skill. What I'm curious about is what the origin of "grizzly" is. Anyone know...

slang

Mr. Disappointment

TTYL.

RegDwight

Have fun or whatever it is you have at work.

Mr. Disappointment

My day job == fun, configuring Domain Controllers because somebody else can't do theirs != fun. : (

Kit

@MrDisappointment Oh, hey, speaking of configuring Domain Controllers...

Just kidding.

RegDwight

Yeah, I have that problem with my PC. Where do I click to listen to Chris de Burgh?

→ 1 message moved to War Metal Tyrant

Oops.

I mean.

→ 3 messages moved to War Metal Tyrant

Kit

1:21 PM

@RegDwight Wanna move the part where you let Robusto in on my little secret as well?

RegDwight

Want? Hm. Let me think...

→ 20 messages moved to War Metal Tyrant

Wow, someone is in our internet deleting questions.

0

Q: Why 'Meaning of "I've gotten over X" ' was removed

I do not mean to stir up any commotion here, but today I looked at the list of my answers and realised that one (lousy one) had disappeared on its own. Curious I went to check it out and discovered that the entire question had been removed. May I ask for a brief answer as to why the question was ...

discussion

Kit

@RegDwight Can you do that if, say, you have access to mod tools?

RegDwight

@Kit No.

But you can see who deleted it.

At 10k you can see deleted stuff.

Kit

Mysterious.

RegDwight

Cf. kiamlaluno's screenshot.

He cut off the "deleted by" message so as not to stir the waters, I suppose.

Kit

1:34 PM

Oh. Then not so mysterious?

RegDwight

As I said, at 10k it's not mysterious at all.

You just can't delete stuff yourself.

Unless, of course, it's your own stuff.

Kit

@RegDwight Well, you didn't actually say that. But I get it now.

RegDwight

Ah sorry, "access to mod tools" = "10k".

I just silently substituted it.

Kosmonaut

What the heck is going on?

RegDwight

A lot. And then some.

In the mean time, one of the closed questions got reopened by the community.

Kosmonaut

1:40 PM

Of course they did

I don't understand what he is doing.

RegDwight

english.stackexchange.com/posts/33553/revisions

Jeff moves in mysterious ways.

Kosmonaut

Not even a closure, but a deletion??

RegDwight

Perhaps he's preparing an influx of experts?

Well, ask @Martha about Jeff and deleted questions. :P

Then again, don't remind her.

Martha

@RegDwight No. All of the examples listed are plain old transitive verbs. The first sentence ("Hungarian has a misunderstood feature...") is correct (although not very well stated), but the rest is irrelevant.

RegDwight

@Martha Thank you.

Martha

1:43 PM

@Kosmonaut Why is he even "moderating" this site?

Kosmonaut

@Martha That's what I want to know!

RegDwight

I am wondering if he's seeing any alarming signs we're not seeing.

But I've checked everything I could think of, I'm still not seeing it.

Kosmonaut

He argued that this site should be held to high standards, for language experts — well, I'm a language expert, and I'm getting annoyed.

Martha

I don't see anything wrong with the question he deleted.

Kosmonaut

I don't even see why it should be closed.

RegDwight

1:45 PM

You can cast an undelete vote.

Kosmonaut

Deleted is just off the charts.

RegDwight

If you can handle the stress, that is.

Kosmonaut

Deleted, AND no explanation for anyone.

Isn't that against their philosophy?

RegDwight

Well, Jeff is a busy man. And I don't mean that negatively, even.

Kosmonaut

That's fine — in that case, there's no need to get involved at that level.

RegDwight

1:47 PM

You know how quick to act he can be.

Martha

If I try to vote to undelete, I get a message "A moderator has deleted this post and it cannot be undeleted."

RegDwight

@Kosmonaut Fair to say.

@Martha Wow.

That's a new feature.

I thought only the OP was not allowed to cast a reopen vote...

But obviously nöone is.

Except other mods.

And this is where it gets tedious.

Because mods are not supposed to disagree in public.

They are supposed to kill each other behind the scenes.

And yet...

Kosmonaut

Is that why it was deleted? So people wouldn't just cast reopen votes?

RegDwight

14 hours ago, by RegDwight

I don't see Jeff killing vgv8 questions by the dozen. And they were pure, distilled, utter crap.

Also, this.

0

Q: In this sentence "Me and you" or "You and I " is correct?

Consider this conversation: "Hey, we've been seeing each other for a couple of months" "Did you really expect to get married two weeks? I am not easy like other girls." "It's not about other girls. It's about me and you" Is me and you correct and why?