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12:13 AM
There are only 35 answers in this search and none is canonical.
 
I was afraid of that.
 
So: well volunteered, sir!
 
I poked a bit to find a dupe, but failed to find anything whose answer seemed good enough for a canonical close question.
nohat chastised me for saying there aren’t rules, so I have modified that with "not any rules you will ever understand without studying a whole lot of stuff for a long time".
However, I see 35 candidates. :)
I am uncomfortable with telling people they won’t understand it.
However, I am convinced this is true.
English has somewhere around 35–38 phonemes, but just which ones those are vary by dialect.
We only have 26 letters in the current alphabet.
Moreover, those are abstract phonemes.
The people asking this question will not understand that things that are two phonemes in their language are just allophones in ours, or vice versa.
So even if you picked a 40-phoneme alphabet, it wouldn’t fix their problems.
And English spelling does other things than explain pronunciation. I think this is the big concept all these people are missing.
I should probably count the diphthongs as individual phonemes; that boosts the repertoire even higher.
Plus, now we could no longer talk to each other, for you and I would no longer spell things the same way.
Well, we could talk.
We couldn’t write.
 
12:47 AM
@Kabir hey
@Robusto me neither, but it's like the pot calling the kettle black is all. The RP reporter 'correcting' others speech was over the top, but one accent correcting the other was too.
@Cerberus Sic!
 
1:28 AM
So guess what, Xbox Live is down again. Every. Other. Day. Around the same friggin time.
@Rob & @Cer: also, I've figured out what the "3 days left" thing is all about. Turns out on Xbox you can't play online multiplayer at all unless you pay for Gold. I only get a free 7-day ride for this game to get me hooked, then I'm expected to pay to be able to play it at all, and to pay friggin MS mind you. Not a cent will go to the game devs.
So in other words, I am expected to pay for the only fucking thing about this game that is not working properly.
Whoever came up with this shit should get fired. From a cannon. To the Sun.
 
@RegDwigнt Yikes!
That's pretty horrible.
How much would you have to pay?
 
Yeah. Also, the same friend who explained this to me told me that this moronic system actually works so well that now with PS4 Sony are doing it as well!
 
I hope consoles die soon.
 
No online multiplayer at all unless moneys. Simply not an option.
 
Quanta?
 
1:34 AM
@Cerberus I dunno, I've not looked it up yet. But the sad thing is I'll probably go and buy it anyway because I happen to have some 35 Euro left on a Game Stop gift card, and I've no idea what else to buy with it as I buy most games online these days, and they are cheaper there as well.
It was a 50-Euro gift card, and I spent 15 bucks on Burnout Paradise, only to notice that via Live it would have cost me just 4.
So now I just keep looking and buying via Live and have no use for the remaining 35 bucks other than exchanging them into Microsoft Points to use on Live purchases.
Anyway, it appears the reports are declining, so I'll go try to log in again.
Mind you, that's only the tens of thousands of people who can be bothered to report, and only on that particular site. I wonder how many millions are actually affected right now.
First-world problems FTW.
... nope, still no cigar. And the reports are climbing again. And in fact now even the official MS site admits it's not working. That's a first! So it must be really really bad, I guess.
"The social media, gaming, TV, music, video, and online store are all up, and the only teeny-tiny problem is that you can't connect to or use any of these things." This is hilarious.
 
What’s the max tag length?
 
30 I think.
 
Thanks.
 
Could be 25 actually. But I think it's 30.
 
Testing.
Not 30.
25.
 
1:49 AM
So 25 it is then.
Perhaps they changed it at some point. I can't be remembering two numbers for no reason. Too inefficient.
 
Choose one.
I have six and thirty questions awaiting retagging with your illustrious choice.
Choose again if it pleases you.
Yes, I know nothing is said “the same as it’s spelled”.
That’s not the point of the tag.
Andrew pointed out we have no canonical answer to these unending questions about it.
 
I think the technical term you're struggling to remember is .
 
I’m going to lasso them, then pull it taut — because of course it cannot be taught.
 
Anyhoo. The first one is the best, but the unlike should be a versus.
 
That will work.
 
1:54 AM
We have vs in all tags. Don't break the lucky streak.
 
@RegDwigнt Can't you spend your card on Steam or something?
 
@Cerberus oh that's a good question actually.
But then again you know how much Steam I play.
 
@RegDwigнt Pathetic.
 
But you're right, I will ask.
I'm not sure if Gabe is in the plastic-for-cash business just yet.
 
@RegDwigнt If you can find 100 cheap, interesting games on Steam...
I don't know, I have never had anything to do with Gamestop, I didn't know it existed in Europe.
 
1:56 AM
I doubt there are 100 interesting games in this world.
 
Sure there are.
 
Not to mention that it'd have to be 35 cent apiece.
 
Tomb Raider 1, Tomb Raider 2...
 
Haha no thank you.
I've watched speedruns of those. Start to finish. Not interested.
 
Why??
I repeat: why??
 
1:57 AM
Because in the words of Patrick Stewart: I've seen it all.
 
I see.
 
You know, I’d really love to see one of the two-man productions by Ian McKellan and one of Derek Jacobi or Patrick Stewart — knights one and all.
 
@Cerberus besides, you know as well as I do that the ellipsis is not justified in the least. The next parts sucked balls.
 
No comment.
 
Need fresher bait.
 
2:01 AM
Now, I might be still mildly interested in Shadow of the Colossus, despite having seen it all, including all secrets, easter eggs, bugs and glitches, and despite not having a PS2 or PS3.
But Tomb Raider is not remotely in that league, and hasn't aged anywhere as gracefully, or gracefully at all.
@Cerberus you probably actually don't. But are too shy to ask who Patrick Stewart is.
So watch that. No really, do.
It's four minutes, but every second is worth it.
 
@RegDwigнt I was trying to name the most pathetic and long excuse for a series of games.
@RegDwigнt I believe he is Picard?
 
Among other things, yes. And knowing that helps understand a key joke.
 
Ah.
I understand the joke now.
 
2:17 AM
> @JK_Rowling will release 12 Harry Potter short stories this month
Holy Heavens. Make her stop already.
 
She’s made to write trash, so that’s what she does.
If have never seen ELU so slow as tonight.
 
People keep throwing billions at her for her to stop. How much is enough?
 
Response time, I mean.
 
It will take less money to stop cancer than JK Rowling.
 
Have you ever read any of her stuff?
(I haven't.)
 
2:21 AM
I have. And it sucked.
And I think I actually mentioned it to you previously.
 
Of course it sucked.
It’s extremely popular.
Dan Brown.
 
Yeah but it's even popular with people whom I respect and who share my opinion of Dan Brown.
Go figure.
I guess I will make like Danny Glover and be too old for this shit.
 
This day comes to all who wait.
You know, I have never seen an "Are you a human?" in like years.
 
Well you've come to the right place. This room's Turing test won't let you pass.
Speaking from experience here.
 
Apparently the system always trusts me now.
Muahahahahahahahah!
 
2:27 AM
Fight the system!
 
@RegDwigнt Oh, yeah. I have that on XBox. I should cancel. PSN is trying to get me on their Gold plan, which means gold for them but I can't see what it means for me.
 
Still down.
That's one full hour. On a Friday.
Twitter is on fire.
 
@RegDwigнt It's popular with children and their parents. When my son was in the throes of Harry Potter I tried—I really tried—to read the first book in the series but could manage no more than 50 pages.
 
I gave the fourth a shot I think.
 
It's just really crappy writing.
 
2:31 AM
Printed out the entire damn thing, on dead wood. Fought hard with myself to at least finish the first chapter.
Then again, that's more than I've managed to read of Game of Thrones.
 
Jun 29 '11 at 12:59, by Robusto
"Praises of the unworthy are felt by ardent minds as robberies of the deserving." — Coleridge
She is a thief, then.
 
Yeah go ask some people who Chekhov was.
At best they'll say Enterprise.
 
He had a gun, right?
 
And that's stretching the definition of "best" to the widest my imagination will allow.
 
She is a latter-day Wilkie Collins. Maybe not that good. Bulwer-Lytton, perhaps.
 
2:36 AM
I've not heard of either.
I guess I should be happy now.
Whoa dude, this Live Gold thing costs 60 bucks a year. What the actual hell. I would have paid 12. Perhaps even 24. But 60? For what?
> exklusive Mitgliederrabatte von bis zu 75 % auf Spiele im Xbox Store
Yeah well. I get those anyway. They outright pester you with them. Buy this shit 85% off, buy that shit 93% off.
And of course they do. They want to make money off everyone, even cheapskates without an abo like myself.
 
So, the tag wiki for should just be The Chaos, right? :)
 
So the only real advantage is that you can play with others online. Which until last week I'd never once done, and once this game grows old, won't ever once do again.
@tchrist just link the two or three canonical questions on the Great Vowel Shift and be done.
"Read these couple pages before asking, oh and go learn a couple other languages to see that it's the same damn thing everywhere. If you think your oh-so-super mother tongue has phonetic spelling, get the hell off our lawn."
You might need to throw in a please somewhere. First draft.
> *WICHTIG! Für einige Apps und Funktionen, einschließlich Netflix, Twitch, ESPN, Skype und YouTube, ist Xbox Live Gold nicht mehr erforderlich.
Friggin liars.
Everything Internet-related is gone as soon as you're not connected to Live.
I suppose I'll have to go grab a controller for the PC for ten bucks and try and play World of Tanks there instead. Too bad I can't transfer all the tanks I've already unlocked, mastered, and upgraded. Alas.
 
First-world problems.
 
Yeah no shit. That's what online gaming gets you. I know there was a reason I was not into it.
 
[ SmokeDetector ] Bad keyword in title: Why is baba ghanouj pronounced with a final “sh” sound? by JSBձոգչ on english.stackexchange.com
3
 
2:51 AM
I never threw such a tantrum about any of my offline shit.
@SmokeDetector harhar.
Yo @JSBձոգչ, will you please stop polluting our fine site with your spam four years ago? Kthxbai.
 
SmokeDetector was sitting on that one, waiting for a slow Friday night.
 
Stacks need to be popped occasionally.
 
pop()
 
Which is German for fornicate.
Many hilarities were ensuing over Pringles' "Einmal gepoppt, nie mehr gestoppt".
"Once fucked, unstoppable".
 
It's also Magnitude's call sign on Community. Twice.
 
2:57 AM
That reminds me. Why the hell did they write out Troy?
They should have kicked Shirley. Or Chang.
 
Because Donald Glover wanted out to go do rap and comedy and shit.
 
Oh right. He is so famous for rap and comedy and shit now.
He couldn't stick around for another eight-odd episodes?
 
This is what's keeping you up till 0500?
 
0359 actually.
 
I get confused after the time change.
 
2:59 AM
Winter time. And the cotton is low.
Jul 19 '12 at 11:20, by RegDwight АΑA
And your mom is rich, and your dad's good looking.
 
Wintertime . . . and the livin' is freezy.
 
Well what do you know, this year politicians spent another month debating if this time-warp thing should be made gone for good.
 
Time warp thing?
 
Every single year millions of taxpayers' monies go down that black hole of nothing.
@Robusto Winter time shit.
Or Summer time shit.
Whichever is wrong. I forget.
Oh and haha, Putin is backpedalling on that one, too.
I guess he figured three years of living like normal people should be enough for everyone.
 
152 total, 71 of which have multiple closes to them.
 
3:03 AM
Wait, are you saying I should have been afraid to look at the main site all this time?
 
Yep.
 
Well I'm not looking now. Take that.
 
But I haven’t been lazy.
I added a new answer.
Because @Mitch’s answer was wrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrong!
0
A: How should "often" be pronounced?

tchristThe true answer to this question is perhaps best explained by The Ballad of Shameless Enjambent, a cautionary tale here reproduced by kind permission of its author: From far and wide, they’ve come to list-         en, watch, and judge her plea. Beneath the lights her skin aglist-       ...

 
Aug 14 '12 at 16:27, by RegDwight АΑA
Eating an orange
While making love
Makes for bizarre enj-
oyment thereof.
 
The front page is MINE ALL MINE! Mwuahahahahahahhaahahahahhahahahahahahahah
 
3:05 AM
I'm still not looking, sorry. Will pop this stack some other time.
 
The poëm is better than the front page.
 
Okay I lied. I am looking now. You happy or what?
 
@tchrist Too bad you'd only unlock an achievement for pulling that off not on a weekend.
 
Not the same as the top-vote list, alas. But still, instructive.
That’s exactly 25 characters, Reg. Well done!!
 
3:08 AM
@Robusto so I've watched The Doors: When You're Strange last week and it was actually very informative.
When You're Strange is a 2009 documentary about the Doors. It is written and directed by Tom DiCillo and for the first time makes material from Jim Morrison's 1969 film fragment HWY: An American Pastoral publicly available. Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek has stated that "This will be the true story of the Doors," and that the film will be "the anti-Oliver Stone," referring to the 1991 film about the group that Stone directed, and which drew criticism from many Doors fans and several people who knew Morrison. == Production == The documentary was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival...
 
@RegDwigнt Never seen it. I wonder if it's on Netflix.
 
I didn't really mean to watch it, but it sucked me in.
 
It happens.
 
Earworm.
 
@RegDwigнt I played Robby Krieger's bottleneck guitar once. Found it lying around during a session at Cherokee Studios in LA and gave it a spin. This was back when I was in advertising.
 
3:11 AM
Yeah I guess unlike myself you'll actually know lots of things from the movie.
 
Unlike you I know lots of things from lots of places. And vice versa.
 
Still, the imagery is nice to look at especially for a movie that's all assembled from old tapes.
@Robusto that I did not know.
 
One advantage to being old is that you just know a lot of shit. Maybe the only advantage.
 
@tchrist yes yes. Thank me. I was so good in this. Where'd you even be without my wisdom.
@Robusto on a second thought, you also know a lot of shit shit.
Like JK Rowling the boat ashore, halleluja.
 
Also really good shit. Not lame millennial shit.
 
3:15 AM
If you mean the Backstreet Boys album, that's Millennium, not Millennial.
 
Nah, I tend to forget all the boring shit. Only the stuff worth remembering stays with you, mostly. I mean, unless prompted. Yeah, I'm familiar with "Michael Row The Boat Ashore" but I hadn't thought about it for, like, 40 years. Until you burst that bubble just now.
I'm heavy into Dragon Age: Inquisition lately. I thought I was halfway done about a week ago, but it looks like I was only maybe 10% of the way there. There is a whole lot of map left to go.
 
It no have progress percent?
 
Not that I can tell.
 
Apparently.
 
If it does, they're hiding it pretty well.
 
3:19 AM
It's a reward for hitting 99%.
 
There was this mega-battle, real hell-on-rails end-of-level stuff, and I thought it was actually the end of the game. And I was feeling kind of gypped. But then the smoke cleared and it was a whole new world.
So I thought that must have been the halfway point at least. But not so.
 
I am trying to get back to Burnout right now, and whoa dude not recommended right after playing a tank.
It feels like you're literally on speed.
 
Ha.
 
Seriously I think I'll need a transition period during which I only play Tetris or something.
 
Hey, my biotech stock fund just declared a dividend of $23.84 per share. Suh-weet!
 
3:25 AM
I also keep pushing all the wrong buttons and moving the camera around as if I were still doing reconaissance.
 
@RegDwigнt I'm still not used to the PS4 controller. The X is at the bottom, so in quicktime events I naturally push the square when they flash the X.
 
@Robusto I should get back into this shareholder business some day. Actually I'm considering doing it first thing next year.
 
Why work for a living?
 
Because the rates are so friggin low right now. Literally 0%.
Except if you're using a credit card. Those bastards will still charge you 16%.
 
Yes, I know. They're trying to suck all the loose money into the market so they can tank it.
 
3:27 AM
Hey it worked the last time. Never change a winning team.
 
Again.
Jinx.
 
You're being too kind. Mine is not even an acrostychon of yours.
 
But my biotech is up > 54% in about 18 months.
 
I don't think I'll be getting back into individual companies any time soon. Just some index, or a worldwide index mix.
 
I'm a conservative investor, but I've had good luck putting small amounts into speculative investments. Like $30-50K a pop.
But I don't shove all-in on anything. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.
 
3:33 AM
Yeah I used to do that a lot. Got burned big time a couple times, made some big fortunes other times. But in the end the hobby became a second job, and that's when I like to pull the ripcord.
Anyhoos. It actually is getting close to 0500 now, and I haven't slept all week, plus I am supposed to be meeting up with people tomorrow and getting Duplo for some baby's christening.
Cuz apparently nobody can buy Duplo without my help... Some people!
 
Well, have a Duplo day.
 
I just hope they won't wake me up at 1000 telling me they've been waiting at the store for an hour.
 
Nah, they'll wake you at 0900 and tell you not to make them wait for an hour.
 
Do they sell those in the States?
It's the same Ferrero guys as the surprise eggs and Rocher which I've heard you do have.
 
Never seen 'em.
My kids used to suck on the actual Duplo bocks when they were toddlers, though.
 
3:38 AM
Duplo is Russian for a hole in a tooth.
Not quite sure which between the chocolate bar and the plastic brick fits that best.
 
@RegDwigнt Do they mean longest-lasting or just physically longest?
 
Physically.
Longest is always physically unless the time is expressly mentioned.
Pretty much like in English, I guess.
 
I figured. But you never know.
I mean, advertising slogans and all.
 
But yeah. Unlike Snickers or Mars, I can actually eat Duplos. They don't taste half bad.
 
Still, it's kinda strange to boast about how long your chocolate is. Seriously.
 
3:41 AM
Well the point is not that it's a chocolate, but really a high-quality praliné.
 
OIC
 
Which it actually sort of is. Closer to a praline than to a chocolate bar anyway.
No caramel or anything.
And with this I log off for today. 0444 seems like a nice Schnapszahl.
 
@Cerberus Done. You should be proud of your countryman. I hope all others give up.
 
CU'all around.
 
Praline has a different meaning in the U.S. I remember being surprised in Deutschland by how different your pralines are from ours.
 
3:43 AM
Bye Reg.
 
Laterz.
Schlaf gut.
 
Now I wantz chocklitz
 
@Robusto it's kind of like with dairy products. Every damn country has to come up with its own definitions, even if they steal the actual words from one another.
Le praliné (ou pralinoise) est une pâte composée de pralin (mélange de sucre, d'amandes et/ou de noisettes), d'un peu de vanille, de cacao ou de beurre de cacao, et enrobée de chocolat au lait. Le massepain et le praliné sont des spécialités d'Aigueperse. On appelle plus généralement pâte de praliné un mélange de noisettes et/ou amande, de sucre et de chocolat, le tout broyé plus ou moins finement, qui sert de fourrage à des confiseries de chocolat, pas obligatoirement au lait. Le mot prasline apparaît en 1662, puis devient praliné en 1680. Il serait nommé d'après César de Choiseul du Plessis-Praslin...
 
Aye.
 
Dairy is all the same.
Chickens.
 
3:45 AM
Though in this case I guess the Germans actually followed the French, or the Belgians I suppose, but had to screw around with the pronunciation instead.
 
Everywhere.
 
Now it's suddenly Praline instead of praliné. Whyever.
 
Hens of plenty, whose milk is as common as their teeth.
 
But I'm not here anymore.
Night all.
 
La vache qui rit.
 
3:46 AM
A wondering milkman came to my house yesterday.
 
I shall nod as well. Adieu.
 
Nightz
 
4:16 AM
@Reg @Andrew Right now, nohat’s answer is the top most frequently closed-to in the new tag. No, it of course doesn’t answer all questions under that tag, but it is a good canonical one for many of them now — and infinitely more in the future. And I made a tag wiki and excerpt for it, too.
 
 
6 hours later…
10:19 AM
Good day all!
 
 
2 hours later…
12:04 PM
@RegDwigнt Those are called "Kinderbueno" in Dutch...I know.
@tchrist Bravo!
 
 
2 hours later…
1:39 PM
I have 5 messages on the wall, miracle.
 
 
2 hours later…
user116848
3:31 PM
@Cerberus I like Tomb Raider too. I have played almost every one of them. Gameplay and story rocks!
 
user116848
Hi!
 
4:27 PM
@Cerberus This is somewhat surprisingly nicely done:
In rather better taste than most such.
 
4:54 PM
I’ve decide that my performance problems with ELU are most notably miserable in the pessimal Ajax response times. This is new. Probably my connection, but it’s been going on for days now.
 
 
1 hour later…
6:02 PM
Winterbash clue:
 
6:23 PM
@tchrist That's a lovely picture.
 
6:38 PM
Hi @Freddy lol.
 
@WillHunting Hi
 
@Freddy That's a lovely picture.
 
It's a lovely picture of Freddy Krueger.
The UK's Serious Fraud Office used to have offices in Elm Street.
Perhaps they still do.
 
@Freddy LOL
@AndrewLeach Have you done your Christmas shopping?
 
6:54 PM
What? Christmas?
Finds calendar
Oh...
 
2015 will be the most important year in my life. It will mark the path to the end of my mental suffering.
 
Presumably you've already started on that path by finding the beginning of it.
 
Well, actually, my plans have been delayed for many years. I hope it does not get delayed again.
I am already very old, 33, not 23.
 
Gee. Thanks. 33, very old?!
 
By this age, I should be having kids, but I am still single, lol!
Most of my close friends have kids already, some 1, some 2.
 
6:59 PM
And...? What's wrong with single?!
 
Well, sometimes, I feel lonely...
But who knows, maybe I would prefer to be single after I am married, lol.
 
This chat is always there :)
 
Ah. There are some advantages to autism, then. I don't really remember the last time I was lonely.
 
Life works in mysterious ways.
@AndrewLeach I remember you said you had Asperger's, right?
 
Yup. It's some way along the autism spectrum.
 
7:01 PM
I have OCD, close enough to you, lol.
I have gone through tremendous mental suffering the last 15 years of my life. Suffering that cannot be imagined.
 
 
2 hours later…
9:20 PM
posted on December 06, 2014 by sgdi

I really like central heating I find it pleasingly warming My toes are not cold Basically I’m sold I’ll stay inside here till it’s spring

 
9:35 PM
posted on December 06, 2014 by sgdi

A pirate captain out at sea Became very partial to tea Preferred it to rum T’was too much for some So much so it cause mutiny

 
 
2 hours later…
Jez
11:14 PM
we should name the present tense to the "habitual tense", you know.
we literally never use it to describe what's happening presently, so why is it the "present" tense?
mind you we do sometimes, like "I wonder what..."
 
user116848
But when we say "I can see you (now)" that looks very present.
 
user116848
Not habitual.
 
user116848
Hi!
 
Jez
hi
"can" is an auxillary verb
there's no present continuous distinction
however it describes capability, not what's currently happening
 
user116848
makes sense.
 

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