English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Robusto

2:12 AM

6 reasons the gender critical right and the woke left are both WRONG about pronouns

►

Now I know where Ubuntu came from.

tchrist

2:40 AM

@Robusto I watched that this past weekend.

Robusto

2:54 AM

@tchrist It's pretty rational, in my opinion.

tchrist

Seems like.

A virtue seldom encountered in any of this.

Robusto

Yeah. It's so calm and well-meaning and logical, you just know he will get flak from both sides.

Michael Rybkin

5:18 AM

Which sounds better to you guys:
1. Go to Sheet > Navigate > To Previous Sheet / To Next Sheet to navigate to previous or next sheet.
2. Go to Sheet > Navigate > To Previous Sheet / To Next Sheet to navigate to the previous or next sheet

CowperKettle

@MichaelRybkin The first one, because it's more compact, and in menus it's okay to drop "the"

CowperKettle

5:49 AM

Word of the day: cromlech

Michael Rybkin

@CowperKettle Thank you.

CowperKettle

@MichaelRybkin No problem! :)

Faheem Mitha

7:05 AM

@CowperKettle It's possible to shut down the internet.

forest

It's very possible, I'd even say easy.

Destroy a couple IXPs, or do some really nasty BGP hijacking and you can take it down for a while.

Faheem Mitha

@forest I meant by the government. It's quite common here in India.

The context was book censorship.

forest

Just BGP hijacking then.

Faheem Mitha

Of course, they wouldn't do it just to censor a book. But for example I think in Kashmir it was turned off for months at a time.

CowperKettle

@FaheemMitha That will be tough on the economy.

Faheem Mitha

7:09 AM

@CowperKettle Oh, yes. It makes a mess.

CowperKettle

And that will not affect books, since so many people have memory cards and stuff :)

Faheem Mitha

In recent years, India has been doing it more than anywhere else. I think I read they still leave 2G. But 2G is useless for getting anything done.

CowperKettle

My dad had some banned stories, hand-printed on typewriters, in the 1980s. Now it's even easier.

Cerberus

7:28 AM

You can download a book over 2G.

Xanne

8:29 AM

Wordle 586 5/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Xanne

8:47 AM

Daily Octordle #367
🕚🔟
4️⃣🕛
7️⃣9️⃣
5️⃣🕐
Score: 71

oh well, not the worst

Xanne

9:11 AM

Daily Quordle 367
6️⃣7️⃣
4️⃣5️⃣
quordle.com
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟩 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨🟩🟨 ⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟩🟨⬜ 🟩⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Okay but not fun.

Xanne

9:28 AM

#Worldle #370 5/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬆️
🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜↗️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜⬅️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

NVZ

10:18 AM

@Robusto declined by error, my bad.

CowperKettle

#Worldle #370 3/6 (100%)
🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Word of the day: try pot (It was in the left hand try-pot of the Pequod, with the soapstone diligently circling round me, that I was first indirectly struck by the remarkable fact, that in geometry all bodies gliding along the cycloid, my soapstone for example, will descend from any point in precisely the same time.)

CowperKettle

11:20 AM

> A new finding that humans can correctly interpret the gestures of chimps and bonobos adds to growing research that suggests that human language may have evolved from a dictionary of hand and body signals. scientificamerican.com/article/…

Will there be a Gesture Language Stack Exchange?

Vikas

1:15 PM

Low budget Paris travel

CowperKettle

@Vikas Looks beautiful. What are these yellow plants?

Vikas

@CowperKettle Mustard :D

CowperKettle

Ah! Thank you!

Vikas

They will soon turn into dark brown/red.

It's getting ready.

CowperKettle

We are having a very mild weather.

Warmer than minus 10C

Looks like there'll be no big frosts this winter.

Vikas

1:18 PM

Mild weather is weather that is neither too hot, too cold, too humid nor rainy ?

CowperKettle

Yes

Vikas

Same here.

Robusto

3:27 PM

Wordle 586 5/6

⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩
⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩🟨⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Daily Quordle 367
8️⃣5️⃣
6️⃣4️⃣
quordle.com

@NVZ Not sure what you mean.

Mitch

3:50 PM

@CowperKettle haha no.

There'll be an Emoji Stackexchange before there's a a Gesture one.

Both have had problems on ELU and OtherLanguagesUsage.SE

@tchrist He has a recent one on 'latinx'. Which I didn't understand. I feel like I need footnotes, or a base knowledge before watching.

I thought 'latinx' was an entirely Anglo-American creation. eg it is used in the American news and by non-hispanics in the US.

parz

Hello!

Mitch

But I got the feeling that some Spanish speakers use it (how would they pronounce it?) and that there is an actual attempt (I don't think popular) to use things like 'lxs'. I couldn't tell when he was joking.

parz

#Worldle #370 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐⭐🏙️🪙
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Ahhh… perfection.

Mitch

@CowperKettle I wouldn't call that mild. I'd call it 'cold but very reasonably cold, just put a coat and gloves on, there's nothing to complain about'

ie it's still cold.

@parz congrats.

flags are the hardest.

parz

No, they’re the easiest.

Populations are the hardest.

Mitch

3:58 PM

They should add an audio component for national anthem

parz

oh god no

Mitch

-that- would be the hardest

parz

Yeah

Imagine trying to guess the Vanuatuan national anthem.

Or Bouvet Island’s

Mitch

or national bird

parz

Some countries don’t have a national bird…

and some share a national animal.

Mitch

3:59 PM

@parz Oh right. -islands- are the worst

parz

Mitch

pacific islands

parz

random image time

ugh.

just click on the “image not found”

it’s eurovision CoLlUsIoN patterns

Mitch

@parz which is really just 'countries that are nearby'

parz

Yeah.

Meanwhile, Australia voting for Estonia 2022 because it was a country song: chewing popcorn “What y’all sayin?”

Mitch

4:02 PM

I mean Atlantic islands aren't easy either, but there are fewer of them to differentiate

@parz You will soon regret bringing up Eurovision

because

I have a draft manifesto about it

parz

I will never regret bringing up Eurovision.

Mitch

Which I will press into your face to force you to read it.

In short, EU membership should be decided by...

...appearance in Eurovision.

parz

Ummm… okay?

Mitch

It allows for temporary membership (maybe Morocco doesn't have an entry one year)

parz

Then Morocco would be in the E.U- ah, I see you know that.

Mitch

4:06 PM

It's culturally appropriate... Australia probably should be a member of the EU, and the movie 'Muriel's Wedding' should be enough to get them permanent membership.

2

parz

It should be decided by appearances in the OGAE Second Chance Contest.

#GuyanaForEU

(Note to those of you rushing to Wikipedia: they appeared as the Rest of the World in 2016)

Mitch

Anyway there are lots of political and economic issues that using Eurovision will decide quickly, fairly, and to everyone's benefit.

parz

Ukraine? Decided.

Palestine? Decided.

Mitch

Azerbaijan? Sure, come right in.

Russia?

Russia...?

Well, we'll see.

Subsaharan Africa? Latin America? etc? Ya know, I would totally watch the shit out of music competitions from any of those areas, but they should probably have their own multinational governments/music contests.

To be clear, I would watch them just as much as I watch Eurovision.

Which means I wouldn't

parz

I didn’t watch the American version.

Mitch

4:14 PM

I watch Eurovision contest stuff as much as I watch C-SPAN.

parz

Mainky because it seemed so boring.

Mitch

???

An American version?

parz

Mainly

Yeah

American song contest

too many entries

Mitch

Is that it's name?

parz

i think so

look up “usa eurovision”

Mitch

4:15 PM

Aren't there a hundred variations on America's got talent or the Voice or the Great British Bake Off with elimination by Paul Hollywood?

parz

American Song Contest

American Song Contest is an American music reality competition television series based on the Eurovision Song Contest. It sees all 50 U.S. states, five territories, and Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. The first and to date, only season of the show consisted of eight episodes airing between March 21 and May 9, 2022 on NBC. The show is hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson. The 56 entries were divided into five qualifying rounds with the top three songs determined by a public vote and top two determined by a jury panel from each round proceeding to one of two semi...

Yep. Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson.

Mitch

@parz I'm doing a lot of research on EU regulations and governance and legal ramifications of UN resolutions... I am -not- going to confuse my google recommendation engine by also looking up -that-.

@parz Oh. Those guys.

parz

Google recommendations are pure evil.

jlliagre

Wordle 586 6/6

⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Mitch

Maybe the US could join the EU, but... I don't know... as a 'friend at large'?

jlliagre

4:18 PM

Daily Quordle 367
6️⃣7️⃣
3️⃣4️⃣
quordle.com

parz

jill im screwed

1 green and 2 yellow after 4 words

jlliagre

Daily Octordle #367
🕚7️⃣
9️⃣🔟
8️⃣🕛
5️⃣🕐
Score: 75

parz

Wordle 586 6/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

that was close

@jlliagre Did you see I got THE perfect Worldle?

jlliagre

Congratulations.

Mitch

Out my window there's an old unused bird's next built in the shrubs that used to be impenetrably thick with leaves, but all the leaves dropped with winter, so the nest is sitting there exposed (but vacant). And every other day, some squirrel, a new one every time, comes by to check it out. It takes them a couple minutes to hesitantly in that nervous squirrel way inch up to the nest to finally look in, see nothing is there then quickly run off.

It's very frustrating for me to see this, because my inner twenty year old wants to douse the squirrel with a water balloon.

parz

4:24 PM

I expected more excitement. But… eh… 🇮🇪🇹🇭🇸🇬🇴🇲🇽🇰.

Mitch

That squirrel ain't getting in the EU, I can tell you that.

parz

Is the nest getting in?

Mitch

@parz ??? No. It's empty.

parz

I named it “Damone”

It has a soul.

It can NEVER be empty now.

Mitch

It's a pretty sad soul then. Those birds ain't coming back. Squirrels will pick at it little by little until it falls apart.

parz

4:28 PM

I will kill those squirrels…

with an iron fist.

Mitch

You can say that because squirrels seem cute and meek, but squirrels have a good memory and they have fingers.

I have fingers too.

OK then. Parity

And a BB gun.

so just watch yourself around squirrels

make them your friend

you'll need em.

parz

4:30 PM

The squirrels better be watchin themselves.

Robusto

Daily Octordle #367
🕐8️⃣
7️⃣🔟
6️⃣🕛
5️⃣🕚
Score: 72

Mitch

@parz Probably good advice

I have a feeling though that they overdo the self-monitoring. Very aware of their own shortcomings.

parz

Oh no.

2 guesses left on Octordle, 2 Wordles.

NO

Daily Octordle #367
🟥6️⃣
7️⃣8️⃣
🕚9️⃣
🟥🔟
Score: 79

Hi @CowperKettle

CowperKettle

Good evening, Parz!

parz

I’m here agonizing over losing the Octordle.

And being joyous about getting a perfect Worldle.

jlliagre

4:37 PM

#Worldle #370 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
Imperfect Worldle.

parz

Alas.

Which was that, capitals?

Robusto

@parz Shit happens.

jlliagre

@parz Yes, I tried two of its southern neighbors capitals. It's unfortunate because when I was shown the right one, I realize I already knew it.

Robusto

My Octordle score was in the 80s the other day.

I looked at the Worldle today and punted till I have more coffee in me.

Sometimes I score in the 50s on Worldle. But that's hard.

Here's my best Octo score:

Nov 26, 2022 at 15:21, by Robusto

Daily Octordle #306
3️⃣🔟
6️⃣7️⃣
4️⃣5️⃣
🕚8️⃣
Score: 54
octordle.com

Geez, that was two months ago. See what I mean?

Protip: The more tiny features there are in a border corresponds with a tiny country. Larger countries have less definition in borders. @jlliagre ( Or should I say frontiers? ;)

Vikas

#Worldle #370 X/6 (99%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨↘️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬆️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬆️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟨⬇️
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Dang it

jlliagre

4:46 PM

@Robusto No need to say frontiers, I never use that word in English, too confusing ;-)

Nov 16, 2022 at 15:29, by jlliagre

Daily Octordle #296
5️⃣7️⃣
9️⃣🔟
6️⃣3️⃣
4️⃣8️⃣
Score: 52
octordle.com
Bragging... :-)

Robusto

Haha.

Tu est l'homme.

jlliagre

à battre

Robusto

@jlliagre ??

jlliagre

@Robusto "You are the man" is an English idiom that doesn't translates well in Tu es l'homme while Tu es l'homme à battre is a French expression that means you hold the record.

ペガサス Seiya

Pegasas Ryusei Ken

Robusto

4:52 PM

@jlliagre Yeah, I figured it wasn't idiomatic, but also that you would get what I'm trying to say.

#Worldle #370 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
⭐⭐⭐🏙️🪙
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

OK, I guessed on the currency but got it right.

Also on the flag. ;-)

Dare I plunge into Globle, or do I need more coffee?

🌎 Jan 26, 2023 🌍
🔥 13 | Avg. Guesses: 5.06
🟥🟥🟩 = 3

globle-game.com
#globle

Not worried. This was a perfect example of the triangulation method.

@Mitch Yeah, anxiety makes them squirrely.

jlliagre

🌎 Jan 26, 2023 🌍
🔥 2 | Avg. Guesses: 6.48
🟥🟥🟩 = 3

globle-game.com
#globle
Tie

Robusto

Did you triangulate?

jlliagre

I "circulated".

Robusto

Closest to being a point on the globe, I think.

jlliagre

Monaco

Smaller, more precise

Robusto

5:02 PM

Jinx.

I still use Liechtenstein.

jlliagre

Longer to type

Robusto

True.

And Monaco is very Nice.

Close to

Pun intended.

Same here

5:07 PM

@jlliagre So is à battre a compliment or a boast?

Made-up word of the day: alibility n The potential to have witnesses who saw you somewhere else at the time of a crime.

Discovered when I tried to type "ability" with insufficient caffeine in my system.

parz

Hello!

jlliagre

@Robusto It usually shows respect, the homme à battre is the one that everyone fears in a competition.

Robusto

@jlliagre Wait, so you're suggesting that I have to give you respect? ;-)

jlliagre

@Robusto Not just a suggestion ;-)

Robusto

crosses himself and prepares for battle

jlliagre

5:18 PM

Surrenders! (Honoring clichés about France) :-)

@Vikas Here you go!

Robusto

If Vikas won't go to Paris, Paris must come to him.

Robusto

5:40 PM

@jlliagre ^ Cheapest Paris trip

CowperKettle

Window to Paris - (English subtitles) Russian film Comedy, Drama, Fantasy (1993)

►

I liked this comedy in the 1990s, "Window to Paris".

Vikas

@jlliagre Nice

Robusto

@Vikas Paris is not Nice. QED

Nice is Nice and also nice.

Paris is also nice.

OK, I think I've worn out that pun. @Mitch: Wanna step up to the plate?

Mitch

5:58 PM

@Robusto I blame you entirely for what follows.

What do you think I am? Some kind of Turkey?

CowperKettle

Word of the eve: the zoomies (bursts of random activity in cats and dogs)

Robusto

@Mitch Turkey used to have a lot of Greece, but not so much anymore.

Mitch

All this talk is making me Hungary.

Robusto

Better go Russian off to get something to eat then.

Mitch

I just had some Chile.

Robusto

6:01 PM

With Brazil nuts?

Mitch

Instead of eating them in, I had them Togo

Vikas

@Robusto Exquisite.

CowperKettle

Brazil nuts should be eaten in moderation in order not to overdose on Selenium.

Vikas

Mitch's robot's battery is charged again 🤣

CowperKettle

But they are great at improving the lipid profile, even if 1 or 2 nuts are eaten per day.

Robusto

6:03 PM

@Mitch I Congo too.

@Mitch But Togo meals mean you don't have to wash the China afterwards.

Mitch

@CowperKettle I'd think you'd just get plan bored of them well before you get toxic amounts of Selenium.

Robusto

Do you know what Brazil nuts used to be called in the American South?

Mitch

@Robusto Oh, I Bolivia.

Robusto

Damn you, Moriarty!

Mitch

@Robusto No I don't know what Brazil nuts used to be called in the South.

What were they called in the South?

Robusto

6:05 PM

N-----rtoes.

Maybe they still are by some.

Mitch

Somehow that name does not make them seem more palatable.

Robusto

Nobody ever said it would.

Mitch

Jamaica? I hardly knew her!

Robusto

Oh Cayman.

Wait, Egypt me!

Mitch

Iraq my brains for a response

Robusto

6:09 PM

Iran away just now.

Mitch

I'm still 😂from 'Cayman'

Robusto

You can't think of another one, Kenya?

Mitch

Myanmar is killing me.

Robusto

OK, here's the topper: Who was the first one who Madagascar?

2

Mitch

You can really Polish those off.

Robusto

6:13 PM

Before that they were Roman around on horses.

Well, I think that has lowered our respective IQs sufficiently, don't you?

Mitch

A difficult task but I think we Mali, eh Chad?

Robusto

Want Tibet on that?

Nepal.

Norway, José

I'll just Sweden the pot a little.

NVZ

@Robusto Was referring to the flag.

Robusto

@Mitch You've Benin trouble before, havent you.

@NVZ OK, I think you need to learn how to link a response to another response.

The way I just did here.

NVZ

@Robusto Haha, it was intentional.

Robusto

6:21 PM

Just to confuse me?

NVZ

@Robusto And everyone else!

Robusto

Mission accomplished.

NVZ

Hi Mitch!

@Vikas, from the name, I assume, Indian?

Seen Pathaan yet?

Vikas

@NVZ Yes :D

@NVZ No :D

I think it's good enough movie for entertainment. But I was waiting for a movie with great story (typical SRK movie). It doesn't look like so seeing reviews.

NVZ

I was actually stuck in an hour-long traffic jam and heavy rains yesterday and had to find a spot to, you know, pee. Got to a mall, and et voila, there was Pathaan showing, and I ran right into it.

@Vikas Definitely watch it for the love of the King.

Vikas

6:29 PM

But I like his most movies so I'll watch once it's available on digital platforms.

@NVZ Yeah I will.

NVZ

In theatres, please! You and I are one of the last surviving generations to have the opportunity to see him in theatre.

Vikas

@NVZ Nearest theatre is around 40 Kms away.

If it were near I would go.

NVZ

@Vikas Start driving towards it and you'll find that the distance to it magically decreases. Haha

Robusto, you there?

Vikas

Also I enjoy movies alone more.

Robusto

@NVZ Yes.

NVZ

6:33 PM

I'd like you to check out Pathaan, as an intro to Bollywood masala and to see the last of our King Khan (of Bollywood).

Not for the story, but keep in mind, Bollywood masala!

Robusto

Is that like Chicken Masala?

NVZ

Haha

It's better. It's a movie.

Robusto

I dunno. You can starve to death trying to eat movies.

NVZ

Haha

Vikas

Typical Indian ratings on Bollywood movies.

The battle is going on 10 vs 1 LOL

NVZ

6:35 PM

@Vikas One being the boycott propaganda.

Vikas

I think it won't go below 7 now.

@NVZ Yeah boycott gang.

NVZ

God, it's been a long while since my last chat in this room.

Vikas

I noticed you here maybe around three months ago.

NVZ

I tend to forget this exists

Robusto

So ... isn't a Pathan some kind of Pashtun warrior?

NVZ

6:44 PM

@Mitch I read someplace that language started as simple symbols, evolved into a complex beautiful thing, and is now on track back to being symbols (emojis)

@Robusto Sort of, but do not wish to discuss why that name for the film. It's a spoiler.

Robusto

@NVZ Yeah, so nobody knows what anybody is saying anymore.

Devolution in action.

NVZ

@Robusto At least, if anyone asks what, when and where, you can replace the W's with T's to answer them.

Robusto

Don't T's me, bro.

Mitch

7:01 PM

@Robusto Yeah

Mitch

7:29 PM

I'm workshopping some titles for next opus (it's not clear yet whether it will be an opera, a play, or a novel).

Here are some starter ideas:

- My favorite toilets

- Places I have taken a shit

- "I gotta go. No Really. Right now."

- "Not my favorite, but this is a solid number two"

- "I may be American but you're a peein'"

Oh... the subject? Ya know sometimes when you're out doing errands or maybe you're traveling and you realize you have to go, but you're too far from home or work. This would be a collection of true life stories of those incidents.

I could work in a story about what they do on the ISS. Or how about WWI trenches. Or how come there's always a line at the women's bathroom but not the men's.

Or how whales do it. Or that the ground we live on is pretty much earthworm poop (just like in that movie Dune!)

BRB

Jun 30, 2017 at 21:32, by Mitch

It's not like there's much to say.

Robusto

8:25 PM

@Mitch It's simple: makeup, and no urinals.

Think how much faster women could make the line move if they had urinals.

Robusto

8:46 PM