I admit it, I laughed.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
that's ridiculous.
though i do feel bad for everyone involved.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Even the neighbor's wife?
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
even her. regardless of whether that truth should have come out, which it should have.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
I'm thinking ... Posted by Magson (Member # 2300) on :
"Honey, I don't like you sleeping with that other woman, even though both of 'our' children are a result of my seeping with another man."
Yeah, I even feel sorry for her. She cheated and shouldn't have, but she still had to have it rubbed in her face that her husband was sleeping with another (younger, hotter) woman 3x a week. I'd feel bad for her for that alone, much less the embarrassment of the "2nd reveal."
Though arguably the "2nd reveal" does mitigate somewhat my feeling bad for her in the 1st place.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
No offense, Magson, but a question to the forum: Is it OK to be mad at reality TV for turning "reveal" into a noun? (I mean, is "revelation" just too religious-sounding?)
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
People who are guilty of a specific sin are often the most vocally aggressive in discussing it.
I've heard people accuse their spouses of infidelity over the most stupid things, only to find out later the spouse was actually cheating at the time.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
You're not doing a criticize of my complain, are you? Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:Is it OK to be mad at reality TV for turning "reveal" into a noun?
I'd be mad at other people first, like stage magicians and screenwriters.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
Could I be mad at them for popularizing the nouned form of the word? (Hee, I just verbed noun!)
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mucus: I'm thinking ...
Yup! German national health insurance will cover infertility treatment, including the first three tries at IVF. Why would anyone pay thousands to a neighbor to impregnate his wife when he could have gone to a doctor and had the government pick up the cost?
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: Could I be mad at them for popularizing the nouned form of the word? (Hee, I just verbed noun!)
Only if you show proper outrage at the US airlines for inventing the word "deplane'. It makes me cringe every time I hear it. 'Disembark' is a perfectly good English word, why not use it.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: No offense, Magson, but a question to the forum: Is it OK to be mad at reality TV for turning "reveal" into a noun? (I mean, is "revelation" just too religious-sounding?)
Seventy years ago, people were still kvetching over "contact" as a verb. I figure that "reveal" as a noun simply balances the universe.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
I just dechaired in outrage.
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
I just outraged about your dechairing.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: Only if you show proper outrage at the US airlines for inventing the word "deplane'. It makes me cringe every time I hear it. 'Disembark' is a perfectly good English word, why not use it.
I'm normally a bit of a stickler but that one doesn't bother me. Considering that disembark basically means to get off a boat, why not have an airplane-specific term?
Now, "interface" used instead of "interact" bugs me to death.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Nouning weirds language.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:I'm normally a bit of a stickler but that one doesn't bother me. Considering that disembark basically means to get off a boat, why not have an airplane-specific term?
We don't "plane" when we get on the plane -- we board. Why in the world then should we "deplane" rather than "disembark"? It works just fine on non-US airlines. If 'disembark' is too big a word for Americans understand, why not say "get off the plane", it only adds two syllables?
And now that I've said that, some idiot airline is going to start "planing" rather than boarding, and will start having "planing passes". Arrrggg!
Why do Americans have to be so obtuse and stubborn about doing things their own way even when its clearly a worse way (metric system vs. US engineering system, dates, toilets, electicity . . .).
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I'm with you on metric and toilets. Disagree on dates and electricity though.
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
My experiences with non-US toilets were not pleasant.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
I like the UK dating system. It goes rationally in order of smallest unit of time to largest (dd/mm/yy).
Posted by paigereader (Member # 2274) on :
Why do you get "released" from jail or the hospital? When you go in are you leased?
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Now, "interface" used instead of "interact" bugs me to death.
Curious. I see the two as having subtle but distinctly different meanings. "Interface", implies to make or a facilitate a connection, whereas "interact" implies any kind of reciprocal action. So Interfacing is a specific form of interaction.
If I say "Joe's job is to interface with media", it implies that he is to act as a bridge connecting other parts of the company with the media. If his job is to interact with the media, it does not have the same implication.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: How are non-US toilets supposedly superior?
My experiences with non-US toilets were not pleasant.
What specific kind of non-US toilets were you using and how recently? I'm sure there are worse designs than the common US household toilet, but there are much better designs as well. Toilets that are now standard in much of Europe use a syphoning mechanism instead of a "flapper" so that you never have to jiggle the handle to get them to stop running after they are flushed. They also have a half flush and a full flush option.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: I like the UK dating system. It goes rationally in order of smallest unit of time to largest (dd/mm/yy).
But we say March 31, 2009. The US system just parallels that.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Originally posted by paigereader: Why do you get "released" from jail or the hospital? When you go in are you leased?
Release is a fine English word which has been used in this context since at least the 14th century. It stems from the same latin roots as the word relax and is not a cognate of the word "lease".
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
Guys, this thread is way off topic. Can we get back on track and start talking about having sex with our neighbors' wives?
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: I like the UK dating system. It goes rationally in order of smallest unit of time to largest (dd/mm/yy).
But we say March 31, 2009. The US system just parallels that.
In other parts of the world, they also say "31 March, 2009". The fact that Americans are consistent in doing things in an irrational way doesn't make it rational.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
*stones Strider*
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
If even talking about it is sin, I'm in HUGE trouble.
Or at least my mind is.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
I like dates that go: YYYY/MM/DD or YYYY-MM-DD
That way, sorting in alphabetical order also sorts in chronological order.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Or at least my mind is.
Is what?
Actuall, I guess I should as "what is what?" since I have no idea what goes on either side of that equation.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
is brilliant.
but if you're referring to this thread then:
is in trouble.
While my body hasn't committed any sins worthy of stoning, my mind sure has.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Oh, I see, you were referring to me.
You meant
quote:Or at least in my mind, The Rabbit is brilliant.
Thank you, but you are far too generous.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
For completion, I should probably post the sentence leading up to the snippet, which you so kindly extrapolated for me:
quote:I've been finding more and more recently that what I believe in my mind is rarely objectively true outside of it. On an unrelated note, I'd just like to say that The Rabbit is brilliant,
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit:
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Eaquae Legit: I like the UK dating system. It goes rationally in order of smallest unit of time to largest (dd/mm/yy).
But we say March 31, 2009. The US system just parallels that.
In other parts of the world, they also say "31 March, 2009". The fact that Americans are consistent in doing things in an irrational way doesn't make it rational.
Actually, I think 31 March 2009 is more common. The only reason for the comma is to separate the two numbers, and if you reverse the day and month, it becomes unnecessary.
And yes, the American way is dumb, but I think our conservation of "u"s in words like color, favor, flavor, honor, and so on, more than make up for it.
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
I'm with Xavier, though we're both in trouble once the year 10,000 rolls around.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Strider: If even talking about it is sin, I'm in HUGE trouble.
Or at least my mind is.
You weren't merely talking about it. You were encouraging it.
Sinner!
*stones again for good measure*
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit:
quote:I'm normally a bit of a stickler but that one doesn't bother me. Considering that disembark basically means to get off a boat, why not have an airplane-specific term?
We don't "plane" when we get on the plane -- we board. Why in the world then should we "deplane" rather than "disembark"? It works just fine on non-US airlines. If 'disembark' is too big a word for Americans understand, why not say "get off the plane", it only adds two syllables?
Disembark is wrong. We embark on a journey; we don't embark onto a plane. Deboard would fit better, but I think deplane is more clear.
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: Why do Americans have to be so obtuse and stubborn about doing things their own way even when its clearly a worse way (metric system vs. US engineering system, dates, toilets, electicity . . .).
Our TV and spelling is better. Our dates and electricity and measurements suck.
What's different about toilets?
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka:
quote:Originally posted by Strider: If even talking about it is sin, I'm in HUGE trouble.
Or at least my mind is.
You weren't merely talking about it. You were encouraging it.
Sinner!
*stones again for good measure*
I was encouraging other people to talk about yet other people who have committed adultery.
If that's the kind of thing you can get stoned over, you'd need like a whole book to figure out all these rules! And then probably more books analyzing that book. I mean, you could spend your whole life just studying this stuff. I can't imagine there are people crazy enough to do something like that.
Posted by Mike (Member # 55) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lisa: What's different about toilets?
quote:Disembark is wrong. We embark on a journey; we don't embark onto a plane. Deboard would fit better, but I think deplane is more clear.
No. The word embark originally meant to board a vessel, this is still the first definition in the OED, the freeonlinedictionary, and websters dictionary. To disembark meant to get off the vessel. Those two words used in that way go back at least as far as the mid sixteenth century. The use of the word "embark" to mean to begin a journey or some other venture are more modern.
Board has replaced the word embark in current usage, but the two are still synonyms. Disembark is the correct English word for getting off a boat, train, or airplane.
"Deplane" is a crime against the english language. Definitely a stoning offense if ever there was one.
[ March 31, 2009, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: The Rabbit ]
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Our TV and spelling is better. Our dates and electricity and measurements suck.
What's better about American TV? US broadcast technology has lagged behind European standards for decades. If you are talking content, that's clearly a matter of opinion. The German standard definition broadcast technology is quantitatively and qualitatively superior.
US spelling is indeed a modest improvement over British English spelling, but we could still learn a great deal from countries like Denmark which have much more phonetic languages and correspondingly higher literacy rates.
I already answered the question about the toilets.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
If I had to chose between US network TV and the BBC, I would chose the BBC. And I like the "u".
SO there.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I think the 'u' is a waste, but I agree that better phonetic spellings would be nice. I also agree with our singluar 'math' instead of the European/Australian 'maths'.
Also disembark is a perfectly good word, but I've never heard anybody say 'deplane' the fact my spell check accepts it concerns me. Can you tell a spell check to start marking a word as erroneous?
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
We say "mathmatics".
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Here in T&T, they say "maths". I find it awkward to say.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by kmbboots: We say "mathmatics".
And the point of an abbreviation is to abbreviate. I just don't like the sound of 'maths" I get that there are abbreviations that tack an s on at the end to talk about plurals, 'autos' 'sweats' 'fridges' 'comps' but math just doesn't feel like one of those words.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
"Maths" is just wrong. Try saying it and see how weird it feels in your mouth.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I am as fine with it as "baths," "paths," "empaths," and so on, which is pretty fine. On the other hand, I was taught by a series of non-American instructors, so I also say "ca-PILL-aries."
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: US spelling is indeed a modest improvement over British English spelling, but we could still learn a great deal from countries like Denmark which have much more phonetic languages and correspondingly higher literacy rates.
Actually, Danish spelling seems to be pretty bad too (link). German spelling, on the other hand, is a thing of beauty.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Portuguese spelling is fantastic. With very few exceptions, if you can pronounce it, there's one obvious way to spell it, and that way is correct.
And if you know how it's spelled, you always know how to pronounce it.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
quote:Originally posted by ClaudiaTherese: On the other hand, I was taught by a series of non-American instructors, so I also say "ca-PILL-aries."
Several years back, I found myself volunteering in Mozambique for a humanitarian organization. I mainly served as a Portuguese-language interpreter. For the first two weeks, I was interpreting for an American pediatric physical therapist working with the therapists in a clinic for children. Using my rusty never-perfect Mormon missionary Portuguese, which, believe me, never included physical therapy terms.
It was quite an education -- first I had to learn what the English terms meant, then I had to find a way to express that in Portuguese to the absolutely delightful woman who was in charge of the clinic. It was incredibly convoluted, yet somehow we managed to all understand one another. I was always apologizing to Ludovina for not knowing the right terminology, but she just laughed and said "Don't worry, I learned to figure this out in school, all of our instructors were foreigners!" (Nope, I don't want to think about the quality of education they received either!)
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted: Several years back, I found myself volunteering in Mozambique for a humanitarian organization. I mainly served as a Portuguese-language interpreter. For the first two weeks, I was interpreting for an American pediatric physical therapist working with the therapists in a clinic for children.
"...That was the first time I met Pierre Trudeau."
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: "Maths" is just wrong. Try saying it and see how weird it feels in your mouth.
"Math" feels funny to me - unfinished and fuzzy. Sort of like your mouth feels like after eating peanut butter.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Peanut butter? I thought you all just ate vegemite down there.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
When I was in Ireland, they said "maths"... but they pronounced it "mats" without a "th" sound.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Also it's a-lu-minum, it's not alu-mini-um. We don't need alternate spellings for elements.
I think vegemite is more an Australian/New Zealander thing not so much British. It's still disgusting though, and deceptively pleasing to the eye.
edit: All this reminds me of my Irish Mandarin teacher in middle school. She would assign us "homeworks," and her saying that hurt my brain every time even though I suppose it makes total sense.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I think vegemite is more an Australian/New Zealander thing not so much British. It's still disgusting though, and deceptively pleasing to the eye.
Um, yeah. Imogen's Australian. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Hence "down there".
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Originally posted by FlyingCow: When I was in Ireland, they said "maths"... but they pronounced it "mats" without a "th" sound.
In lots of words, most of them really, the Irish will pronounce "th" as "t h", two separate sounds. At least parts of Ireland with really heavy accents. I've always found it endearing, actually. Like, the word "the" is "t-hee" (well, kind of. It's hard to describe...)
I'll never forget trying to understand what my TMJ specailist, who was from County Cork, was trying to tell me. He wanted me to use "moil shteet." After many tries, he finally told me, "Moil shteet-- yu kno, yu taik t-he wash-clot-h, an' yu pud it in t-he microwayve..."
Moist heat.
Good thing he was going back home after he finished his residency to practice in Co. Cork.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jon Boy:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I think vegemite is more an Australian/New Zealander thing not so much British. It's still disgusting though, and deceptively pleasing to the eye.
Um, yeah. Imogen's Australian.
Well I didn't know thaaat.
/limozeen
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
It's BlackBlade . . . but he's in space!
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: Also it's a-lu-minum, it's not alu-mini-um. We don't need alternate spellings for elements.
I actually prefer aluminium, its more more consistent with the way other elements are named.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
I like the Us in words, though I agree some English spelling could be simplified. The BBC is coming up short on entertainment programs right now, but always does better on info programs. Where else can I watch a five-part series on the history of math(s)? Or Sir Patrick Moore (my personal hero)? Or a week about Darwin, or about the history of literacy and the science of reading? The Discovery Channel never had such great shows.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jon Boy: Peanut butter? I thought you all just ate vegemite down there.
Peanut butter and vegemite silly. In fact, when any Australian talks about food they've eaten, you can just take the 'and vegemite' as given.
'We had a lovely lamb roast (with vegemite) last night' 'Gosh, that was a fair dinkum pavlova (and vegemite), love' 'Through another prawn (in vegemite) on the barbie'
and so on.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
imogen, that's similar to the way "fried" is understood here (southeastern US) to be the default method of cooking.
What'd you have for dinner (big meal midday)? (Fried) Chicken and (fried) okra, what'd you have? (Fried) fish and (fried) hushpuppies.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: Also it's a-lu-minum, it's not alu-mini-um. We don't need alternate spellings for elements.
I actually prefer aluminium, its more more consistent with the way other elements are named.
Then why not 'alumnium?" The "ini" makes it sound like it's supposed to be cute, is a metal cute?!
Jon Boy: Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
The first name coined for it was actually alumium. Then came aluminum and aluminium a few years later (link).
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