English is a terrible language. For example, what is a hot water heater? If the water is already hot, why do you need to heat it? It should be called a cold water heater.
Why is the word abbreviation so long?
Why are apartments stuck together instead of being apart?
If olive oil is made out of olives, what is baby oil made out of?
Why do we have words with silent letters like knife, doubt, listen, and whistle.
We have words that sound alike that mean different things: hear and here, there and their and they’re, your and you’re. Reading comments in forums, I see people using them wrong all the time especially the your/you’re one.
We have words that are spelled the same but sound differently depending on context. “He read the book” and “I will read the book.”
English speakers use many phrases that don’t make sense if translated or could mean something completely different. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” “Speak of the Devil.” “Straight from the horse’s mouth.” “Kill two birds with one stone.” “More than one way to skin a cat.” “A stitch in time saves nine.”
Typing out that previous paragraph reminds me of the proper punctuation for periods with quotes. It’s weird to have the period inside the quotes – Why??? But when you have a question mark, it makes a difference if it’s inside or outside: He said, “Are you going to the party?” versus Did he say, “Are you going to the party”?
@cengland0
Gotta love it (the madness of modern English usage). Or such is my reaction.
I used to care quite a bit about grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, etc, and could actually remember most of the rules. I started to really notice the wide cultural deterioration in use of “proper standards” in the very late 1980’s or early 1990’s, I think. The people hitting adulthood were the first generation that grew up more with using devices and PC’s and cable TV than with broadcast TV and with the printed or the handwritten word. (Handwriting standards went to hell at about the same time.) Kids were no longer automatically “readers of books and articles”. They had 24/7 electronics instead.
So the world changed, and my outlook changed also, more slowly. It’s quite rare that I have to trouble over the writer’s intention in order to untangle even badly mangled usage - the gist still gets across; and when I do, more often than otherwise, the grammar, spelling, punctuation, word usage were fine, the thinking seems to be the part that got tangled, innocently or less innocently.
Sometimes I get picky with my own constant misuse, or that of others; mostly I just go with the chaos flow. Can’t fight in every war. Don’t have the energy or interest.
Curiously, the setting where I am pickiest about use of language is spoken person-to-person conversation; it drives me a little nuts when someone quite smart and literate is not trying to be playful, but rather precise, and then messes up the whole process by being radically unclear.
Perhaps a new standard “grammar for the connected age” will develop.
@f00l That would be new standard grammar period. There is no standard grammar just those who put on airs. The rest of us get to stand around and laugh an give grammar nannies nouggies.
Why?
OK.
I guess that you are that tired.
@f00l
that, as used in the post above, is a technical term designating a precise and exact specific measurement.
I’m sure I guessed right.
/giphy english
un poco?
Que pasa chico?
Juste un peu? Nur ein bisschen?
English is a terrible language. For example, what is a hot water heater? If the water is already hot, why do you need to heat it? It should be called a cold water heater.
Why is the word abbreviation so long?
Why are apartments stuck together instead of being apart?
@cengland0 You park on a driveway and drive on a parkway.
@cengland0 I’ve always called that object that heats cool water a “Water Heater”.
The other ones, I agree! lol
@hems79 There are some parkways that I have been on that we have essentially been parked on…
@cengland0
@hems79
@daveinwarsh
@kidsandliz
English is the mostest, bestest, most awesome-est language? Absolutely.
Why? Because it fucks with you. And because it innovates faster concerning new means of fucking with you than any other language.
Q.E.D.
"Language is a virus from outer space"
@f00l
@hems79
@daveinwarsh
@kidsandliz
Why is a boxing ring square?
If olive oil is made out of olives, what is baby oil made out of?
Why do we have words with silent letters like knife, doubt, listen, and whistle.
We have words that sound alike that mean different things: hear and here, there and their and they’re, your and you’re. Reading comments in forums, I see people using them wrong all the time especially the your/you’re one.
We have words that are spelled the same but sound differently depending on context. “He read the book” and “I will read the book.”
English speakers use many phrases that don’t make sense if translated or could mean something completely different. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” “Speak of the Devil.” “Straight from the horse’s mouth.” “Kill two birds with one stone.” “More than one way to skin a cat.” “A stitch in time saves nine.”
Typing out that previous paragraph reminds me of the proper punctuation for periods with quotes. It’s weird to have the period inside the quotes – Why??? But when you have a question mark, it makes a difference if it’s inside or outside: He said, “Are you going to the party?” versus Did he say, “Are you going to the party”?
I could go on and on.
@cengland0
Why does one buy a pair of panties, but only one bra?
@cengland0If olive oil is made out of olives, what is baby oil made out of?
It’s made from people…
@cengland0
Gotta love it (the madness of modern English usage). Or such is my reaction.
I used to care quite a bit about grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, etc, and could actually remember most of the rules. I started to really notice the wide cultural deterioration in use of “proper standards” in the very late 1980’s or early 1990’s, I think. The people hitting adulthood were the first generation that grew up more with using devices and PC’s and cable TV than with broadcast TV and with the printed or the handwritten word. (Handwriting standards went to hell at about the same time.) Kids were no longer automatically “readers of books and articles”. They had 24/7 electronics instead.
So the world changed, and my outlook changed also, more slowly. It’s quite rare that I have to trouble over the writer’s intention in order to untangle even badly mangled usage - the gist still gets across; and when I do, more often than otherwise, the grammar, spelling, punctuation, word usage were fine, the thinking seems to be the part that got tangled, innocently or less innocently.
Sometimes I get picky with my own constant misuse, or that of others; mostly I just go with the chaos flow. Can’t fight in every war. Don’t have the energy or interest.
Curiously, the setting where I am pickiest about use of language is spoken person-to-person conversation; it drives me a little nuts when someone quite smart and literate is not trying to be playful, but rather precise, and then messes up the whole process by being radically unclear.
Perhaps a new standard “grammar for the connected age” will develop.
Or not.
@f00l That would be new standard grammar period. There is no standard grammar just those who put on airs. The rest of us get to stand around and laugh an give grammar nannies nouggies.
I really don’t speak English.
I speak American.
@daveinwarsh
/giphy 'merica
@daveinwarsh
Do wut?
Hell, I’m fixin’ t’ be about to.
@daveinwarsh Ha that would be united statesian
unless you speak spangish
It doesn’t help that people are trying to create there own words, such as “fantabulous”, “paradoxymoron”, etc.
@DVDBZN OHHHH! Paradoxymoron! I’m appropriating that !
@DVDBZN nothing wrong wid dat.
Seven or eight. On a scale of one to five.
Estoy muy cansado. Quiero dormir mucho.
/giphy un camiseta con gatos