[kenberg]

Vampyr, on 2012-May-30, 19:31, said:

Once my father told some Russian friends that he had prepared a meal that didn't contain "preservativni". They were pleased to know that their food had no condoms in it.

Words like these are called "false friends".

Many years back my older daughter (she is now 50) went to Madrid for her junior year in college. She wasn't, and isn't, all that much of a drinker but you have to celebrate the start of a new adventure so she and her friend Ann headed over to the cafe and ordered a pitcher of sangre. She says the waiter looked at them a little oddly.

[WellSpyder]

Vampyr, on 2012-May-30, 20:09, said:

I think that as English has become the linga franca for this forum and in many other contexts, those of use who are native or fluent speakers ought to have a little patience.

I agree. And before any native Latin speakers complain about Vampyr's spelling of lingua franca, perhaps they could extend the same courtesy in reverse....

[mycroft]

In military wargaming, frequently loss is taken as "morale checks".

Often in discussion of military wargaming, failing a moral check causes a unit to loose strength.

I never realized that loose morals were such a big thing in combat (not counting the great "VD prevention drives" in WWI and II).

[Vampyr]

WellSpyder, on 2012-May-31, 02:13, said:

I agree. And before any native Latin speakers complain about Vampyr's spelling of lingua franca, perhaps they could extend the same courtesy in reverse....

LOL yes. It's funny, I just opened this thread wondering if I had misspelt that word!

[Cyberyeti]

Fluffy, on 2012-May-30, 08:05, said:

what does constipado sound like in english?

Constipated = estren~ido (how do you get an n tilde on an English KB)

Edited, OK, found out, ñ hold down alt, hit 164 on the numpad

[USViking]

mycroft, on 2012-May-31, 11:51, said:

In military wargaming, frequently loss is taken as "morale checks"...

The WWII Japanese army substituted the phrase "Turn around and advance" for the word "retreat".

[Foxx]

"alot"

I have no idea where this came from and I see it way too often.

A. LOT. Two words, people.

[jillybean]

[barmar]

Foxx, on 2012-May-31, 15:50, said:

"alot"

I have no idea where this came from and I see it way too often.

A. LOT. Two words, people.

I'm generally a good speller and grammarian, but that one has always given me trouble. For some reason it "feels" like a single word. I predict that it will make it into dictionaries in 20-30 years.

[Fluffy]

Cyberyeti, on 2012-May-31, 13:29, said:

Constipated = estren~ido (how do you get an n tilde on an English KB)

Edited, OK, found out, ñ hold down alt, hit 164 on the numpad

It is very hard, because ascii characters don't work on all applications (BBO for example). I have an amercan laptop and it was a hell for me. I had to install some keyboard setting called "international english" wich is basically english with quick access to áéíóúñ¿¡ ² ³ € and probably the french c+s but I don't know where it is, I am quite happy about it.

[kenberg]

barmar, on 2012-May-31, 23:30, said:

I'm generally a good speller and grammarian, but that one has always given me trouble. For some reason it "feels" like a single word. I predict that it will make it into dictionaries in 20-30 years.

We all find some of these forms troubling. I cannot even recall seeing alot as one word, and I don't think I have ever said hopefully in my life. I always wonder who is hoping when I hear it. On the other hand, something like "The data are" rather than "The data is" seems wrong. Yes I know that it's one datum and two data but I suppose it is also one agendum and two agenda (the Online Dictionary recognizes agendum) but I can't recall anyone ever being corrected for for saying "The agenda for today is".

Mostly I learned my grammar by imitation of those around me. For a while, when I was in high school, I practiced saying ain't and tried to work at least one f*** or f***ing into every sentence, but I grew out of that. I think that now my sentences are usually fairly coherent and acceptable to most ears. Some listeners are fussier than other, I have noticed.

[gwnn]

WTF, you can follow colons with capital letters?

[blackshoe]

"The data are" doesn't seem wrong to me, but "the data is" is so widespread that it rarely bothers me. An agenda is a list, so singular (in English, if not in Latin). An agendum is an item on a list, so also singular. According to the Free Dictionary online, the plural of "agendum" is "'agenda', also 'agendums'" so I suppose either is acceptable, though it could lead to "these agenda comprise an agenda", which certainly sounds a little weird.

[mycroft]

Yeah, "The data are" come from grammarian IT techs, because it suits their kind of precision.
"The agenda is" comes from those same IT techs, because they're really hoping the meeting really only *has* one item on it, so they can get back to work...

[blackshoe]

ROFL! Good point.

[jillybean]

1, Opponents who think they are qualified to teach me or my partner.

2. Opponents who tell us that we have just violated a law and then add "I KNOW, because I've taken my directors certification".
(yeah, this is the pot calling the kettle black)

[Fluffy]

Kathryn you have the skill on both subjets to humiliate those bastards, just look self confident and tell them you can give them lessons for a small ammount.

[Antrax]

Yeah, picking fights on BBO is super productive.

[gwnn]

Antrax, on 2012-June-02, 04:39, said:

Yeah, picking fights on BBO is super productive.

I think she meant live opps, but your objection is still valid (probably more)

[gwnn]

Ending affirmative sentences with question marks?