Author Topic: Funny English and Linguistics stuff... (Read 203812 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #125 on:** October 12, 2010, 09:21:10 AM »

I've heard of similar instances of someone with the last name of Gay being changed to Homosexual.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #126 on:** October 12, 2010, 04:25:15 PM »

Or people named Chris …

Brinestone · « **Reply #127 on:** October 12, 2010, 07:14:44 PM »

A beautiful tradition was born of that error, thank you very much.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #128 on:** October 12, 2010, 08:55:44 PM »

Homosexualtmas?

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #129 on:** October 12, 2010, 10:10:21 PM »

No, but that's totally the next holiday we need to invent!

pooka · « **Reply #130 on:** October 13, 2010, 06:44:10 PM »

It can be a pagan holiday adapted from a religious observance.

Jonathon · « **Reply #131 on:** October 21, 2010, 09:10:25 AM »

Oh, Language Log, how I love you.

rivka · « **Reply #132 on:** October 21, 2010, 11:17:36 AM »

And yes, we have no bananas!

Jonathon · « **Reply #133 on:** October 28, 2010, 10:25:36 AM »

I just came across an instance of a previous editor changing "such as" to "like", so I did a Google search to try to find out what the alleged traditional rule is,* and most of the top hits are references to the 2007 Miss Teen USA contestant from South Carolina. Poor girl.

*In short, there are some conflicting guidelines on how to use them, and oftentimes it's impossible to determine which one should be which.

Jonathon · « **Reply #134 on:** November 04, 2010, 01:23:58 PM »

My coworker showed me this SNL sketch called "La Policia Mexicana", and, surprisingly, it managed to avoid the usual SNL pitfall of beating its jokes to death.

rivka · « **Reply #135 on:** November 04, 2010, 02:04:13 PM »

That was AWESOME.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #136 on:** November 04, 2010, 06:32:52 PM »

Hulu, I hate you and your international copyright nonsense.

Jonathon · « **Reply #137 on:** November 04, 2010, 08:03:13 PM »

I don't know if this will be any better.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #138 on:** November 05, 2010, 07:57:33 AM »

Quote from: Annie Subjunctive on November 04, 2010, 06:32:52 PM

Hulu, I hate you and your international copyright nonsense.

Psssh at least you don't have to deal with the great firewall.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #139 on:** November 05, 2010, 08:06:02 AM »

Quote from: Jonathon on November 04, 2010, 08:03:13 PM

I don't know if this will be any better.

No dice. That's OK.

Jonathon · « **Reply #140 on:** November 17, 2010, 01:31:43 PM »

Porter · « **Reply #141 on:** November 17, 2010, 02:26:30 PM »

I almost posted that myself.

pooka · « **Reply #142 on:** November 17, 2010, 07:09:57 PM »

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #143 on:** November 17, 2010, 09:05:07 PM »

I used to work with someone who talked about "French benefits". As if we'd have the whole month of August off, get to retire at age 62, and get croissants for breakfast every day.

sweet clementine · « **Reply #144 on:** November 18, 2010, 10:05:29 AM »

It took me several minutes to realize that "French benefits" would mean "fringe benefits".

Jonathon · « **Reply #145 on:** November 18, 2010, 10:40:03 AM »

It took me until your post to realize that.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #146 on:** November 18, 2010, 10:58:31 AM »

I picked up on it right away. I'm so smart!

BlackBlade · « **Reply #147 on:** November 24, 2010, 04:15:13 PM »

Is arrowed really a word? Scramble on Facebook seems to think so. I always thought Strongbad made it up.

Jonathon · « **Reply #148 on:** November 24, 2010, 04:42:48 PM »

The sense in which he used it was made up. The established sense is more like darted, referring to an arrow-like movement.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #149 on:** November 24, 2010, 08:33:55 PM »

Quote from: Jonathon on November 24, 2010, 04:42:48 PM

The sense in which he used it was made up. The established sense is more like darted, referring to an arrow-like movement.

Ah, thanks!