Author Topic: Funny English and Linguistics stuff... (Read 203584 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #1350 on:** March 17, 2022, 08:16:56 AM »

Good job, steak. We're all very proud of you.

Ela · « **Reply #1351 on:** March 17, 2022, 11:44:37 AM »

Yeah, except that "kol hakavod" does not mean "well done" in Hebrew, as in well done steak.
It means, literally, all the honor. It's used to mean well done, as in a task well done.

The phrase is never used to reference how well cooked the steak is. Or any other food, for that matter.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1352 on:** April 27, 2022, 09:29:00 AM »

I had to attend a mandatory training a work about LGBTTQQIAAP, and the presenter kept stumbling over those letters like they were at the optometrist's office and needed a stronger prescription.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1353 on:** May 04, 2022, 09:25:00 AM »

There were so many gruntled people at work last night, I don't know when I've been more chalant.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1354 on:** May 20, 2022, 01:37:57 PM »

Phylacteries is such a useless word. Anyone who has any interest in purchasing, owning, or using them, would never call them that. I even suspect that if someone were to go to an establishment selling phylacteries and ask the proprietor to sell them phylacteries, they might be refused the sale, just because they called them that.

Ela · « **Reply #1355 on:** May 26, 2022, 10:08:23 AM »

Seriously.

Jonathon · « **Reply #1356 on:** May 26, 2022, 11:20:10 AM »

Does "phylacteries" appear in any modern English translation of the Tanakh, or is it just used in the Christian Bible?

rivka · « **Reply #1357 on:** May 26, 2022, 05:13:18 PM »

I doubt it's in either. The Hebrew/Aramaic word tefillin appears nowhere in Tanach. The verses just say "bind them" (the verses, by context). See https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/81814/jewish/Tefillin-and-Its-Significance.htm

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1358 on:** June 08, 2022, 08:11:28 AM »

The adverb "piping" is useful only for modifying the word "hot". What a waste.

Jonathon · « **Reply #1359 on:** June 08, 2022, 09:03:18 AM »

Apparently you can also having piping little voices, and piping plovers are named for their calls, but that's it.

link

Jonathon · « **Reply #1360 on:** June 08, 2022, 11:16:42 AM »

On Twitter, Keith pointed out that you can also be piping mad.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1361 on:** June 08, 2022, 12:11:18 PM »

Quote from: Jonathon on June 08, 2022, 09:03:18 AM

Apparently you can also having piping little voices, and piping plovers are named for their calls, but that's it.

link

That's the adjective piping, not the adverb.

Jonathon · « **Reply #1362 on:** August 10, 2022, 02:31:13 PM »

Mouseover text: "Pronouncing [ṡṡċċḣḣẇẇȧȧ] is easy; you just say it like the 'x' in 'fire'."

Jonathon · « **Reply #1363 on:** September 09, 2022, 11:54:29 AM »

Mouseover text: "you'dn't've any opinions on my use of contractions, wouldn't'ou?"

rivka · « **Reply #1364 on:** September 09, 2022, 05:23:46 PM »

Ela · « **Reply #1365 on:** September 10, 2022, 07:49:40 PM »

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1366 on:** September 10, 2022, 11:39:26 PM »

My husband is the only one I know (in New Jersey) who uses "oughtn't". But he also sometimes says "ought to should", so there's that.

Brinestone · « **Reply #1367 on:** September 14, 2022, 07:14:58 PM »

This reminds me somehow of Lego and Duplo's made-up contractions, like "it's'n't" for "it isn't."

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1368 on:** October 03, 2022, 07:52:16 AM »

My six year old wanted me to help him to build a pillow fort in the parlor, and I was trying to convince him that for a really good fortress, we would need to use the dining room chairs and some sheets. He objected, claiming that FORTS are for boys, and FORTRESSES are for girls. I never thought of the -ess ending of fortress being feminine.

Jonathon · « **Reply #1369 on:** October 03, 2022, 08:34:09 AM »

Huh. I'd never thought about it before, but it looks like it's a different -ess ending that is used to form nouns from adjectives.

Jonathon · « **Reply #1370 on:** October 07, 2022, 03:27:52 PM »

Mouseover text: thank you for reading dinosaur comics; today's installment ends with "wait, damn it, cocks". i have a master's degree

Ela · « **Reply #1371 on:** October 09, 2022, 10:49:26 AM »

Funny. But is it true?

Jonathon · « **Reply #1372 on:** October 10, 2022, 09:00:02 AM »

As far as I'm aware, yes.

Online Etymology Dictionary entry for "cock"
Online Etymology Dictionary entry for "rooster"

Ela · « **Reply #1373 on:** October 12, 2022, 06:55:27 PM »

Interesting. And not too surprising, I guess.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #1374 on:** December 09, 2022, 08:38:40 AM »

I hear a lot about prophylactics, but I never hear about amateurphylactics.