Author Topic: Dear Expert (Read 165416 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #125 on:** September 29, 2010, 09:11:08 AM »

What I want to know is, what does it hurt having two different words for the same thing (assuming, of course, that they are exactly the same)?

rivka · « **Reply #126 on:** September 29, 2010, 10:17:58 AM »

It makes Porter twitch.

Jonathon · « **Reply #127 on:** September 29, 2010, 10:25:30 AM »

And Annie, apparently.

But that's their problem, isn't it?

rivka · « **Reply #128 on:** September 29, 2010, 11:13:20 AM »

Sure. I was just answering your question.

Jonathon · « **Reply #129 on:** September 29, 2010, 11:14:32 AM »

In a fashion.

pooka · « **Reply #130 on:** September 29, 2010, 08:26:33 PM »

I hate how we have separate words for book and library.

Jonathon · « **Reply #131 on:** September 30, 2010, 09:52:11 AM »

Really? Why shouldn't we?

Scott R · « **Reply #132 on:** September 30, 2010, 09:58:45 AM »

I wholly support a large, gnarly language. The larger the language, the better, IMO.

pooka · « **Reply #133 on:** September 30, 2010, 10:11:41 AM »

I'm being cheeky. The two words are inflections of the same root, to write, in Arabic. I'm just pointing out we sometimes think of words as being separate when they could be collapsed into one lexical cluster. And if we wanted to get excited about eradicating redundancy we could really get carried away. But Arabic has several words meaning horse, so it's not like it's this austere, super efficient language.

Jonathon · « **Reply #134 on:** September 30, 2010, 10:27:44 AM »

Quote from: Scott R on September 30, 2010, 09:58:45 AM

I wholly support a large, gnarly language. The larger the language, the better, IMO.

Yeah. Personally, I don't understand the objections to having so many words. It's not like anyone's making you use them, but they're there if you want them.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #135 on:** October 06, 2010, 09:36:04 AM »

Dear Expert,
Is there anyway we can forever separate the words "can't" and "hardly"? While it's certainly possible to use those words together correctly, such as, "I can't hardly stand getting free money", the vast majority of people keep using them together in lieu of one or the other. You can say, "I can't understand economics", or "I hardly understand economics", but if you are trying to express a propensity for not understanding economics you can't say, "I can't hardly understand economics." Either you are in fact saying you do understand economics, or that you have a complete lack of understanding when it comes to economics, so much so, that you can't even be said to "hardly understand" it, which I suppose in rare cases might be what you actually mean.

Either way, the cost this problem is exacting on my sanity is just too high, what can be done?!

Sincerely,
A reader who can't hardly deal with this.

rivka · « **Reply #136 on:** October 06, 2010, 10:17:07 AM »

Quote from: BlackBlade on October 06, 2010, 09:36:04 AM

While it's certainly possible to use those words together correctly, such as, "I can't hardly stand getting free money"

I am unconvinced this is correct.

Jonathon · « **Reply #137 on:** October 06, 2010, 11:01:00 AM »

Yeah, I'm not seeing how "I can't hardly stand getting free money" is correct while "I can't hardly understand economics" isn't. Strictly speaking, they're both a type of double negative.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #138 on:** October 06, 2010, 11:14:40 AM »

Technically speaking if I "I can't hardly stand getting free money." Then I can hardly stand getting free money right?, or at least it's a level of difficulty that isn't measured by the word, "hardly."

Jonathon · « **Reply #139 on:** October 06, 2010, 11:33:42 AM »

Quote from: BlackBlade on October 06, 2010, 11:14:40 AM

Technically speaking if I "I can't hardly stand getting free money." Then I can hardly stand getting free money right?

Nope. You just equated a positive statement with a negative one. Under the rules of standard English, this doesn't work.

Nighthawk · « **Reply #140 on:** October 06, 2010, 12:25:55 PM »

Quote from: Jonathon on October 06, 2010, 11:33:42 AM

Nope. You just equated a positive statement with a negative one. Under the rules of standard English, this can't hardly work.

FTFY.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #141 on:** October 06, 2010, 12:33:23 PM »

Quote from: BlackBlade on October 06, 2010, 09:36:04 AM

Is there anyway we can forever separate the words "can't" and "hardly"?

No, I'm afraid we can't.

Jonathon · « **Reply #142 on:** October 06, 2010, 01:01:08 PM »

Quote from: Nighthawk on October 06, 2010, 12:25:55 PM

Quote from: Jonathon on October 06, 2010, 11:33:42 AM
Nope. You just equated a positive statement with a negative one. Under the rules of standard English, this can't hardly work.

FTFY.

I'll fix you.

rivka · « **Reply #143 on:** October 06, 2010, 07:41:47 PM »

I believe his wife already took care of that for you.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #144 on:** October 06, 2010, 08:40:14 PM »

Quote from: rivka on October 06, 2010, 07:41:47 PM

I believe his wife already took care of that for you.

Blammo!

Brinestone · « **Reply #145 on:** October 07, 2010, 06:17:14 AM »

Quote from: BlackBlade on October 06, 2010, 08:40:14 PM

Quote from: rivka on October 06, 2010, 07:41:47 PM
I believe his wife already took care of that for you.
Blammo!

I'm confused. The only people you could have meant by "his" are Jonathon and Nighthawk (and possibly BlackBlade). Of the three, I'm the only wife who could have taken care of anything in the thread, but I didn't. What?

BlackBlade · « **Reply #146 on:** October 07, 2010, 07:59:48 AM »

I assume she was talking about Nighthawk, who frequently mentions swift disciplinary action from his wife when he steps out of line.

rivka · « **Reply #147 on:** October 07, 2010, 08:37:41 AM »

Precisely. His usual comments go something like, "I don't remember anything after that."

Nighthawk · « **Reply #148 on:** October 13, 2010, 12:59:38 PM »

Dear Expert: Why is Wednesday not pronounced like it is spelled?

I might be able to accept losing a letter, but an entire syllable?

BlackBlade · « **Reply #149 on:** October 13, 2010, 01:14:56 PM »

Doesn't Wednesday come from the Norse days of the week and hence Odin's day?