Help with English

Discussion in 'Linguistics' started by Saint, Aug 24, 2011.

  1. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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  3. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    Why "She"nanigans?
    She means woman.
    Woman is cunning?

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  5. wegs Matter and Pixie Dust Valued Senior Member

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    That made me laugh.

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  7. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    Cunning linguistics.

    p.s. I could swear Saint is an AI.
     
  8. geordief Valued Senior Member

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    Me nan is very cunning.
     
  9. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    Sucker punch means what?
     
  10. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    obverse vs reverse
     
  11. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Obverse is the reverse of reverse. Reverse is the reverse of obverse.
     
  12. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    I see lot of bad grammar and spelling in online stuff, and I usually put it down to poor English on the part of the writer, but this video gives me pause.

    https://digg.com/video/man-explores-the-steinway-piano-vault-demonstrates-the-difference-is-between-a-200000-piano-and-a-2000000-piano

    This looks more like robo content.

    The a/an prepositions (1,2,5) would be technically correct, since 'an' always precedes a word that starts with a vowel. But if the author spoke the words, they'd know they're wrong. A bot might not know this if it were unsupervised.

    It also seems to have mindlessly pieced together noun phrases without regard to their countable versus uncountable-ness (3,4).

    As if the instructions for compilation are as a simple as:

    1. Choose Header: "This is equivalent to a/an"
    2. Choose from list of things:
    • used 2018 Porsche
    • CDK700
    • 4 years living in NYC
    • 2 years cost on piano class

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    Thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2019
  13. Baldeee Valued Senior Member

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    I'm thinking that the posters were produced by a bot / automated program.
    Something where you plug in a number and it comes up with what it is equivalent to.

    So it is likely using simplistic rules, as you suggest, and likely also written by a non-native English speaker who doesn't know better.
     
  14. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    They could just attach the article to the item instead of the header:
    a used porsche
    a CDK700
    4 years living alone in NYC
    2 years cost of a piano class
    a European castl​
     
  15. Ethernos D Grace Registered Senior Member

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    In a pure linguistic sense they can and cannot be used interchangeably. It depend on the sway or toward which it leans.
    Eh:maybe it will rain. It creates a different sense with same meaning eg, when u think it is going to rain and when you think it is not going to rain.
    Perhaps it will rain. When u think it will rain and when u think it will not rain.
    When u think it is going rain using "maybe" and when u think it is going to rain "perhaps" can be used interchangeably. But when u think it is going to rain "maybe" and when think it is not going to rain "perhaps" cannot be used interchangeably. I hope this is correct.
     
  16. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    livid means angry?
    seldom used.
     
  17. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    aide-de-camp,
    why not use simple word like personal assistant?
     
  18. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    It is simple. It is literally 'helper in the camp'. It's French.
     
  19. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Three syllables is shorter than six - and can be further shortened to "aide".
     
  20. geordief Valued Senior Member

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    Personal assistant can be shortened to p.a though

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    It's a toughie (what's a toughie our Saint ?)
     
  21. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    My Public Address is flintstone@bedrock.com - that's the one I give to people I don't want to hear from.

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  22. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    cockamamie = ridiculous?
     
  23. geordief Valued Senior Member

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    (what's a toughie our Saint ?)
     

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