Speedy's Cafe - General Chat about anything you like!

[Arcadia]

I was going to say, I don't think that's an actual rule ... what I remember is something more like, the most important modifier is closet to the word being modified, or something like that. But that's hardly a rule, more of a ... hint. At any rate, I agree a "green great dragon" sounds odd, but a "green, large dragon" sounds pretty natural. Why? Beats me.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I would normally say "a large green dragon" (though probably not all that often).

 

I agree with you about the order "rule" -- I think it's more like the most inherent adjective goes closest to the noun. That's admittedly open to all sorts of interpretation. But I've thought of an example that may clarify things slightly.

 

The sequence "little old" has become so standard that it's basically a cliche. But suppose we are talking about little dogs -- not puppies, mind you, but dogs that are inherently small, like chiuauas and toy poodles. And I'm wanting to make a distinction between age categories. I might very naturally compare "young little dogs" to "old little dogs." Because we're talking about "little dogs," the word "little" is more inherent, whereas "young" and "old" are being used to make a distinction.

[J.P.]

I still don't get why in some titles there are definite articles, or indefinite articles, or none at all. A Scandal..., A Study… The Blind Banker, The Final Problem.

[Doe]

Where is my sharing? It's gone. However

 

I want to come back Turkish translate film but I am begining understand English little bit. I am also listening Ben's voice (with subtitle).

 

It's hard that to learn new language after forty.

 

for simple example:

 

Turkish: O

English: He,she,it

 

English: You

Turkish: Sen (singular) Siz (plural)

 

and

 

What is "the" ? Why do you need "the"?

 

The Final Problem

A Final Problem

 

Meaning is same for me.

[Carol the Dabbler]

"Final Problem" is a difficult example to work with, so let's consider "front porch" instead.

 

If I say "a front porch," that refers to just some front porch, any front porch -- it doesn't really matter which one. If I say "the front porch," I mean a specific one -- possibly at the house we're sitting in while we talk, possibly the front porch on my house or your house, or on the house we were already talking about. It means that I assume you know what porch I'm talking about.

[Pseudonym]

Sorry to veer away from the topic, I'm wondering if the rest of you ever feel this way - I'm currently waiting at a very small train station with no cameras, it's light but there are no houses or roads overlooking and it's just me and one man. He hasn't said anything or come near me but it still makes me uneasy. Possibly I watch too many crime programs. I'm wondering how many of you other ladies would feel iffy?

[Van Buren Supernova]

I stayed in high crime area which trained me to be on high alert all the time. I'd prefer to be too careful, to the point that I diversed my route and timing so it'd appear random.

So I don't think you are paranoid, but if you are talking in real time, I'd suggest that you are not too engrossed with your phone/device, keep a side eye on him, and looked up for possible defense or way out.

[Pseudonym]

I was typing at the time but I had an eyeball firmly fixed on him.

[Arcadia]

I'm with VBS. I feel bad about being suspicious of strangers, especially if it's just because they're men, but rather safe than sorry.

[Van Buren Supernova]

I was typing at the time but I had an eyeball firmly fixed on him.

Geez, maybe he was the one feeling iffy then :D

Okay, is it staring at him from his coffee cup?

If yes, you have no problem, lady. You got it covered. He should be the one who looks for possible defense. 

I want to know if it's surprisingly okay too.

 

"Final Problem" is a difficult example to work with, so let's consider "front porch" instead.

 

If I say "a front porch," that refers to just some front porch, any front porch -- it doesn't really matter which one. If I say "the front porch," I mean a specific one -- possibly at the house we're sitting in while we talk, possibly the front porch on my house or your house, or on the house we were already talking about. It means that I assume you know what porch I'm talking about.

What about the ultimate the? The superior the, the special the? 

I know it's pronounced differently, but how do you write them? I always use Italic but not sure if it's correct.

[Pseudonym]

Yup, when he looked away I tossed I spare eye I carry for these occasions into his cup. He didn't seem to notice when he sipped so I think it might st have been surprisingly okay ;)

Does 'the' get pronounced differently in different situations?

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think VBS is talking about phrases like "the" Martin Freeman (as opposed to the doctor in Indianapolis or the newspaper columnist in Cornwall).  Yes, it's pronounced with more emphasis, and the vowel is always a long e (like the double e in feed).  The regular "the" is pronounced like that only before a vowel sound; otherwise it's generally "thuh" (at least in the US, can't speak for elsewhere).

 

Added:  Oops, I didn't answer your actual question, did I?  Italics would be fine, or some people put "the" in quote marks as I did above.  Or underlined or bold-face or all-caps.  Anything to draw attention to it, really.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Yes, that's what I meant. Thanks Carol.

 

Anyway, found this in the net and it cracked me up.

 

Then I showed it separately to three friends with surprisingly different reactions. They are all smart people, I consider them comparable with each other: one gets it in short time, one takes longer but get it and another one doesn't get it after quite a long time that it has to be explained. Just different attention to details I guess.

[Carol the Dabbler]

What I want to know is, what's the difference between Nickers and Sickers?

[Pseudonym]

I'd be a bit dubious about eating something called Sickers! Is it meant to be Snickers? I'm guessing Mounds, also a weird name, are what we call Bounty. 

[Van Buren Supernova]

I absolutely have no idea about any of your questions, who named their chocolate Sickers? Wunder Bar, and Mounds? my Bounty doesn't look like that.

Maybe these are knock-off chocolates that are purposely misspelled?

[Carol the Dabbler]

Pseud, a Mounds bar is sweetened coconut covered with chocolate. An Almond Joy bar is identical except that there are a couple of toasted almonds on top (to quote the ads, "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't").

 

Most of those names look like misspelt American candy bars -- or in the case of Mounds, upside-down (and I am oddly amazed that neither I nor any of the weirdos I hung out with ever noticed you could do that). Yeah, I would guess that both Sickers and Nickers are Snickers minus one letter.

 

Where was this done? I'm guessing it's not an English-speaking country.

[Pseudonym]

Yea, Mounds is the same as a Bounty then. And Almond Joy sounds more appealing then Almojoy, which sounds like some kind of lactose free bar that tastes a bit iffy. 

[J.P.]

Wunder is German for wonder and wunderbar is wonderful. Bar is also cash, or the bar you go for drinkies. Mixing those two languages makes only sense if you know both languages. Literally it's wonder-bar in English.

[Pseudonym]

It can't be a German sign though because the price is in dollars. I could Google all the places that use dollars, but that would take energy, of which I have none. :(

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think enough Americans know the word Wunderbar that it would be a successful pun here, like "wonder(ful) (candy) bar."

I did a bit of a search for that photo, and find that it's all over the internet. Someone had posted a comment on one of those pages, something about Australian candy. And they do use the term dollar in Australia. But I have no idea whether there's any connection.  It does have to be someplace where they use both dollars and grams, which leaves out the US and (I think) Europe. Could be Australia, Canada, or probably lots of other places.

But -- who knows if that photo is even the origin of the joke. Like I said before, I'm amazed that I'd never noticed that myself, nor had it pointed out to me. Mounds bars have been around since I was a kid (if not before).

[Carol the Dabbler]

There are 35 countries that call their currency a "dollar."

[Van Buren Supernova]

I screenshot it from a Buzzfeed article, but I can't find it back for some reason. It was posted or at least in front page yesterday. Maybe it was taken down because of some image copyright? I'm certain that I saw some of other images somewhere else before. It doesn't help that I don't remember any key word, except that it contains images that are supposed to be amusing.

 

My guess was US, but then as Carol said, you don't use gram, so maybe it's Canada?

 

From those chocolate, I only know Dove, Crunchies, Snickers if it's indeed Snickers, perhaps Almojoy. For what I remember, Bounty has blue packaging.

 

:D anyway, I just enjoy the fact that you all went sleuthing there. Missing Sherlock eh? :D

[Carol the Dabbler]

"Almojoy" is presumably Almond Joy (just like a SpunoW, but with toasted almonds on top).

[Shadow Dweller]

http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/8/14852940/boomerang-cartoon-streaming-service-launching