29 replies to this topic

[Telomerase]

perneseblue, on Jul 20 2009, 10:08 PM, said:

Another interesting drift is the use of the word "data" (plural) verse "datum" (singular).

"The data is" rather than "The data are"

Interesting it is, still a mistake though. I use it as a plural.
As for purity of language, don't complain please. It's English that bastardizes many other languages . Single words aren't so irritating as "engrish" grammar monsters which I often see in the commercials, or in the shops. The language of marketing, especially cosmetics, is littered with very wrong uses of Polish and English together. I had a laugh, though, when in early nineties there was a blackcurrant juice named "Black Dick". Changed later to "Black Bick". I imagine the face of the company boss when someone explained him that double meaning.
Big blunders like that don't happen so often since English use has spread, I've seen some interesting things in the country though: "Chicken z rozna, open cala dobe". (Barbecue chicken, open the whole day). Or "Mega cena" (mega price), which is supposed to mean that the price is low. Etc, etc...

Edited by Telomerase, 22 August 2009 - 05:14 AM.

[hobglobin]

Telomerase, on Aug 22 2009, 03:08 PM, said:

perneseblue, on Jul 20 2009, 10:08 PM, said:

Another interesting drift is the use of the word "data" (plural) verse "datum" (singular).

"The data is" rather than "The data are"

Interesting it is, still a mistake though. I use it as a plural.
As for purity of language, don't complain please. It's English that bastardizes many other languages . Single words aren't so irritating as "engrish" grammar monsters which I often see in the commercials, or in the shops. The language of marketing, especially cosmetics, is littered with very wrong uses of Polish and English together. I had a laugh, though, when in early nineties there was a blackcurrant juice named "Black Dick". Changed later to "Black Bick". I imagine the face of the company boss when someone explained him that double meaning.
Big blunders like that don't happen so often since English use has spread, I've seen some interesting things in the country though: "Chicken z rozna, open cala dobe". (Barbecue chicken, open the whole day). Or "Mega cena" (mega price), which is supposed to mean that the price is low. Etc, etc...

And English has replaced French that did the same before (at least in German and English, but I guess in many other languages too), words from 'abbreviation' up to 'war' have French origin...And from Latin long time before even more words have entered our languages, so I guess it is a normal process. Perhaps soon Chinese (or Japanese as in this forum   ) words are coming...

And those words about private parts, the Americans and Brits have problems among themselves, I remember the US movie "Free Willy" that had a funny different meaning for the British people  

In Germany we had a company that produced a new rucksack/daypack brand and called them "body bags"  

[fishdoc]

hobglobin, on Aug 22 2009, 09:46 AM, said:

Telomerase, on Aug 22 2009, 03:08 PM, said:

perneseblue, on Jul 20 2009, 10:08 PM, said:

Another interesting drift is the use of the word "data" (plural) verse "datum" (singular).

"The data is" rather than "The data are"

Interesting it is, still a mistake though. I use it as a plural.
As for purity of language, don't complain please. It's English that bastardizes many other languages . Single words aren't so irritating as "engrish" grammar monsters which I often see in the commercials, or in the shops. The language of marketing, especially cosmetics, is littered with very wrong uses of Polish and English together. I had a laugh, though, when in early nineties there was a blackcurrant juice named "Black Dick". Changed later to "Black Bick". I imagine the face of the company boss when someone explained him that double meaning.
Big blunders like that don't happen so often since English use has spread, I've seen some interesting things in the country though: "Chicken z rozna, open cala dobe". (Barbecue chicken, open the whole day). Or "Mega cena" (mega price), which is supposed to mean that the price is low. Etc, etc...

And English has replaced French that did the same before (at least in German and English, but I guess in many other languages too), words from 'abbreviation' up to 'war' have French origin...And from Latin long time before even more words have entered our languages, so I guess it is a normal process. Perhaps soon Chinese (or Japanese as in this forum   ) words are coming...

And those words about private parts, the Americans and Brits have problems among themselves, I remember the US movie "Free Willy" that had a funny different meaning for the British people  

In Germany we had a company that produced a new rucksack/daypack brand and called them "body bags"  

There used to be a British post doc in our lab, and there was always a "discussion" between the use of "bum bag" (UK) and "fanny pack" (US). I guess the Brits find the US version a little more offensive than the Americans find the UK version.

[Kami23]

fishdoc, on Aug 22 2009, 04:03 PM, said:

There used to be a British post doc in our lab, and there was always a "discussion" between the use of "bum bag" (UK) and "fanny pack" (US). I guess the Brits find the US version a little more offensive than the Americans find the UK version.

Thats cos over here fanny means something completely different... its a horrible word for female reproductive organs...

[fishdoc]

Kami23, on Sep 2 2009, 10:55 AM, said:

fishdoc, on Aug 22 2009, 04:03 PM, said:

There used to be a British post doc in our lab, and there was always a "discussion" between the use of "bum bag" (UK) and "fanny pack" (US). I guess the Brits find the US version a little more offensive than the Americans find the UK version.

Thats cos over here fanny means something completely different... its a horrible word for female reproductive organs...

Yeah, I know. She explained that to us. Angrily, at times.

[Kami23]

fishdoc, on Sep 2 2009, 06:00 PM, said:

Kami23, on Sep 2 2009, 10:55 AM, said:

fishdoc, on Aug 22 2009, 04:03 PM, said:

There used to be a British post doc in our lab, and there was always a "discussion" between the use of "bum bag" (UK) and "fanny pack" (US). I guess the Brits find the US version a little more offensive than the Americans find the UK version.

Thats cos over here fanny means something completely different... its a horrible word for female reproductive organs...

Yeah, I know. She explained that to us. Angrily, at times.

lol i can see why she would be angry

[barry bert]

The instructor should not have marked it wrong. if he/she had a preference then it could have been pointed out without penalizing a student for using a correct but slightly different term.

[mdfenko]

barry bert, on Apr 27 2010, 09:04 AM, said:

The instructor should not have marked it wrong. if he/she had a preference then it could have been pointed out without penalizing a student for using a correct but slightly different term.

plagiarism?

[casandra]

mdfenko, on Apr 27 2010, 10:37 AM, said:

barry bert, on Apr 27 2010, 09:04 AM, said:

The instructor should not have marked it wrong. if he/she had a preference then it could have been pointed out without penalizing a student for using a correct but slightly different term.

plagiarism?

...the nerve, eh MD? Perhaps we shld ask bb if he had passed the "identify these drunken letters/numbers test".....

[mdfenko]

i found that barry bert plagiarized in a number of his posts. he doesn't appear to be a bot, just opportunistic and trying to advertise his services as widely as possible, a human spammer.

[casandra]

mdfenko, on Apr 27 2010, 11:21 AM, said:

i found that barry bert plagiarized in a number of his posts. he doesn't appear to be a bot, just opportunistic and trying to advertise his services as widely as possible, a human spammer.

Yup, I see it now...and even the typo he plagiarised (see the assistant professor thread in job and career)....that ain't cool at all.... .....

[hobglobin]

casandra, on Apr 27 2010, 05:31 PM, said:

mdfenko, on Apr 27 2010, 11:21 AM, said:

i found that barry bert plagiarized in a number of his posts. he doesn't appear to be a bot, just opportunistic and trying to advertise his services as widely as possible, a human spammer.

Yup, I see it now...and even the typo he plagiarised (see the assistant professor thread in job and career)....that ain't cool at all.... .....

one of those annoying signature-with-advertising-link-spammers. The rest of the text is useless as always...

[casandra]

hobglobin, on Apr 27 2010, 11:46 AM, said:

casandra, on Apr 27 2010, 05:31 PM, said:

mdfenko, on Apr 27 2010, 11:21 AM, said:

i found that barry bert plagiarized in a number of his posts. he doesn't appear to be a bot, just opportunistic and trying to advertise his services as widely as possible, a human spammer.

Yup, I see it now...and even the typo he plagiarised (see the assistant professor thread in job and career)....that ain't cool at all.... .....

one of those annoying signature-with-advertising-link-spammers. The rest of the text is useless as always...

honestly...a fast glance I read "Resume Writing"...and so I thought...oooh it's for people who stopped writing...HEY bb.....you forgot the accent aigu....

[Doki]

for a moment, I thought U were talking about me  

[lsek]

It's so funny.

There must have been plenty of crossed "supernate" in your report then, that led you to being so worked out with the supernate vs supernant thingy.

As of today, Google on supernate scores 175 thousand hits, whereas supernatant scores 4.65 million hits. Considering this, I would go along with the majority (regardless of native or not native speakers).

Ohya, what's so wrong to consider English as an international bastardized language? That is how it grew so influential today, right? To add to the list, African, Middle-Eastern, Asia, etc contributed too to the diversification, as well as growth in the language.

Just a thought