Fun Stuff > CHATTER
English is weird
LTK:
--- Quote from: Loki on 29 Sep 2013, 14:08 ---But you are on the surface of the sea.
--- End quote ---
I would sooner say you are on the surface of a ship when you are at sea.
GarandMarine:
--- Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 29 Sep 2013, 13:50 ---Why do we say "at sea" but not "at land"?
--- End quote ---
While I don't know the reasons for the usage as a proud member of the maritime services of these United States it is my pleasure to inform you all that you're a bunch of filthy landlubbers for spending all your time a shore. You see this is the really fun part of English! Dialects! I have had full conversations with fellow Marines and sailors (using nothing out of the ordinary for us and no acronyms) and had girlfriends ask me after what the hell we were discussing because she couldn't understand more then a word or two.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gZY_fQfhAQ
Ugh just thinking about it makes me land sick. I need to get out on the water again.
Kugai:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVYxekAaFRU
LTK:
What does "if not" mean in the context of "mostly, if not entirely"? I've seen that construction a lot and I can never tell if it's synonymous with "mostly, possibly entirely" or "mostly, but not entirely".
Just now, I read this in an article: "He has documented serious flaws in the ways that many – if not the [majority of – studies]..."
Barmymoo:
I would say it depends where the "if not" comes. So for example you might say "Well if not Friday, how about Saturday?" and mean "Friday isn't possible, so let's go for Saturday". It's less clear in the later position - in the example you give, it could mean both. In speech you can tell from the tone but that doesn't help with writing so you have to figure it out from the context I'm afraid. I'd assume "mostly, possibly entirely" because a clearer way to say "mostly, but not entirely" would be "many, although not all".
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