THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

  • 19 Mar 2024, 04:49
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 ... 8 9 [10] 11 12 ... 24   Go Down

Author Topic: English is weird  (Read 304256 times)

Kugai

  • CIA Handler of Miss Melody Powers
  • Awakened
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11,493
  • Crazy Kiwi Shoujo-Ai Fan
    • My Homepage
Re: English is weird
« Reply #450 on: 01 Apr 2015, 12:52 »

Eeeeeeexcellent
Logged
James The Kugai 

You can never have too much Coffee.

Akima

  • WoW gold miner on break
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6,523
  • ** 妇女能顶半边天 **
Re: English is weird
« Reply #451 on: 01 Apr 2015, 14:15 »

I think it's closer to the more modern usage of office or industrial workers who serve to endlessly repeat actions or processes with little to no intellectual input into their work.
Well that usage is strange too. That is a description much closer to the behaviour of worker bees, not drones whose only function is to mate with a queen.
Logged
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered, than answers that can't be questioned." Richard Feynman

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #452 on: 01 Apr 2015, 15:14 »

I think at this point I'm just going to blame the Americans.
Logged

pwhodges

  • Admin emeritus
  • Awakened
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 17,241
  • I'll only say this once...
    • My home page
Re: English is weird
« Reply #453 on: 01 Apr 2015, 15:20 »

Perhaps the term is taken from the droning sound such a remote-controlled plane typically makes.
Logged
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Akima

  • WoW gold miner on break
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6,523
  • ** 妇女能顶半边天 **
Re: English is weird
« Reply #454 on: 01 Apr 2015, 15:23 »

Logged
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered, than answers that can't be questioned." Richard Feynman

pwhodges

  • Admin emeritus
  • Awakened
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 17,241
  • I'll only say this once...
    • My home page
Re: English is weird
« Reply #455 on: 01 Apr 2015, 15:24 »

Good find.
Logged
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #456 on: 01 Apr 2015, 15:53 »

Hmmm

I was going to make a joke about trying to send unmanned craft to Andronemeda but it turned out to be quite a strain.
Logged

Kugai

  • CIA Handler of Miss Melody Powers
  • Awakened
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11,493
  • Crazy Kiwi Shoujo-Ai Fan
    • My Homepage
Re: English is weird
« Reply #457 on: 02 Apr 2015, 11:45 »

That's novel
Logged
James The Kugai 

You can never have too much Coffee.

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #458 on: 16 May 2015, 02:19 »

As a non-native english speaker I really like "to make a friend". Sounds a bit frankensteinish...
Logged

Kugai

  • CIA Handler of Miss Melody Powers
  • Awakened
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11,493
  • Crazy Kiwi Shoujo-Ai Fan
    • My Homepage
Re: English is weird
« Reply #459 on: 16 May 2015, 15:56 »

Logged
James The Kugai 

You can never have too much Coffee.

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #460 on: 16 May 2015, 22:46 »

- Igor, start ze machine! We go to make me a redhead girlfriend today!
- But master, we dont has ze right parts in stock!
- Igor, go to Smif college and gets me zome redhead girlfriend parts! But dont brings Clinton again!
Logged

Method of Madness

  • His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
  • Globe Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18,461
  • The Bootysattva
    • Me!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #461 on: 16 May 2015, 23:04 »

Ehhh, it doesn't really work like that. You can make a friend, but you don't make a girlfriend.
Logged
They call me Mr. Madness.

Quote from: Polonius
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
MR ARCHIVE-FU MADNESS
Does anybody really know what time it is?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Akima

  • WoW gold miner on break
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6,523
  • ** 妇女能顶半边天 **
Re: English is weird
« Reply #462 on: 17 May 2015, 19:26 »

Though you can make out, or make up, with one.
Logged
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered, than answers that can't be questioned." Richard Feynman

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #463 on: 18 May 2015, 01:18 »

Though you can make out, or make up, with one.

In german you make a girlfriend like this:
First you make her on (chat her up).
Next you make out a date (arrange a date).
When you get closer you make around (making out?!).
Then you might want to make it (you score).
And finally you make off to marry (agree).
Logged

Masterpiece

  • Older than Moses
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,364
  • No time for Claireification
Re: English is weird
« Reply #464 on: 18 May 2015, 01:28 »

Woah, doin it and then immediately jumping to marriage? Slow down there, bud.

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #465 on: 18 May 2015, 07:42 »

Woah, doin it and then immediately jumping to marriage? Slow down there, bud.

Oh, did I accidentially insinuate to have sexual intercourse before marriage? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be unmoral...
Logged

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #466 on: 18 May 2015, 08:12 »

Woah, doin it and then immediately jumping to marriage? Slow down there, bud.

Oh, did I accidentially insinuate to have sexual intercourse before marriage? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be unmoral...

That's not what he meant. He was making a joke about the next step immediately after sex being marriage, which is a tad... soon.
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #467 on: 18 May 2015, 08:23 »

Woah, doin it and then immediately jumping to marriage? Slow down there, bud.

Oh, did I accidentially insinuate to have sexual intercourse before marriage? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be unmoral...

That's not what he meant. He was making a joke about the next step immediately after sex being marriage, which is a tad... soon.

Unless your are devout in certain belief systems, in which case it may be a tad late. I understand there may even be some cases where it needs to happen all at the same time. One can only imagine what the best man's speech would be like then.
Logged

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #468 on: 18 May 2015, 08:40 »

Woah, doin it and then immediately jumping to marriage? Slow down there, bud.

Oh, did I accidentially insinuate to have sexual intercourse before marriage? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be unmoral...

That's not what he meant. He was making a joke about the next step immediately after sex being marriage, which is a tad... soon.

Unless your are devout in certain belief systems, in which case it may be a tad late. I understand there may even be some cases where it needs to happen all at the same time. One can only imagine what the best man's speech would be like then.

Of course there are belief systems like that, I was raised in one, but based on the general demographic of this forum, and the characters in the comic itself, I found the likelihood of that response being sincere to be low.

If it was sincere, I apologise if I offended anybody. I wasn't judging any belief systems at all.
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

cesium133

  • Preventing third impact
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6,148
  • Has a fucked-up browser history
    • Cesium Comics
Re: English is weird
« Reply #469 on: 18 May 2015, 08:42 »

Woah, doin it and then immediately jumping to marriage? Slow down there, bud.

Oh, did I accidentially insinuate to have sexual intercourse before marriage? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be unmoral...

That's not what he meant. He was making a joke about the next step immediately after sex being marriage, which is a tad... soon.

Unless your are devout in certain belief systems, in which case it may be a tad late. I understand there may even be some cases where it needs to happen all at the same time. One can only imagine what the best man's speech would be like then.
"Hey dude, don't forget to... ah, there you go."
Logged
The nerdy comic I update sometimes: Cesium Comics

Unofficial character tag thingy for QC

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #470 on: 18 May 2015, 08:44 »

I saw on QI, or somewhere, I forget where, that apparently the kiss in marriages is based on when the couple would actually consummate the marriage in front of their entire village.
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #471 on: 18 May 2015, 09:21 »

I saw on QI, or somewhere, I forget where, that apparently the kiss in marriages is based on when the couple would actually consummate the marriage in front of their entire village.

Which is very un-English.

Here in dear old blighty we are quite staid about public displays of sexuality. If, should you happen upon our shores, you should witness this, you can rest assured that these are the acts of immigrants, liberals, vegetarians, bankrupt celebs and the morally destitute.

We have established a parallel class system by which people are able to engage in recreational copulation.

Lower or Working Class: Acts of copulation should be mostly joyless with no exclamations of pleasure beyond some light grunting. Please restrict yourself to missionary position unless it's a public holiday. No toys or other diversions. Foreplay is unnecessary. Please avoid any post-coital conversation or eye contact.

Middle Class: Modest amounts of joy are allowed but try not to upset the neighbours, you still live in a semi and don't you forget it. Some variation in positions is permitted but nothing that may be described as athletic. Try not to dwell on the missionary positions, this is supposed to be fun, not a class protest. Toys of a moderate value are accepted as long as they look kind of normal. Other diversions permitted as long as they seem like a bit of benign cliche. At the end of the act, remember to express your middle-class guilt by asking if it was alright for the other party.

Upper Class: OK, so you own the country and there's not much we can do to stop you. However, interfering with anyone beneath you or dying in the act really isn't going garner you the respect you think your money and influence deserves. A couple of times a year, one of you is going to be sacrificed to the tabloids to give the proles and brown-nosers a sense that you aren't any better than them. Try to make sure it isn't one of the really wierd ones otherwise it'll be pitchforks and burning torches all round.

Technically there is a Royal Class of copulation. You aren't cleared to know about it and the instruction manual is very long and complicated. Best not to talk about it.
Logged

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #472 on: 18 May 2015, 09:34 »

That's one hell of a comedic rant!

...You do know I'm English, right?
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #473 on: 18 May 2015, 09:52 »

Abingdon, a slightly disappointing minor orbital town of one of our classic but smaller cities. A fine example of Middle Englandy Englishness. I bet it's fun to get down the local 'spoons and watch the regulars struggle hopelessly not to be one -ist or another while mostly meaning well, especially Monday Dave. At 8am. On a Thursday. While he eats his daily meat pie brekkie. Double fisted with Carlings.
Logged

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #474 on: 18 May 2015, 11:43 »

We have established a parallel class system by which people are able to engage in recreational copulation.

That somehow reminds me of that Monty Python scene (is it from "The Meaning of Live"?) with that roman catholic family and that protestant family, one with a mass of kids and the others one goes like "but we could if we wanted"... dont remember the details, sorry.
Logged

hedgie

  • Methuselah's mentor
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5,382
  • No Pasarán!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #475 on: 18 May 2015, 13:22 »

I believe that this is what you're looking for:

Logged
"The highest treason in the USA is to say Americans are not loved, no matter where they are, no matter what they are doing there." -- Vonnegut

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #476 on: 18 May 2015, 13:28 »

 :-D
Logged

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #477 on: 18 May 2015, 13:36 »

Abingdon, a slightly disappointing minor orbital town of one of our classic but smaller cities. A fine example of Middle Englandy Englishness. I bet it's fun to get down the local 'spoons and watch the regulars struggle hopelessly not to be one -ist or another while mostly meaning well, especially Monday Dave. At 8am. On a Thursday. While he eats his daily meat pie brekkie. Double fisted with Carlings.

Unless you have a scarily specific memory, this is incredibly creepy.
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

pwhodges

  • Admin emeritus
  • Awakened
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 17,241
  • I'll only say this once...
    • My home page
Re: English is weird
« Reply #478 on: 18 May 2015, 16:18 »

I bet it's fun to get down the local 'spoons

Presuming that means Wetherspoons - they hadn't even been founded when I lived in Abingdon for while (I rented a house on the Poets estate for a while, if you're wondering, Gareth).
Logged
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #479 on: 18 May 2015, 21:37 »

What is a "'spoon"?
Logged

Method of Madness

  • His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
  • Globe Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18,461
  • The Bootysattva
    • Me!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #480 on: 18 May 2015, 21:48 »

There is no spoon.
Logged
They call me Mr. Madness.

Quote from: Polonius
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
MR ARCHIVE-FU MADNESS
Does anybody really know what time it is?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Kugai

  • CIA Handler of Miss Melody Powers
  • Awakened
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11,493
  • Crazy Kiwi Shoujo-Ai Fan
    • My Homepage
Re: English is weird
« Reply #481 on: 18 May 2015, 21:54 »

But there is a fork
Logged
James The Kugai 

You can never have too much Coffee.

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #482 on: 18 May 2015, 23:11 »

It  is indeed Wetherspoons. It's a unique microcosm of English life played out similarly at every branch across the country. Only the names and the accents change. I've never been to Abingdon, just enough places of similar stature to know.
Logged

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #483 on: 19 May 2015, 01:15 »

I bet it's fun to get down the local 'spoons

Presuming that means Wetherspoons - they hadn't even been founded when I lived in Abingdon for while (I rented a house on the Poets estate for a while, if you're wondering, Gareth).

There is one now, I know one was rumoured for years, but they finally opened it a year or so ago.
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #484 on: 19 May 2015, 02:05 »

And can't remotely express how much I appreciate that dry British humor!
Logged

hedgie

  • Methuselah's mentor
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5,382
  • No Pasarán!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #485 on: 19 May 2015, 03:53 »

The Brits have certainly mastered to the art of humour.  I think it's something that one needs in order to live in blighty.  I have been binging on episodes of QI lately on youtube and I have found that Fry as the comedic "straight man" is often the funniest person on the show.
Logged
"The highest treason in the USA is to say Americans are not loved, no matter where they are, no matter what they are doing there." -- Vonnegut

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #486 on: 19 May 2015, 04:09 »

I remember when I first watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". I was so taken off guard when those French guys shoot the cow from the castle. Couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the day. I remember lying in bed late at night and wasn't able to sleep because I just couldn't stop laughing.   
Logged

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #487 on: 19 May 2015, 05:39 »

That's not even the funniest bit of that film.

I do like that the device made a reappearance in Northern Exposure though.
Logged

jwhouk

  • Awakened
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11,022
  • The Valley of the Sun
Re: English is weird
« Reply #488 on: 19 May 2015, 05:47 »

NI!
Logged
"Character is what you are in the Dark." - D.L. Moody
There is no joke that can be made online without someone being offended by it.
Life's too short to be ashamed of how you were born.
Just another Joe like 46

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #489 on: 19 May 2015, 06:12 »

That's not even the funniest bit of that film.

Sure, but it came so unexpected (at least to me). Who in hell would come up with the idea to shoot a cow from a castle??? 
Logged

The Seldom Killer

  • Only pretending to work
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,211
  • More witless shite ----->
Re: English is weird
« Reply #490 on: 19 May 2015, 06:47 »

Medieval seige warfare involved a lot of bodges, compromise and generally making it up as you went along. Monty Python didn't make up catapulting cows, they just made it funny. Two members of Monty Python studied history at university, one taught it in school. Also, because we study more than a couple of hundred years of history in school, any of them except Gilliam was likely to have come across this if their history teacher was well versed in the subject.
Logged

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #491 on: 19 May 2015, 07:48 »

Hmm... I always suspected that my undereducation in ancient agricultural military history would make a foul of me one day.
Logged

Method of Madness

  • His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
  • Globe Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18,461
  • The Bootysattva
    • Me!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #492 on: 19 May 2015, 15:14 »

Hmm... I always suspected that my undereducation in ancient agricultural military history would make a fowl of me one day.
They shot a cow, not a chicken!

That being said, I vastly prefer Life of Brian to Holy Grail.
Logged
They call me Mr. Madness.

Quote from: Polonius
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
MR ARCHIVE-FU MADNESS
Does anybody really know what time it is?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

hedgie

  • Methuselah's mentor
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5,382
  • No Pasarán!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #493 on: 19 May 2015, 15:15 »

Splitter!
Logged
"The highest treason in the USA is to say Americans are not loved, no matter where they are, no matter what they are doing there." -- Vonnegut

Kugai

  • CIA Handler of Miss Melody Powers
  • Awakened
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11,493
  • Crazy Kiwi Shoujo-Ai Fan
    • My Homepage
Re: English is weird
« Reply #494 on: 19 May 2015, 17:36 »

Shuddup bignose
Logged
James The Kugai 

You can never have too much Coffee.

That lab tech

  • Plantmonster
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 30
Re: English is weird
« Reply #495 on: 19 May 2015, 22:57 »

That being said, I vastly prefer Life of Brian to Holy Grail.

Am I the only one here who desperately tries not to giggle during the "Biggus Dickus" scene?
Logged

Thrillho

  • Global Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13,130
  • Tall. Beets.
Re: English is weird
« Reply #496 on: 20 May 2015, 00:32 »

Life Of Brian is the vastly superior film simply because it's a work of satire, and the humour is much sharper and more modern.

Honestly, I also love it simply because it shows that they're decent guys deep down when you know what it's satirising. I watched the making of documentary and they more or less said that they all read a shitload of holy books and realised that basically, you can't make fun of Jesus, or at least there's no point - his teachings were good, he did good things. He was a nice guy, son of God or not, and making fun of him was just stupid in their eyes.

As a lapsed Christian I find myself defending religion way too often, so knowing that six guys who generally considered nothing sacred felt Jesus himself (not religion) was above criticism is... I dunno, heartwarming.
Logged
In the end, the thing people will remember is kindness.

Akima

  • WoW gold miner on break
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6,523
  • ** 妇女能顶半边天 **
Re: English is weird
« Reply #497 on: 20 May 2015, 02:06 »

And LoB doesn't just... fizzle out.
Logged
"I would rather have questions that can't be answered, than answers that can't be questioned." Richard Feynman

pwhodges

  • Admin emeritus
  • Awakened
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 17,241
  • I'll only say this once...
    • My home page
Re: English is weird
« Reply #498 on: 20 May 2015, 02:10 »

And on the bright side, LoB doesn't just... fizzle out.

Fixed.
Logged
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

Method of Madness

  • His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
  • Globe Moderator
  • Awakened
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18,461
  • The Bootysattva
    • Me!
Re: English is weird
« Reply #499 on: 20 May 2015, 04:40 »

That being said, I vastly prefer Life of Brian to Holy Grail.

Am I the only one here who desperately tries not to giggle during the "Biggus Dickus" scene?
Probably. I don't try not to.
Logged
They call me Mr. Madness.

Quote from: Polonius
Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.
MR ARCHIVE-FU MADNESS
Does anybody really know what time it is?
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Pages: 1 ... 8 9 [10] 11 12 ... 24   Go Up