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Language is hard (lemmy.world)
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[-] ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 61 points 2 months ago

Merriam-Webster lists 7 adjective forms, 2 adverb forms, 3 noun forms, and 3 verb forms. That's definitely a lot of definitions for a word.

[-] expatriado@lemmy.world 50 points 2 months ago

English is a fine language

[-] june@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 2 months ago

You say that, but I think it's rather thick

[-] ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net 6 points 2 months ago

Thick like sexual?

"Damn English you thicker than a bowl of oatmeal" thick?

[-] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I'm trying to be a comprehensible language but my definitions are dummy thicc and keep making things convoluted

[-] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

That's "thicc."

[-] teft@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Try get, put, run, or go. Those in my second language I'm constantly translating wrong because of how many different definition for those words there are. 'Put' has to be over 100 different definitions.

[-] Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 9 points 2 months ago

According to QI, "set" has the most definitions

[-] Mechanismatic@lemmy.ml 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Once you set up this set of objects on the set, we'll be all set for the Set festival and the band can play its set.

[-] bleistift2@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 months ago
[-] Mr_Blott@feddit.uk 6 points 2 months ago

You were really set on correcting him

[-] Mechanismatic@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago

It's been a pet peeve of mine that autocorrect defaults "its" to "it's." Someone should change its programming.

[-] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

Or at least something you could set.

[-] DMBFFF@lemmy.world 53 points 2 months ago

"But your honor, I parked my car there because the sign said 'fine for parking.' "

[-] elvith@feddit.org 13 points 2 months ago

That's why the police complimented you with "parking fine"

[-] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago

English isn't a language, it's a mistake

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 20 points 2 months ago
[-] Zozano@lemy.lol 33 points 2 months ago

And you ask your girlfriend how she's feeling and she says "fine", buckle up.

[-] mwalimu@baraza.africa 20 points 2 months ago

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

James D. Nicoll

[-] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 18 points 2 months ago

Counterpoint: fine dining is labeled as such, because you pay a fine (needlessly higher prices) for average food.

[-] jaschen@lemm.ee 12 points 2 months ago

You can also describe how a woman looks without even changing the words.

How does she look?

"She's fine"

SHE'S FINE!!!

[-] EnderWiggin@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

English is fucking weird. Take for example: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

This is a perfectly fine sentence,. I am not sure I am fine with it.

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 6 points 2 months ago

A much quoted comment and yet I don't get it the only meaning for the word Buffalo that I know is of an animal.

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Buffalo = The city

buffalo = the animal, or the verb meaning "to bully"

The sentence is therefore roughly equivalent to "Buffalo animals that Buffalo animals bully, bully Buffalo animals."

[-] bamfic@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

That motherfucker's a motherfucker, motherfucker.

[-] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

This is absolutely from a stand-up comedian. I've heard this before. Anyone remember who it was?

[-] The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago

It reminds me a lot of this Finnish comedian talking about learning the different uses of the word "ass" in English.

Ass Is the Most Complicated Word in the English Language

[-] TehBamski@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Dang. Beat me to the link.

I'm glad others know about Ismo though. =)

[-] Landless2029@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

I instantly thought of this bit!

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I can't claim it was him, but I read it in Carlin's voice

[-] frosty99c@midwest.social 3 points 2 months ago

Either him or Seinfeld? Feels like the stand-up bit at the beginning of one of the early episodes.

[-] stardustpathsofglory@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

"Fine, I will pay that fine fine."

[-] Twinkletoes@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago

This is fine 🔥

[-] JASN_DE@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

The food aspect is mainly a problem of the US "awesomeness" bullshit. Nothing can ever simply be fine, it has to be awesome.

[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 months ago

This is by no means unique to the US. It's also a cliche of Bavaria in Germany but seriously, it's a common force in language change. I blanc the term but it's a cycle.

[-] Johanno@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago

Well in Frankonian which is in Bavaria we have a running joke about the highest possible praise you can get for anything. "Bassd scho!" (in German passt schon) which is literally translated to alright.

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[-] JASN_DE@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

It's also a cliche of Bavaria in Germany

Sorry, what? Since when? That'd be news to me.

[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago

While other regions are known for being modest, rude or reserved, Bavarians are known for being outgoing and very proud of themselves.

[-] booly@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Are you trying to say that only American culture has fine dining?

[-] JASN_DE@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

On the contrary, American culture has no fine dining of its own. They imported quite some cuisines though.

I'm trying to say that its ludicrous how inflated the use of "amazing" is over there.

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[-] killabeezio@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

Look at that fine woman with her fine hair. I wonder if she's feeling fine today. Maybe I should take her out for fine dining.

[-] el_abuelo@programming.dev 1 points 2 months ago

Was that fine hair? Or fine hair? Or fine hair? Or fine hair?

[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, Emotional.

[-] odium@programming.dev 4 points 2 months ago
[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 months ago

What a fine comment this is

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this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2024
900 points (100.0% liked)

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