# A language is a dialect with an army and a navy. (Username poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2007, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667 "2007-10-23T05:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/21 "2007-10-23T22:02:19Z")
Well, let’s see, how about: \*\*Disarmed Dialect Disarmed Language (or Language Disarmed) Peaceful Dialect Right to Bare Dialect Nuclear Dialect Hostile Dialect Dialect Without Borders Demilitarized Language Zone Military Industrial Dialect\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/22 "2007-10-23T22:03:14Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] I think **fetus** is such a cute username, so I would stick with i.t [/quote] Aww, thanks! Not to give you head or anything, but :o It’s not that I particularly dislike it anymore, but I think it looks Og-awful when capitalized (“Fetus”) and it’s getting really tiring to correct people on that. Plus it comes from an inside joke that I kind of stole from one of my teammates in high school. > [@Zoggie](#): > > If you have to be Dialect something, I’ll second **Dialect Assassin**. You’re taking more initiative that way. It’s growing on me. I’m considering some of **Freddy the Pig** ’s suggestions as well. Maybe just “Soldier for Dialect”? Maybe even “Dialect Soldier for Hire”? ETA: **Hostile Dialect** is another suggestion I rather enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/23 "2007-10-23T22:05:29Z")
**Dialectical Banana** ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/24 "2007-10-23T22:07:34Z")
**Dialect Mercenary**? **Dialect Salesman**? ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/25 "2007-10-24T02:52:28Z")
[QUOTE=as\_u\_wish] Well, let’s see, how about: **Demilitarized Language Zone** [/QUOTE] My vote has been cast. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/26 "2007-10-24T03:05:43Z")
I like –Demilitarized Language Zone (Catchy, but it would be hard to shorten: “Demilitarized, I think your point has merit.”) –Dialect without Borders (although Language without Borders might fit your thoughts better) –Dialect Assassin –(some military title) Dialect; General Dialect would be the most likely, I think ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/27 "2007-10-24T03:15:16Z")
[QUOTE=Miss Purl McKnittington] I like –Demilitarized Language Zone (Catchy, but it would be hard to shorten: “Demilitarized, I think your point has merit.”) [/QUOTE] I think **DLZ** would be a perfectly handy shortening, no? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/28 "2007-10-24T03:20:02Z")
[QUOTE=Miss Purl McKnittington] I like –Demilitarized Language Zone (Catchy, but it would be hard to shorten: “Demilitarized, I think your point has merit.”) … [/QUOTE] I like that, too. You can abbreviate it **DLZ** , kinda like **QtM** or **CTTDSWHC**. Edit: uhhh, Yeah! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/29 "2007-10-24T04:06:33Z")
**Dialectical Militarism** , surely. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/30 "2007-10-24T04:34:07Z")
When I first read the OP I was all, “I didn’t know he was in the military.” I was waaay off. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/31 "2007-10-24T04:57:11Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] I think **DLZ** would be a perfectly handy shortening, no? [/QUOTE] If abbreviations are acceptable, the you could use **LPSC** since **Language Private Security Contractors** have less contraints. ---
**Author:** ![nongoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@nongoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nongoog)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/32 "2007-10-24T06:39:09Z")
I like **Dialecticon** , myself. Sounds like “Decepticon”. Dialect her? But I just met her! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/33 "2007-10-24T16:49:52Z")
**Dialect Army of One** ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/34 "2007-10-24T16:53:16Z")
**Dialect Materialist**?? ::: flees ::: ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/35 "2007-10-24T18:13:48Z")
[QUOTE=TokyoPlayer] You could alway work in the marines somehow. **Dialect leatherneck** though just doens’t meter well. [/QUOTE] **Dialect Devildog**? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/36 "2007-10-24T18:34:55Z")
Dialect Gunner. Armed Dialect. Dialect w/ Rockets. Dialect Flotilla. Dialect Armada. Dialect Armada Here. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/37 "2007-10-24T18:37:41Z")
Yay for Descriptivists! “Dialect Army”, etc doesn’t work; it’s noun-noun. Maybe “Armed Dialect” or “Sovereign Dialect” to represent idea you’re describing. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/38 "2007-10-24T18:39:18Z")
What’s wrong with noun-noun? ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/39 "2007-10-24T18:48:12Z")
Noun-noun sounds awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667/40 "2007-10-24T18:59:10Z")
[QUOTE=Pleonast] Noun-noun sounds awkward. [/QUOTE] I doubt it. Let’s look at some examples readily available looking around this page: “message board” (also, “straight dope message board” is basically two noun phrases up against each other, the latter being decomposable into two nouns on its own) “username” “cannon fodder” “leatherneck” “sailor dialect” “military services” (I suppose you can quibble that “military” has a sense as an adjective) “seaman” “language zone” “teammate” “security contractors” And looking at the “user interface”, I see “user control panel” (three in a row, the latter two grouped together), as well as “members list”, and “display modes”. Plus, of course, “Bushism ringtones” (three in a row again, the latter two grouped together, again). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-language-is-a-dialect-with-an-army-and-a-navy-username-poll/423667.md?page=3)