"Let's name this thing what we already call that thing." English language stoopidity.

[MrDibble]

@StarvingButStrong

Okay, thanks!

Of course there are a ton of other examples of color names/objects. Violets, lavender, ivory, cherry, pinks, gold, silver, on and on and on.

Pinks are an interesting example - the colour is named after the flower. It’s most probable the flower is named after the fabric decoration technique (cutting small holes all over or making a frayed fringe was called “pinking”, and the pinks has a ragged edge to their petals)

[BrotherCadfael]

@burpo_the_wonder_mutt

^ If you have more than one of those, do you have “mice” or “mouses”?

Dr. Seuss is smiling in the Great Beyond.

@carnut

There is a language that many engineers and technical writers use called “Simplified Technical English”. The reason for this version of English is precisely because it is a tricky language, therefore it’s incredibly confusing for those who speak it as a second or third language. In STE, a language of about 30,000 words, one word has only a single meaning. It can only mean that specific definition. It was created by NASA and is used by air traffic controllers around the world, rather than rely on colloquial English to prevent confusion and mid-air collisions.

@Darren Garrison

30,000 words? That is far too many.

Of course, “The Cat in the Hat” was Seuss’ successful response to a challenge to write a story with a 50-word vocabulary.

[DrDeth]

@I_Love_Me_Vol.I

We already have a perfectly good word that means “figuratively”, I don’t see why we also use a different word to mean the same thing. And of all the words we could choose, why did we go with*** “literally”***?

…

Because it is stronger sounding.

[swampspruce]

Darren, am I right in saying you choose to monitor your monitor in case a monitor monitors your monitor? Or, you watch your screen to see if the supervisor is supervising your lizard?

Or do you need anew monitor, and if so which one?

[BrotherCadfael]

@swampspruce

Darren, am I right in saying you choose to monitor your monitor in case a monitor monitors your monitor?

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo!
(Reference here.)

[burpo_the_wonder_mutt]

Someone give Cadfael a shove, he’s stuck.

[Nava]

One that makes me a bit dizzy: the wheel is that thing you turn in order to make the wheels turn.

[Motorgirl]

@markn_1

I’d just like to mention that the mandoline is the most dangerous piece of kitchen equipment ever invented. I love my mandoline but despite being extremely careful when using it, I’ve cut myself a couple of times. A friend of mine once cut himself fairly badly while using a mandoline, while he was explaining how careful you need to be when using one.

Truth. I lost a finger while looking at them on Amazon!

[Annie-Xmas]

@carnut

Or someone is demanding to see your hallway pass.

@running_coach

That would be manhattan.

For those of you young’uns who don’t get the joke, read this thread

17 years later, and I still crack up.

[Slash1972]

“banhattan”

hahahaha!

[Darren_Garrison]

I dreamed that I had an electric sheep and was having problems installing a memory upgrade–I had to ram the RAM into the ram.

[xizor]

@Darren_Garrison

I had to ram the RAM into the ram.

Just don’t put it in the sink, it might sink

[Skywatcher]

@MrDibble

Although I did learn today that “playing the mandolin” is French slang for female masturbation, so this thread isn’t a total loss.

According to this Dictionary of Modern Colloquial French, the exact phrase has to do with a mandolin solo.

(Bottom of page 334.)

[ashtayk]

My recent favorite is the word - “sanction”

Means two opposite things. Does not even have the courtesy to be pronounced differently.

1 threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule
2 official permission or approval for an action

So in effect you can be sanctioned for doing something you did get a sanction for!

[74westy]

@Mean_Mr.Mustard

Ok, that was funny.
mmm

Funny ha ha or funny peculiar?

[Darren_Garrison]

Quick–what does bimonthly mean?

[Inner_Stickler]

@ashtayk

My recent favorite is the word - “sanction”

Means two opposite things. Does not even have the courtesy to be pronounced differently.

Cleave is another common one, though cleave meaning to cling together is pretty antiquated nowadays.

Not everyone goes with me on this, but I consider with a contranym.
“France fought with Britain”
France fought with Britain against Germany"

Same word but in one sentence it means against and in another it means in conjunction.

[StarvingButStrong]

Ravel and unravel mean the same, at least in Shakespeare’s time.

[Ignatz]

It’s all moot.

[Mean_Mr.Mustard]

Handicap: a disadvantage that interferes with fairness, or an advantage that is designed to achieve fairness.