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BestOf FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC! from Finland Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Falling within your bell curve
FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!
#1926: Jun 8th 2018 at 7:44:43 AM

A few years back, I lived in the UK for a while, and I was quite happy to learn some of the local vocabulary, as well as hear the words I knew but hadn't ever used. I was a bit surprised at how many of the people I met were smokers - almost everyone, actually. They all used the word "fag" more often than any other word to refer to cigarettes, which I didn't expect. (I would've thought that "fag" would have been replaced by now, but apparently not.)

The word that caused me the most confusion was "half" when talking about the time. I knew "half past n", obviously, and "ha' past" was no surprise to me. When someone said they'd call me at "half five", though, I had to ask whether they meant half past four or half past five (it was the latter - so they just omitted the word "past"). In Finnish, "half past four" is "puoli viisi" - literally "half five" - so we refer to it in terms of the hour it's approaching, rather than the one that just passed. I don't have trouble shifting between languages, generally, but when a non-standard phrase happens to coincide with something in Finnish, I have to make sure I'm not overcorrecting.

My favourite word in British English is still "bell-end". It's quite descriptive. I knew that one from British panel shows before I ever visited the UK, though, so while I did encounter it there, I didn't learn it there.

Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1927: Jun 8th 2018 at 8:09:58 AM

In Dutch, "half five" means 4:30.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Millership from Kazakhstan Since: Jan, 2014
#1928: Jun 8th 2018 at 8:48:20 AM

In Kazakh (and Turkish, IIRC), "half five" means 5:30 (PM or AM). Then again it's more of "five half" when translated literally.

edited 8th Jun '18 8:49:08 AM by Millership

Spiral out, keep going.
C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#1929: Jun 8th 2018 at 9:00:43 AM

This reminded me of an exercise we had in English class some years ago, where the book helpfully provided the translation of "pencil eraser" as "rubber", causing the one guy who had spent some time in the US to burst out laughing.

By the way I don't know if that's a French thing (we tend to consider our teaching of foreign languages is awful), but my English classes happily mixed idioms from British and American English, so it took me a while to distinguish which were which. Even nowadays, while I make a point of using British English as often as possible, I'm pretty sure I keep unknowingly mixing up expressions and turns of phrase from both languages.

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Millership from Kazakhstan Since: Jan, 2014
#1930: Jun 8th 2018 at 9:12:08 AM

When we were learning English back in school we actually learned both the British and American English, different words and idioms and all. In the sense that there were separate lessons that had the differences between the two dialects as their topic.

Spiral out, keep going.
BestOf FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC! from Finland Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Falling within your bell curve
FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC!
#1931: Jun 8th 2018 at 10:22:08 AM

We also use the numbers from 1-12 whether it's AM or PM in everyday conversation. We also use the 24-hour clock very often, though. If I ask my girlfriend to check when the game is on TV, she's about as likely to say "seven" as "nineteen". We use it so much it's completely intuitive, to the extent that when American shows have a bit about a character using "military time" and someone explaining what "18:45" is, it feels completely jarring to us.

Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.
phantom1 Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#1932: Jun 8th 2018 at 6:05:47 PM

Here it's used in Quebec. And for transport like buses, and planes only. Also for all I know they use it in the military, but I have more experience with inter-city bus schedules than the military.

edited 8th Jun '18 6:06:40 PM by phantom1

MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
#1934: Jul 13th 2018 at 5:26:41 AM

That'll Have To Do.

The reason why US state lines are so weird is because of history and practicality. Much of the Eastern US had either land disputes or natural borders (rivers, mountains, etc.) or other limits that prevented straight line borders. (That and political argumentation, some people both in the North and South didn't like the thought of a straight line state line for everywhere when things like the Ohio River were perfect delineators.)

Meanwhile in the West, much of the territory didn't become states until well after its annexation or acquisition. Also, many of the states out West lack a good definable boundary along landmarks. Colorado for example (a big square) has no landmarks on its Western, much of its northern and its Eastern sides that would qualify for natural borders. The southern state line is incomplete as far as using landmarks goes, only the ridgeline going from Trinidad to almost US Highway 287 works and the state line goes through that, straight. The rest is a hodgepodge of several high mountain ranges, a wide low valley (the Rio Grande, which goes due south), and a veritable maze of mountains and elevated terrain that is the Colorado Plateau in the southwest.

It gets even worse if you go to places like Kansas or Utah where everything that could be natural borders is either cramped to one side or wholly contained within.

Of course, for most of the places when they were granted statehood, the populations were low, really low, most western states had populations well below 1 million for a long while even as late as 1912 when the rest of the Continental US was stated. Some of these places remained below 1 million until after the Second World War. A few still do today.

Edited by MajorTom on Jul 13th 2018 at 5:30:08 AM

mlsmithca (Edited uphill both ways)
#1935: Jul 13th 2018 at 12:03:34 PM

I generally don't browse the comments sections on SatW, but I wonder how many people there are giving Humon grief for omitting Rhode Island on the map...

blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#1936: Jul 13th 2018 at 12:07:11 PM

I

How many people do you think noticed? Rhode Island is tiny.

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
mlsmithca (Edited uphill both ways)
#1937: Jul 13th 2018 at 12:22:42 PM

If she has any readers in Rhode Island, they'll have noticed. "Tiny" doesn't mean "invisible", after all.

Years ago, my family had subscriptions to the PBS kids' show tie-in magazines (back when there was more than one, which tells you how long ago this was), and one month, one of them did a special on tourist attractions around the United States, and near the front of the magazine was a map of the contiguous US... with no Rhode Island. (Where Humon appears to have absorbed Rhode Island into Massachusetts, this magazine absorbed it into Connecticut, I think.) They got numerous letters from miffed Rhode Islanders, one of whom inflicted their thoughts on the editors and readers in verse, and as part of their apology, the magazine included a "mini-map" of southern New England for readers to tape over the offending part of the original map (assuming they still had the issue in question months later).

The point is, this isn't the first time I've seen a map of the contiguous US that has overlooked Rhode Island, and I can't imagine Rhode Islanders are best pleased with that. However tiny their state is (1212 square miles, according to Google).

Edited by mlsmithca on Jul 13th 2018 at 3:27:52 PM

Montanto Since: Jan, 2001
#1938: Jul 19th 2018 at 11:41:10 AM

Well... I'm a former Rhode Islander. We mostly take it in stride.

Besides at that scale, it would have looked like a smudge.

Sivartis Captionless One from Lubberland, or the Isle of Lazye Since: Apr, 2009
Captionless One
#1939: Jul 21st 2018 at 12:16:06 PM

Free Greenland

I had honestly completely forgotten that Greenland is part of Denmark.

♭What.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#1940: Jul 21st 2018 at 2:18:55 PM

Gee, sounds a bit like like Puerto Rico.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1941: Jul 21st 2018 at 2:22:22 PM

Well, THERES flame bait if I ever saw some...

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Shinziril Since: Feb, 2011
#1942: Jul 21st 2018 at 2:35:08 PM

I think Puerto Rico's a bit of a different situation though, because the usual discussion is whether to make them a full state or not, rather than whether to cut them loose entirely or not.

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#1943: Jul 21st 2018 at 3:13:14 PM

Yeah, although Ive all options discussed.

Edited by DeMarquis on Jul 21st 2018 at 11:04:22 AM

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#1945: Jul 23rd 2018 at 9:42:10 AM

Yeah Greenland is a similar situation to most remaining European colonies, the British overseas territories (beyond the purely military used ones (one of which had the natives kicked off)), the French overseas departments, the Dutch overseas territories, ect,,,

The French solved the problem of them being part of France but not really yet not wanting independence by just anexing most of them, so they’re fully part of France and just happen to be on the other side of the planet.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
firewriter Since: Dec, 2016
#1946: Jul 23rd 2018 at 11:05:36 AM

I think it's high time we made Puerto Rico a state, we have waited long enough.

blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#1947: Jul 23rd 2018 at 2:06:58 PM

That's not how it works. It doesn't work by promotion or draft, it works by application. Puerto Rico has to meet the minimum population, and then make a formal request to Congress, who has to approve it. If Puerto Rico never applies, it never becomes a state.

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#1948: Jul 23rd 2018 at 2:07:55 PM

So why don't they apply?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#1949: Jul 23rd 2018 at 3:53:04 PM

A variety of reasons. As a state, they would have to pay state taxes (currently, their expenditures are covered by US federal taxes, so they receive money from the US, but don't owe taxes. It's complicated).

I've heard it argued that they'd also be surrendering cultural identity and politcal distinction. Puerto Ricans are famously quite a proud people.

There's also no great need for it. Yeah, it sucks that they don't get any federal representation in Congress, but the one representative they'd get in the House wouldn't do much good for Puerto Rican affairs politically speaking. They honestly get more done by their famous celebrities making public statements than they would get from a single representative. And the Senate doesn't get to propose fiscal bills. They get federal funding for schools and public works regardless (although people from Puerto Rico also tell me that it's much much less, and that rampant poverty is a huge problem currently hidden away behind a touristy facade).

It's apparently a very complicated issue, and that was my simplified understanding of some of the social and political issues behind it.

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
Sivartis Captionless One from Lubberland, or the Isle of Lazye Since: Apr, 2009
Captionless One
#1950: Jul 28th 2018 at 9:27:11 AM

How to Train Your Red Dragon

According to a comment, it started when the town declared itself an independent country as a publicity stunt in 1977, with the goal being to reinvent itself as a tourist destination known for bookstores.

Edited by Sivartis on Jul 28th 2018 at 9:26:54 AM

♭What.

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