The English Language

a reply to: DISRAELI

surely "roundabout" as the word for a fairground attraction is older than that?

roundabout (adv.) "by a circuitous route," mid-14c., from round (adv.) + about. As an adjective from c. 1600. Noun sense of "traffic circle" is attested from 1927.

www.etymonline.com...

As you can see, the word itself is very old. But, as the traffic term, only since 1927.

The Americans started using roundabout to refer to the familiar road junction first, so, in that sense, they gave us the word.

originally posted by: CagliostroTheGreat
BuzzyWigs

floccinaucinihilipilification

floc·ci·nau·ci·ni·hil·i·pil·i·fi·ca·tion

noun

the action or habit of estimating something as worthless. (The word is used chiefly as a curiosity.).

😜

I am TOTALLY going to try to work this word into my vocabulary. First I need to figure out how to properly pronounce it...

a reply to: Krazysh0t
The answer is to break it down into the original constituent parts.
FLOcci NAUci NiHILi PILi fication

a reply to: DISRAELI

Yea. Easier said than done with this word...

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Practice, practice, practice.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Lol. I never thought I'd have to practice saying a word, but you're right. How can I be my normal goofy self if I can't say large words because its funny?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Right! Lately I've been practicing singing some of the lyrics to Insomnia by Bare Naked Ladies....

who needs sleep well you're never gonna get it, who needs sleep tell me what's that for..
who needs sleep?

Well, you live with what you get and there's a guy'ts been awake since the second world war....really fast.....

What's the size of your vocabulary?

Interesting test here....any takers?

My results said 23,250 words - " "you have the vocabulary of a 30-year old successful American business person" ?
I think I should be further ahead than a 30-year old, but okay...I'll take it!

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

You win! oh wow...are you that 30-year old successful American business person that I'm supposedly about equivalent to?

Guess the test lied.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Hopefully the prize is a bottle of Single Malt.

No, it said I was 'Shakespeare'. Not that I find that particularly flattering since he bores the hell out of me.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus


Color me humiliated.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus
But do you know "contrafibularities"?

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

how about "calumnious" .... you know that one?

a reply to: DISRAELI

I saw that episode.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Yes, I would apply it to all of our politicians whenever their mouths are open.

Check out this sentence, you guys. This is from a Chinese tile manufacturing facility - the site is pretty nicely done, but the English is delightfully full of mistakes.

Some use roller printing or printing three networks hops per sheet product color gradients, textures, natural transition which is to achieve a natural effect and reflect the characteristics of rustic porcelain tiles have irregular color change awareness and the entire brick manufacturing color change cannot be regarded as color difference, due to the natural transition on a single brick color, the color of the product after cutting more obvious differences, but these are the product of original design of the “natural” appeal, just as defective due to production caused by the chromatic aberration distinguish Come.

Charming. I think what they're trying to say is that some variation in color is expected and not to be considered a defect.




The entire site is worth a viewing if you're intrigued (like I am) with how the Chinese translate English for business purposes. The names of the reviewers are unlikely, too -- "Dorothy" and "Orange" are not Chinese names.... I know some people make a living helping Chinese people choose English monikers -----sometimes they don't make sense...

like, "Cowboy Baseball".

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I deal with this everyday when communicating with our Hong Kong and Guangdong offices.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I bet!! Yes, it is hilarious. I'd offer to clean up their English version, but since I'm a nobody I don't think they'd even read it.

Mr Wigs had been dealing with teams in Taiwan and India - and recently there was a lady from China on the conference call who I think called herself "Water" or "Air" or something like that.
Actually, come to that, we have new neighors across the street who are from Taiwan. One of them said his name is D2. I kid you not. The other kid was Chowan or Chewan. I don't know. I want them to teach me Taiwan-speak.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Here is a good one I got today from a third party manufacturer:



Hi VP of Sales,


Hope you are doing well.
Here is the exciting news for you. KL made the nice LED PCBs as following:

1) NOT anodised
2) Big size : 570mm * 508mm
3) 70µm Cu
4) 2.0mm thickness
5) Surface finishing: HAL

If you are looking for new supplier to expand your business, please don't hesitate to contact us.
If you are not satisfy your current partner, please go back to KL immediately.

To expand one more partner as spares in case of something coming up in future, we are one of your choices !


Looking forward to your earliest response.


Best Regards,
Wilson , the boss of Kingunion Light of Shenzhen, China.