have figured out what kinds of stuff the group finds of interest. And
if it isn't of interest, we just don't respond to that particular
comment. No harm done. It's kind of like Gene's point of view, the
the bonus version. We discuss Gene's opinion of stuff, how it
compares to our opinion of the same thing, discuss whether we think
Gene is God or not (just kidding), and then post random musings that
the poster thinks are interesting, whether everyone else does or not.
--- In [email protected], "Robin Eastman"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Think of every bad pun you've ever heard. From "My uncle, the juggler,
> likes to play with his balls" to "What did the elephant have in his
trunk?"
> I think English might win the confusing multiple definitions
competition.
> You know this, it's just that nothing was coming to mind.
>
> Great, I begin posting today and must come off like a know-it-all.
I think
> I'll go play with my balls now (and due to my gender ambigous name that
> sounds really bad).
>
> On 4/26/06, James <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > Could there possibly be a more perfidious language than English?
> > There are something like 10 vastly different definitions
> > of "flight". It must be easier to learn Cantonese as a foreign
> > language.
> >
> > --- In [email protected], "Ellen"
> > <ellengoodman6@> wrote:
> > >
> > > yeah I know, bad example--I guess I meant if someone said to
> > someone
> > > else, "do you have any trombones at your house?" It isn't
> > immediately
> > > obvious if they mean paper clips or musical instruments. I know,
> > you
> > > can usually figure it out from the context, but still--I don't
> > think
> > > English has too many words spelled and pronounced exactly the same
> > > that mean completely different things. English is so weird that
> > I'm
> > > sure it does, but usually if someone asks me if I have any
> > something
> > > or other with no context they could only be asking for 1 thing.
> > Aha--
> > > here's a situation--you ask your band director if he has any
> > > trombones. You might mean paper clips to hold your music
> > together,
> > > or you might mean the instrument.
> > >
> > > --- In [email protected], "Kate Jones"
> > > <eutrpist@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > --- In [email protected], "Ellen"
> > <ellengoodman6@>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I recently learned that the French word for paper clip is
> > > trombone,
> > > > > presumably because they look like little trombones. The paper
> > > clip
> > > > > boxes at work are in both French and English, presumably
> > because
> > > the
> > > > > company sells to Canada. The French word for trombone is also
> > > > > trombone, according to all the online translation websites.
> > Can
> > > > anyone
> > > > > tell me if this isn't really as confusing as it sounds, or
> > does
> > > > context
> > > > > take care of it? I can imagine going to a store and asking if
> > > they
> > > > > have any trombones and getting paper clips instead of the
> > musical
> > > > > instrument or vice versa. Must make for some interesting
> > > situations.
> > > > >
> > > > There are words in English like that, too, (although I'm
> > > blanking).
> > > > I'm sure that if you walk into a music store you get a different
> > > > answer than if you walk into an office supply store.
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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