Search results for 'user:Stannum'

Re: Help pls

stannum — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 06:42:07 GMT

Hi Anon, It would require context. Stannum

Re: Which sentence is right?

stannum — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:33:30 GMT

Anonymous wrote: Thanks a lot Stannum. Mate, All I need is a slightly intelligible question and I am away (if I know an answer) and then the challenge is for me to be intelligible in reply. It is a marvelous exercise in linguistic bridge building. Stannum May your today bring you something your yesterday forgot to wish for.

Re: the meaning of life ?

stannum — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:25:53 GMT

Morgan Le Fey wrote: Stannum wrote: It is entirely my pleasure. Stannum Be a good mate and turn your pleasure to our pleasure.... and that will be the meaning of life.... I am trying but I am torn between seeking learners and uncomprehending sherrifs. Stannum

Re: What is the opposite to a religious proselyte?

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 21:22:42 GMT

Morgan Le Fey wrote: I'm tired of being told that the road to salvation lies somewhere else and that I must go somewhere else. It is not for nothing that there is an ancient saying well known to all literate English speakers although I doubt that many have considered the multiple ramifications of the saying. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Morgan Le Fey wrote: A proselytizer, for me, is always bad. What about the born again agnostic who can see a good friend living a life of sorrow trying desperatly to cling to a failed lifestyle by praying to little baby Jesus to restore an impossibility? Stannum

Re: He come a long way to the international cricket

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:38:40 GMT

Feebs11 wrote: To use the phrase, your cricketer would have to start from something/somewhere that has nothing to do with cricket. If "he" had been born in Outer Mongolia (where cricket is not known), you could have a sentence like : "He has come a long way from the yurts of Mongolia to being an international cricketer". Your newspaper example shows that the the wrestler started out as a labourer in a remote region. Dear Feebs. I totally disagree. I live in a culture saturated with cricketing terms. The captain of the team is a national figure. It is extremely unusual for a cricketer to make his International Debut at the 'ancient' age of 27. More than 50% of international cricketers have or are about to retire due to...

Re: the meaning of life ?

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:31:09 GMT

Pucca wrote: Yes, it's clear now, Stannum! Thanks for answering! It is entirely my pleasure. Stannum

Re: Which of the following sentences is correct? (URGENT)

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:14:29 GMT

Yoong Liat wrote: Spectacled-Girl wrote: Marius Hancu wrote: pearl-shape - faced boy Why do you say that? I don't understand... Me too. I think it is a very awkward phrase. I concur. I am not aware of many multiple hyphenations and those that I can think of are idiomatic. Stannum

Re: Which of the following sentences is correct? (URGENT)

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:45:14 GMT

G'day Jag safina, I do not think that the construction is standard English. When I turned around, I saw a boy with an oval shaped face. When I turned around, I saw a boy with a pearl shaped face. Stannum

Re: Which sentence is right?

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:41:25 GMT

G'day Vaivara, While giving advice to someone I said, 'I don't know how deep and far you want to go...' This sounds a bit redundant as deep and far basically mean the same under these circumstances. How about; While giving advice to someone I said, 'I don't know how deep you want to go...' While giving advice to someone I said, 'I don't know how far you want to go...' While giving advice to someone I said, 'I don't know the depths you want to go...' While giving advice to someone I said, 'I don't know to what depth you want to go...' Stannum

Re: How should I view the state with respect to time?

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:32:22 GMT

G'day Anon, To arrive home safe and sound has nothing to do with his mode of arrival rather it is a comment on his person. He is safe (no longer in danger) and sound (not injured or wounded). It sounds like a phrase of military origin that has crept into mainstream use. STannum

Re: I was to get a post of lead from my class teacher

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:27:58 GMT

G'day Gary, How about; I was to be made class captain by my teacher, but she is now ill and the replacement teacher made my friend class captain. I did not worry about that, but the new teacher always ignoring and insulting me in my class, perhaps, because of the small cast I belong to really does bother me. Stannum

Re: He come a long way to the international cricket

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:21:04 GMT

G'day Gary, How about, He has come a long way from the boy playing park cricket to making his International debut at the ripe old age of 27. Stannum

Re: come up, trumps, crack it.

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:15:02 GMT

G'day Gary, To come up trumps is a saying based on card games like Whist in which one of the four suits is deemed to be trumps by the act of turning a random card face up on the table. A trump card is a card that will trump or beat any other suit or non-trump card. If you have a hand that is strong in a particular suit and that suit is deemed to be trumps you will have a very powerful hand and you will have 'come up trumps'. To come up trumps is to win at a gamble. As there are strategies mentioned it would appear that some experts are giving advice of which areas to study and if you follow their advice it is believed that you may ace (do well) in the CAT 2007. There appears to be a risk involved as these experts, by their...

Re: the meaning of life ?

stannum — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 02:31:49 GMT

Pucca wrote: Hmm..that "your" of my previous post shouldn't be there. Morgan, thanks for your explanation! (Is it an expression? ) G'day Pucca, It is idomatic and I think that the full phrase is something like; My heart feels torn between two lovers. A person can feel torn between two painful choices. The allegory is with that of a borken heart. A decision must be made but it will be emotionally painful to make no matter what. Is that any clearer. Stannum

Re: What is the opposite to a religious proselyte?

stannum — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:51:11 GMT

Old Man Gordon wrote: Here's my question: Is the opposite of a proselytizer (actually the correct term we're talking about) a person who keeps his (dis)beliefs to himself: a. deliberately for a good reason b. deliberately for a bad reason c. unintentionally for a good reason d. unintentionally for a bad reason or e. something else? By reason, I really mean motive, but I'm too lazy to go back and change it. If the proselytizer shares his beliefs deliberately with a good motive, then I'll stick with d as the best opposite. So if a proselytiser shares said beliefs for a selfish reason what do you call an anti proselytiser who does not proselytise for a good reason/motive? Old Man Gordon wrote: Sure, my...

Re: The meaning of the word 'bowling'

stannum — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:07:52 GMT

Anonymous wrote: So, can anyone spell it out for this dummy? What was Moore trying to say? Thanks (anyone else think that synchronised swimming is not really a sport?) I am not quite sure but my take was that the boys played ten pin bowling on the morning of the disaster and that fate was determined by the outcome of the bowling match. Syncronised swimming must surely be a highbrow sport. Stannum

Re: The meaning of the word 'bowling'

stannum — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 03:48:45 GMT

Anonymous wrote: A game is a game and nothing more. Tis the players and the governing body that make it either high-brow or low-brow. The players have the most say in its positioning around the brow. Ten Pins is but a mere other name for bowling. Then again, Skittles comes into play too - just another name. Thanks mate. I feel slightly less lonely. Stannum

Re: Mormon Religion

stannum — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 03:46:46 GMT

The17pointscale wrote: Okay, I couldn't resist at least another post. Please accept my apologies for not responding earlier. My mind was elswhere. The17pointscale wrote: Stannum, I'm not sure what you mean by "exclusive." When I went to a Roamn Catholic school I was caned if I was seen to even talk to a kid from the state school if I was in Patrician Brothers Uniform. Catholics are not interested in reforming or recruiting non Catholics. A pagan is a pagan and they just don't care. There has been a bit of a change and some clever lip service is being paid but Catholics consider themselves to be The One True Faith and the rest are to be pitied. (The above does not reflect the current political position of the writer) ...

Re: subtle yet eye catching...need help!

stannum — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 21:31:10 GMT

A subtle adjustment to the straps of an evening gown can result in extremely eyecatching images depending on the angle of the lighting and the intent of the wearer. A subtle alteration to the atomic structure of Uranium 235 can result in extraordinarily eyecatching results. In some cases literally so. A subtle variation of the contents of the fuel tank of my car will result in eyecatching results when the silly thing won't start. You have definitely won your argument and you may refer your antagonists to me. Subtle is most certainly not inconsequential. There are very many areas of human endeavour and interaction where the most subtle of gestures or actions can have the most intense or even catastrophic consequences....

Re: Some questions about preposition. Please help me!!!

stannum — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 21:24:23 GMT

Anonymous wrote: Hi! G'day! Anonymous wrote: Could you please, help me with the following? I'll give it a shot. Anonymous wrote: The correct is : Is this correct? or Which is correct? Anonymous wrote: a) On the right moment or at the right moment?; At the right moment.

Re: the meaning of life ?

stannum — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:34:30 GMT

MrPedantic wrote: Pereat tristitia, pereant osores. Pereat diabolus, quivis antiburschius, atque irrisores. Let's kill the sadness, Let's kill the hatred. Let's kill the devil, etc. Not quite so active, surely: "May sadness perish, may the haters perish, may the devil perish", etc. MrP Thank you for the much more gentle translation open to far more introspection and potential understanding. Stannum

Re: the meaning of life ?

stannum — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:32:04 GMT

Pucca wrote: I don't know if I understood it, do you mean that they made music from poems? Hmm..nope, it doesn't sound well, do you mean that their songs had poetical (?) things? Pff..I don't know how to say it in English! G'day Pucca, Are you trying to say that they wrote songs from poems or that they composed songs from poetry? Stannum I disagree, this is not the first time that you two agreed, you are both very obviously too smart for that.

Re: corrections 33

stannum — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:25:09 GMT

G'day Feebs, I agree with all you say except the big beard bit. I have never heard of a big or small beard. In Australia beards seem to be described in terms of vigour not size. Strong, thick, bushy, thin, scraggly, wispy. A big beard just does not seem to tell me much. Stannum

Re: corrections 34

stannum — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:29:42 GMT

Vincent Teo wrote: (a) He injured his left leg, left arm and his head because he met an accident. He injured his left leg, left arm and his head because he had an accident. Vincent Teo wrote: (b) We keep stamp in the stamp albums / albums stamp. We keep stamps in stamp albums. Stamps and stamp albums are both countable nouns. Vincent Teo wrote: (c) He has a pen pal who comes from Japan. This pen pal writes a good sentence. Vincent Teo wrote:

Re: Was John Locke right?

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:48:49 GMT

Forbes wrote: We are clearly not going to agree on this one. I happen to feel that the quote I posted is eloquently phrased. P.S. It's a good job I broke it up into paragraphs. Do you believe that the quote you posted would be a reasonable choice for an English language comprehension test in 2007? Stannum

Re: What is the opposite to a religious proselyte?

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:36:28 GMT

Forbes wrote: I am crushed to learn the tooth fairy does not exist. Not half as crushed as I was when I learned that the tooth fairy is not Robinson Crusoe. Stannum

Re: Was John Locke right?

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:36:23 GMT

Forbes wrote: Stannum wrote: forelock tug ??? I was cocking my snoot at the incredibly confused utterly pompous tone and language employed by John Locke to expand upon, 'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.' How many words and commas did Mr Locke employ to confer this nugget upon us? I meant no disrespect to any person except a pretentious dead white male. Stannum

Re: Islam:veiling women!

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:32:13 GMT

Forbes wrote: What depresses me is that so many people, after the most careful deliberation and soul-searching, come to convince themselves of the truth of the doctrines they were taught as children and the value of the customs they were brought up with. Forbes wrote: Would this have been better? Whilst I have no empirical evidence to support the contention, it is my belief that those who have expressly stated that they have engaged in a rigorous examination of the religious doctrines they were taught as children and found them to be satisfactory have, in fact, engaged in an exercise of self-deception. Notwithstanding that my belief in this regard may be erroneous, and indeed the result of me deceiving myself, I find...

Re: What is the opposite to a religious proselyte?

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:45:40 GMT

Old Man Gordon wrote: Hey, Stannum- You didn't display any pride or hatred; you were asking for an opposite, right? It's a language question. I don't assume that you are an atheist or that you are particularly interested in being hateful. I'll look at your post again, but I didn't see a first person reference, so why all the the "I" questions? I'll try to answer your questions as they come; next time try numbering them if you want each one answered. The superiority is in the non-sharing of whatever it was that made this anti-proselytizer an atheist. A. The proselyte thinks that he has recieved the truth and feels compelled to share it out of concern for the other's fate. B. The opposite thinks that he has recieved...

Re: Was John Locke right?

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:41:16 GMT

You are absolutely right. I don't know what I was thinking to even bother to open this thread. Sir John Locke's, forelock tug, shining reasonablessness is more than enough for me and every other person who can decipher three century old gobbldygook and that seems to limit such knowledge to the proud few in possession of the Key of higher English. Stannum

Re: Islam:veiling women!

stannum — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:36:06 GMT

Forbes wrote: With equal respect, Stannum, I fear you have failed to detect the irony in my post. I was only joking is about equal with 'the cat ate my homework'. I saw and see no ironic language nor construction in your referenced post but of course I take your word for it and I will be more attentive to your little jokes on such subjects in future. Thank you for your most instructive contributions. Stannum

Re: Was John Locke right?

stannum — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:40:47 GMT

G'day Forbes, I quite agree. This is why I find it extraordinary and ironic at the most intellectual level I have ever seen irony demonstrated {your locked Locke thread should be a case study for a couple of PhDs} at such a deeply philosophical angle. I doubt that it is possible to be more philosophically ironic than to censor debate on the opinion that no truth is self evident. I must say that I tend to avoid quoting too many opinions as I try to form mine. What a happy coincidence for John Locke that the political usurpers shared his views on freedom of discussion as this is rarely the case. This makes his use of such circumloquotus language so puzzling to me. Why cloak his opinion in such conflbulative language if he was...

Re: Islam:veiling women!

stannum — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:31:56 GMT

Forbes wrote: What depresses me is that so many people, after the most careful deliberation and soul-searching, come to convince themselves of the truth of the doctrines they were taught as children and the value of the customs they were brought up with. With any due respect I must challenge your hysteron proteron opinion. Forbes, Where is there even one jot of evidence that the believer of any doctrine has ever indulged in careful deliberation and soul searching? One single line of writing will do to support your contention. To support my contention I will start with a quote from a long haired bloke with sandles and a bad attitude to authority who faked his own death and hit the toe in the most spectular manner. Woe...

Re: What is your opinion of Police Whistleblowers?

stannum — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:20:52 GMT

Yankee wrote: Internal Police Whistleblowers? Why the capitalization? Is that a book or a singing group or something? If it's the uncapitalized sort of internal police whistleblowers you mean, I'm glad there are some people who have the courage to be whistleblowers. Is that a joke or something? In Australia an Internal Police Whistleblower is a specific term and in any event I consider that a Whistleblower deserves a capitalisation at least as much as the Police who routinely are awarded capitalisation in Australia and Internal Police Is a term not unliky your Yankee Internal Affairs or is that an accapella group. So if Internal and Police cop a capital letter then the Whistleblower deserves at least as much recognition. ...

Re: What is the opposite to a religious proselyte?

stannum — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:22:17 GMT

Old Man Gordon wrote: Well, you asked how we would describe someone so enlightened that they don't think others worthy of their enlightenment. I read your description as an atheist who lets others believe what they want, all the while thinking them completely weak-minded fools, hence inferior. Condescenders are those who act in a superior way. I may be reading too much into your original description, but it seems like the difference between atheism and agnosticism would be the element of pride. G'day Old Man Gordon, Thank you for the blunt honesty of your response. I like a bloke who calls a spade a spade but I am a bit concerned with a bloke who calls a spade a shovel which is most certainly what you have managed to do in...

Re: the meaning of life ?

stannum — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:02:07 GMT

We are no more than what we do with time joy pain and tears Life lives proud and true or exists behind bleak fears. The Red Beast You never wandered gracefully through private places I have been Seen frightened faces grateful at the calming of each seen Then stood grieving humble other as each dread word fell as lead Father mother sister brother who you loved so dearly dead Nor felt the grip ferocious of the red eyed beast within Callow youth may stand to face it tempered will be all who win To face that red beast rampant take the risk and count no cost Gives life far beyond mere dormant grants sublime that which was lost Calm the crimson savage swiftly save the speed and strength but quell Any...

What is your opinion of Police Whistleblowers?

stannum — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:16:06 GMT

G'day Forum, What is your opinion of Internal Police Whistleblowers? Stannum