Spelling for Today

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RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
If I may interject at this point...There have been several suggestions, and good ones at that, regarding proper word usage and spelling BUT there are a number of members whose first language is NOT English. To those members who hesitate to post because they think they will be made fun of or badly thought of for their less than "perfect" use of the vocabulary...Please post. Your input IS valuable and no-one will or SHOULD criticize you for your use of English.
To the rest, continue on.
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Yes, continue to post!! You're doing better than I could if I had to try it in your language!
I'm english only and not a professional in it.
Ted:thumb:
 
But Marin there still can't be rope in a rode. Any rope in a rode has been put to use aboard a boat and is therefore line and not rope.
 
As the original poster of this thread I am compelled to clarify my reasons for starting the thread. It was not meant to criticize, or to correct any members' use of the language rather to have some "fun with words." We all make grammatical errors and spelling errors. TF is, and should be a friendly place and nobody should be afraid to post because of language difficulties. So, in the spirit of continuing the fun:

Why does our boat have a roll of aluminum foil while many others apparently have "tin foil?"

And, is it only on the east coast, or is it nationwide that the term "you're welcome" is disappearing from the lexicon? As a child I was taught that if a person said "thank you," the polite response was "you're welcome." Now, more often than not, if I say "thank you," the response I hear is "no problem." I never posed a problem, I simply expressed my thanks. Is it any wonder that English is so hard for a non English speaking person to learn?

Imagine trying to learn the word "up." The student is faced with:

Go up, wake up, what's up, give up, look up, screw up, f... up, pony up, blow up, cough up, which way is up, cheer up, etc., etc. not easy to define is it?

Howard
 
Greetings,
Mr. hm. You forgot suit-up.
th


Oh, and it's aluminium for those who speak the "Queen's English".
 
RT,
The death rays can't penetrate my oxygen tent. Contact me when it's safe to come out.
 
manyboats said:
But Marin there still can't be rope in a rode. Any rope in a rode has been put to use aboard a boat and is therefore line and not rope.
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Of course there can. ""Line"is not a material, but something made out of a material. A line in logging (as in high-line, sky-line, haul-back line) is made of cable or wire rope. A line in sailing (as in halyard, clew outhaul, etc.) can be made of rope (often Dacron in the case of running rigging) or wire (more common for standing rigging).

If you're going to make a line for a boat, you buy the material (Nylon, Dacron, both of which are types of rope, wire, etc) and make a line out of it which probably includes some form of attachment, either hardware or a spliced-in loop.

So, according to Chapman's and other sources, the thing you pick up and use on your boat is a line. That line is made out of a material, which is rope in the case of most lines on the kinds of boats we have. In my edition of Chapman's (62nd edition) the definitions and descriptions of the different kinds of rope used for the lines on a boat start on page 277.

An anchor rode is a line. Like all lines on a boat, a rode is made of something. In the case of the typical, non-chain rode used on boats like ours, the rode (line) is made of Nylon (rope). As opposed to chain, wire rope, etc. Hence, you have a rope rode. As opposed to a chain rode or a cable rode. "Rope" (what the line is made of) and "rode" (the name of the line connecting the anchor to the boat).
 
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hmason said:
Go up, wake up, what's up, give up, look up, screw up, f... up, pony up, blow up, cough up, which way is up, cheer up, etc., etc. not easy to define is it?

Howard
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Action words in most languages are difficult. Depending on how they're used they can go from being an adjective, to a noun, verb, etc.

My girlfriend is a citizen of Spain and many of our expressions are similar, but the idioms, throw her a curve, (no pun intended) and often are meaningless. Also end up as topics for long dinner time discussions.

Example: "Out" . . . . the runner is out of gas, I feel out of it, out for revenge, out of the way.

She thought Outback steak house was named after a city in Australia. Since in the few movies she's seen, the Aussies are always heading there. (Must be Crocodile Dundee movies, I'm afraid to ask :nonono:)

But she's only been here for 12 years, so we're still working on it and I've learned not to laugh (on the outside)!! :flowers:
 
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Gas is NOT a motor fuel.

A motor=
asynchronous-electric-motors-8355-3067341.jpg

An engine=
images



Or so my Grandfather would insist


*I like the definitions provided by WordNet and their definition is the way I've understood the difference:

  • A motor is a machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion.
  • An engine is a motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work.
So an engine is a specific type of motor. That's why it's not incorrect to speak of a motorboat, or a motorcar, or a motor speedway, even if the boat or car is clearly powered by combustion.
Note that if there's no combustion, there's no engine. Purely electric cars don't have engines.
As nouns, motor can also refer to a nonspecific agent that causes motion: "happiness is the aim of all men and the motor of all action", and engine can refer to something used to achieve a purpose: "an engine of change", a railway locomotive, or a machine used in warfare: "medieval engines of war".


*http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/42027/semantic-difference-between-engine-and-motor
 
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hmason said:
And, is it only on the east coast, .... if I say "thank you," the response I hear is "no problem."
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It's not an east coast thing, it's a world thing. In France, I often hear (or say myself) pas de probleme in response to merci. In Australia there is the classic "no worries" response. In the UK, I hear "no problem" as often as I do in the US. Even in China, if I thank someone with "xie-xie" (more or less pronounced sheyeh-sheyeh) I'll get "no problem" back in English. And so it goes.....
 
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The damn spill checker doesn't catch everything.
 
I don't understand what this thread is all about ? Might be because I'm just a hillbilly or maybe because I'm Sofa king we tart Ed
 
Marin said:
It's not an east coast thing, it's a world thing. In France, I often hear (or say myself) pas de probleme in response to merci. In Australia there is the classic "no worries" response. In the UK, I hear "no problem" as often as I do in the US. Even in China, if I thank someone with "xie-xie" (more or less pronounced sheyeh-sheyeh) I'll get "no problem" back in English. And so it goes.....
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I have the same problem/issue! So why would it be a problem to do your job? A "you're welcome" would be much appreciated. And don't get me started on empty-headed sound fillers such as "you know" and such like.
 
Nice to know you guys are playing attention.
 
markpierce said:
I have the same problem/issue! So why would it be a problem to do your job? A "you're welcome" would be much appreciated.
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If you drop something and I pick it up, that's not my job. I just happened to do it. I'm one of those who says "no problem" to someone who thanks me for doing something that I don't really have to do. It wasn't a problem for me to do it, so I say so.

Come to think of it, I probably say "No problem" to just about every "Thank you." If I carry the laundry out to the washing machine and my wife says "Thank you," I say "No problem."

I don't like saying "You're welcome." For whatever reason, that phrase always comes across as formal and phony to me. I think "No problem" actually sounds more sincere, but don't ask me why. And if I don't say "No problem," I think I generally say "Sure" instead.
 
Marin said:
If you drop something and I pick it up, that's not my job. I just happened to do it. I'm one of those who says "no problem" to someone who thanks me for doing something that I don't really have to do. It wasn't a problem for me to do it, so I say so.

Come to think of it, I probably say "No problem" to just about every "Thank you." If I carry the laundry out to the washing machine and my wife says "Thank you," I say "No problem."

I don't like saying "You're welcome." For whatever reason, that phrase always comes across as formal and phony to me. I think "No problem" actually sounds more sincere, but don't ask me why. And if I don't say "No problem," I think I generally say "Sure" instead.
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How bout... "My Pleasure"? I often reply with that phrase... because it usually is a pleasure to me when assisting others.
 
I'm an ardent, severe traditionalist English major but even I don't care too much about the "no problem" habit. The intention is good, I figure they're just trying to be polite.
 
I am extremely tolerant with regards to English grammar. After all, this site attracts people from around the world. In my opinion, it's arrogant and petty to dwell on a poster's grammar. Especially when the meaning is usually clearly understood. But, if it makes you feel better about yourself, by all means, go ahead and point it out. I'd just prefer you do so internally.... :thumb:
 
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Art said:
I do hope you are joking...

There have been plenty of informative posts on TF from members not well able to articulate, grammartarize (there's a word for ya - lol), or even correctly spell English.

:whistling:
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That was sarcasm Art. Your instinct, or hope, was correct. Hence the "good grief'.
 
Like it or not, people judge you on the impression you present. If you make a poor impression with bad grammar or spelling or misuse of words, they will tend to think you are less intelligent or knowledgeable than you may be.

When I was working there was a guy in the office in a low management position who had been promoted for political reasons (government job) from the trades. Spelling and grammar were not his high points.

He would often compose memos and send them around the office. They were so poorly spelled and worded that it got to the point that we made a game of circling his mistakes and the winner was the one who caught the most.

One time he decided that signs were needed in the hallways and he had several made up and installed. There was a misspelling on the signs.

In my observation, members on this forum do a lot better with spelling, grammar and word use than people on so other forums I participate in. I suppose the reason has to do with education and earning power.

I have been on the receiving end of a few posts on word usage but I like to think I learn something every day so if I can learn from a post and appear smarter the next day I'm not going to get upset about it.
 
For real confusion what if you have your wench use the winch to pull the anchor or your winch operated by your wench to pull the anchor. Or if your winch is broken and you order your wench to pull the anchor, or if your wench is broken and...........
 
Hey Ron, thank god for spell check......
 
Mule, What if your wench has to use a wrench to fix the winch?
 
I operated dazed and confused. I would be lost:facepalm::confused:
 
Or what if your wench fixes your winch with a wrench and then you need to wrench your wench off of your winch?
 
When my wife accepted a job at an elementary as. PRINCIPAL and on the sign out front was "Welcome Mrs ___________, our new Principle". She was the go to proof reader as asst principal at her previous school. She came home that day, smiled and rolled her eyes. I ask how long it was that way for the community to see in front of their place of learning. Answer, "less than 5 minutes after my arrival.":D
 
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