Laughing at stupid foreigners.

[Profpointy]

the Americanism I really don't get is "I could care less" - which bizarrely means "I couldn't care less" .
The other one which grates on me is their use of "momentarily" eg "the aeroplane will be landing momentarily" - mmm, hope it stops long enough for us to hop off quickly!

The one which caught out Churchill's entourage, and indeed their US counterparts, during the War, was "tabling" an item in a meeting, which in English means, "put it on the agenda for discussion", but to the Yanks means "stick it on the agenda for next time" ie defer discussion. This caused a great deal of friction with both sides getting crosser and crosser with the others' apparent desire to delay discussion an increasingly urgent matter.

 

[Gravity Aided]

We refer to that in America as placing something on the table, as tabling is a motion under Roberts' Rules of Order, a manual for meeting management and organization, as you probably well know. Just tabled something in our vestry meeting last night, actually.

 

[Profpointy]

We refer to that in America as placing something on the table, as tabling is a motion under Roberts' Rules of Order, a manual for meeting management and organization, as you probably well know. Just tabled something in our vestry meeting last night, actually.

I just took Churchill's word for it (not in person I might add).
I shall have to google Roberts' Rules of Order now - bloody internet, you end up following up at all sorts of rubbish

 

[Gravity Aided]

Quite exhaustive, and minute in detail. Luckily, only the high points usually get touched on in meetings, thank goodness.

 

[Profpointy]

Quite exhaustive, and minute in detail. Luckily, only the high points usually get touched on in meetings, thank goodness.

No doubt of great value to barrack room lawyers to drag out an AGM interminably ensuring you're never again quorate .
(you do need structure / good chairing though or it's another type of shambles)

 

[Gravity Aided]

Quite- I believe it had its' origins in the military, but only because Col. Robert (later Brigadier General) was a military man. The actual impetus for the writing was because Col. Robert had held a church post, vestry or some such thing, and had problems leading meetings in that capacity. It is closely modeled on the rules of debate and recognition of the U.S. Congress, but more adapted to use in meetings. There are now rules about e-mail and teleconferencing. But, as you say, with structure and good chairing, it makes meetings run a bit smoothly, and the apt and proper use of the rules, in the hands of a person well versed in them, can get events to turn that persons' way rather easily.

 

[yello]

Incidentally, how did the word like come to mean both resemble and appreciate?

That's another language form I like; 'I was like so happy'. I don't know if it originated in the US or not (but I seem to associate it with Valley girls.... whatever) but it's something that can work for me as a pronoun.

The speaker is referring to something that you have perhaps not seen/experienced yet they have a firm mental representation of it. There's a kind of 3D or layered thing happening, similar yet completely different to the manner in which sign language users manipulate their signing space.

 

[Globalti]

There's a lot of ambiguity in French (one word with several meanings). There's ambiguity in most languages but if you consider there are around only 300 - 350 words in common everyday usage in French (so someone told me) and 3 times that in English, you realise there's a great deal of more scope for overlap and potential confusion. Invariably, context resolves as in any language.

'I am' and 'I follow', for instance are exactly the same; je suis.

"Je suis que je suis, mais je ne suis pas ce que je suis parce que ce que je suis c'est un âne."

("I am what I am but I'm not what I follow because what I follow is a donkey.")

 

[Gravity Aided]

That's another language form I like; 'I was like so happy'. I don't know if it originated in the US or not (but I seem to associate it with Valley girls.... whatever) but it's something that can work for me as a pronoun.

The speaker is referring to something that you have perhaps not seen/experienced yet they have a firm mental representation of it. There's a kind of 3D or layered thing happening, similar yet completely different to the manner in which sign language users manipulate their signing space.

And the one word sentence, also rather Val, Mrs. GA uses
"Seriously"
and it has numerous meanings, dependent on inflection. Usually applied in conversation with a small dog wishing to be let out for the third or fourth time in an hour.

 

[Profpointy]

And the one word sentence, also rather Val, Mrs. GA uses
"Seriously"
and it has numerous meanings, dependent on inflection. Usually applied in conversation with a small dog wishing to be let out for the third or fourth time in an hour.

OT now but slightly related to the above... a lecturer explains that although two negatives make a positive two positives don't make a negative.

Student's response, "yeah, right"

 

[swee'pea99]

And the one word sentence, also rather Val, Mrs. GA uses
"Seriously"
and it has numerous meanings, dependent on inflection. Usually applied in conversation with a small dog wishing to be let out for the third or fourth time in an hour.

Add a question mark and it makes up about a third of my eldest's conversation.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Sometimes a period, sometimes a question mark, sometimes an exclamation point. But she is younger, and around young people all day, and if I don't catch the meaning, I just google it.

 

[yello]

It's at such moments (baffled by youth speak) that it hits home that language constantly changes. What ho innit.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Language definitely has gotten more fluid in the last few decades.

 

[Chromatic]

Language definitely has gotten more fluid in the last few decades.

I see what you did there.