An Aussie I follow refers to uranium as 'uraniums', a term that has lodged itself permanently in my brain.
I do quite like it though. (the word, not the element)
Words that annoy me for no particular reason.
- Thread starter PeteXXX
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I do quite like it though. (the word, not the element)
winjim
Smash the cistern
Are you sure they don't mean the flowers?
He was of course referring to all isotopes of Uranium.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLUEMj6cwA
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
Whenever I'm walking along a beach behind a row of fishermen, whatever the weather.
I will glance across, and enthusiastically opine on passing that it's
"Looking quite 'bassy' today! "
Without breaking stride.
- Of course i have no real knowledge of sea fishing, or the conditions required for any particular quarry.
But the resulting hard stare, that they then almost invariably give the sea, keeps me quietly entertained.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
If only it were that simple.
'Less' would normally used in front of counting nouns denoting distance, amounts, or time.
Few people would say something is due to happen in 'fewer than six weeks', it would be 'less than six weeks'.
Or: 'the bomb is due to explode in fewer than ten minutes' doesn't work, it would be '...in less than ten minutes'.
'My bike ride today was fewer than 60 miles', no, accepted usage is '...was less than 60 miles'.
There are further complications, some of which I don't claim to fully understand.
Dayvo
just passin' through
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Except the BMJ only reference it in the terms that the media are using - they are not designating it as a medical condition in it's own right, or suggesting that as anew name for Covid 19 symptoms.
That would be an ecumenical matter.
Ruddy splitters!
Interesting point, fella.
My instinct is telling me that this is probably related to our tendency to break time and space into discrete chunks, whereas in reality time and space doesn't work that way.
You can count the minutes and measure the miles and the litres in a container, but these numbers don't actually exist outside of our arbitrary definitions of those units, whereas physically distinct objects can be counted, and thus, can be fewer.
"I have 9 coins. You have 10. Therefore, I have fewer coins, and less money."
I blame Zeno of Elea. It's all Greek to me...
newfhouse
Resolutely on topic
Not everything on the BBC is a lefty plot. It’s a perfectly cromulent formation.
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Also interesting. My instinct tallies with yours. We don't say 'fewer than ten minutes' because we don't mean nine minutes, or eight minutes, we mean some 'amount' smaller than the 'amount of time' that is ten minutes.
Of course the related interesting oddity of the language is that we have no equivalent to fewer for positives rather than negatives. Fewer jars, less honey; more jars, more honey.
matticus
Guru
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
I don't have any, sadly. If I had any idea what it meant I'm sure I could come up with some strongly held but weakly supported opinion.What are your views on putting spokes under compression?
The shear audacity of asking such a pointed question.What are your views on putting spokes under compression?
