Feral Posted November 6, 2001 Share Posted November 6, 2001 Isn't 'handling the ball with their feet' an oxymoron? Anywho, no, we don't have another word for torch. We just assume that when people say torch and Medieval history is being discussed, they don't meant electric pnes, and vice-versa. ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://deparmentofdeath.homestead.com/files/Feralchicken.jpg" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://www.imood.com/query.cgi?email=the_feral_chicken@hotmail.com&type=1&fg=FFFFFF&bg=330066" border=0> Is it just me, or does 'Virgin Megastore' sound like a Porn Shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fender Posted November 6, 2001 Share Posted November 6, 2001 I love Badminton. And I love playing Rugby! Anyone else play rugby? If so what position do you play? I'm a big Second-Row (Lock). ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://members.hostedscripts.com/randomimage.cgi?user=fender" border=0> <A HREF="http://www.bszone.f2s.com" TARGET=_blank> <IMG SRC="http://www.bszone.f2s.com/bilder/logo.jpg" border=0> </A> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="http://members.hostedscripts.com/randomtext.cgi?user=fender"></SCRIPT> <A HREF="http://members.hostedscripts.com/guestbook.cgi?user=fender">Take my Survey!</A> <FONT SIZE="3"><A HREF="http://members.hostedscripts.com/poll.cgi?user=fender&poll=1">I think I will make a great Prime Minister, what do you think?</A></FONT> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="http://members.hostedscripts.com/countdown.cgi?user=fender"></SCRIPT> <FONT SIZE="-2">Hosted By <A HREF="http://www.hostedscripts.com/">HostedScripts.com</A></FONT> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al-back from the BigWhoop Posted November 6, 2001 Share Posted November 6, 2001 Originally posted by Feral: Isn't 'handling the ball with their feet' an oxymoron? yeah, it is pretty ugly ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.angelfire.com/apes/mi/filme___al_back_from_the_big_whoop_03.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://members.hostedscripts.com/randomimage.cgi?user=bigwhoop" border=0> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="http://members.hostedscripts.com/randomtext.cgi?user=bigwhoop"></SCRIPT><P align="RIGHT">(hit F5)<P/> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest murta Posted November 7, 2001 Share Posted November 7, 2001 Brief, I'm not debating that the English words necessarily make more sense, it's just the fact that Americans tend to invent new words for things that already have names (soem of which have been called the same for hundreds of years) and they're usually dumbed down quite a bit. I mean, sidewalk, flashlight, eatery (think this ones a regional thing). Sure sidewalk is simple but it's like calling a road a middle drive As for the torch thing, it's just common sense to distinguish between the two, as you would with say a shirt sleeve and a CD sleeve, or a bust (as in a statuette) and a breast or a skateboard truck from a vehicular truck. Anyway, I think everyone, worldwide should speak cockney rhyming slang<IMG SRC="http://www.escapemi.com/forums/smilies/cwm29.gif" border=0> ------------------ <EMBED src="http://www.escapemi.com/murta/sig.swf" quality=high bgcolor=#0D0E34 WIDTH=350 HEIGHT=150 TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></EMBED> murta@escapemi.com My current mood is : <IMG SRC="http://www.imood.com/query.cgi?email=murtaman@hotmail.com&type=1&fg=FFFFF&bg=1E4F72" border=0> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenW Posted November 7, 2001 Share Posted November 7, 2001 I know I'm going off on a tangent, but I read this recently and it made me laugh. These are examples of what happens when people try to translate signs and notices into English. <u>On a warning sign to motorists in tokyo</u> when a passenger of the foot heave in sight tootle the horn. Trumpet at him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigour. <u>A sign in a Yugoslavian hotel</u> The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid. Turn to her straight away. <u>Cooking instructions on italian food</u> besmear a backing pan, previously buttered with a good tomato sauce, and after,dispose the cannoloni, lightly distanced between them in a only couch. yumm....bet that tasted nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtBlanc Posted November 7, 2001 Share Posted November 7, 2001 Why do we park on driveways, but drive on parkways? ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.seanet.com/~osborn/sig.jpg" border=0> Right now, Dinghy Dog is <a href="http://www.imood.com/query.cgi?email=greg@osborn.seanet.com"><img src="http://www.imood.com/query.cgi?email=greg@osborn.seanet.com&type=1&fg=FFFFFF&bg=330060" alt="The current mood of greg@osborn.seanet.com"]border="0"></a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest murta Posted November 7, 2001 Share Posted November 7, 2001 lol, *has no idea what a parkway is <IMG SRC="http://www.escapemi.com/forums/smilies/cwm3.gif" border=0>* ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.escapemi.com/murta/lprobsm.png" border=0> murta@escapemi.com My current mood is : <IMG SRC="http://www.imood.com/query.cgi?email=murtaman@hotmail.com&type=1&fg=FFFFF&bg=1E4F72" border=0> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brief Posted November 7, 2001 Share Posted November 7, 2001 Originally posted by murta: Brief, I'm not debating that the English words necessarily make more sense, it's just the fact that Americans tend to invent new words for things that already have names (soem of which have been called the same for hundreds of years) and they're usually dumbed down quite a bit. Many, yes. Had to do with American trying to be 'liberated' from the Brits, y'know Sure sidewalk is simple but it's like calling a road a middle drive Sometimes it's good to have more words for distinction purposes, if nothing else. Something that's paved (and therefore, a pavement) can be in the middle of the street, in someone's backyard, or in the basement of a building somewhere. Being able to say "sidewalk" and immediately have people know where you are talking about has its advantages. As for the torch thing, it's just common sense to distinguish between the two, as you would with say a shirt sleeve and a CD sleeve, or a bust (as in a statuette) and a breast or a skateboard truck from a vehicular truck. Not necessarily. As you've had to say "shirt sleeve" and "CD sleeve" in order to make the distinction. Or you would've have to be holding one or the other, as to avoid confusion. Now, imagine you're reading a book, or a script for a play. It tells you that several characters have went inside a cave, and in order to see, lit a torch to help visibility... Which of the two possible items do you think it was? Since the "flashlight" is a more recent invention (made possible by electric light bulbs and portable batteries), it makes sense that it should have its own name. Imagine if the guy who invented the flashlight ran out into the streets, proclaiming that he had invented torches... The distinction becomes a good thing, especially since people still do use fire torches, albeit not nearly as much as they do "flashlight" torches. I myself have held fire torches on a few occasions, so it's not like it's something I'll never encounter, even though I don't live in Medieval times. (Incidently, in Chinese, a torch is called a "fire handle," while a flashlight is called a "hand electric tube"; literally translated, that is--not pronounced.) Like you said, some of the things are regional. After being separated for over 200 years by a large body of water, there's bound to be some linguistical differences in terms. Languages 'evolve' as their usage change. Sometimes it's not so much that Americans "want" to make the changes, as much as it just happened to mean something else over time. For instance, I was reading some Sherlock Holmes novels, wherein the good Dr. Watson ejackulated on numerous occasions. Do you think that means exactly the same thing as it does today? Oh, and to get back on topic for this thread, my favorite sport is basketball. ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.capcorphq.com/images/brief.gif" border=0> "He's looking at me like I'm a chicken! I'm not a chicken! Okay, I'm a chicken... but I'm not a chicken." --Rachel Leigh Cook, Celebrity Adventures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feral Posted November 7, 2001 Share Posted November 7, 2001 I'd say it's fairly obvious that you mean fire-torch, as you don't LIGHT electric torches. ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://deparmentofdeath.homestead.com/files/Feralchicken.jpg" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://www.imood.com/query.cgi?email=the_feral_chicken@hotmail.com&type=1&fg=FFFFFF&bg=330066" border=0> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="http://members.hostedscripts.com/randomtext.cgi?user=Feral"></SCRIPT> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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