Off topic: A couple of minutes' relaxation
Thread poster: Phil Hand
Phil Hand
Phil Hand  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 21:30
Chinese to English
Jun 28, 2012

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Just as a break from the Sturm und Drang of the native thread, a cartoon that I hope we may all vehemently disagree about just as much.



If things are too quiet, try asking a couple of friends whether "a couple" should always mean "two". As with the question of how many spaces should go after a period, it can turn acrimonious surprisingly fast unless all three of them agree.



Personally, I think it's disgraceful. Call himself a native speaker! Obviously handful allows of up to ten. Pah.


 
Alex Lago
Alex Lago  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 15:30
English to Spanish
+ ...
Good one Jun 28, 2012

Very good.

I would like to add "some".

However I did think the "how many spaces after a period controversy", had ended along with typewriters.


 
Mailand
Mailand  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:30
Member (2009)
Italian to German
+ ...
Nice this .... Jun 28, 2012

in German we have "ein Paar" (which is always 2) and "ein paar" which can be anything from 2 to .... let´s say 5 - but then, some argue that if it´s 2 than it should be "ein Paar", others will state that "ein Paar" is always two things complementing each other, as in "ein Paar Schuhe" ... That´s language for you: always open to discussion

 
LEXpert
LEXpert  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:30
Member (2008)
Croatian to English
+ ...
A handful of wisdom... Jun 28, 2012

Phil Hand wrote:

Personally, I think it's disgraceful. Call himself a native speaker! Obviously handful allows of up to ten. Pah.


Wouldn't it take generally two handfuls to make it to ten? Interesting point about that one - I also just assumed that "handful" was derived from countability on the fingers (i.e, one handful ~5), but more logically it would refer to what can (figuratively) be held in the hand, which is open to wide interpretation, depending on the size of the item and, of course, the size of the hand.


 
Phil Hand
Phil Hand  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 21:30
Chinese to English
TOPIC STARTER
I have no idea where my understanding of these words come from Jun 28, 2012

But I have very strong feelings about what they mean! It's not logical at all, and I'm sure other people have equally strong feelings, but different meanings. One of life's little oddities

 
Dave Bindon
Dave Bindon  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 16:30
Greek to English
In memoriam
I totally disagree Jun 28, 2012

Phil Hand wrote:

But I have very strong feelings about what they mean! It's not logical at all, and I'm sure other people have equally strong feelings, but different meanings. One of life's little oddities


Don't be so riduculous! Your meanings - whatever they may be - are completely wrong. Mine, of course, are the correct ones.


 
Tina Colquhoun
Tina Colquhoun  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:30
Danish to English
+ ...
Some Jun 28, 2012

Somehow I am reminded of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC5iW6H5Rh0


 


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A couple of minutes' relaxation






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