Things that annoy you beyond reason...(Vol 5)
Discussion
captain_cynic said:
One hundred percent correct usage.
A couple is two or more of the same thing, not more than two. Hence why two people dating are called... a couple.
People who are pedantic about the English language annoy me (to call English a mongrel language is an understatement) but they're not as bad as people who are pedantic about the English language and wrong about it.
Nope. A couple is two. No more than two, no less than two. If you were competing on Mastermind with your specialist subject being "questions to which the answer is two" then "to what number does "a couple" refer?" would be quite legitimate.A couple is two or more of the same thing, not more than two. Hence why two people dating are called... a couple.
People who are pedantic about the English language annoy me (to call English a mongrel language is an understatement) but they're not as bad as people who are pedantic about the English language and wrong about it.
On to the next point of order; I came across someone on this very site who thought that "several" and "seven" were the same thing. Barmy.
Clockwork Cupcake said:
The use of the phrase "normally aspirated" rather than "naturally aspirated" to describe engines that do not use forced induction.
Surely "normally aspirated" makes more sense? No forced induction, the normal method is used.As to "Naturally aspirated", well there still an intake and all sorts of air flow gubbins. Hardly an arrangement that's "natural".
SCEtoAUX said:
Surely "normally aspirated" makes more sense? No forced induction, the normal method is used.
As to "Naturally aspirated", well there still an intake and all sorts of air flow gubbins. Hardly an arrangement that's "natural".
Normal means what is normally used, surely. Given that forced induction is fast becoming the norm, it is surely therefore becoming normal aspiration.As to "Naturally aspirated", well there still an intake and all sorts of air flow gubbins. Hardly an arrangement that's "natural".
Natural aspiration is using natural atmospheric pressure for induction rather than the increased pressure of forced induction. I guess it might be even more accurate to use the phrase "atmospheric induction".
I remember reading an old book about lorries once, and it referring to "normal cab" and "cab over engine" and thinking that the latter is now normal outside of America.
My point being that the word "normal" is a relative, and changing, word.
captain_cynic said:
One hundred percent correct usage.
A couple is two or more of the same thing, not more than two. Hence why two people dating are called... a couple.
People who are pedantic about the English language annoy me (to call English a mongrel language is an understatement) but they're not as bad as people who are pedantic about the English language and wrong about it.
You know exactly my point. That these type need to make owning 2 Ferraris a casual thing.... Why not just say 2.A couple is two or more of the same thing, not more than two. Hence why two people dating are called... a couple.
People who are pedantic about the English language annoy me (to call English a mongrel language is an understatement) but they're not as bad as people who are pedantic about the English language and wrong about it.
DRFC1879 said:
captain_cynic said:
One hundred percent correct usage.
A couple is two or more of the same thing, not more than two. Hence why two people dating are called... a couple.
People who are pedantic about the English language annoy me (to call English a mongrel language is an understatement) but they're not as bad as people who are pedantic about the English language and wrong about it.
Nope. A couple is two. No more than two, no less than two. If you were competing on Mastermind with your specialist subject being "questions to which the answer is two" then "to what number does "a couple" refer?" would be quite legitimate.A couple is two or more of the same thing, not more than two. Hence why two people dating are called... a couple.
People who are pedantic about the English language annoy me (to call English a mongrel language is an understatement) but they're not as bad as people who are pedantic about the English language and wrong about it.
On to the next point of order; I came across someone on this very site who thought that "several" and "seven" were the same thing. Barmy.
Bandit110 said:
You know exactly my point. That these type need to make owning 2 Ferraris a casual thing.... Why not just say 2.
As another poster dutifully pointed out (in the UK) a couple means two.They're t
ts for casually dropping an expensive item they have, not for the way they specify the number. How is saying, "Well I have two Rolexes" less ttish than saying "Well I have a couple of Rolexes" (although a triple tt score for using rolii or rolexii as that is incorrect and pretentious). Personally any bragging about their watches is a weapons grade tt regardless of how they specify it.DRFC1879 said:
Nope. A couple is two. No more than two, no less than two. If you were competing on Mastermind with your specialist subject being "questions to which the answer is two" then "to what number does "a couple" refer?" would be quite legitimate.
On to the next point of order; I came across someone on this very site who thought that "several" and "seven" were the same thing. Barmy.
Can I say in my defence, in Australia "couple" means around two and in the UK it means exactly two.On to the next point of order; I came across someone on this very site who thought that "several" and "seven" were the same thing. Barmy.
Confirmed via the Colins Australian dictionary and the Oxford English dictionary. I'll remember for future reference.
Or should I still expect frozen pork products in my front lawn?
captain_cynic said:
DRFC1879 said:
Nope. A couple is two. No more than two, no less than two. If you were competing on Mastermind with your specialist subject being "questions to which the answer is two" then "to what number does "a couple" refer?" would be quite legitimate.
On to the next point of order; I came across someone on this very site who thought that "several" and "seven" were the same thing. Barmy.
Can I say in my defence, in Australia "couple" means around two and in the UK it means exactly two.On to the next point of order; I came across someone on this very site who thought that "several" and "seven" were the same thing. Barmy.
Confirmed via the Colins Australian dictionary and the Oxford English dictionary. I'll remember for future reference.
Or should I still expect frozen pork products in my front lawn?
fking lady friendly fking Doritos, FFS. That'll put an end to sexual discrimination.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/04/doritos...
Or is it just a publicity stunt?
king lady friendly fking Doritos, FFS. That'll put an end to sexual discrimination.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/04/doritos...
Or is it just a publicity stunt?
Clockwork Cupcake said:
SCEtoAUX said:
Surely "normally aspirated" makes more sense? No forced induction, the normal method is used.
As to "Naturally aspirated", well there still an intake and all sorts of air flow gubbins. Hardly an arrangement that's "natural".
Normal means what is normally used, surely. Given that forced induction is fast becoming the norm, it is surely therefore becoming normal aspiration.As to "Naturally aspirated", well there still an intake and all sorts of air flow gubbins. Hardly an arrangement that's "natural".
Natural aspiration is using natural atmospheric pressure for induction rather than the increased pressure of forced induction. I guess it might be even more accurate to use the phrase "atmospheric induction".
I remember reading an old book about lorries once, and it referring to "normal cab" and "cab over engine" and thinking that the latter is now normal outside of America.
My point being that the word "normal" is a relative, and changing, word.
They now use the abbreviation 'FI', which is confusing as it used to mean Fuel Injected....
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