Topic: Cato's Grammar Grumble

[Cato]

American education has become a 20 year Milgram experiment.

Dang! You're right.

Among my colleagues there is not much obedience about this issue!       Many - if not all - are planning to "protest" by doing other things at the convention (correcting papers, reading books, etc.).  I am still debating about attending: I could stay home and cut the grass, or do something really important, like breathing.   

[Cato]

Concerning the fake "educational consultant" i.e. huckster mentioned below: at the convention he worked the crowd like Elmer Gantry, thereby proving our (my and those of my colleagues) suspicions about him.  It also turned out that he wants to sell his "consulting" forms to the diocese, of course.      No word yet on precisely how stupid the bureaucrats are!

I saw a report about the misuse of "milk" for "plant-based beverages," e.g. we have today "Oat Milk," "Almond Milk," "Soy Milk," etc.  Government bureaucrats saw no reason (for once!) to interfere, because they thought nobody would really think that a nut has milk.  Dairy farmers, however, have surveys showing that many people do think that real cow's milk is involved in e.g. almond "milk."  The farmers believe the term "milk" should be reserved only for moo juice.   

   

 

[Ken B]

Concerning the fake "educational consultant" i.e. huckster mentioned below: at the convention he worked the crowd like Elmer Gantry, thereby proving our (my and those of my colleagues) suspicions about him.  It also turned out that he wants to sell his "consulting" forms to the diocese, of course.      No word yet on precisely how stupid the bureaucrats are!

I saw a report about the misuse of "milk" for "plant-based beverages," e.g. we have today "Oat Milk," "Almond Milk," "Soy Milk," etc.  Government bureaucrats saw no reason (for once!) to interfere, because they thought nobody would really think that a nut has milk.  Dairy farmers, however, have surveys showing that many people do think that real cow's milk is involved in e.g. almond "milk."  The farmers believe the term "milk" should be reserved only for moo juice.   

 

Do they object to “prairie oysters” as misleading labeling?

[JBS]

Concerning the fake "educational consultant" i.e. huckster mentioned below: at the convention he worked the crowd like Elmer Gantry, thereby proving our (my and those of my colleagues) suspicions about him.  It also turned out that he wants to sell his "consulting" forms to the diocese, of course.      No word yet on precisely how stupid the bureaucrats are!

I saw a report about the misuse of "milk" for "plant-based beverages," e.g. we have today "Oat Milk," "Almond Milk," "Soy Milk," etc.  Government bureaucrats saw no reason (for once!) to interfere, because they thought nobody would really think that a nut has milk.  Dairy farmers, however, have surveys showing that many people do think that real cow's milk is involved in e.g. almond "milk."  The farmers believe the term "milk" should be reserved only for moo juice.   

 

Does this proposed ban extend to mothers who breastfeed their babies?

[Cato]

Second time I have tried this!

Does this proposed ban extend to mothers who breastfeed their babies?

Heh-Heh!   

I have heard no objections about the appropriation by this product of the word "milk."   


 

[Wendell_E]

The site's so slow I not even going to try to post a picture, but what about those Tiger's Milk bars, which do list "milk" in their ingredients, but I'm guessing it's not actually from tigers. While we're on the subject, shouldn't food labels be required to specify exactly which species of animal's milk they contain?

[Cato]

The site's so slow I not even going to try to post a picture, but what about those Tiger's Milk bars, which do list "milk" in their ingredients, but I'm guessing it's not actually from tigers. While we're on the subject, shouldn't food labels be required to specify exactly which species of animal's milk they contain?

I would think so: supposedly goat's milk is easier to digest for some people, and so it is labeled as such.  Some of the Luddites who make their own soap will proudly tout "Goat's Milk Soap" on their products.

A person was complaining about the use of acronyms as words, specifically "yolo."

I may have written here before about how somebody asked me about "the Latin word yolo."  Apparently some wise guy on the Internet has a hoax about "yolo, yolare, yolavi" being a Latin verb (it isn't) and meaning "to live only once."

You Only Live Once.

The context of the complaint seemed to be a conversation about sky-diving, where the answer as to why one would do such a thing was a shrug with the comment "yolo."

[Cato]

For your consideration...a headline from today's local newspaper:

"After Dorian, Bahamas Avoid Newest Storm"   

[Ken B]

For your consideration...a headline from today's local newspaper:

"After Dorian, Bahamas Avoid Newest Storm"   

You can hardly blame the Bahamas but what do they actually do, cross the street?

[André]

This WP article title may be grammatically correct (?), but it sure looks awkward:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/this-crisp-minerally-12-french-white-blend-evokes-the-mountains-where-its-grown/2019/10/18/e48b697c-ef6a-11e9-8693-f487e46784aa_story.html?arc404=true

[Mandryka]

No. Queer is quite offensive.

The way friends use it, queer refers to a very politically active approach to questions posed by homosexual identity, in particular a provocative anti-assimilationist one. You may have come across this



I’m sure that it was offensive though, just like nigger. It has become reclaimed,

(Strange this, just this morning I was looking at the opening chapter of The Sound and the Fury.)

[mc ukrneal]

The way friends use it, queer refers to a very politically active approach to questions posed by homosexual identity, in particular a provocative anti-assimilationist one. You may have come across this



I’m sure that it was offensive though, just like nigger. It has become reclaimed,

(Strange this, just this morning I was looking at the opening chapter of The Sound and the Fury.)

Great source. Friends.

Queer is offensive. It is not simply a synonym for gay or homosexual. A little research would tell you this.

[Ken B]

Great source. Friends.

Queer is offensive. It is not simply a synonym for gay or homosexual. A little research would tell you this.

Explain LGBTQ
Explain “We're here, we're queer, get used to it”
Explain this website http://www.queerevents.ca/event-city/hamilton

[mc ukrneal]

Explain LGBTQ
Explain “We're here, we're queer, get used to it”
Explain this website http://www.queerevents.ca/event-city/hamilton

They are attempts to 'reclaim' the word 'queer'. Yes. But they have not been, are not, and will likely never be successful. If I call you an effing queer. Am I saying something nice do you think?  Alternatively, look up the definition of queer and you will see that pretty much every source refers to it as offensive. Seriously, this should be common sense.

[JBS]

Great source. Friends.

Queer is offensive. It is not simply a synonym for gay or homosexual. A little research would tell you this.

I think it's one of those insults which have been "claimed" by the insultees and repurposed as a term of honor.  I have met plenty of gay people who use it that way.

But I don't think queer is actually a synonym for gay.  Queer suggests an attitude that is agressive and in your face.

Gay is Pete Buttigieg talking about his marriage.
Queer is the person who attends the local Pride parade in fetishwear that provides a full view of his "equipment".

Gays want to be accepted as normal.
Queers demand to be accepted as abnormal .

[Ken B]

They are attempts to reclaim the word 'queer'. Yes. But they have not been, are not, and will likely never be successful. If I call you an effing queer. Am I saying something nice do you think?  Alternatively, look up the definition of queer and you will see that pretty much every source refers to it as offensive. Seriously, this should be common sense.

What a ridiculous answer. Fucking anything differs from anything by itself. Look at those goalposts move! “Fucking Beethoven fan” is probably an insult.

Queer is used extensively here in Canada. On websites, posters, signs. It is used in government websites and government publications. It as used in a government apology for past discrimination.

If I make a comment about “fucking Americans” telling Canadians how to talk you can draw a conclusion but not that American is an inherently offensive term. 

I don’t think it’s an exact synonym for gay, or even a fucking synonym for gay, but it might be a synonym for fucking gay. It’s a bit more emphatic and in your face.

Example https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/lgbt-travel

[mc ukrneal]

What a ridiculous answer. Fucking anything differs from anything by itself. Look at those goalposts move! “Fucking Beethoven fan” is probably an insult.

Queer is used extensively here in Canada. On websites, posters, signs. It is used in government websites and government publications. It as used in a government apology for past discrimination.

If I make a comment about “fucking Americans” telling Canadians how to talk you can draw a conclusion but not that American is an inherently offensive term. 

I don’t think it’s an exact synonym for gay, or even a fucking synonym for gay, but it might be a synonym for fucking gay. It’s a bit more emphatic and in your face.

Nice offensive rant. You could have just said to ignore the word if it bothered you.

If I call you a queer, do you think I am saying a nice thing? Many dictioneries, Wikipedia, etc,, all say that it is offensive. It's nice to be idealistic, and try to turn a negative into a positive, but it has not taken hold in most places in my experience. And it is certainly incredibly misleading to claim that it is a synonym to gay or homosexual as was claimed.

[Ken B]

Nice offensive rant. You could have just said to ignore the word if it bothered you.

If I call you a queer, do you think I am saying a nice thing? Many dictioneries, Wikipedia, etc,, all say that it is offensive. It's nice to be idealistic, and try to turn a negative into a positive, but it has not taken hold in most places in my experience. And it is certainly incredibly misleading to claim that it is a synonym to gay or homosexual as was claimed.

I'd say you were — if I called myself a queer. I call myself an atheist, and you can call me that. It’s an insult in a lot of the world, and originated as an insult. But it’s not an offensive word now, and I am not going to scold people if they use it, and tell them do do some research before speaking.

Tell me that webpage is offensive and anti gay. 

[mc ukrneal]

I'd say you were — if I called myself a queer. I call myself an atheist, and you can call me that. It’s an insult in a lot of the world, and originated as an insult. But it’s not an offensive word now, and I am not going to scold people if they use it, and tell them do do some research before speaking.

Tell me that webpage is offensive and anti gay. 

It could be considered that, yes. I'm actually quite surprised that the Canadian government has used it. And I think you've answered my question as well. In the US, I would never use that word. Never. Not spoken. Not written. And there's a good reason for that.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

In the US, I would never use that word. Never. Not spoken. Not written. And there's a good reason for that.

Nor me.