Social Question

YARNLADY's avatar

Should Fluther have a policy regarding the use of English?

Asked by YARNLADY (46379points) August 20th, 2009

I read and understand English only, and any other language leaves me out. It this a problem for anyone but me?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

140 Answers

tinyfaery's avatar

Sure. And this should be an English only country.~ I won’t even start.

teh_kvlt_liberal's avatar

Yeah, because everyone speaks English.

jlm11f's avatar

[mod says:] Fluther already has an English policy. It currently only supports questions asked in English. As for people conversing in other languages in quips, as long as it isn’t taken over a thread, that’s perfectly acceptable. It is true that it leaves people out but there are always online translators if anyone is that curious.

gailcalled's avatar

@YARNLADY: You don’t really think that Blondesjon and I speak Finnish? Check out the Google translation site. And believe me, we are not saying anything interesting.

http://translate.google.com/translate_t#

Tink's avatar

No I don’t think so, first because not everyone can speak English.

And second, Pourquoi est-ce un problème?

Saturated_Brain's avatar

你为什么要这样?我们都是世界公民。如果我们可以讲别的语言就让我们夸耀一点吧。=)

Translated into English: Why would you want to do such a thing? We’re all citizens of the world. If we can speak other languages then just let us boast a bit. =)

chyna's avatar

@gailcalled Oh come on. I know you were talking about naked men.

YARNLADY's avatar

No, I recognized it as a pig-latin sort of writing, but it did bring up this question.

teh_kvlt_liberal's avatar

If you have such a hard time understanding the language, there’s some called TRANSLATING
This type of shit makes me mad. I’m gonna go punch a wall now

Blondesjon's avatar

@YARNLADY . . . @gailcalled is right. We are simply engaged in a torrid love affair that involves llamas, lisps, and linguistics.

Nothing to see here folks. Move along.

rebbel's avatar

Ja, dat lijkt me wel ‘t handigst.
Volgens mij zijn de meeste Flutherites Engelstalig.
Diegenen die het niet zijn kunnen een vertaalprogramma gebruiken.

Translated that would be something like this (according to Gmail-Translator):
Yes, it seems to me it useful. I think most Flutherites English. Those who do not can have a translation program.

cookieman's avatar

There’s a llama at work and she is always knee deep in torrid affairs.

it makes the pig nervous

gailcalled's avatar

@Tink1113: My little puff pastry: c’est “j’ai mal à la tête.”

@rebbel:
Als ik dit kan doen, kan iedereen.

@Saturated_brian: 我们非常高兴。

Tink's avatar

@gailcalled haha, vous avez eu raison, mais je l’ai changé :)

eponymoushipster's avatar

uhm… закнись, глупая. спасибо.

Likeradar's avatar

While we’re at it, can we have a no technology question policy? I don’t understand technology and am totally left out. ~

MissAusten's avatar

Un burro sabe mas que tu. The only thing I remember from three years of Spanish classes, and not directed at anyone here specifically.

I also know how to say “I’ve been vomiting” in German, but have no idea how to spell it. In fact, I’m going to look it up now so I can randomly add it to discussions here.

MissAusten's avatar

@Likeradar Yeah, and a ban on polical questions too. Uninformed people like myself shouldn’t be made to feel ignorant because we haven’t read the health bill.

eponymoushipster's avatar

can we have a ban on anything new and scary?~

MissAusten's avatar

Ich habe Erbrechen

gailcalled's avatar

I used to know how to say, “Where is my briefcase,” in German, but I can’t remember now.

Wo is meine achtentasche?

YARNLADY's avatar

Hahaha, no technology, I love it. Is my question really that out of line?

Likeradar's avatar

@YARNLADY Yeah, I think it is. And I sense I’m not the only one. You’re saying that other people using different languages isn’t convenient for you so let’s make everyone change? When people on here, or on any other forum, use a language I don’t know and I want to know what they’re saying I ask them. I don’t see how it’s reasonable to expect everyone to adapt to your limitations.

casheroo's avatar

Алекс, что было тем первым словом? i can’t get it to say what.

YARNLADY's avatar

@Likeradar And yet the entire world accepts that Airplane Pilots language will be English, no exceptions. My limitations to english only are very widespread and well understood in most venues.

Likeradar's avatar

@YARNLADY You think maybe that could have something to do with safety and is perhaps pretty much completely irrelevant to to some people on an informative/social site chatting?

YARNLADY's avatar

@Likeradar It is my experience on Fluther the far fetched irrelevant examples are perfectly acceptable here. However, I don’t see the point of a mostly American site not having a policy of English only. Why should ‘some’ quips be limited to only those who want to take the time to have them translated? If I am the only one who cares about this, it would surprise me. I have see such objections to the use of the ‘cliques’ and yet here you are proposing it is acceptable to have a “language clique”.

Saturated_Brain's avatar

@MissAusten Ich bin ein Berliner.
@gailcalled Awww…谢谢!
@Tink1113 Tu parle français? Ah… Très bien!

@YARNLADY Well.. Even if this site is mostly American that shouldn’t really mean a thing, because America is a melting pot of cultures and languages, which immediately means that people should have the right to use their own language when they want to. As far as I can see, the ‘language cliques’, as you call them, don’t really have that much significance. For the most part, it’s simply chatting and nonsensical fun. If people really wanted to talk to each other without anyone else knowing, they’d use the pm function like our friend @eponymoushipster here has shown.

Still, I can understand your feelings about being left out on the joke. Then again, we can always go to translate it. It’s just those little things which you can choose to live with.

YARNLADY's avatar

@all – OK, I can now see which users have zero regard for this fellow jellie.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY and we can see which one has no regard for people who speak another (or multiple) languages, want to practice or employ them, and generally has a bone in her craw about anything that’s different from what’s comfortable for them.

20,000 people died from starvation today. maybe that puts your issue into perspective.

gailcalled's avatar

Personally, I have enjoyed learning snippets of languages about which I know nothing. Jack79 has sent me back to my enormous text of “Classical Greek.”

YARNLADY's avatar

@eponymoushipster And yet, this is an English language site, and most of the users are English users. So l shall play the age card, and ask why would you expect little old (66) me to learn a number of different languages (or even to learn how to use the computer translator)” I consider that to be rude in the extreme.

Likeradar's avatar

@YARNLADY I don’t think anyone expects you to do anything except understand that it’s not all about you.

cyn's avatar

I personally don’t mind at all. every once in a while, I’ll join @gailcalled and @Blondesjon Finnish thread. It is awesome. It’s one of the many reasons why Fluther cool.
Te ihmiset ovat mahtavia!

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY yes, why should you come to a website like this, that’s an information service, and learn something new? zing, you got me…~

gailcalled's avatar

@YARNLADY: My age trumps yours.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@cyndihugs if you have firefox, install Ubiquity. it does in-line translation, and then inserts it into the page, where the original language was. very awesome.

YARNLADY's avatar

I just don’t get it, why is it OK to deliberately form “language cliques” and leave other members out?

AstroChuck's avatar

Eh. Me tiene sin cuidado.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY yeah, other languages and cultures can be so clique-ish.

YARNLADY's avatar

@gailcalled You, of all people should understand what I am getting at.

DominicX's avatar

Populi posse in lingua quaecumque debent loqui quam eligunt, sed etiamtunc id (verba hic) erit saepe in lingua quam loqueris. Loquor non in Latina bene. :(

I’m curious. Where are the examples of these “language cliques”? I have to say, first off, America has no official language, second off, this site is not only American, and third off, this doesn’t happen enough for me to even care about it.

Sed dic me, dic me, dic me. Dic me de his propriis circulis. Mens meus scire aveat.

Multae linguae sunt quae faciunt hunc mundum mirabilem.

YARNLADY's avatar

@eponymoushipster On Fluther, yes, what else would you call it when you deliberately leave another member out in the cold.

tinyfaery's avatar

Why do you have to be a part of everything? Why is it necessary for you to understand what everyone else is saying? I can’t speak any other language other than English (though I understand Spanish quite well) and I couldn’t care less when people speak in other languages. So what if it doesn’t include me? What’s so fuckin’ special about me?

gailcalled's avatar

@YARNLADY: I have always loved and been interested in languages other than English. Sorry I can’t be your ally. And I have learned a great deal about computer languages here, having started by knowing nothing.

And I just picked up a Latin I grammar, written in 1931, from a tag sale.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY i believe it’s called a “focused discussion”. If a group of female flutherers started to discuss menopause, PMS or something like that, i wouldn’t pop in and start complaining that i couldn’t participate because i don’t have ovaries.

YARNLADY's avatar

@tinyfaery I have always felt that the Fluther community was just that, a community. When any member is deliberately exculede, where is the “community” in that. Why? That is one of the main reasons I have been so happy here. I don’t agree with everyone here, all the time, and I expect that, and even enjoy it. To be deliberately excluded is just not what a “community” is all about.

cookieman's avatar

@eponymoushipster: wait, wait…you don’t have ovaries?!?

well there goes my next question.

YARNLADY's avatar

Even when I married a Mexican man, and I lived in his house, where most of the family spoke only Mexican, they still made every effort to explain what they were saying. I simply cannot believe that so many of you folk can justify a deliberate exclusion of one of your own.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@cprevite sorry, dude…guess that explains the friending on FB…~

tinyfaery's avatar

No one is deliberately excluding you. I doubt anyone thinks, ooh, I’m going to post in another language so YARNLADY feels excluded. Again, why is it necessary for you to understand everything? My community has people of all cultures, and at times I can’t understand them (not just in language), but they are my fellows nonetheless.

YARNLADY's avatar

@eponymoushipster I saw a lot, and I mean a lot of non-female responses on the question about using the “cup” for women. No one was excluded.

tinyfaery's avatar

Mexican is not a language. And this is where I stop for fear of being too blunt. Removed by me.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY it’s ridiculous to expect that you’re catered to by everyone, in every conversation. no know should expect that. the whole point of fluther is questions tailored to you, based on your knowledge and experience. not simply showing up.

gailcalled's avatar

@eponymoushipster: Since when has not having ovaries prevented you from joining in the “girl talk”? Or am I confusing you with that zebra?

Tink's avatar

If you feel excluded you can translate it. If it wasn’t meant for you it wasn’t. But I don’t think anyone would do it on purpose. Don’t take it as a personal attack.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@gailcalled might be the zebra. i typically avoid the women’s health issues.

kyanblue's avatar

Is Chinglish acceptable?

I guess I haven’t been at Fluther long enough to see where the issue is or why it is an issue (I have never seen a ‘language clique’ anywhere) but English is the default/unofficial language here just like in the U.S. You can use English for most transactions without impediment; other languages spoken in the U.S. are not ‘excluding’ anyone from something vital (I haven’t had issues shopping in Japantown or anything like that).

I think as long as people don’t start asking or answering questions in other languages it isn’t really an issue. People speaking to each other (whispered, presumably) in odd languages (from the sound of this Q&A) seems to be an inside-joke kind of thing. Slightly annoying if you’re not clued in, but harmless.

I think it isn’t something that should be regulated by the site staff & moderators. And now you know what my political views are, huh.

MacBean's avatar

@YARNLADY: You’re not being excluded. If you’re too old/stubborn/lazy to google a translation site and cut and paste a few words, that’s your issue, not ours.

YARNLADY's avatar

Oh, don’t make this about ‘Yarnlady” feeling left out. My question is for all fellow Jellies. I am not the only one with English only skills. My questions specifically asks “am I the only one” so far, it seems, for several exclusionary ones, the answer is yes.

YARNLADY's avatar

@MacBean So you’re saying if I don’t care to spend my time outside this site in search of meaning, I might as well give up?

jlm11f's avatar

@YARNLADY I think you are looking at this the wrong way. You are analyzing the scenario from a very singular, “how does it affect me” perspective. Consider the fact that for many people, English is not their mother tongue and yet they don’t ask questions in their native language in order to respect the site rules. Think of it like your family moves to China. Everyone there speaks some version of Mandarin/Cantonese. You eventually find an American family and are delighted to converse with them in your mother tongue. That’s the same as a Flutherite realizing that another jelly speaks the same language as them. They bond over that, and inadvertently feel more comfortable being a member of this community.

Typically, when people converse in a different language on Fluther, they aren’t discussing anything relevant to the Q because then they would speak in English so they can get the biggest audience. So really, there’s no need to even bother translating it since it is just small talk.

Of course, many converse in different languages only to keep practicing the language or just because of their love for different languages, I was just giving you an example of how language is important to make others feel more comfortable as opposed to you being excluded.

Oh and as mentioned above, Fluther is not primarily an American site. It has valued members and moderators from all over the world, which makes it an international site. Sorry, that bit just really bothered me.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY well, since pretty much everyone has been on the “whatever language” side of things, and you’re the one who’s complaining about taking the time to run it through google (which literaly takes less than a minute), it comes off as being very much about you.

GA @PnL

DominicX's avatar

Hell, I listen to a lot of music in languages I don’t understand and I don’t feel left out. :)

YARNLADY's avatar

@DominicX You have given the best answer to my dilemma that I have ever seen. I love Josh Groban and he sings in many other languages. I don’t understand a word he sings, yet I love it anywayl. Thank you for your insight. I’m done here.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY so it’s ok in music that you buy, but not on a free service that you use? facepalm

YARNLADY's avatar

@eponymoushipster I thought I said it clearly, now that it has been placed in a perspective I can relate to it is no longer an issue.

Tink's avatar

Btw, “Should Fluther have a policy regarding the use of English?
Fluther shouldn’t have anything.

DominicX's avatar

@YARNLADY

No prob. ;)

I had to say it while listening to Bir Ask Hikayesi by Kayahan.

YARNLADY's avatar

@Tink1113 there are rules, you know. Many of them have driven my ‘other’ friends away.

Tink's avatar

@YARNLADY I don’t mind the rules, everything has rules. I’m okay with that. Well those “rules” have made Fluther what it is. It’s awesome. If it didn’t have rules it would be a mess.

MacBean's avatar

@YARNLADY: Languages other than English are only used on Fluther in quips between individuals, not actual questions. If YOU are curious enough about their conversations to want to know what they are saying to each other but YOU are too lazy to spend a half a minute on another site, then… yes, I suppose I’m saying you might as well give up. They’re not hiding what they’re saying. You could very easily find out what they mean. Again, it is YOUR problem if you’re too stubborn or lazy or entitled to do a little extra fingerwork, not theirs. You pulled out the age card and played that, but I think that’s BS. At your age, you should know better than to think the world revolves around you and should cater to your every need.

YARNLADY's avatar

@MacBean Oh, you don’t understand the use of the age card at all. It is exactly the opposite of what you are saying. At my age, I am entitled to be stubborn, lazy and otherwise expect you young whippersnappers to defer to my time limits, not the other way around. After all, after so many years here, whatever I don’t already know is irrelevant, and I don’t have the amount of time left to go gallavanting around after something that should have been obvious (in english) in the first place.

Likeradar's avatar

@YARNLADY Seriously?

Why are you even on a Q and A site if “what I don’t already know is irrelevant?” Man, I hope to be a life-long learner. IMHO, you’re missing out big time.

cyn's avatar

@YARNLADY then you’ve learned that they are not friends.

Response moderated
YARNLADY's avatar

I am here to answer questions, my friends, and I do a very good job at it, if I do say so myself.

Oh, I forgot the ~ at the end of my sarcasm.

jlm11f's avatar

[mod says:] That’s enough now. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Stick to the topic without making personal remarks.

YARNLADY's avatar

@PnL thank you. I will say that this topic has evolved into a sort of joke, hasn’t it?

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY maybe the “Edit your comment” button was in french on your browser.~

YARNLADY's avatar

hahahahaha

YARNLADY's avatar

Nej , Det er icke Franske , den er Svensk

kheredia's avatar

I don’t see why you would want to take that away from people on Fluther. Language is a beautiful thing. In fact, I think everybody should learn at least two or three different languages. It seems as though only the US limits itself to one language and only those who are interested, take it upon themselves to become multilingual. Most other countries speak several languages including indigenous people from Latin America who speak two or three languages. The US, being as powerful as it is, should not limit itself to one tongue but sadly it does.

eponymoushipster's avatar

Old joke:

What do you call someone who speaks many languages? Polyglot.
What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks one language? American.

DominicX's avatar

@eponymoushipster

Sadly, it’s kind of true. For someone who is so interested in language, it’s pathetic that I can only speak one. Why didn’t my parents speak Russian to me? My mom speaks it fluently and my dad understands much of it. Not fair. :(

kheredia's avatar

@DominicX You can take classes to learn it. Probably not fluently but good enough to understand and make casual conversation. With your mom speaking it fluently you’ll have someone to practice with. :-)

eponymoushipster's avatar

@DominicX i speak and read Russian. I’m kind of surprised your parents didn’t speak it with you. Mostly, it seems, the Russian parents i know want the kids to at least speak it, so they can communicate with family members.

DominicX's avatar

@kheredia

I am definitely going to take classes to learn it, that’s for sure.

@eponymoushipster

Yeah, I know, it’s a little odd. But my dad didn’t really speak it at all around the time I was born, it was just my mom, but she just never spoke it to me. I know a guy whose dad speaks fluent Spanish, but his dad never spoke it to him and he doesn’t know a word of Spanish, even though he has other family members who speak it. Same with me, my grandparents all speak Russian and so do my cousins who live in Russia.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@DominicX wow. yeah, i don’t know if it’s in your case, but some Russian parents feel like they want to distance the kids from the “old world” as much as possible. Heck, i know some adults who act like they don’t speak Russian. which is really funny.

Me: (in Russian) “Do you speak Russian?”
Them: (in English, with heavy Russian accent) “No, i don’t.”

DominicX's avatar

@eponymoushipster

Yeah, I don’t really think so in my case. I know that my maternal grandfather changed his last name from “Averyanov” to “Avery” when he came to America, but that was because he wanted to avoid prejudice. In similar respect, I know someone whose last name is Valence. He researched it and it used to be “Valencia” but was changed voluntarily to avoid sounding “too Spanish”. Bah. I love being Russian (I’m ¾ Russian) and I don’t think my parents have a problem with it, since they do like to speak Russian to each other sometimes and visit Russia.

Dr_C's avatar

No puedo creer lo increiblemente insensible que puede llegar a ser la gente y la cantidad de ignorancia que existe en todo tipo de foro incluyendo el presente.. es una lastima que en un lugar donde nos reunimos para compartir información y un poco de conocimiento aun exista gente que intente limitar dicho intercambio para satisfacer sus propias ineptitudes y limitaciones.

I’m sorry if i went off in “Mexican” but found that comment a bit offensive. Considering that i’ve lived in Mexico, my parent’s are first generation Mexican.. and the fact that we speak Castillian (Castellano) which most people know as “spanish”. I can’t believe some people still say things like “speak mexican”. Does anyone here speak “Americanese”? how about “Canadian”?

Si vous me préférez suis conversation parfaitement confortable en français aussi bien. Est-ce que c’est également blessant ? (Translated into “American” : If you prefer i am perfectly comfortable conversing in french as well. Is this also offensive?).

The free exchange of information is not bout by cultures and/or languages and said barriers are only imposed by those unwilling or unable to make an effort to adapt. sad.

end rant.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@Dr_C yeah, the “mexican” thing was my favorite, too.

YARNLADY's avatar

Whoa, now the group who finds it not PC to talk about the people who speak only Mexican. I forgot in 2009 we are not allowed to call people who speak a Spanish/English type language “Mexican”. Forgive me for using the 1960’s speak.

jonsblond's avatar

lutherfay is oolcay

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY MEXICAN ISN’T A DAMN LANGUAGE. IT’S A NATIONALITY. THEY SPEAK SPANISH IN MEXICO. PICK UP A FRIGGIN BOOK!

AstroChuck's avatar

@Dr_C- Except Mexican Spanish is not Castellano, just as American English is not the Queen’s English.

Likeradar's avatar

@YARNLADY Really?!?! REALLY?!?! Ok, I was working on being understanding of your points. I really was. But now… REALLY?!?!

I’d like to think that was a real apology, a moment of realizing your inappropriateness. But I just don’t believe it.

YARNLADY's avatar

@eponymoushipster I am not referring to people of Mexico, I am referring to people who were born and raised in Colorado, and do not speak English.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY they still speak spanish. those signs in walmart, target, etc? they’re in spanish.

YARNLADY's avatar

@eponymoushipster Yes, I have agreed, the PC word for that language is now “Spanish”. However, as I stated in my previous quip, we (including the ones who spoke the language) called it Mexican in those days, even though many of the people who spoke it (as they had for several generations) were born Americans.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@YARNLADY no, the PC word is not Spanish. It is simply Spanish. just because your ignorance was slightly more tolerated then, does not exempt your ignorance now.

I can think of a slurry of unpleasant words that don’t bear repeating that were “acceptable” 40–50 years ago.

augustlan's avatar

[mod says] This discussion has become unproductive and circular. Only those that have something new to contribute should add to this thread. The rest can take it to PMs.

Dr_C's avatar

@AstroChuck actualy mexican spanish is a derivative of castellano with oly slight spelling variations and is still considered castellano (as it is taught in schools still using the same “label”). But i get your point in that there is some deviation from the original language.. which is more of a slight geographical or cultural deviation that you can find from crossing some state lines in the US when considering changes in accent and such.. but still a valid point.

Saturated_Brain's avatar

@PnL GA for your answer. Just that I have a teeny tiny thing to say regarding one small statement of yours. That “Everyone there speaks some version of Mandarin/Cantonese” statement. Cantonese is only spoken primarily in the south, where Hong Kong and Canton are located while Mandarin, the “lingua franca” of China, is basically one of the variants of spoken Chinese. Nobody speaks a variant of Mandarin or Cantonese, Mandarin and Cantonese are variants of the spoken Chinese language.

Sorry, I just had to say it. It’s one of those things which dig at me constantly.

jlm11f's avatar

@Saturated_Brain – I was actually waiting for someone to comment on that statement. I knew while writing it that it was wrong in some way (I’ve had this discussion before with other people) but I just wanted to get it all out before I forget my main point. Thanks for the clarification! I enjoy learning about different languages and cultures.

Saturated_Brain's avatar

@PnL Haha it’s no problem. I also appreciate learning all about new cultures and languages (though cultures grab my attention a lot more). Fascinating stuff.

rebbel's avatar

And, has anything been going on in this thread while i was gone for sleep?

dynamicduo's avatar

Why would anyone assume that English is the one and only language that can be used in a community that spans the world?

@YARNLADY I believe this is a problem because you have decided it is a problem and are thinking and acting accordingly. It’s not a problem for me because I don’t need to know everything that goes on, I don’t expect everyone to use only one language all the time, and I sure as heck don’t think there needs to be a policy against using other languages simply because one feels “left out” as your tag indicates. I think that if this was the case, that person should spend less time on this site and more time feeling “let in” with other communities in real life.

English tends to be the language of the internet because the internet was created in America. This entire site is in English and there are no language options as far as I know. But this does not mean that other languages won’t begin to dominate, or that other languages cannot be used on the site.

I must say, though, that the attitude you display in this comment is presumptuous and ridiculous. I am glad that at my young age I don’t have such an attitude like yours! My gosh.

robmandu's avatar

I find it interesting that everyone’s mad at @YARNLADY.

@PnL said early on, “Fluther already has an English policy. It currently only supports questions asked in English. As for people conversing in other languages in quips, as long as it isn’t taken over a thread, that’s perfectly acceptable.”

So what that @YARNLADY doesn’t agree with each and every one of your individual perspectives? Big deal that she is familiar with an older set of terminology that pre-dates your birth. Several times I saw the “melting pot” concept invoked. It applies to more than just skin color, y’know?

Seems like most of you are expressing your anger and frustration at this one individual when she is absolutely entitled to her opinion (regardless of whether you agree). @YARNLADY is not a person I’ve seen go out of her way to make others feel inadequate or stupid. I know she isn’t racist or bigoted. I’m frustrated you all seem to think that she is.

If you really feel that strongly about an English-only preference existing anywhere, then it seems to me that you should consider taking it up with @Ben and @andrew. Fluther has a formal policy. @YARNLADY just has a personal preference.

gailcalled's avatar

@robmandu: YL did ask a general question that was, as it should be, directed at the collective. Most of the people who chose to respond did disagree with her. Her personal preferences are just that.

Quoting YL: “At my age, I am entitled to be stubborn, lazy and otherwise expect you young whippersnappers to defer to my time limits, not the other way around.”

She can have any sense of entitlement she wants. If it is to be stubborn, lazy and limited, that is a choice that has very little to do with either age or the original question. And it is irrelevant to her query.

I feel neither anger nor frustration; I enjoy learning about many other languages. And that has nothing to do with my age.

robmandu's avatar

@gailcalled, she also forgot to include a tilde at the end of that sarcastic remark.

And yes, many people disagreed with her… to be expected in any large enough group. But several went, I think, a step or two beyond simple disagreement and ventured into judgement and derision.

gailcalled's avatar

@Rob: Yes, lots of overkill, I agree.

gailcalled's avatar

@YARNLADY : Here is a recent fluther question asked and answered in a language alien to me. I extracted a few meaningful morsels and looked up heuristic (thank you, Richardhenry.)

Will I ever understand anything but the general theory? Probably not.

YARNLADY's avatar

@gailcalled I have no problem with looking up the occasional new word, in fact I welcome it, but when the entire discussion is not in English, that is a completely different story.

mattbrowne's avatar

@MissAusten – There’s a slight semantic difference between “Ich habe Erbrechen” and “Ich habe erbrochen” and I think you meant the latter when translating “I’ve been vomiting”. Another translation might be “Ich musste ständig brechen” or even “Ich muss ständig brechen”. The meaning of “Ich habe Erbrechen” is more like the beginning of a list of ailments, like “Ich habe Erbrechen, Kopfschmerzen und Schwindel”. The problem is that there’s no direct counterpart for the present perfect continuous tense in German. For Germans it’s sometimes also difficult to find the right tense in any given context.

mattbrowne's avatar

@YARNLADY – I wouldn’t worry about the occasional use of other languages. When subject matter experts go deeper in a discussion it’s also normal not to be able to understand everything. Maybe it would be interesting for you to learn how to guess which language was being used without understanding the meaning. As an example:

Diegenen die het niet zijn kunnen een vertaalprogramma gebruiken.

Which language?

An easy way to find out is pasting it into Google and check the endings of websites. In this case you’ll find some .nl and .be

You can try the same for

Алекс, что было тем первым словом

It’s fun.

robmandu's avatar

< < remembers how easy it is for new speakers to confuse Ich habe Haare Bürste and Ich habe Haare Bruste.

AstroChuck's avatar

@robmandu- I understand you have chest hair. What kind of hair is Bürste though? I’m a little out of practice with my German.

robmandu's avatar

Bruste more literally translates as breast.

A Bürste is a brush.

So, you’re practicing your Deutsch and along the way, you accidentally tell anyone listening that, instead of a hair brush, you have hairy breasts.

eponymoushipster's avatar

@robmandu i know that girl!

@mattbrowne it’s a “less formal” way of saying тихо! or замолчите!

gailcalled's avatar

There are also these: le matelot et le matelas. Sailor and mattress.

YARNLADY's avatar

@mattbrowne Thanks for providing the motivation to look it up

I’ve also noticed that excess text speech will be removed, and that’s a form of English. Go figure?

MacBean's avatar

My high school French teacher told us about when he was living in France and went to a barber to get his hair cut and he mixed up cheveux and chevaux. Oops.

gailcalled's avatar

There is le mur (wall) and mûr (ripe). And this; the blackberries are ripe:

Les mûres sont mûres.

I remember also the stories about les cheveux and les chevaux.

One of my French teachers told us about running after a bus in Paris when she was young and yelling, “Je suis gauche derriére.”

YARNLADY's avatar

DID U KNOW THEIR SI AVEN A TRANSLA2R FOR TEXT SP3AK?????!??? OMG WTF LOL

eponymoushipster's avatar

coo coo’s nest…

mattbrowne's avatar

@robmandu – Brust translates as breast, Brüste translates as breasts and can easily be confused with Bürste (Bruste though isn’t a German word). Well, and some folks might groom their chest hair with a brush ;-)

robmandu's avatar

@mattbrowne, ich spreche nur kleine Deutsch.

mattbrowne's avatar

@robmandu – I appreciate your effort! Just wanted to give you a little additional support. Keep at it! Don’t let chest hair get to you ;-) besides some German women seem to like it…

robmandu's avatar

@mattbrowne, it’s the Hungarians I think you gotta watch out for… I’ve seen leg hair that’ll reach out and grab ya… even through stockings!

mattbrowne's avatar

@robmandu – Requires extra shampoo I guess…

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