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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006Is there no limit to the stupidity prevalent in usenet?
Seen in another group > Xref: news comp.sys.mac.advocacy:1321084 > Path: > news-out.readnews.com!news-xxxfer.readnews.com!postnews.google.com!f16g2 > 000cwb.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail > From: <snip> > Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy > Subject: Re: Bringing in the big guns > Date: 13 Nov 2006 19:58:00 -0800 > Organization: http://groups.google.com > Lines: 14 > Message-ID: <1163476680.125533.126470@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com> > References: <1163431662.327857.175660@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com> > <windoze_sucks-A9D0C5.11501013112006@news.isp.giganews.com> > <1163439173.875380.92540@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com> > <windoze_sucks-49F696.13282913112006@news.isp.giganews.com> > <os46h.20079$3L.19374@bignews2.bellsouth.net> > <peejster01-7BC429.17484413112006@news.isp.giganews.com> > NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.156.172.227 > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > X-Trace: posting.google.com 1163476685 15991 127.0.0.1 (14 Nov 2006 > 03:58:05 GMT) > X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com > NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 03:58:05 +0000 (UTC) > In-Reply-To: <peejster01-7BC429.17484413112006@news.isp.giganews.com> > User-Agent: G2/1.0 > X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; > rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20061010 Firefox/2.0,gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe) > Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com > Injection-Info: f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com; > posting-host=12.156.172.227; > posting-account=UXNDHA0AAADRpo2yZ8wBJJ1q32KvyfIC > > <snip>. wrote: > > In article <os46h.20079$3L.19374@bignews2.bellsouth.net>, > > <snip> wrote: > > > > > you seem to be getting, desperate. Put on your drag clothes and hit the gay > > > bars. > > > > You misspelled "desparate." > > ROTFL...don't quit your day job loser.. > > <http://www.spellcheck.net/cgi-bin/spell.exe?action=CHECKWORD&string=des > parate> No. It is infinite. > Seen in another group > [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > <http://www.spellcheck.net/cgi-bin/spell.exe?action=CHECKWORD&string=des > > parate> > No. It is infinite. Infinite is not quite the word wanted. Try endless. >> Seen in another group >> [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] >> > <http://www.spellcheck.net/cgi-bin/spell.exe?action=CHECKWORD&string=des >> > parate> > > No. It is infinite. > > > Infinite is not quite the word wanted. Try endless. "Entry Word: infinite Function: adjective Text: being or seeming to be without limits <the infinite expanse of outer space> Synonyms boundless, *endless+, illimitable, immeasurable, indefinite, limitless, measureless, unbounded, unfathomable, unlimited ." <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/thesaurus?book=Thesaurus&va=infinite> (Emphasis added.)  SignatureBob Lieblich Not quite the poster wanted > > > No. It is infinite. > > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Bob Lieblich > Not quite the poster wanted Human reason suffers a peculiar fate... When, though, it discovers that its work can never be completed in this manner-as the questions never cease--Reason is driven to seek refuge in principles which, though transcending any possible application to experience, occasion no distrust. But soon Reason finds itself plunged into darkness and contradictions, from which it may indeed infer that somewhere must be lurking errors that it can not detect, because the principles which Reason employs, as they transcend experience, admit of no empirical test. The battle-ground of these endless conflicts is called Metaphysics. [ ... ] > Human reason suffers a peculiar fate... > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > experience, admit of no empirical test. The battle-ground of these > endless conflicts is called Metaphysics. Well, of course! Why are you wasting our time on such obvious drivel? > [ ... ] > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Well, of course! Why are you wasting our time on such obvious drivel? -as the questions never cease-- -- endless conflicts - The battle-ground of these endless conflicts is called Usenet. >> > No. It is infinite. >> > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/thesaurus?book=Thesaurus&va=infinite> > (Emphasis added.) Oh come on Bob. I do not have to look up infinite to know it means *without limits*, but I happen to be a native speaker giving AEU's high octane German troll a lesson in word choice, and IN THE CONTEXT of the OP's post, there is a better way to say that idiocy prevails over intelligence. Synonyms are not always interchangeable. They have like meanings, not exact equivalents, and a more confident speaker makes more appropriate choices than UC does. Joanne Case closed > >> > No. It is infinite. > >> > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > always interchangeable. They have like meanings, not exact equivalents, and > a more confident speaker makes more appropriate choices than UC does. UC is an American fluent in German (or so he says, and his conduct supports it). He claims to live in some Asian country. He claims to know a lot about English, but much of what he knows isn't true. But he's as capable as any other native speaker of writing an idiomatic sentence -- at least when he isn't trying to prove some obscure or obsolete point of syntax or usage. As for word choice, I devoted a few minutes to an attempt to figure out on what conceivable basis you could recommend "endless" over "infinite," in the context in which UC used it, but I came up empty. Forced to choose, I'd pick "infinite," but I'm doing that stricly by ear. I don't say "endless" is wrong -- but it's certainly no improvement. The two word strike me as completely interchangeable in UC's comment. Well, since we're being completely frank (no relation to Franke), allow me to say that I saw, and still see, no reason for a post saying that "endless" is preferable to "infinite" in the context in which UC used it. And yet, nice guy that I am, I didn't say, as I might have, "Oh, shut up, Marinelli. Your post is pointless." Nor am I saying that now. If you insist on thinking you detect it somewhere between the lines, I am powerless to stop you. SignatureBob Lieblich Friend to All > > >> > No. It is infinite. > > >> > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > UC is an American fluent in German (or so he says, and his conduct > supports it). He claims to live in some Asian country. I live in Columbus, Ohio. Right outside Hong Kong, is it now? > He claims to > know a lot about English, but much of what he knows isn't true. Except that Merriam-Webster happens to think those same things are true too, so I guess they're wrong as well. > But > he's as capable as any other native speaker of writing an idiomatic [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > that now. If you insist on thinking you detect it somewhere between > the lines, I am powerless to stop you. The concept 'stupidity' to me calls for a measure of mass, rather than duration, so I'd go with 'infinite' rather than 'endless'. [ ... ] > > UC is an American fluent in German (or so he says, and his conduct > > supports it). He claims to live in some Asian country. > I live in Columbus, Ohio. Right outside Hong Kong, is it now? When did you move? Or are you actually in Gaorumbith? > > He claims to > > know a lot about English, but much of what he knows isn't true. > Except that Merriam-Webster happens to think those same things are true > too, so I guess they're wrong as well. Ask Messrs. Merriam and Webster what they think of such notions of yours as the absolute ban on the "splitting" of infinitives or the non-existent adjectival use of "a priori." I lack the time and energy to dredge up additional examples. > > But > > he's as capable as any other native speaker of writing an idiomatic > > sentence -- at least when he isn't trying to prove some obscure or > > obsolete point of syntax or usage. You are, you know. If you'd just drop the syntactical nonsense and let the prose flow, you'd be fine. [ ... ] SignatureBob Lieblich No need to thank me > [ ... ] > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > [ ... ] Who nose wear the prose flows? Who knows where the time goes? Autopsy. (Guess what these last two have in common, and I'll say nice things about you.) Hint: Is the beach Sandy? > [ ... ] > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > When did you move? Nevah hav ahh lived in tha orient, suh. >Or are you actually in Gaorumbith? > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > [ ... ] > > No. It is infinite. > > > Infinite is not quite the word wanted. Try endless. Well, I'd have said that "endless" means "without an end" while "infinite" means "without any limit", that is: without an end, without a beginning, without any left and right border, without any edge before and behind, without a roof above and without a cellar beneath. Why do you think UC should mean stupidity to have any limit at all? Marco P >> > No. It is infinite. >> > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Marco P Not only that, but 'endless' in a context like this usually refers only to the temporal aspect. 'Infinite', on the other hand, is more appropriate: the stupidity knows no bounds; it is expressed in unlimited ways, etc. > >> > No. It is infinite. > >> > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > the temporal aspect. 'Infinite', on the other hand, is more appropriate: > the stupidity knows no bounds; it is expressed in unlimited ways, etc. Precisely. Marco Pagliero schrieb: >>> No. It is infinite. >>> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > a beginning, without any left and right border, without any edge before > and behind, without a roof above and without a cellar beneath. For mathematicians, "infinite" means "uncountable". However, although there are infinitely many integers, there are infinitely times as many real numbers. > Why do you think UC should mean stupidity to have any limit at all? > > Marco P Maybe he meant "disparate" T. > Marco Pagliero schrieb: > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > For mathematicians, "infinite" means "uncountable". Oxcrap. And I say that as a mathematician. Phil Signature"Home taping is killing big business profits. We left this side blank so you can help." -- Dead Kennedys, written upon the B-side of tapes of /In God We Trust, Inc./. > > Marco Pagliero schrieb: > > > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Oxcrap. And I say that as a mathematician. In the begiining was the word. And the word was misspelled. And there was much laughter and merriment thereof. > For mathematicians, "infinite" means "uncountable". However, although > there are infinitely many integers, there are infinitely times as many > real numbers. No, for mathematicians: 1. "infinite" means "not finite". 2. "uncountable" means "not countable". 3. "countable" means "can be placed in a one-to-one correspondence with a subset of the positive integers". Note that the integers are countable. The real numbers are not. (The rational numbers are countable. The irrationals are not. The algebraic numbers (roots of polynomials of finite degree with integer coefficients) are countable. The transcendental numbers are not). Signature--Tim Smith > > For mathematicians, "infinite" means "uncountable". However, although > > there are infinitely many integers, there are infinitely times as many [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > numbers (roots of polynomials of finite degree with integer > coefficients) are countable. The transcendental numbers are not). But what of the stupidity on usenet? UC schrieb: > > > For mathematicians, "infinite" means "uncountable". However, although > > > there are infinitely many integers, there are infinitely times as many [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > But what of the stupidity on usenet? "without an end, without a beginning, without any left and right border, without any edge before and behind, without a roof above and without a cellar beneath" Unavoidable? Unescapable? Unfathomable? Uncountable? Aleph-one to the power of 99 bottles of beer on the wall? Infinite? Marco P |
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