>This is typically the sort of comment that goes beyond me, because I am not
>native English speaking. The documents I read and the conversations I make
are
>mostly technical, except for this list and family living in Canada. So please
>clarify some of it's meanings. I know a joke is no longer a joke if you
heve to
>explain it but you made me curious. There have been other mails (I
remember some
>from Ken) that had so many remarks in them That I completely lost track
but knew
>he was joking.
Very good point. I've been working on the supply side to the radio
broadcast industry for 12 years now and I have had to work very dilligently
on making sure that I communicate in a technical, non-slang way to
international clients. With this list, I have been known to make
references to obvious Americanisms (words that are American and have no
translation), but I do try to explain the meaning of the wierd words or
statements too. I will try harder. However, some of my posts are written
in such a way that there is no explanation possible (or desired). <g>
When this list evolved, it somehow became an "English-only" list. English
is the international language thanks to the internet. Unfortunately, it
never was determined which English language. British? American? Aussie?
People like to pick on the Americans for our words but each nationality has
their own flavor. Since when is the hood on my car a bonnet?
Each language has some unique variations on words that can trip people up.
American-English is a difficult language to follow as we can have multiple
words describing the same thing: Female, woman, lady. Most European
languages only directly link to the word Female. (femmes) Or how about
bathroom, restroom, mensroom, latrine, potty, toilet, head, john, privy,
tree... They all mean the same in the USA, but elsewhere a bathroom is
definitely different than a toilet.
The one thing that we do have in common, is this list. We are here because
of an uncurable sickness caused by the Zuikias.Olympian-Bacterium. (Before
you run that through your language converter, it means that we are
Zuikoholics). Whether or not we participate in the various and frequent
off-topic discussions is irrelevent to the fact that we all have a single
common interest. What sets most Zuikoholics apart from the masses, though,
is our diversity. It so happens that many of us also ski, or bicycle, or
fly, or create music, or fish (fly fishing is real fishing!), or run with
the bulls, or love to harange Bill Clinton (easy target), or are into Monty
Python. This list is unique in that it is a technical list that discusses
technical subjects (boring stuff that kills the life out of every list),
technique (more interesting, but still technogeekish in nature) and
lifestyles (flying, climbing mountains, braving hurricanes and mad cows).
It really is a lifestyle list connected together with a technical thread.
This list isn't the only one like it, but they are very rare.
Just remember, the term Wonderbrick originated here.
Ken (English Major--NOT!) Norton
Image66
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