Statements or words in our English Language that make it confusing...

[Scott T C]

Statement 1) It was a near miss.
Explanation: This to such implies that it was nearly a miss or that it hit/was a collision. You could also view it as it was a near miss in the sense that it just "barely" missed, though that would be because the wrong words were used due to our society as a whole accepting incorrect grammar.

Statement 2) Preheat your oven to 350*.
Explanation: What this implies is that they are asking you to heat your oven before you heat it. Pre in its context means "before"...so hence...heat it before you heat it.

Statement 3) Our vacuum has the most suction.
Explanation: Vacuums do not "suck". What happens is within the vacuum a low pressure is created by the motor/fan combination. This low pressure creates a pressure difference between the higher pressure within the carpet (or in the layer of air above your flooring) causing the dirt to literally "leap" into the vacuum to equalize the pressure difference...or as our acceptance of the statement applies...it was "sucked" up. It is just like how in nature (or diving) a high pressure wants to move into a low pressure area to stabilize.

Read: To read; current tense or read as is in past tense...all in one word.

I have lots more, however my kids are driving me nuts and my brain is not working lol. I will post more later when I remember them.

 

[tridacna]

Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Interesting. I always enjoy reflecting on language. A few thoughts:

1) Are you saying that people commonly/alternately take "near miss" as meaning a collision or event DID happen, but that it almost didn't do? I have never heard it used that way. I've only heard/thought of it as something that almost or might have happened, but definitely didn't happen.

As in:
"Whew, the way that car swerved over the centerline, and I had no-place to go due to that huge drop off on the right, made it a near miss. We just squeaked by each other!"

But not as in:
"That car swerved over the centerline and I had no room to maneuver due to that huge drop off on the right and so we collided. But it was a near miss (meaning if there had been a bit more room we would not have collided)."

I've never heard near miss used in the latter way. Have others?

2) I see what you are saying about "preheat." I suppose one could just say "heat," but the "pre" is a shorthand way for stipulating "before you put the food in." I wonder when that usage started?(There are recipes that do not call for pre-heating, but for which you just put the food in and turn on the oven.)

3) What do you say in place of the word "suction" for that machine that actually creates a vacuum?

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

Here's my guess on that one:

-- Slim chance is a "factual" statement. In other words there is only a very small or narrow chance of the thing happening.

-- Fat chance is an example of people using the opposite somewhat "fatalistically" or sarcastically. I imagine there may be a word for that type of usage (?), but if so I don't know what it is. Another example might be "You plan to climb Everest next week in Business Casual clothing? Good luck!"

 

[Insta-Gator]

Statement 1) It was a near miss.
Explanation: This to such implies that it was nearly a miss or that it hit/was a collision. You could also view it as it was a near miss in the sense that it just "barely" missed, though that would be because the wrong words were used due to our society as a whole accepting incorrect grammar. Opposite of "Missed by a Mile", near miss would be closer

Statement 2) Preheat your oven to 350*. prior to beginning the cooking process/timing
Explanation: What this implies is that they are asking you to heat your oven before you heat it. Pre in its context means "before"...so hence...heat it before you heat it.

Statement 3) Our vacuum has the most suction.
Explanation: Vacuums do not "suck". What happens is within the vacuum a low pressure is created by the motor/fan combination. This low pressure creates a pressure difference between the higher pressure within the carpet (or in the layer of air above your flooring) causing the dirt to literally "leap" into the vacuum to equalize the pressure difference...or as our acceptance of the statement applies...it was "sucked" up. It is just like how in nature (or diving) a high pressure wants to move into a low pressure area to stabilize. if air is vacated from one location to another, it will indeed create a vacuum. The laws of physics/nature will try to replace that space with anything available. When you "suck" on a straw you vacate the space within the straw and it is replaced by whatever is on the other end of the straw. I.E. to vacate => vacuum => suck

Read: To read; current tense or read as is in past tense...all in one word.

I have lots more, however my kids are driving me nuts and my brain is not working lol. I will post more later when I remember them.

Contact the Department of Education and the entertainment industry to complain about poor grammar.

 

[blue sky]

NEAR MISS
an unplanned event that did not result in injury,
illness, or damage - but had the potential to do so.
Only a fortunate break in the chain of events
prevented an injury, fatality or damage. Although
human error is commonly an initiating event, a
faulty process or system invariably permits or
compounds the harm, and is the focus of
improvement. Other familiar terms for these events
is a "close call", or in the case of moving objects,
"near collision".

World wide standard for dissiminate knowledge in hopes of avoiding accidents.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

if air is vacated from one location to another, it will indeed create a vacuum. The laws of physics/nature will try to replace that space with anything available. When you "suck" on a straw you vacate the space within the straw and it is replaced by whatever is on the other end of the straw. I.E. to vacate => vacuum => suck

I was thinking about that as I was driving over the past half hour. What I was thinking was.... is there any "suction" that is NOT a vacuum? I came to the conclusion that I did not know for sure, but there weren't any I could think of. In other words, suction is probably a correct way to talk about what happens in a vacuum?

 

[The Chairman]

There is no such thing as "light": The Dark Sucker Theory of Bell Labs...

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For years it has been believed that electric bulbs emitted light.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]However recent information from Bell Labs has proven otherwise.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Electric bulbs don't emit light, they suck dark. Thus, they now call these bulbs dark-suckers. The dark theory, according to a Bell Labs spokesman, proves the existence of dark, that dark has mass heavier than that of light, and that dark is faster than light. The basis of the dark-sucker theory is that electric bulbs suck dark.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Take for example the dark-suckers in the room where you are.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There is less dark right next to them than there is elsewhere. The larger the dark sucker, the greater its capacity to suck dark.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dark-suckers in a parking lot have a much greater capacity to suck dark than the ones in this room.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As with all things, dark suckers don't last forever. Once they are full of dark, they can no longer suck. This is proven by the black spot on a full dark sucker. A new candle has a white wick. You will notice after the first use the wick turns black, representing all the dark which has been sucked into it. If you hold a pencil next to the wick of an operating candle, the tip will turn black because it got in the way of the dark flowing into the candle. Unfortunately, these primitive dark suckers have a very limited range.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There are also portable dark suckers. The bulbs in these can't handle all the dark by themselves, and must be aided by a dark storage unit. When the dark storage unit is full, it must either be emptied or replaced before the portable dark sucker can be operated again. Dark has mass. When dark goes into a dark sucker, friction from this mass generates heat. Thus, it is not wise to touch an operating dark sucker. Candles present a special problem, as the dark must travel in the solid wick instead of through glass. Thus, it can be very dangerous to touch an operating candle. Dark is also heavier than light. If you swim deeper and deeper, you notice it gets darker and darker. When you reach a depth of approximately fifty feet, you are in total darkness. This is because the heavier dark sinks to the bottom of the lake and the lighter light floats to the top. The immense power of the dark can be utilized to man's advantage. We can collect the dark that has settled to the bottom of the lakes and push it through turbines which generate electricity and help push dark to the ocean, where it maybe safely stored.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In conclusion, Bell Labs stated that dark suckers make all our live much easier. So, the next time you look at an electric bulb, remember that it is indeed a dark sucker! [/FONT]

 

[fisheater]

There is no such thing as "light": The Dark Sucker Theory of Bell Labs...

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For years it has been believed that electric bulbs emitted light.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]However recent information from Bell Labs has proven otherwise.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Electric bulbs don't emit light, they suck dark. Thus, they now call these bulbs dark-suckers. The dark theory, according to a Bell Labs spokesman, proves the existence of dark, that dark has mass heavier than that of light, and that dark is faster than light. The basis of the dark-sucker theory is that electric bulbs suck dark.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Take for example the dark-suckers in the room where you are.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There is less dark right next to them than there is elsewhere. The larger the dark sucker, the greater its capacity to suck dark.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dark-suckers in a parking lot have a much greater capacity to suck dark than the ones in this room.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As with all things, dark suckers don't last forever. Once they are full of dark, they can no longer suck. This is proven by the black spot on a full dark sucker. A new candle has a white wick. You will notice after the first use the wick turns black, representing all the dark which has been sucked into it. If you hold a pencil next to the wick of an operating candle, the tip will turn black because it got in the way of the dark flowing into the candle. Unfortunately, these primitive dark suckers have a very limited range.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There are also portable dark suckers. The bulbs in these can't handle all the dark by themselves, and must be aided by a dark storage unit. When the dark storage unit is full, it must either be emptied or replaced before the portable dark sucker can be operated again. Dark has mass. When dark goes into a dark sucker, friction from this mass generates heat. Thus, it is not wise to touch an operating dark sucker. Candles present a special problem, as the dark must travel in the solid wick instead of through glass. Thus, it can be very dangerous to touch an operating candle. Dark is also heavier than light. If you swim deeper and deeper, you notice it gets darker and darker. When you reach a depth of approximately fifty feet, you are in total darkness. This is because the heavier dark sinks to the bottom of the lake and the lighter light floats to the top. The immense power of the dark can be utilized to man's advantage. We can collect the dark that has settled to the bottom of the lakes and push it through turbines which generate electricity and help push dark to the ocean, where it maybe safely stored.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In conclusion, Bell Labs stated that dark suckers make all our live much easier. So, the next time you look at an electric bulb, remember that it is indeed a dark sucker! [/FONT]

It's easy to prove, too. Just take the used batteries out a flashlight and cut them open.

You know what you'll see? Dark! A large, heavy core of accumulated dark.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[koozemani]

Is a fly still a fly if you pull off it's wings, or is it a walk?

Why is it a penny for your thoughts, but I can give you my 2 cents?

If a say something and the gf isn't around, am I still wrong?

I could go on and on