HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: nadeau@bnr.ca (Rheal Nadeau)
Subject: Re: Adjective needed for the following scene.
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 14:33:54 GMT

In article <1992Oct06.205057.128466@watson.ibm.com> yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) writes:
>Describe the following scene with a one word adjective:
>==========
>You are riding your bicycle along a country dirt road and up ahead you
>see the massive concrete pillars  and steel girders of a interstate highway
>bridge. At that moment, enormous tractor-trailers are passing overhead.  
>The stench and the roar of the highway is overwhelming.
>
>Then, suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you notice cattle peacefully
>grazing in a meadow not too far from the road.
>===========
>
>You want a word that describes the rider's bewilderment at the striking
>contrast of the peaceful nature scene juxtaposed with the tumult of the
 ^^^^^^^^
>industrial age.
>
>Some of the words that I am considering are: anachronous, paradoxical,
>contradictory.
>
>Can someone come up with a better word to describe the situation?

I'd use "contrasting".  Low-key, but effective.  Or if you want
something a bit unusual, to bewilder your reader the way your
character is bewildered, "contrastive".

The Rhealist - Rheal Nadeau - nadeau@bnr.ca - Speaking only for myself
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: bicycle scenery adjective/cog. diss.
From: thayes@desire.wright.edu
Date: 10 Oct 92 13:02:05 EST
Organization: Wright State University 


Bayla Singer wrote:

>there is a phrase, 'cognitive dissonance,' which
> describes the contrast between what a person has been led to expect as
> his/her social status, and the actual status.

(Note: it generally refers to one's unease arising from reflection upon 
discrepant contemporaneous beliefs, attitudes, &/or behavior.)

David Chorley replied:

> No disrespect intended to the person of bayla singer, but "cognitive
> dissonance" may be a phrase (?) or term in the art of psychobabble, it is, 
> however, death to decent prose. 

What's so deadly about the term cognitive dissonance?  Each constituent
word means the same in English as it does in psychology.  The term
can be defined simply, in one sentence, and reflects exactly what people 
may feel in (for example) the situation posed by Bayla.  I would *never* 
go to bat for meaningless babble such as "empowerment," but cognitive
dissonance is pithy and exact, and Bayla has used it appropriately here.

DC> Returning to the original problem, I would 
> encourage you look for a word which, in your own experience, reflects the 
> gut-level feeling of the scene:if it is a little "off", or out of the norm, 
> so be it. 

This "encouragement" is odd: you want her to avoid using an appropriate 
psychological term to describe a psychological experience?  I thought you
were trying to protect the virtue of "decent prose" -- but instead you're
asking her to abjure from it.  But maybe I read your posting incorrectly -- 
maybe you mean that she should use "decent *prosaic*" English!

DC> Do not be afraid to use a word which only has meaning for you, 
> but don't (PLEASE DON'T) co-opt a word from psychology, sociology, or 
> Marxism. If you are going to borrow a word, try Hindi, Tamil or Welsh.:)
> Whatever word you choose, keep it short.

Sure.  A word borrowed from Tamil would *really work* to promote 
"decent (English) prose" in this circumstance.  Right.

BBBBZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT!!!!  Try again, David.

-----ted hayes
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: andrew@utopia.resntl.bhp.com.au (Andrew Lewis)
Subject: Re: Bee sting or Bee bite?
Organization: BHP Research - Newcastle Laboratories
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 02:38:30 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.160517.4510@desire.wright.edu>, thayes@desire.wright.edu writes:
|> 
|> > Hmm, "Serpent, where is thy sting?"
|> 
|> "Death," too?
|> 
I admit to a clumsy paraphrase and imperfect memory but:
Cleopatra to Antony (toward the end of Act IV) - "...if knife, drugs, serpent have
edge, sting, or operation..."

Also cf. Proverbs 23:32

Andrew
From: rarosenb@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Robert Rosenberg)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: re:  Clean your clock
Date: 13 Oct 92 00:34:57 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

Well, Rawson ain't always on the money.  The idea of clock=face does
have a certain resonance.  On the other hand, he is pretty good, and
the agricultural analog is interesting.  He seems to think it is an
American expression.  Partridge (_Dict of Slang_) says "clock=face" is
US; says the expression "clock=punch" is Aussie c. 1925, but it has
been in the States for a while too.  Neither sense is in Farmer and
Henley, a c. 1900 American slang dictionary.
From: chorley@vms.ocom.okstate.edu
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: re:regress
Date: 9 Oct 92 16:02:27 GMT
Organization: OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine

In article <1992Oct08.190154.76185@uvmark.uucp>, roger@uvmark.uucp (Roger MacNicol) writes:> 
> Regress implies motion so it is not that appropriate.  What is the opposite
> of supersede?  retrosede?
> 
> Thanks - Roger

Antecede? Precede? as in antecedent and precedent
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: Possessives, Contractions, & Apostrophes
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 19:01:08 GMT

> 2.  Use an apostrophe to indicate that an indefinite pronoun is possessive.
>     (Example:  "Everyone's vote counts in a tight election.")

But beware that *personal* pronouns (I/me, we/us, you, he/him, she/her, it)
form possessives *without* an apostrophe: my/mine, our/ours, your/yours,
his, her/hers, its.

The pronoun "one" follows the rules for indefinite pronouns.

> 3.  Use an apostrophe to mark contractions.  The apostrophe takes the place
>     of a missing letter.
>     (Example:  "Don't you know any better?"  The apostrophe replaces the 
>      "o" in "not".)

Many contractions resemble possessive forms of personal pronouns; thus
there is a sort of reversal of the rule for nouns.  "John's" is the
possessive of "John", but "it's" isn't the possessive of "it"; that is
"its", while "it's" means "it is".

Omnibus example:
	"Is this your book?"
	"No, it's yours."
	"You're right, it's mine!  Thanks!"
-- 
Mark Brader, Toronto		"Let us knot coin gnu werds huitch
utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com	 are spelld rong."  -- Rik Fischer Smoody

This article is in the public domain.
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: harkema@phil.indiana.edu (Henk Harkema)
Subject: Re: Adjective needed for the following scene.
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 17:03:00 GMT

In article <1992Oct06.205057.128466@watson.ibm.com> yozzo@watson.ibm.com (Ralph Yozzo) writes:
>Describe the following scene with a one word adjective:
>==========
>You are riding your bicycle along a country dirt road and up ahead you
>see the massive concrete pillars  and steel girders of a interstate highway
>bridge. At that moment, enormous tractor-trailers are passing overhead.  
>The stench and the roar of the highway is overwhelming.
>
>Then, suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you notice cattle peacefully
>grazing in a meadow not too far from the road.
>===========
>
>You want a word that describes the rider's bewilderment at the striking
>contrast of the peaceful nature scene juxtaposed with the tumult of the
>industrial age.
>
>Some of the words that I am considering are: anachronous, paradoxical,
>contradictory.
>
>Can someone come up with a better word to describe the situation?
>
>-- 
>Ralph Yozzo (yozzo@watson.ibm.com)  
>From the beautiful and historic Mid-Hudson Valley area of NY state

Symbiotic perhaps?

 Henk Harkema

Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: mmmirash@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mandar M. Mirashi)
Subject: Question on apostrophes...
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 21:16:53 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

The current discussion on apostrophes had me wondering as to which of the foll.
forms are correct :
1. "Here are some dos and donts"
2. "Here are some do's and dont's"
3. "Here are some do's and don't's"
Lauren mentioned that rule 4 (an apostrophe should be placed when words are
mentioned as words in the plural e.g. "There are so many if's") has fallen
out of favour with some people. How would people who still prefer this form
write the above sentence? 
    Incidentally a recent issue of TIME magazine used form 1 (evidently its
editors do not favour placing an apostrophe)   
                                              Thanks....
                                                                Mandar.

P.S. Please tell me if there are any differences in the American and British
     usage too...

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Space the final frontier" - Star Trek.
"Try to see it my way, only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong"
                                                         - The Beatles
From: sgr@alden.UUCP (Stan Ryckman)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: regress
Date: 14 Oct 92 16:11:38 GMT
Organization: Alden Electronics, Westboro, MA

In article <1992Oct13.170322.1@vms.ocom.okstate.edu> chorley@vms.ocom.okstate.edu writes:
>In article <570@alden.UUCP>, sgr@alden.UUCP (Stan Ryckman) writes:
>> In article <492.234.uupcb@nitelog.com> michael.hagerty@nitelog.com (Michael Hagerty) writes:
>> :On 10-10-92, Roger MacNicol wrote:
>> :
>> :RM> I am looking for a suitable transitive verb :
>
>How about " to assbacckwardate"

How about spending 15 seconds to properly edit your posts so it's
clear who you're quoting, or else dig out the right article to
follow up to?  You dropped three names, one of them mine, and
you're only quoting one person (not me, but the person two articles
back in the thread).

Yeesh.

(And yes, I know I just "quoted" four, but the reason is to show
the over-attributing.)

(Besides that, your word should probably have only one "c".  :-] )

Stan.
--
X-Obligatory-.sig
    Stan Ryckman   sgr@alden.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney)
Subject: Re: a good dictionary
Date: 13 Oct 92 15:19:50 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Windows/DOS Users Ed Group

In article <1992Oct13.143617.18201@microsoft.com> frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney) writes rather hastily (it was still early over
here):
>
>Kay, there ain't no such a book. "Webster's" is a
>public-domain term that can be used by any dictionary
>publisher. You're going to have a lot more specific and a

Of course, I meant to have typed:  "You're going to have to be a lot
more specific . . . ." Sorry, chaps, let the side down and all that.

>lot more knowledgeable about our American folkways if you
>insist on playing Dump The Yank with anything like
>effectiveness.

-- 
Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
	"Well, I'm a little muddled." -- Glinda
From: hermit@cats.UCSC.EDU (William R. Ward)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Question on apostrophes...
Date: 16 Oct 92 14:54:58
Organization: Computing and Telecommunications Services, UCSC
	<1992Oct14.093527.1@cc.newcastle.edu.au>
	<1992Oct14.054420.18455@u.washington.edu> <Bw60GE.51@pcuf.fi>
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu
In-reply-to: luikero@pcuf.fi's message of Thu, 15 Oct 1992 13:36:13 GMT

In article <Bw60GE.51@pcuf.fi> luikero@pcuf.fi (Lauri Kero) writes:
|*>Here are some "do"s and "don't"s.
|
| That seems good for that context, but what do I do when I talk about
|compact disks, for instance? Do I write CD's or CDs?

Well, I prefer "CD's," and I believe that it is more popular among
traditionalists.  CDs is used more and more these days, especially in
newspapers and magazines.  However, newspapers and magazines tend to
use a totally separate type of style guide than books and academic
papers.

Question for readers of this group: what about abbreviations/acronyms
that end in S?  For example, I know one person who pluralizes "BBS" as
"BBSes," which I find repugnant.
--
William R Ward                       Bay View Software
VoiceMail: +1 (408) 479-4072         Internet:  hermit@cats.ucsc.edu
SnailMail: 1803 Mission St. #339     BITNet:    hermit@cats.bitnet
           Santa Cruz CA 95060 USA
From: smk@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Stefan Kahrs)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: what's the word for...?
Date: 14 Oct 92 18:21:31 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: University of Edinburgh, LFCS

In article <92799@netnews.upenn.edu> crawford@ben.dev.upenn.edu (Lauren L. Crawford) writes:

   >Is there an english word that refer to the part of a loaf of bread that
   >isn't crust?
   >
   >What is it?

LC>   The good part.

Really?
Concerning the sort of bread I can get here in Britain,
this seems to be an extreme example of an euphemism.
--
Stefan Kahrs
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener)
Subject: Re: Multimeter / Multi-meter
Reply-To: gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Gabe M Wiener)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 05:43:57 GMT

In article <casseres-071092100740@kip2-29.apple.com> casseres@apple.com (David Csseres) writes:
>
>Well, just to piss you off I will say that the above argument is utterly
>bogus, the pronunciation of words in both -meter and -metre is determined
>by usage, not by spelling, and the accepted pronunciation of multimeter is
>multiMEter.

While I agree that the argument about -meter vs. -metre (a specious one
in the US anyway) doesn't hold water, I must quibble on the 'accepted'
pronunciation.  Most people around here say MULtiMEter, with a little more
stress on the "multi" than on the "meter."

>Except among M.D.'s, that is.  They say "sonti-MEter" and "sonti-grade," so
>dog only knows what they do with multimeter.

Anyone know the origin of this?  What is the proper pronunciation of 
"centimeter" in European countries?


--
Gabe Wiener - Columbia Univ.     "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings 
gmw1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu       to be seriously considered as a means of 
N2GPZ in ham radio circles        communication. The device is inherently of
72355,1226 on CI$                 no value to us." -Western Union memo, 1877
From: maj@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Cats'n'Dogs
Date: 15 Oct 92 08:57:15 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1992Oct14.075852.16638@leland.Stanford.EDU>, jbradfor@leland.Stanford.EDU (Jeffrey Bradford) writes:
> In article <92851@netnews.upenn.edu> crawford@ben.dev.upenn.edu (Lauren L. Crawford) writes:
>>In article <ldme0aINNlhn@jethro.Corp.Sun.COM> geoffm@purplehaze.Corp.Sun.COM (Geoff Miller) writes:
>>
>>>This is as good a time as any to intrroduce you to Geoff's Guide To
>>>Euphemisms -- a modern primer to assist one`s navigation through the
>>>mysterious and hazardous shoals of modern mealy-mouthed obfuscation:
>>
>>[stuff deleted]
>>
>>>                physically handicapped,         crippled
>>>                emotionally handicapped         crazy
>>>                mentally handicapped,           mentally retarded
>>>                vitally handicapped             dead
>>
>>You're behind the times, Geoff -- people no longer use the term
>>"handicapped."  They say "differently abled."  
>>
> The term I always prefer instead of handicapped is "chronicly euphemized."
> 
> Jeff
> 

Lately here they have started using 'challenged' for 'handicapped'.
What annoys me is being regarded as some sort of insensitive slob
because you use last month's euphemism rather that this month's.

These things have short half lives, and staying up with currently
correct expressions is a life long task.

Maybe I'm polically challenged.
-- 
Murray A. Jorgensen [ maj@waikato.ac.nz ]    University of Waikato
Department of Mathematics and Statistics     Hamilton, New Zealand      
__________________________________________________________________
'Tis the song of the Jubjub! the proof is complete,
if only I've stated it thrice.'
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
From: jhhardy@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (J. Hardy)
Subject: what's the word for...?
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 21:51:25 GMT

Is there an english word that refer to the part of a loaf of bread that
isn't crust?

What is it?

thanks

jim hardy
jhhardy@ucs.indiana.edu
From: roger@uvmark.uucp (Roger MacNicol)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Possessives, Contractions, & Apostrophes
Date: 8 Oct 92 14:08:45 GMT
Organization: Vmark Software, Inc.

In article <92048@netnews.upenn.edu> crawford@ben.dev.upenn.edu (Lauren L. Crawford) writes:
>
>1.  Use an apostrophe to indicate that a noun is possessive.
>	--If the noun does not end in -s, add -'s.
>	--If the noun is singular and ends in -s, add -'s.
>	  (exception:  if pronounciation becomes awkward.  Example:
>	   "Lois's" is OK; "Euripides's" is awkward)
>  	--If the noun is plural and ends in -s, add only an apostrophe.
>	--To show joint possession, use an apostrophe with the last noun 
>	  only; to show individual possession, make all nouns possessive
>	  ("John's and Marie's expectations of marriage couldn't be more 
>           different."  "John and Marie's car is on the fritz.")
>	--If a noun is hyphenated or compound, use an apostrophe with
> 	  the last element.  ("Her father-in-law's sculpture won a prize.")
>
>2.  Use an apostrophe to indicate that an indefinite pronoun is possessive.
>    (Example:  "Everyone's vote counts in a tight election.")
>
>3.  Use an apostrophe to mark contractions.  The apostrophe takes the place
>    of a missing letter.
>    (Example:  "Don't you know any better?"  The apostrophe replaces the 
>     "o" in "not".)
>
>4.  Use an apostrophe to pluralize numbers mentioned as numbers, letters
>    mentioned as letters, words mentioned as words, and abbreviations.
>    (Examples:  "Peggy skated nearly perfect figure 8's."  "We've heard
>     enough maybe's."  "You must ask to see their I.D.'s."  "Mind your
>     P's and Q's.")
>

OK, but on an invoice is it:

	Two day's consultancy @ $...
or
	Two days consultancy @ $...

In other words does one say x day's worth of consultancy or has days become 
part of the number?

- Roger

-- 
******************************************************************
* Roger MacNicol, Snr. Software Engineer
* VMark Software, Inc., 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701-1800
* email: uvmark%roger@merk.com
From: michael.hagerty@nitelog.com (Michael Hagerty)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: regress
Date: 10 Oct 92 08:58:00 GMT
Reply-To: michael.hagerty@nitelog.com (Michael Hagerty)
Organization: Nitelog BBS - Monterey, CA - 408-655-1096

On 10-10-92, Roger MacNicol wrote:

RM> I am looking for a suitable transitive verb to describe the process of
RM> reverting to an earlier state.  I had used 'to regress' transitively
RM> when describing a software tool that makes a file available to an
RM> earlier release of some software (eg make WordPerfect 5.1 files
RM> available to WordPerfect 4.2).

The most commonly used term I have seen in this context is "to generate
downwardly compatible files".

RM> However a couple of people here objected since all the dictionaries we
RM> have seen only permit its intransitive use.

Some people would object if you hanged them with a new rope....

Regards, Mikey (michael.hagerty@nitelog.com)
 * JABBER v1.3B1 #B042 * Quick, what's another word for thesaurus?
From: chorley@vms.ocom.okstate.edu
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Possessives, Contractions, & Apostrophes
Date: 9 Oct 92 16:37:38 GMT
Followup-To: alt.usage.english
Organization: OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine

In article <casseres-081092101801@missmolly.apple.com>, casseres@apple.com (David Casseres) writes:
> In article <1992Oct7.155820.29454@advtech.uswest.com>,
> eade@advtech.uswest.com (Elizabeth Erickson) wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Can anyone supply a simply formulated set of rules for the use of
>> apostrophes?  My husband is woefully ignorant on the subject, and believes
>> that "it doesn't matter anyway, no one else knows how to use them, either".
>> This drives me nuts.
>> 
>> I've noticed in grading my students' papers (these are undergrads in info
>> systems management) that they, too, have difficulty deciding how to use
>> apostrophes.  It drives me crazy, but I can't think of all the proper
>> examples to use.  "It's" and "its" as well as using apostrophes for plurals
>> (how is it possible to make a mistake like "all of the red one's"?) --
>> does anyone have a BRIEF set of rules?
> 
	The rule in Oklahoma is thus: One uses an apostrophe in order to 
warn the gentle reader of the imminent arrival of the letter "s".
	In a similar way, the turn signal is used on an automobile to 
inform the innocent onlooker that a turn, or lane change has just been 
made.

	"Money doesn't buy you friends, but you get a better class of 
enemy" :- Spike Milligan

	...David N. Chorley (G.C.E. A-level English retd.)
From: backon@vms.huji.ac.il
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: An etymological question
Date: 6 Oct 92 09:43:39 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

In article <1algbhINN7hu@agate.berkeley.edu>, ted@physics1 (Emory F. Bunn) writes:
> This isn't exactly an English usage question, but it's certainly related
> to many of the things people discuss in this group.
>
> There are two classes of words that have the root "hyster-" in them:
> "Hysteria" and "hysterectomy" both come from the Greek word for "uterus"
> (Hysteria was once thought to be an exclusively female ailment.), while
> "hysteresis" comes from a Greek word meaning something like "later."

Hysteresis is derived from the Greek hysteresis, from hysterein, to be late,
fall short.

>
> My question is this:  Are these two words actually related somewhere
> far back in time?  If so, how?

To "fall short" may have the connotation of something cut. In this case, it may
have been derived from the Hebrew word for flint TSOR. Interestingly, other
words derived from this Hebrew root are TSOORAH (form, pattern, image, shape)
and YATSAR (created). The Greek hystera (womb) is the *producer* of life.
Finally, the Hebrew TSER is birth pangs.

Grimm's Laws of letter shifting are well established in comparative
linguistics.


You may wish to refer to Mozeson's book THE WORD: THE DICTIONARY THAT REVEALS
THE HEBREW SOURCE OF ENGLISH, ISBN 0-933503-44-X



Josh

Dr. Josh Backon
backon@VMS.HUJI.AC.IL

> If not, then doesn't it seem strange
> that Greek should have evolved two such distinct meanings for almost
> the same word?  (After all, "hyster-" is a fairly long and complex
> sequence of sounds.  It doesn't surprise me a bit that the word "ou"
> has two distinct meanings in Greek, but "hyster" is a little much.)
>
> By the way, this is the way this subject came up in the first place.
> One of my professors asserted in class that "hysteresis" comes from
> the same root as "history."  Having studied Latin as far as _De Bello
> Gallico_ in high school, I was skeptical.  Clearly "history" comes straight
> from the Latin "historia."  My dictionary asserts that if you trace it
> back further, "historia" comes from some Greek word "histor", but isn't
> clear on what that word means.  It's not by any chance related to
> "hyster-", is it?
>
> -Ted
>
>
>
>
From: rarosenb@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Robert Rosenberg)
Newsgroups: alt.usage.english
Subject: Re: Cats'n'Dogs
Date: 14 Oct 92 13:23:36 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

If we're doing euph's, my favorite for years was "package goods"
(i.e., a liquor bottle in a bag, usually) just because of its
obfuscatory value.  Recently though, I found a new goodie:

	Industrial debutantes	=    prostitutes

(because they work conventions).  It's rude etc., but the imagery is
astounding. 

P.S.  Tim Furst has left the Flying Karamazov Brothers!  Lackaday.