Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Scale business

Someone needs money so that he can "set himself up in the scale 
business". What's the scale business? I would have expected something 
like "large" or "small". The only thing that comes to mind is the 
"scales business" (selling scales: bathroom scales etc.), but I have a 
hunch my theory is a mite preposterous.
Bye, FB

 business". What's the scale business? 
"Il commercio - l'intrapresa, l'attività commerciale - delle scaglie", 
qual è il problema? ("bilancia" = "scales", al plurale).

 l'attività commerciale - delle scaglie", qual è il problema?
Scaglie? Potresti spiegarmi? Per ora posso solo escludere il significato 
"RE centrosett. prostituta di infimo ordine". O forse no...
 > ("bilancia" = "scales", al plurale).
Sì, infatti. Era un'idea...
Ciao, FB

I have a hunch my theory is a mite preposterous.
My, isn't your choice of words persnickety! but i love it.
ciao, sq

 Non lo so� ma potrebbe ben essere questo (begli amici che hai).
Ma seriamente, che è questo commercio di scaglie? Dicevi sul serio? 
Perché google per "commercio di scaglie" non trova niente, e per 
"commercio delle scaglie" trova una occorrenza sui gusci di tartaruga 
(povere!).
Ciao, FB

FB ha scritto:

No, not preposterous. Google returns lots of pages for "_the_ scale 
business" from which I gather that the scale business involves selling 
scales. Could someone confirm this?
Bye, FB

 wrote in message 
news:443d4e3b$0$36930$4faf...@reader3.news.tin.it...

I know nothing about the sale of scales , but you have highlighted an oddity
of English usage : 'scales' (such as bathroom scales ,etc.) is a word only
used in the plural when on its own ; but so is the word 'trousers' , yet we
talk of 'trouser manufacturers' , 'trouser importers' , etc . , so I suppose
'the scale business' is indeed what you suggest .
Mike
'Defeat is good'  (Idi Amin's chiropodist)

Mike Brewer ha scritto:

Thanks, Mike.
Bye, FB

 Ma seriamente, che è questo commercio di scaglie? Dicevi sul serio? 
No, celiavo per portarti fuori strada e farti perdere del tempo. Credo 
che si tratti proprio di vendita di bilance, affascinante settore 
merceologico, del resto.
sq

Squash ha scritto:

Sappi che il sottoscritto è molto ingenuo. M'immaginavo materiale a uso 
industriale di varia natura venduto a scaglie.
Ciao, FB

 used in the plural when on its own ; but so is the word 'trousers' ,
Mike, I am sorry but I don't get it.  Why is scales only used in the
plural?  I use the singular form all the time.  In fact, I think I use
the singular much more often than the plural.  I have a bathroom scale
in my bathroom.  I need to buy a new scale.
Musical scales can also be used in the singular form.  (ex: the C
scale).  Fishes and other animals have scales and that's probably where
I have found most of the plural forms.
bye
ari

 wrote in message
news:1144943243....@t31g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

A machinist uses a small metal scale to measure the length of small
items.
http://store.artcity.com/drafting-supplies-rulers---scales.html
Joe from Massachusetts

 wrote in message 
news:Jrx%f.7183$EA3.5375@dukeread10...

By ''scales' (such as bathroom scales ,etc.)' I meant scales designed to 
weigh something , thus excluding scales musical , piscine , reptilian , etc. 
(few businesses manufacture , or even sell , fish scales , musical scales 
,etc) .
Sadly , I don't know much about American bathrooms , but here in the UK we 
talk about the bathroom scales when we're referring to one such item ; if I 
wanted to ask someone if they had in their kitchen any instrument with which 
to weigh ingredients , I would say 'Have you any (kitchen) scales ?' I don't 
think anyone in England would say , 'Have you got a scale?' The OED entry 
for 'scale' (with this meaning) says 'usually plural' (presumably because 
such an instrument was originally a balance with two scales or scale pans) . 
Perhaps its another example of the scope for transatlantic misunderstanding 
that our common language affords .
I see that the Nuovo Ragazzini takes the English view : its entry for 
'scale' is :
'scale (1)..1 piatto della bilancia  2 (pl., anche pair of scales) bilancia; 
basculla'
Mike 

 wrote in message
news:4a886bF...@individual.net...

"My bathroom scale" is the vernacular in the US and Canada.
http://www6.sears.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=31915&storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&rrc=1&cnh=31383
 Googling "my bathroom scale(s) (us) (uk)",  reveals quite a
difference in usage. If you asked me, "Have you got a scale?", I would
answer, "I'll check my toolbox", or "There's one in the bathroom",
depending on the context.
Joe from Massachusetts

 think anyone in England would say , 'Have you got a scale?'
I see....thanks.   
gfc

 I have found most of the plural forms.
Uhm.. I've just checked my dictionary to see if "fishes" is used in English, 
and to my surprise it is indeed. So why the hell was I taught to say "fish" 
as the plural form for "fish"?  Are the two forms both common or is either 
more used in some countries rather than in others?
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
--
"There are only two kinds of people who really are fascinating - people who 
know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing." (Oscar 
Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray) 

 more used in some countries rather than in others?
Fishes is used mainly in biology to refer to the different species of
fish.   Otherwise, the plural of fish is fish. 
bye
gfc

 fish.   Otherwise, the plural of fish is fish.
Ah ecco!
Quindi nel mio acquario continuano ad esserci dei "fish". Grazie per la 
spiegazione.
:-))
Fröhliche Ostern,


as the plural form for "fish"?  
Guarda che pure in italiano si dice "il pesce" nel senso di una
quantitŕ di pescato: "Addio e grazie di tutto il pesce".
Ci0nonostante, esiste anche il plurale.
--
la povertŕ č violenza
l'indifferenza č terrorismo

 Ci0nonostante, esiste anche il plurale.
Sì, ma in italiano puoi dire che hai tre pesci sul piatto. "Fish" in 
inglese si usa come i sostantivi non numerabili italiani: il plurale si 
usa non per indicare una pluralità dell'oggetto designato dal singolare, 
ma diverse qualità (rammento di aver citato il Fornaciari in proposito 
su iclit).
Ciao, FB

 Sì, ma in italiano puoi dire che hai tre pesci sul piatto.
Già.
Quando a volte sulla chat di Skype salta fuori che ho un acquario (due, in 
verità), trovo infatti sempre un po' strano dire "I've got, say, 10 tropical 
fish in my tank", ma se gli inglesi dicono così non ci posso fare niente.
Tschüss,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
P.S. A proposito, nella parte del messaggio che ho tagliato dicevi che 
"fish" non è numerabile... pero' la mia frase scritta sopra dovrebbe andare 
bene, no?


 fish.  
As in:
Joy to the world
All the boys and girls now 
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me...
:-)
-- 
Ciao,
Anna

 Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Uhm... quindi nel mio acquario, in cui ho 4 specie diverse di pesci del 
biotopo amazzonico, ho 12 fishes o 12 fish?


 wrote in message
news:1tv93ax4jnhos$.11yxdpmpff7ph$.dlg@40tude.net...

In the Bible, translators [an odd lot :>) ] have always used "fishes"
as the plural.
«Matthew:14:17:
They answered him: We have not here, but five loaves, and two fishes.»
Joe from Massachusetts