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g2narat

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Posts posted by g2narat

  1. I still happen to use the word 'cheque' and have never used the word 'check' to refer to the value of money. I use the British English which is a little different from American English and so it allows me to spell the word this way. It's funny though that when I type this word and  few others on my computer I have to keep ignoring the spell checks as they are set for the American spelling.

    I know what you mean. I still use cheque. I just find the word check a bit weird. I associate it with a check mark rather than a bank cheque. It's weird to see a word that you know spelled correctly get marked by a red squiggly line by the spell check on the computer.

  2. Yes, the Dr. Seuss books were some of my favorites as a child, especially these:

    "The Cat in the Hat"  and "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

    "Green Eggs and Ham"

    "Horton Hears a Who"

    These are the ones that I remember in particular.  Later on, as an adult I did revisit some of these and his other books and appreciated them even more for the use of language.  That's what's so exciting about great children's literature; as an adult you can see the nuances and enjoy the works on a much deeper level.

    Oh I love those stories too. You're right about appreciating them better as adults. And it's not just the use of the language, but also the deeper lessons. As you get older, it's nice to revisit those books to re-learn the lessons in those books too.

  3. I remember this being a lesson in grade school! I'll admit that I've used sila wrongly several times before. Sina just doesn't stick as well. I've noticed that Filipino grammar lessons tend to stick less compared to English lessons. Has anyone noticed this too? I wonder why that is...  :confused:

  4. I experience the same problem of zoning out when I listen to audio books. I haven't finished a single audio book yet. I don't know if I just make bad choices or if audio books are simply not for me. Thanks for the links above, though. I'll definitely check them out. And the one about World War Z.

    I still haven't checked out the world war Z audio book. I said I would but it just flew out of my mind. Hopefully this time I'll remember :grin: Anyway, I agree with the zoning out part. I think it's because it's easier to concentrate when you're following the words with your eyes, you know? But when it's just listening, it's easier to get distracted. Well, that's what happens to me, anyway. :confused:

  5. I study language because I think it's the least you can do when in a different place/country. If you're a foreigner, people can understand that you're trying you're best to understand their culture if you're making an effort to learn their language. And also because it's just fun and challenging.  :smile:

  6. Ah, I understand what you mean. I am a Filipino who speaks French and English. I am better at English and sometimes I mix up French and English. Like when I speak French, I sometimes use English words by mistake.  :wacky:

  7. I use these words incorrectly from time to time. And maybe you do too? Sometimes I just end up using either of the two without thinking. But before we all forget, here's the proper way:

    Raw, Rito, Rin, and Roon

    Raw, Rito, Rin, and Roon, are used if the last letter of the previous word ends with A, E, I, O, U, W, or Y.

    Example:

    Bumili raw tayo ng gatas.

    Malulusog ang mga kalabaw rito.

    Tatanda rin tayo balang araw.

    Mura ang gulay roon sa probinsya.

    Daw, Dito, Din, and Doon

    Daw, Dito, Din, and Doon, are used if the last letter of the previous word ends with a consonant except W and Y.

    Example:

    Uminom daw tayo ng gatas.

    Malulusog ang mga manok dito.

    Yayaman din tayo balang araw.

    Mura ang prutas doon sa probinsya.

    Note: If you are wondering, which do you you use if it's the first word of a sentence and it doesn't have a word before it? Do you use Dito/Doon or Rito/Roon? You have to use Dito/Doon and never Rito/Roon.

    Example:

    Dito mo lang mabibili yang dekorasyon na yan.

    Doon na tayo kumain sa bahay.

    I always thought they were interchangeable! I didn't think there was a rule of using one over the other. I thought it was mainly a preference thing! I personally always just used daw/dito! Thanks for clarifying this, I'll make sure to use these properly next time!  :grin:

  8. I always thought catsup was the British English spelling. That's because I've always used ketchup and my country tends to use American English. So I always assumed that the other spelling is the British one. How interesting that there's no consensus on the origin of something so, uhm, modern. I mean, ketchup couldn't have been invented too long ago right?  :amazed:

  9. Idioms are nonliteral expressions, which makes them confusing enough.  However, something the same word or similar phrase has entirely different, even opposite meanings.  Here is one of the best examples of this;

    THE BOMB

    "That concert was the BOMB"

    If something is 'the bomb' it means that it is the absolute best.

    TO BOMB something

    "Man, I BOMBED That test!"

    If you bomb something (usually a test or similar), it means you fail it miserably.

    TO DROP A BOMBSHELL

    "when my boss told me I was fired, he really dropped a bombshell on me"

    This means that something or someone astounded you or you were caught unprepared and by surprise.  This idiom usually refers to some news or unexpected development.

    There are others, of course. Which idioms can you name that use the same word(s) in many different ways? Do you know what it means?

    Oh my gosh! This is so true! The "bomb" thing confuses me so much. I have to rely on context clues sometimes before I can understand that something is good or bad. Pretty weird if you ask me. I'm also confused sometimes when someone is referred to as "cool". I don't know if they mean cool as in awesome or cool as in aloof. I know that when it's aloof, people prefer to use "cold" instead of cool but I've heard of people using cool too which makes it a bit confusing.

  10. Oh, I can think of a few:

    Go under the knife - to undergo surgery

    Running a temperature - when someone has a fever

    Bundle of nerves - someone who worries a lot

    To a native English speaker, these may seem quite obvious, but believe me, to someone who is translating the language in their heads, it sounds pretty weird and strange. ;)

  11. Rosa is right. I will try to give a couple of more example for you.

    Examples for when to use "Whether"

    "I don't know whether to wear my shoes or my boots."

    "Whether you like it or not, you have to go to school."

    Examples for when to use "If"

    "I am not sure if I can do that."

    "If you go to the concert, you will have to take your little brother."

    Oh! That's a good simplified explanation. So that means I can't use if for two choices, am I right? So if I said : "I'm having a hard time thinking if I should wear shoes or sandals" that would be wrong. I should use whether in that situation, am I right?

  12. Actually, the phrase is often used about people who are arrogant, conceited, abrasive or unlikable due to their egotism. It might be about someone who is bitter, but if so it's because they aren't getting their way. At least that's how I usually hear it.

    As for that article explaining where it comes from, that doesn't really line up with the current usage at all. While idioms, phrases, can have literal meanings that explain the figurative meaning, sometimes the phrase develops so far from the original meaning over time that the link is lost. So the article explains it was likely that people would put chips of wood on their shoulders and dare someone else to knock it off in order to initiate a fight. If you really stretch you could see how it eventually maybe came to mean someone who starts fights all the time, and usually people who start a lot of fights are arrogant, and the meaning just changed.

    Oh this was really useful, thank you! I'm glad you explained how the origin turned into it's current definition. That was exactly what I wanted to know. I just understood that how it was used, but didn't really know the "why" behind that odd expression. Thanks!  :grin:

  13. My problem with microsoft word is actually the opposite. If I want to type behavior, it'll tell me that behaviour is the correct spelling. I don't mind using British English but it's more because I've gotten used to American English. I know a lot of people will say British English is more correct, but for me what's important is that you're able to communicate.

  14. I've heard people say this when they refer to someone arrogant. I've tried asking native English speakers about why they say that and all I get is "It's just an expression". I understand that, but why that particular phrase? I mean for expressions such as "have your cake and eat it too" you can understand what it means and how it makes sense but for "chip on his shoulder" I just don't get it. Can anyone here explain this one? Thanks!

  15. Kamusta tol? Ever wonder where the word tol (bro) came from? Most people would say it comes from the word utol (brother or sister), which is correct but not exactly the complete origin of the word. This word went through many modifications and actually originates from the term "kaputol ng pusod" which translates in English, "cut from the same navel". So the next time your drinking with friends and someone says, "shot ka na tol!" tell the the origin term and how it went from "kaputol ng pusod" to "kaputol" to "utol" to "tol" for a good drinking story.

    Ooh! What an interesting trivia. You're right. This would make good drinking conversation! Or actually any conversation, not necessarily involving drinking. Although this would be pretty cool to mention in a bar.  :grin:

  16. Tagalog, just like Bisaya Ilocano Javanese and Malay all come from an old Austronesian language, as tribes began to separate all through the years, they began their own dialects,  their language evolved over time, the same way English German and Dutch did.

    Tagalog has been influenced all through the several years due to its historical pasts by many other languages such as Spanish, English Japanese even Chinese and Arabic just like other Austronesian languages,  Malay for example. The word Salamat derived from the Arabic Salam which was to greet someone,  but is used to say thank you in tagalog, Kumusta comes from Cómo esta which is how are you in Spanish.

    There are many similarities between modern day Tagalog and Malay for example these tagalog words - anak meaning child, mahal meaning expensive, and mata meaning eye are the same in Malay.

    Malay is more similar to Tagalog and other Filipino languages than the other Austronesian languages and may have originated from old Malay spoken in what is now Malaysia Brunei and Indonesia many years ago.

    I figured it was related to Malay and Indonesian since a lot of words are so similar. Plus geographically, they are neighboring countries so it makes sense that they are probably from the same root language. This is interesting though. I never knew such a detailed history of the Tagalog language. Thanks for this!  :smile:

  17. This is the latest craze right now. Every time there seems to be a quotable quote, or something that other finds, I don't know, funny (?) they say this. What does it even mean? I think this is just as annoying as when people started texting in jejemon.

    I don't really mind. We Filipinos have our own memes and I have learned to just deal with it. I think when this craze is over, there will probably be another annoying one to replace it. I just try not to watch TV so that I don't constantly hear annoying stuff like this. Believe me if you don't watch TV, you'll hear it much much less (just from the people on the street) and it becomes less grating.

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