The Coffee House

[KenC]

A good proper loaf of crusty Euro bread is sheer heaven. The problem is that you just can't get it very easily on this side of the pond without making it yourself or living near Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. What passes for "Italian bread" here is just awful.

There are still a few Italian neighborhoods where you can get real Italian bread, but sadly it is a rare item now.

 

[pgriz]

"Dang" is english slang equivalent to "darn" or a way of expressing exasperation with something. "Dang beetle" implies that the writer is annoyed at the beetle for some reason, which sets up the story and makes you want to know why.

English is an interesting language in that it is rather "sloppy" about its structure, and it accumulates many expressions that convey meaning beyond the words used. The meanings also evolve with time, so the same phrase changes its meaning with the years. Each generation and subculture also evolve their own vocabulary to create a distinction of belonging and differentiation. By reading a text, it is often possible to identify when it was written and by who, just from the expressions used and the implied meanings associated with them.

English is not my mother tongue, and I am very well aware of how the formal structure is often at odds with its colloquial usage. However, it has an adaptability which is remarkable, and is one reason why other languages often import english words to express new ideas or concepts. Sometimes a phrase in english is much more concise than the equivalent phrase in (say) French, or Spanish.

 

[sm4him]

ACK!! We got hit by the Monstrous Snowstorm of the Century! It didn't go far enough north! Run for the hills!! No, wait...Run for the Beach!!!
Or at least run for the covers, and hibernate until late March.

See...LOOK:

Gotta be very nearly 1/4 in. of snow there--and it's still coming down! We could end up with 5/16 of an inch before this is over!

 

[sm4him]

"Dang" is english slang equivalent to "darn" or a way of expressing exasperation with something. "Dang beetle" implies that the writer is annoyed at the beetle for some reason, which sets up the story and makes you want to know why.

English is an interesting language in that it is rather "sloppy" about its structure, and it accumulates many expressions that convey meaning beyond the words used. The meanings also evolve with time, so the same phrase changes its meaning with the years. Each generation and subculture also evolve their own vocabulary to create a distinction of belonging and differentiation. By reading a text, it is often possible to identify when it was written and by who, just from the expressions used and the implied meanings associated with them.

English is not my mother tongue, and I am very well aware of how the formal structure is often at odds with its colloquial usage. However, it has an adaptability which is remarkable, and is one reason why other languages often import english words to express new ideas or concepts. Sometimes a phrase in english is much more concise than the equivalent phrase in (say) French, or Spanish.

1. I had NO idea English was not your native language!

2. I am also wondering if possibly the story is about a DUNG beetle.

 

[mmaria]

"Dang" is english slang equivalent to "darn" or a way of expressing exasperation with something. "Dang beetle" implies that the writer is annoyed at the beetle for some reason, which sets up the story and makes you want to know why.

English is an interesting language in that it is rather "sloppy" about its structure, and it accumulates many expressions that convey meaning beyond the words used. The meanings also evolve with time, so the same phrase changes its meaning with the years. Each generation and subculture also evolve their own vocabulary to create a distinction of belonging and differentiation. By reading a text, it is often possible to identify when it was written and by who, just from the expressions used and the implied meanings associated with them.

English is not my mother tongue, and I am very well aware of how the formal structure is often at odds with its colloquial usage. However, it has an adaptability which is remarkable, and is one reason why other languages often import english words to express new ideas or concepts. Sometimes a phrase in english is much more concise than the equivalent phrase in (say) French, or Spanish.

oh lmao!

I know about "dang" as slang but it didn't even cross my mind that "dang" would be "darn" in an official test! i mean, that they would use that word.

Oh God, I'll fail!

 

[KenC]

Morning, Hosers! Did everyone else in the Northeast get hosed by the forecast? Last I heard last night we were getting close to ten inches, but it looks like not much more than one to me. Of course it's still flurrying a bit, but I'll eat my hat if we end up with more than two.

However, I'm settled in here with my computer and will work from home anyhow. I'll just need to go out later and sweep a bit and put down some salt. For now, I need to check in with work, then make some coffee.

 

[mmaria]

2. I am also wondering if possibly the story is about a DUNG beetle.

oh no! It is DUNG!

There's something wrong with me!

I'm wrong!

 

[mmaria]

oh... at least I got a good laugh out of this!

Sorry and thanks!

 

[SquarePeg39]

Morning, Hosers! Did everyone else in the Northeast get hosed by the forecast? Last I heard last night we were getting close to ten inches, but it looks like not much more than one to me. Of course it's still flurrying a bit, but I'll eat my hat if we end up with more than two.

However, I'm settled in here with my computer and will work from home anyhow. I'll just need to go out later and sweep a bit and put down some salt. For now, I need to check in with work, then make some coffee.

Looks like we got about 8-10 inches so far. It's still snowing like crazy though. Very drifty. My back yard about a foot and a half buried but there is no snow on my car above the tires, it's all blown away.

 

[KenC]

Morning, Hosers! Did everyone else in the Northeast get hosed by the forecast? Last I heard last night we were getting close to ten inches, but it looks like not much more than one to me. Of course it's still flurrying a bit, but I'll eat my hat if we end up with more than two.

However, I'm settled in here with my computer and will work from home anyhow. I'll just need to go out later and sweep a bit and put down some salt. For now, I need to check in with work, then make some coffee.

Looks like we got about 8-10 inches so far. It's still snowing like crazy though. Very drifty. My back yard about a foot and a half buried but there is no snow on my car above the tires, it's all blown away.

You were supposed to get about two feet up there, no?

 

[pgriz]

Sharon, we call that "hoarfrost".

 

[SquarePeg39]

Morning, Hosers! Did everyone else in the Northeast get hosed by the forecast? Last I heard last night we were getting close to ten inches, but it looks like not much more than one to me. Of course it's still flurrying a bit, but I'll eat my hat if we end up with more than two.

However, I'm settled in here with my computer and will work from home anyhow. I'll just need to go out later and sweep a bit and put down some salt. For now, I need to check in with work, then make some coffee.

Looks like we got about 8-10 inches so far. It's still snowing like crazy though. Very drifty. My back yard about a foot and a half buried but there is no snow on my car above the tires, it's all blown away.

You were supposed to get about two feet up there, no?

It's still coming down pretty hard. Here's a cell phone snap of my garage side door.

 

[mmaria]

I haven't seen that much snow since my childhood!

 

[SquarePeg39]

It's very drifty. See how the cars have nothing on top? So windy. Went out to shovel the back stairs and an area for the dog to do his business and it was not pleasant to have the wind whipping it in my face. Managed to get to one bird feeder because that area only had about a foot but the other one has about 3 because of the way the wind is blowing. Originally they said it would snow for another 12 hours or so. I hope not.

 

[pgriz]

2. I am also wondering if possibly the story is about a DUNG beetle.

oh no! It is DUNG!

There's something wrong with me!

I'm wrong!

Well "Dung Beetle" is pretty descriptive. But "Dang Beetle" has much more promise as a writer's title. Other variations (Ding, Deng, Dong) all evoke very different ideas. Probably appropriate for a creative writing class theme.

1. I had NO idea English was not your native language!

Shhh. Let's keep it our little secret. On the other hand, it is my adopted language, and probably the one I use most often. In the multi-lingual city environment, it is not unusual to have two or three different languages used in the same conversation, depending on who's more comfortable in which language. I have one friend who's of Italian origin, and her Mom speaks Italian first, French second, and English third. So when we're having a conversation, she'd speak to her Mom in italian when it's personal, and switch to either french or english (depending on who's being included in the conversation) to say the things that are of interest to a wider group. I do the same with my Mom (different language tho), and since my wife doesn't speak that language, we switch to english for common conversation. With a bilingual francophone neighbour, I'd speak in French mainly because he's slightly more comfortable in french than english. And so it goes.