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[-] SleafordMod@feddit.uk 14 points 16 hours ago
[-] iknowitwheniseeit@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 14 hours ago

The Chinese language has different articles depending on what noun it is for. So 一杯可乐 versus 一双筷子.

In German there are three genders of articles that are basically randomly assigned to each noun.

Sometimes these make sense, but not always, and with languages you have to learn arbitrary information.

It feels like the original post is disparaging American English for not using arbitrary nouns for collections of things. As with most differences between American and British English, the American version is simpler and loses very little. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[-] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 5 points 11 hours ago

English (traditional) versus English (simplified)

[-] Randelung@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago

Bunch of coconuts. A lovely one at that.

We have fun collective names. A group of white men is called a podcast, for example.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 66 points 1 day ago

My favorite is a complaint of Karens.

[-] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 6 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

They are called "Americans" in Europe

[-] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

An Americans of Karens?

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 29 points 1 day ago

I'm partial to "fuckton."

A fuckton of geese. A fuckton of sheep. A fuckton of ice cream.

[-] rockerface@lemm.ee 16 points 1 day ago

The only time Americans will use metric /s

[-] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago

Fun fact, in America, a ton is 2000 pounds, which is slightly less than a metric ton. In America if you order a ton of bricks, you'd get less bricks than you would if you ordered it in France.

[-] rockerface@lemm.ee 2 points 10 hours ago

Damn shrinkflation

[-] dankm@lemmy.ca 12 points 22 hours ago

A fuckton is 2000 fucking pounds. A fucktonne (note the spelling.. metric) is 1000 fucking kilograms.

[-] ilost7489@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago

English fuckton, not metric

[-] Klear@lemmy.world 5 points 16 hours ago

Metric fuckton has more punch though.

[-] JizzmasterD@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

Nah, that’s a « fuck-tonne »

[-] Cort@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Nah, Americans use metric for selling drugs at the very least.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

You can't buy a cup of crack in the US?

[-] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Volumetric measurements aren't really good for drugs, the density of the drug may vary depending on quality, origin or manufacturer, in the case of crack and meth. Weight is always better, but then you measure with half, quarter, eighth and sixteenths of ounces. See, we do have to use fractions after all.

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

I guess I have a lot to learn before launching my drug cartel.

[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 2 points 18 hours ago

Drugs, not even ounce

[-] rockerface@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

Also for gun calibers (is that the right word?)

[-] Cort@lemmy.world 3 points 23 hours ago

Too true! ( Yep, that's the right word)

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 18 points 1 day ago

It's even easier than that with most people I know

They just describe multiples of individual animals, objects, places or things collectively as just ..... stuff

Flock of geese? .... stuff

A stack of books? ... stuff

group of cars? .... stuff

A planet? .... stuff

A solar system? ... stuff

A galaxy? ... stuff

A galactic neighbourhood? ... stuff

The universe? .... stuff

[-] taladar@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago

The universe? … stuff

I think George Carlin would say that the universe is a place for your stuff.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

No, it's my stuff, your shit. Whenever it's mine, it's stuff. Whenever it's yours, it's shit. ie. "Get your shit off the counter so I can put my stuff down."

Source: ol Gorgie Boy

[-] henfredemars@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago

Where else would I put my stuff?

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

I never disagree with ol' Georgie

[-] weker01@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Sounds like German

plane - flying stuff

Lighter - fire stuff

Vehicle - driving stuff

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago

lol ... I'm Indigenous Canadian and I speak my language Ojibway/Cree

This made me realize that the modern things we named with our old language sounds like what you describe

Aircraft -> kah-mee-nah-mee-kook .... 'the thing that flies'

Helicopter -> kah-kee-noo-kah-wah-nas-kee-pee-nik ... 'the thing that turns fast'

[-] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

When the stuff hits your stuff like a very stuff stuff, that's stuff.

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

Yeah I know ... like stuff ... I dunno ... shrugs shoulders and walks away

[-] otacon239@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I once knew a person that ended almost every sentence they could with, “and stuff”. I don’t think I’ve ever used the phrase since.

[-] superkret@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago

Thus "phenomenology" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα – to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself. And stuff”

― Martin Heidegger

[-] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

A "fuck that" of humans

[-] superkret@feddit.org 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Fun fact: The English collective noun for multiple Americans is a "volume".

[-] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago

Buncha time.

[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago

Wicked cools

this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
367 points (97.2% liked)

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