Red Hat Desktop 4

Not orientated!

Sheesh!

Hmm, Websters says "orientated" is OK.

( http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=orientated )

That's the problem with words that "aren't real words" in English. They tend to become real words while you're not looking.

Irregardless of that, I prefer "oriented". ;-)

gaaah! "irregardless"!!

/me blows a fuse

I couldn't resist. ;-)

Thank's a lot, I'm loosing my mind.

tuxchick -

Bless you.

Orientated is what happened to the world's largest egg rool.

Tuxchick, you're going to hate me for this, though I will admit, up front, that "loosing" is not in Websters' yet.

A while back I read an article from a web mag written in India. It freely used the word "loose" the way we use "lose". I politely wrote to the author, pointing out the common "mistake" he had made. He politely wrote me back to point out the fact that "loose" is considered quite correct in that usage in India.

I sat back and considered the implications of English becoming the property of "The World". It's convenient for us native speakers, of course. But it means that, like Linux and OSS, English is not just "ours" anymore.

Earlier, I almost pointed out that while "orientated" is only guilty of containing an extraneous syllable, "irregardless" actually makes no sense. The "ir" prefix should negate the meaning of the rest of the word. But "Irregardless" has been introduced into the language meaning the same thing as "regardless".

I bring this up now because, in contrast, "loose" and "loosing" make more sense than what many of us would consider to be standard usage. Considering the pronunciation of the words, they are more phonetically correct than "lose" and "losing".

-Steve (Proud of himself for making this post relevant on this board via his clever inclusion of the phrase "like Linux and OSS" above.)

sbergman: 'I sat back and considered the implications of English becoming the property of "The World".'

Oh, you mean like engrish.com?

Orientated is more than ok. It IS the correct expression of the verb "to orient" according to the British, who concocted this convoluted language we use in the first place. People get confused too with the root word which is "orient" not "orientate".

Check out the Oxford or Chambers dictionary online to enjoy a whole new way of looking at your language...British style, which is used in South Africa, and Europe, and Aus, and NZ, and, and and...

yes lexipex, we've been aware for some time that there are en-br and en-us libraries in the repos. :) Both the Brits and the Americans go on with their communications with an occasional snicker at the other's odd spellings and pronunciations but i don't expect that either will make concessions, or, hold any hard feelings. Then there are the Ozzies, who boggle us all. :)

"But it means that, like Linux and OSS, English is not just "ours" anymore."

Learn to spell colour, neighbour, honour and call a sidewalk a pavement and I'll listen to you.

;-)

Here in England we have changing language to contend with. Many appear to entirely disregard spelling, gramma, syntax and manners. We have such wonderful phrases as "innit" as a default ending to most sentences, "wicked" meaning good, "minging" meaning bad and the worthy of eternal damnation saying "whatever" in response to hearing something challenging or reproving.

Whilst I don't suggest we should all speak the Queens English or even BBC English, some standards are desirable. Such as logical sentence structure and the correct use of questioning words.

So there you go innit. Wicked and don't come at me with no minging contradictions.

I feel faint now, have to go and lie down.

I have been tooken by this thread...

I enjoy the way the fibre has been woven.

> Thank's a lot, I'm loosing my mind

Of all the things I've ever lost, I miss my mind the most.

sal - since you sound like an expect in British language syntax, how about shedding a bit of light on this English graphics mode imagery? http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/stevebell/0,7371,1661933,...

I have not been following British politics at all closely, only by inference I have concluded that the Tories are really lame at the moment seeing how easily Blair bested them despite fissures within his own party.

Another pet peeve: "administrate" instead of administer.

TxtEdMacs

It's alluding to the fact that the Tories, who have been floundering since 1997 when they lost power, have elected someone who is seemingly cut from the same cloth as Mr. Bliar. The "No more punch and Judy" sign refers to Cameron's first session as leader of the opposition where he called for an end to the somewhat childish to and fro and shouting that is "Prime Ministers Question Time". The nipple tweaking alludes to what will presumably replace the afore mentioned bear pit style exchanges.

Mr. Cameron says "he likes nothing more than a pint or two of real ale" and owns an iPod, presumably in the hope the "common man" will think "oh, he's one of us". The "common man" has next to no idea what real ale is, being too busy consuming el cheapo lager and texting each other. Though I expect a fair few own iPods.

The Tories used to be the right wing until the left wing got back into power and moved further to the right than the original right wing had been. Now we have a far-right left wing and a confused, emasculated right wing which in turn leads to no effective opposition to the government. Which is unhealthy.

"Toff on Toff action" refers to both mens assumed class. Mr. Bliar is a lawyer, his wife a barrister and Cameron went to Eton. All upper middle class stuff. Not your actual blue-blood aristocracy though (AFAIK). Cameron is also related to the Queen via an illegitimate relationship of William IV (ruled 1830-37).

The faces change, but the song remains the same.

sal - glad you explained it to me, for a moment I thought it was very odd British porn with the nipple tweaking and those very brief briefs.

To bad, I thought that the debates in the House of Commons were so much better than the timid stuff posted to the Record (many whose words were not spoken even in an essentially empty hall).

Well in the States we think all politicians are bastards, despite what it says on the birth certificates. Hence, we share a bond of sorts with both the hoi polloi and the political elite.

Had Barrabas been a politician instead of a murderer, Jesus might have been freed.