Zompist Bboard Again

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 12:38 pm

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 12:12 pm Which is the usual, default, more common form of the idiom:

"forcing square pegs into round holes"

or

"forcing round pegs into square holes"

?

The former.

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 12:38 pmThe former.

jal wrote: ↑Fri Dec 12, 2025 3:24 am

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 12:38 pmThe former.

Obviously, as round pegs go quite well in square holes .

bradrn wrote: ↑Fri Dec 12, 2025 4:56 amOnly if the diameter of the peg is less than the width of the hole. Conversely, square pegs fit just fine into round holes if the diagonal of the peg is shorter than the diameter of the hole.

Raphael wrote: ↑Sun Dec 14, 2025 5:15 am Does it still make sense, or is it completely antiquated, to capitalize the word "internet" in the mid-2020s?

Travis B. wrote: ↑Mon Dec 08, 2025 2:07 pm

anteallach wrote: ↑Mon Dec 08, 2025 1:13 pm

Travis B. wrote: ↑Sun Dec 07, 2025 2:39 pm Does anyone else here speak or is otherwise familiar with any English variety which is frequently h-dropping in grammar words but normally h-preserving in content words? I ask because I have not seen such a pattern described for other English varieties but such a pattern exists in the dialect here, where words like have (and words derived from it such as have to) are frequently subject to h-dropping even when fully stressed, but most content words are h-preserving aside from words such as hour, herb (but not Herb the name), and honor as well as often house, which may go either way.

I think dropping /h/ in weak forms is pretty much universal, and is mentioned in the Wikipedia article on h dropping. My accent fits with this: the strong form of have does have /h/ but the weak form does not, which is how the weak forms of of and have become homophones. Note that for me (and I think this is normal) even the weak form of have to, unlike that of have, retains a full TRAP vowel so the combination of a dropped /h/ and an unreduced vowel -- [aftə] or similar -- is commonly heard.

It seems like you have a little more /h/ dropping than this if you're saying that have can lack [h] in what is apparently the strong form, and that you can also drop it in house.

Yes, the strong form of have can lack [h] for me.

https://youglish.com/pronounce/anxiety_level/english wrote:When your fear is activated, your anxiety level will increase.

When your fear is activated, your level of anxiety will increase.

When your fear is activated, your anxiety will increase.

When fear increases, anxiety increases.

Travis B. wrote: ↑Wed Dec 17, 2025 10:04 am To me "Y of X" constructions in the place of nonce "X Y" constructions feel more, well, formal and are not something I would typically use that much in everyday speech.

Travis B. wrote: ↑Wed Dec 17, 2025 10:04 am To me "Y of X" constructions in the place of nonce "X Y" constructions feel more, well, formal and are not something I would typically use that much in everyday speech.

jcb wrote: ↑Thu Dec 25, 2025 8:40 pm How does the plural possessive of nouns with irregular plurals sound to people?

For me, "mens'" as in "mens' clothing" sounds okay, probably because it's common, but for other nouns it just sounds wrong, simply leaving these nouns with no plural possessive form.

Sounds Okay:
- mens' clothing
- my (right) foot's toes

Sounds Bad:
- my feets' toes (To express the same idea, I'd have to say "the toes of my feet".)
- geeses' beaks
- mices' tails

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Dec 25, 2025 10:16 pm

jcb wrote: ↑Thu Dec 25, 2025 8:40 pm How does the plural possessive of nouns with irregular plurals sound to people?

For me, "mens'" as in "mens' clothing" sounds okay, probably because it's common, but for other nouns it just sounds wrong, simply leaving these nouns with no plural possessive form.

Sounds Okay:
- mens' clothing
- my (right) foot's toes

Sounds Bad:
- my feets' toes (To express the same idea, I'd have to say "the toes of my feet".)
- geeses' beaks
- mices' tails

I have to say that I get the same impression from these that you do.

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Dec 25, 2025 10:16 pm

jcb wrote: ↑Thu Dec 25, 2025 8:40 pm How does the plural possessive of nouns with irregular plurals sound to people?

For me, "mens'" as in "mens' clothing" sounds okay, probably because it's common, but for other nouns it just sounds wrong, simply leaving these nouns with no plural possessive form.

Sounds Okay:
- mens' clothing
- my (right) foot's toes

Sounds Bad:
- my feets' toes (To express the same idea, I'd have to say "the toes of my feet".)
- geeses' beaks
- mices' tails

I have to say that I get the same impression from these that you do.

jcb wrote: ↑Thu Dec 25, 2025 8:40 pm How does the plural possessive of nouns with irregular plurals sound to people?

For me, "mens'" as in "mens' clothing" sounds okay, probably because it's common, but for other nouns it just sounds wrong, simply leaving these nouns with no plural possessive form.

Sounds Okay:
- mens' clothing
- my (right) foot's toes

Sounds Bad:
- my feets' toes (To express the same idea, I'd have to say "the toes of my feet".)
- geeses' beaks
- mices' tails

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