Zompist Bboard Again

More questions: how would NAE speakers describe a relatively cheap unassuming place that mainly serves coffee? That is, one where some food might be served, but the food is not the main focus. In German, a place like that would usually be called a "Café", but I've got the impression that in NAE, the word "café" often means something more like a regular restaurant.

And, is there any good overview of how to properly combine quotation marks and and other punctuation when writing dialogue? How would NAE speakers correct the following:

"Wait" she said, "you should better take this with you" and handed me a small jar.

---------------------------

hwhatting wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 3:32 am and Auszubildende(r) was introduced

Which reminds me, how unusual is it that a language can have one single word that literally translates as something like "person who is to be instructed/trained"?

Oh, and out of curiosity, my spellchecks in different apps can't agree on whether it's ok to write "anyway" as one word.

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 4:07 am More questions: how would NAE speakers describe a relatively cheap unassuming place that mainly serves coffee? That is, one where some food might be served, but the food is not the main focus. In German, a place like that would usually be called a "Café", but I've got the impression that in NAE, the word "café" often means something more like a regular restaurant.

Well, a place like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts can be called either a café or a coffeehouse. You can buy desserts there, maybe a sandwich. Thing is, once one place offers light meals, every other place feels they have to.

How would NAE speakers correct the following:

"Wait," she said, "you better take this with you," and handed me a small jar.

Though since the two statements don't seem to be part of one sentence, I'd write

"Wait," she said. "You better take this with you." She handed me a small jar.

That is, if you put her utterances together, they'd have to be something like "Wait-- you better take this with you." Compare "No, you're right."

"No," she said, "you're right."

[is it] ok to write "anyway" as one word.

When it's an adverb. Thus:

Anyway, where did you say we should go?
I could never stand Derrida anyway.
Do it any way you can.
I don't know any way to uninstall that app.

Thank you very much!

Travis B. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2026 3:38 pmNote that here in the US internships are commonly combined with college education, e.g. oftentimes people will do internships in the summer between semesters at a university.

In the Netherlands, internships ("stages") are part of higher education (higher as in, past middle school), with the exception of universities.


JAL

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 4:07 am More questions: how would NAE speakers describe a relatively cheap unassuming place that mainly serves coffee? That is, one where some food might be served, but the food is not the main focus. In German, a place like that would usually be called a "Café", but I've got the impression that in NAE, the word "café" often means something more like a regular restaurant.

A coffee shop or café. Note that café is a broader term that encompasses things ranging from coffee shops to regular restaurants, as you say; e.g. Café Hollander here in Wisconsin is a café but not a coffee shop. (Café implies that food is served, and many coffee shops do serve light food alongside coffee.)

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 4:07 am And, is there any good overview of how to properly combine quotation marks and and other punctuation when writing dialogue? How would NAE speakers correct the following:

"Wait" she said, "you should better take this with you" and handed me a small jar.

I would go with what zompist said here.

I’m not North American, but I think for me the idiomatic term would be a café.

jal wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 7:42 am

Travis B. wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2026 3:38 pmNote that here in the US internships are commonly combined with college education, e.g. oftentimes people will do internships in the summer between semesters at a university.

In the Netherlands, internships ("stages") are part of higher education (higher as in, past middle school), with the exception of universities.

Here higher education indicates education beyond high school, e.g. universities, community colleges, trade schools, etc.

Thank you too, Travis and bradrn!

Punctuation style questions, continued:

In the following

"I should say 'sorry'," I replied.

does the punctuation sequence '," make sense?

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:20 am

"I should say 'sorry'," I replied.

does the punctuation sequence '," make sense?

American-style punctuation never has made sense to me in the first place. I always place the comma outside the quotation marks when it’s not part of the spoken clause.

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:23 am I always place the comma outside the quotation marks when it’s not part of the spoken clause.

Yeah, if it was entirely up to me I would write

You can "quote me on that".

but

"You can quote me on that."

But sometimes it's a good idea to follow style conventions.

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:27 am But sometimes it's a good idea to follow style conventions.

You can choose which style convention you follow, you know…

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:20 amHere higher education indicates education beyond high school, e.g. universities, community colleges, trade schools, etc.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. We don't have a "high school" as such, our "hogeschool" is like a community college I think.


JAL

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:28 am

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:27 am But sometimes it's a good idea to follow style conventions.

You can choose which style convention you follow, you know…

I want to follow the most common NAE style conventions in this case.

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:28 am

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:27 am But sometimes it's a good idea to follow style conventions.

You can choose which style convention you follow, you know…

Yep as long as you're consistent, you can do whatever in writing.

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:20 am I’m not North American, but I think for me the idiomatic term would be a café.

As far as I can tell, round here "café", "coffee shop", and "tea shop" mean much the same thing. Although "coffee shop" can also be somewhere which sells different types of coffee but doesn't serve food, and similarly for "tea shop".

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:20 am Thank you too, Travis and bradrn!

Punctuation style questions, continued:

In the following

"I should say 'sorry'," I replied.

does the punctuation sequence '," make sense?

That's the standard American way of writing it, even though I am not sure if I would say it 'makes sense', as I would say it is less logical than, well, logical quotation.

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:46 pm

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:20 am Thank you too, Travis and bradrn!

Punctuation style questions, continued:

In the following

"I should say 'sorry'," I replied.

does the punctuation sequence '," make sense?

That's the standard American way of writing it, even though I am not sure if I would say it 'makes sense', as I would say it is less logical than, well, logical quotation.

Thank you!

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:48 pm

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:46 pm

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:20 am Thank you too, Travis and bradrn!

Punctuation style questions, continued:

In the following



does the punctuation sequence '," make sense?

That's the standard American way of writing it, even though I am not sure if I would say it 'makes sense', as I would say it is less logical than, well, logical quotation.

Thank you!

Note though that very many programmers, American and Canadian programmers included, prefer logical quotation, and logical quotation is the norm on Wikipedia even in articles written using American spelling.

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 3:23 pm

Raphael wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:48 pm

Travis B. wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:46 pm
That's the standard American way of writing it, even though I am not sure if I would say it 'makes sense', as I would say it is less logical than, well, logical quotation.

Thank you!

Note though that very many programmers, American and Canadian programmers included, prefer logical quotation, and logical quotation is the norm on Wikipedia even in articles written using American spelling.

What would logical quotation be in this case?