Completely unimportant language misuses that bug you

[Peelee]

Neither of the definitions you give mean "berserker" the way D&D uses it, which is the only argument I've seen here recently about the meaning of "barbarian". A character class called barbarian should either be an outsider or just an uneducated person with low social skills. That's not much to build a class around.

"Fighter" doesn't mean "armored warrior" the way D&D uses it either. Words can change meaning depending on context. Barbarian in D&D has a different meaning than when I grip about having to drive my wife's car and say, "now I have to use a physical key to start it like a barbarian." If your argument is based on how D&D uses it... well, I don't think you're going to find a lot of support for your position.

[2D8HP]

barbarian

barbarian

"Fighter" Barbarian

Wait, is there seriously same confusion about what is meant by "Barbarian"?

Well, I think it's pretty clear, but if you must learn:

A Barbarian is someone who wants to get a belly full of beer, doesn't want none of your aggravation, has had it with your discipline, wants to get a little action in, get about as oiled as a diesel train, may use a little muscle to get what they need, and may sink a little drink and shout out she's with me, has a couple of the sounds that they really like, the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike, is a juvenile product of the working class, whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass, oh is it Saturday? Cause Saturday night's the night I like, and it's alright for fighting.

[S@tanicoaldo]

To me personally barbarian is a title and berserker is the class.

So a barbarian person can be of any class and a berserker can be of any cultural background.

Same with cleric and priest.

Warrior and samurai.

Once, for example, a player of mine played as a priest of the protector god who happened to fight as a berserker. He was calm, polite and civilized but when he got in a fight he became complete lost in rage and fought like an animal using metallic claws.

So one is what you do the other is what you are.

[Fiery Diamond]

There's nothing wrong with having or using a wide vocabulary. I brought up that one specific word, because it has no apparent use.

I suppose you also have a similar dislike of "utilize?"

[Bohandas]

Neither of the definitions you give mean "berserker" the way D&D uses it, which is the only argument I've seen here recently about the meaning of "barbarian". A character class called barbarian should either be an outsider or just an uneducated person with low social skills. That's not much to build a class around.

No but it denotes someone savage and brutish, which fits a warrior who relies on unsubtle tactics and raw strength and anger. If you want to complain about a class name complain about the monk; that one's more or less a complete non-sequitur.

[Jormengand]

"Can't seem to" instead of "Doesn't seem to be able to" annoys me every time. The first means that you're unable to appear as though you're doing the thing. What you actually want to say is that you don't appear to be able to do the thing.

[lesser_minion]

I suppose you also have a similar dislike of "utilize?"

I'd usually go with "use" myself, but I don't think that 'utilise' is wholly useless.

[Vinyadan]

Monk is a shaolin monk from a monastery in the far East.

[Bohandas]

Monk is a shaolin monk from a monastery in the far East.

If you have to qualify it with eight additional words for it's meaning to be clear then it's a poor choice of words. And really even the description you've given is insufficient; it's more like "a shaolin monk from the far east in a TV show from the 1970's". That is an incredibly specific type of monk and not the first thing anybody would think of when they hear the word monk. In fact, it's not even the first thing I would think of even if you specified that they follow an eastern religion, I'd imagine someone more akin to the Dali Lama.

[Bohandas]

Ok, another gripe I have is when Wikipedia, which is supposed to be worldwide, will often use obscure provincial names for things as the title for its articles, like "Hokey Cokey"

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Monk is a shaolin monk from a monastery in the far East.

If you have to qualify it with eight additional words for it's meaning to be clear then it's a poor choice of words. And really even the description you've given is insufficient; it's more like "a shaolin monk from the far east in a TV show from the 1970's". That is an incredibly specific type of monk and not the first thing anybody would think of when they hear the word monk. In fact, it's not even the first thing I would think of even if you specified that they follow an eastern religion, I'd imagine someone more akin to the Dali Lama.

Interesting, how you interpreted the post. I couldn't parse the comment, myself. Wasn't sure if they were complaining that "monk" should mean "shaolin monk from the middle far east", or if "monk" is currently used in that sense, and it shouldn't. I.e. did the state the problem, or the solution?

Honestly, devoid of context, I wouldn't think "monk" means "shaolin monk from the middle far east", nor think it should, myself.

GW

[Peelee]

Interesting, how you interpreted the post. I couldn't parse the comment, myself. Wasn't sure if they were complaining that "monk" should mean "shaolin monk from the middle east", or if "monk" is currently used in that sense, and it shouldn't. I.e. did the state the problem, or the solution?

Glad I wasn't the only one.

[Bohandas]

It's a gripe about terminology in D&D. I meant that "monk", by itself, should NOT be used to mean "Shaolin monk from the far east from a 1970's tv show" (despite the fact that this is how D&D uses it)

And how and why did you both misread "far east" as "middle east"?

[2D8HP]

....t's more like "a shaolin monk from the far east in a TV show from the 1970's". That is an incredibly specific type of monk and not the first thing anybody would think of when they hear the word monk......

Well, thanks to the reruns that were still being broadcast when I first saw the Monk class in the PHB (that I got in '79, a full year after it was published), I and the guys I played D&D with

Spoiler: knew exactly what TSR meant

Show

Kwai Chang Caine

In fact it was a little bit frightening, but they fought with expert timing, and those kicks were fast as lightning

You see they were funky China men from funky Chinatown, and they were chopping them up and they were chopping them down, as it's an ancient Chinese art and everybody knew their part, from a feint into a slip, and kicking from the hip.

Cause everybody was kung-fu fighting,.

There was funky Billy Chin and little Sammy Chung, and he said here comes the big boss, let's get it on, so we took a bow and made a stand, started swinging with the hand, the sudden motion made me skip now we're into a brand knew trip, but they did it with expert timing.

Keep on, keep on, keep on

(Until Star Wars came out, nothing was more popular in the schoolyard)

[Grey_Wolf_c]

It's a gripe about terminology in D&D. I meant that "monk", by itself, should NOT be used to mean "Shaolin monk from the far east from a 1970's tv show"

Yes, I see that that is how you interpreted the post, but I still don't know on what basis, unless you have some off-post context (e.g. you saw the same poster complain about it elsewhere).

And why did you both misread "far east" as "middle east"?

I typed it wrong the first time, then copy-pasted the error.

GW

[Peelee]

(Until Star Wars came out, nothing was more popular in the schoolyard)

I now have that stuck in my head, and I'm actually pretty cool with that. Also, just for you.

[Bohandas]

Yes, I see that that is how you interpreted the post, but I still don't know on what basis, unless you have some off-post context (e.g. you saw the same poster complain about it elsewhere).

I assumed that he was responding to my earlier post, two or three posts above his, where I said that the name of the monk class was a non-sequitur (which admittedly was a slight exaggeration, but, I maintain, still apropos)

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I assumed that he was responding to my earlier post, two or three posts above his, where I said that the name of the monk class was a non-sequitur (which admittedly was a slight exaggeration, but, I maintain, still apropos)

OK, so let me add two completely unimportant language misuses that bug me:

1. Posting an answer to previous post without quoting it, when said post is not the immediate previous one nor posted the same day
2. Posting in such a way that the actual meaning is indistinct, due to assuming the reader will be familiar with a context that is not included in the post.

GW

[BannedInSchool]

Calling all Immortals in the Highlander universe "Highlanders". Okay, it distinguishes them from other immortals in other works, but <allcaps>they're not all from Scotland</>!

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Calling all Immortals in the Highlander universe "Highlanders". Okay, it distinguishes them from other immortals in other works, but <allcaps>they're not all from Scotland</>!

As I understand it, none of them are actually from Scotland. Well, except for Ramírez, who clearly is from Scotland, whatever he says.

GW

[factotum]

As I understand it, none of them are actually from Scotland. Well, except for Ramírez, who clearly is from Scotland, whatever he says.

I think you're deliberately confusing the actors with the characters they're portraying for comic effect...

Having said that, I'm pretty sure that they *don't* call all Immortals in the Highlander universe "Highlanders"? I recall the Kurgan calling Connor McLeod "Highlander", which would be an odd thing to do if he himself were one.

[Fyraltari]

I think you're deliberately confusing the actors with the characters they're portraying for comic effect...

Having said that, I'm pretty sure that they *don't* call all Immortals in the Highlander universe "Highlanders"? I recall the Kurgan calling Connor McLeod "Highlander", which would be an odd thing to do if he himself were one.

No they don't but real people who don't know better sometime do.

[BannedInSchool]

No they don't but real people who don't know better sometime do.

Yeah, and in the case that prompted this just now from me someone wasn't even referring to the Immortals in Highlander, just referring to someone living for thousands of years without occasional sword fights and lightning-shooting orgasms.

Edit: Also, if you say the Z-word you'd best draw your sword.

[Aedilred]

Yeah, and in the case that prompted this just now from me someone wasn't even referring to the Immortals in Highlander, just referring to someone living for thousands of years without occasional sword fights and lightning-shooting orgasms.

Edit: Also, if you say the Z-word you'd best draw your sword.

This Z-word?



Or this one?

[Sinewmire]

As I understand it, none of them are actually from Scotland. Well, except for Ramírez, who clearly is from Scotland, whatever he says.

Reminds me of a Dead Ringers sketch, mocking Mel Gibson's Braveheart.

[Sean Connery] What'sh all thish?
[Crowd] Finally, a real Scottish hero!
[Sean] Actually, no. In thish film I play Ramirezsh, an Egyptian Shpaniard.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Reminds me of a Dead Ringers sketch, mocking Mel Gibson's Braveheart.

[Sean Connery] What'sh all thish?
[Crowd] Finally, a real Scottish hero!
[Sean] Actually, no. In thish film I play Ramirezsh, an Egyptian Shpaniard.

I was thinking more of the perennial joke that the USSR shouldn't have been surprised when the Red October went rogue, given that they had put a Scotsman in command of it, but that one works as well.

GW

[Archpaladin Zousha]

To paraphrase Hank Green:

"You do not HOLD DOWN THE FORT, because the fort is not inflatable and full of air! You HOLD THE FORT! It's a MILITARY METAPHOR!"

I've become infamous among my coworkers for my refusal to let this issue slide.

[Rynjin]

If you wanna be that pedantic, at least be consistent. It's not a 'metaphor", either. =p

[Rockphed]

To paraphrase Hank Green:

"You do not HOLD DOWN THE FORT, because the fort is not inflatable and full of air! You HOLD THE FORT! It's a MILITARY METAPHOR!"

I've become infamous among my coworkers for my refusal to let this issue slide.

I always assumed it was partly ironic. Normally when people say they are going to hold down the fort they are, at least partially, lamenting that they have to sit around being bored while other people get to go off and have fun. So they are claiming that they are going to do something too.

Alternatively, a quick google search led me to a place that includes this tidbit:

The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang notes the use, dating from the late 19th Century, of "hold down," meaning to occupy a place, and A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English records the use from the same period with land claims. And no one finds strange the locution "hold down a job."

[Anonymouswizard]

When people use erb to mean herb. There's a h in that word, and you're nowhere near sexy enough to be French!

...excuse me, I'm off to mope over my ex....