[luvDriving]

Originally Posted by rohanjf

I found this sentence in another thread in Team BHP:
What about you guys?

Just one comma changes the entire meaning and purpose of the sentence.

[Gannu_1]

Operable and operatable - both seem to be used interchangeably. Never knew operatable was used until a friend mentioned it here. Saved me some embarrassment when I decided to quickly check online before I corrected him!

Opera table!

[anupmathur]

Hmm, this is a good sample of proper English:


Graphene may be used to build fuel-free spacecraft


By Andrew Higgins / May 31, 2015

Beijing: The marvel supplies graphene could also be used to construct fuel-free spacecraft that runs on merely daylight, researchers say.

These sheets of carbon one atom thick can flip delicate into movement, which could sort the thought of a fuel-free spacecraft.

Graphene’s flat development could possibly be very strong and conducts electrical power and heat terribly correctly.
Yongsheng Chen from the Nankai University in China and his colleagues have been investigating whether or not or not greater preparations of carbon can retain a number of of those properties.
They have revealed particulars of a “graphene sponge”, a squidgy supplies made by fusing crumpled sheets of graphene oxide.
While chopping graphene sponge with a laser, they noticed the sunshine propelled the material forwards.
That was odd, because of whereas lasers have been used to shove single molecules spherical, the sponge was a few centimetres all through which is simply too big to switch.
Researchers shot lasers of varied wavelength and depth at gadgets of graphene sponge positioned in vacuum.
They have been able to push sponge gadgets upwards by as quite a bit as forty centimetres. They even acquired the graphene to switch by focusing odd daylight on it with a lens.
Photons can change momentum to an object and propel it forwards, and inside the vacuum of space this tiny influence can construct up enough thrust to switch a spacecraft, ‘New Scientist’ reported.
Recently, the Planetary Society in California launched a small photograph voltaic sail to verify the know-how. The forces the group observed have been too big to return from photons alone.
Researchers contemplate graphene absorbs laser energy and builds up a price of electrons. Eventually it might nicely’t keep any additional, and extra electrons are launched, pushing the sponge within the different means.
They have been able to affirm a gift flowing away from the graphene as a result of it was uncovered to a laser, suggesting this hypothesis is true.
Researchers said graphene sponge could be used to make a light-weight-powered propulsion system for spacecraft which may beat photograph voltaic sails.


Source: http://www.gazetteherald.com/graphen...ecraft/128669/

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Hmm, this is a good sample of proper English:

Graphene may be used to build fuel-free -------snip----------------//128669/[/url]

China.
Ensuring it's research escapes plagiarism.

Someone referring this will probably end up developing a flat surface temperature transfer mechanism for fossilised fuel to spherical calcium based enclosure encompassing proteinous substance.



Put that through a thesaurus and you'll get:



A pan for boiling eggs.

[amitoj]

So, it seems now it is considered insensitive to say that someone committed suicide or killed himself or herself (oneself??) Apparently, the correct way to report such an event is to say "died by suicide"

Who knew! Or am i being too insensitive?

EDIT:
Example: 'Voice' Contestant Anthony Riley Died By Suicide, Medical Examiner Confirms

And here is some justification from suicide.org

Stop saying 'Committed Suicide'

[Thad E Ginathom]

Suicide is not a crime.

Yep. That's the key, and I'm happy to say that I realised it just before the link came up.

I'd never thought about the phrase "committed suicide" before, and how it came to be, and this explains it. However, it has become an accepted phrase, and I don't think that anyone, ever, thinks the same way when they say "committed suicide" as they do when they say "committed murder." English is a flexible language; words can change their meaning according to context.

By the way: isn't suicide still against Indian law?

[batterylow]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

isn't suicide still against Indian law?

Not anymore, the government did away with section 309, which criminalizes attempt to suicide.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/45452253.cms

[GrammarNazi]

Yes, this 'Committed Suicide' is apparently wrong terminology now. Now it's 'Passed away by Suicide'.

All this coz there's a growing belief of a theory that says 'Suicide' is caused by deep sadness.

Anyway, hope anyone vulnerable realises that it's useless & only causes grief & sadness to parents. NOBODY else *actually* cares.

[Swapnil4585]

I'm not sure on this, but is the term "spare part(s)" an example of incorrect English?
Is it correct to say, "I purchased a spare part for my car?"

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by Swapnil4585

I'm not sure on this, but is the term "spare part(s)" an example of incorrect English?
Is it correct to say, "I purchased a spare part for my car?"

No, 'spare parts' is correct. "I purchased a spare part for my car" is also correct. To make things clearer, one can say '"I purchased a spare part for my car from the Spare Parts section of Walmart"

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by amitoj

......insensitive to say that someone committed suicide.....

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

....don't think that anyone, ever, thinks the same way when they say "committed suicide" as they do when they say "committed murder." English is a flexible language; words can change their meaning according to context.

I'm all for not hurting sentiments, but isn't that a bit daft? I mean, 'committed' is used in lots of contexts, and surely not all are insensitive? Plus, the word itself is only suggestive of action, not of criminal/negative intent.

Should we then stop saying 'committed to a relationship' or 'committed to a marriage'? I shall not debate whether or not these can be equated with the said 'insensitive' usage.

[Thad E Ginathom]

'committed' is used in lots of contexts, and surely not all are insensitive? Plus, the word itself is only suggestive of action, not of criminal/negative intent.

Chetan, my mind was going the same way after I left this post. Yes, I think you are absolutely right, and we can forget about this

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

I think, I am missing the pun here and in the title.

Originally Posted by troublemaker

IMHO, the Indian driver would hate this (pun intended)!

There is a misunderstanding regarding the word 'pun intended'

'Pun intended' means there is a pun or word play in the sentence that is intentional. But many a times we see that people use it whenever they tell a joke or as in the above case - just to say 'no office meant'

PS : Troublemaker, I didn't want to create trouble (pun intended) in your thread by posting OT. Hence posted this here. But the thread you started is very valid, mind you!

(Please excuse the bad pun)

[Thad E Ginathom]

The usual phrase is no pun intended.

This is a kind of "disclaimer" that we did not actually mean to make what may look like a rather bad joke --- but, at the same time, it draws attention to it and makes the joke anyway. It requires a bit of inside-out double thinking.

If we say pun intended, then it may mean that, yes, it is a bad joke, but we meant to make it anyway.

But I too cannot find the pun in the example.

[mallumowgli]

Can anyone guess what they are saying?

"60 Per Cent of Indians in Kuwait Jailed Over Drugs Cases"

http://www.ndtv.com/diaspora/60-per-...=home-diaspora

Actual news
"More than 60 per cent of total Indian nationals under detention and serving sentences in Central jail of Kuwait are in cases relating to drugs and narcotics"

On second thoughts - should this be in the jokes thread?