Re: [math-fun] pant versus pants
On 2014-01-24 18:48, Huddleston, Scott wrote:
Thanks to Allan Sherman's comedy lyrics, I grew up thinking "half a pairs of scissors is a single sciss" :-) It's actually the rarely used "scissor".
-----Original Message----- From: math-fun-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:math-fun-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of meekerdb Sent: Friday, January 24, 2014 5:59 PM To: math-fun
They say "pants" because they have two legs, the same way they say "pliers" and "scissors".
Brent Meeker
On 1/24/2014 6:38 AM, Adam P. Goucher wrote:
Quite a lot of Anglo-American confusion arises from the fact that American `pants' are trousers, whereas British `pants' are underwear.
Of course, I'm surprised that Americans don't say `pant' instead. (!)
Sincerely,
Adam P. Goucher
----- Original Message ----- From: W. Edwin Clark Sent: 01/24/14 06:12 AM To: math-fun Subject: [math-fun] math versus maths
This video defends the American way. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbZCECvoaTA>
Perhaps stolen years earlier from Roger Price: http://capj.livejournal.com/11301.html --rwg While "aluminum" may have been a mistake, we don't say plumbium, stannium, aurium, or argentium. I grew up thinking Saksfifth was an avenue.
Bill Gosper <billgosper@gmail.com> wrote:
On 2014-01-24 18:48, Huddleston, Scott wrote:
Thanks to Allan Sherman's comedy lyrics, I grew up thinking "half a pairs of scissors is a single sciss" :-) It's actually the rarely used "scissor".
-----Original Message----- From: math-fun-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:math-fun-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of meekerdb Sent: Friday, January 24, 2014 5:59 PM To: math-fun
They say "pants" because they have two legs, the same way they say "pliers" and "scissors".
Brent Meeker
On 1/24/2014 6:38 AM, Adam P. Goucher wrote:
Quite a lot of Anglo-American confusion arises from the fact that American `pants' are trousers, whereas British `pants' are underwear.
Of course, I'm surprised that Americans don't say `pant' instead. (!)
Sincerely,
Adam P. Goucher
----- Original Message ----- From: W. Edwin Clark Sent: 01/24/14 06:12 AM To: math-fun Subject: [math-fun] math versus maths
This video defends the American way. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbZCECvoaTA>
Perhaps stolen years earlier from Roger Price: http://capj.livejournal.com/11301.html --rwg While "aluminum" may have been a mistake, we don't say plumbium, stannium, aurium, or argentium. I grew up thinking Saksfifth was an avenue.
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mathfuneavesdroppers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mathfuneavesdroppers+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. I grew up thinking the stick of sealing wax my great grandfather used to seal letters that was in my granfather's rolltop desk was "ceiling wax" and could never understand why someone would put wax on the ceiling. The same goes for the phrase "best seller" which I thought was "best cellar". Never could understand what made one the best. J. Brillhart
* jdb@math.arizona.edu <jdb@math.arizona.edu> [Jan 25. 2014 09:45]:
[...] I grew up thinking the stick of sealing wax my great grandfather used to seal letters that was in my granfather's rolltop desk was "ceiling wax" and could never understand why someone would put wax on the ceiling. The same goes for the phrase "best seller" which I thought was "best cellar". Never could understand what made one the best. J. Brillhart
When I grew up, still learning my mother tongue (German), I would wonder why in TV-news they kept mentioning that mysterious "Rohr-Schinken" (en: "pipe-ham"). ... which actually was "Washington", as I learned much later. Best regards, jj
[...]
P.S.: does anyone know anybody who recollects asking for their own name? Here is my story: Got aware that I got a name. Asked my mother what it was, but immediately forgot. Asked again, wishing to be able to recall it, but still forgot after a few minutes. Getting annoyed with myself for having forgotten. Asked again, then repeated it over and over to myself. Remembered it from there, success!
Oh say can you see by the donzerly light...
-----Original Message----- From: math-fun- bounces+davidwwilson=comcast.net@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:math- fun-bounces+davidwwilson=comcast.net@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Joerg Arndt Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 4:37 AM To: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] pant versus pants
* jdb@math.arizona.edu <jdb@math.arizona.edu> [Jan 25. 2014 09:45]:
[...] I grew up thinking the stick of sealing wax my great grandfather used to seal letters that was in my granfather's rolltop desk was "ceiling wax" and could never understand why someone would put wax on the ceiling. The same goes for the phrase "best seller" which I thought was "best cellar". Never could understand what made one the best. J. Brillhart
When I grew up, still learning my mother tongue (German), I would wonder why in TV-news they kept mentioning that mysterious "Rohr-Schinken" (en: "pipe-ham").
... which actually was "Washington", as I learned much later.
Best regards, jj
[...]
P.S.: does anyone know anybody who recollects asking for their own name? Here is my story: Got aware that I got a name. Asked my mother what it was, but immediately forgot. Asked again, wishing to be able to recall it, but still forgot after a few minutes. Getting annoyed with myself for having forgotten. Asked again, then repeated it over and over to myself. Remembered it from there, success!
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I wondered for years what "wanation" meant in the pledge of allegiance. On Sat, Jan 25, 2014 at 7:59 AM, David Wilson <davidwwilson@comcast.net> wrote:
Oh say can you see by the donzerly light...
-----Original Message----- From: math-fun- bounces+davidwwilson=comcast.net@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:math- fun-bounces+davidwwilson=comcast.net@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Joerg Arndt Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 4:37 AM To: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] pant versus pants
* jdb@math.arizona.edu <jdb@math.arizona.edu> [Jan 25. 2014 09:45]:
[...] I grew up thinking the stick of sealing wax my great grandfather used to seal letters that was in my granfather's rolltop desk was "ceiling wax" and could never understand why someone would put wax on the ceiling. The same goes for the phrase "best seller" which I thought was "best cellar". Never could understand what made one the best. J. Brillhart
When I grew up, still learning my mother tongue (German), I would wonder why in TV-news they kept mentioning that mysterious "Rohr-Schinken" (en: "pipe-ham").
... which actually was "Washington", as I learned much later.
Best regards, jj
[...]
P.S.: does anyone know anybody who recollects asking for their own name? Here is my story: Got aware that I got a name. Asked my mother what it was, but immediately forgot. Asked again, wishing to be able to recall it, but still forgot after a few minutes. Getting annoyed with myself for having forgotten. Asked again, then repeated it over and over to myself. Remembered it from there, success!
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
I grew up thinking the stick of sealing wax my great grandfather used to seal letters that was in my granfather's rolltop desk was "ceiling wax" and could never understand why someone would put wax on the ceiling. The same goes for the phrase "best seller" which I thought was "best cellar". Never could understand what made one the best. J. Brillhart
And when they explained that it was for putting it on lettuce instead, you would have been none the wiser ... WFL
participants (7)
-
Bill Gosper -
Dan Asimov -
David Wilson -
Fred Lunnon -
James Buddenhagen -
jdb＠math.arizona.edu -
Joerg Arndt