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What Drives You Crazy?


Subdude

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Since we're on the subject of language, I've noticed that in the past few years fewer and fewer people understand the difference between "it's" and "its".

"It's" is a contraction for "it is". "Its" is a possessive pronoun.

The same punctuation rule applies to "who's" and "whose".

Do schools no longer teach English?

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No. Spanish is spoke in Spain. What they speak in Mexicoa is not true Spanish. So all I can call it is Mexican until I know a proper name.

dude, you sound like an idiot by referring to the language as mexican rather than spanish. there are several mexicans on this forum and it

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Since we're on the subject of language, I've noticed that in the past few years fewer and fewer people understand the difference between "it's" and "its".

"It's" is a contraction for "it is". "Its" is a possessive pronoun.

The same punctuation rule applies to "who's" and "whose".

Do schools no longer teach English?

Speaking and writing English correctly does seem a bit unusual nowadays. In general, I attribute that to the proliferation of American pop/trash culture and the spread of illegal aliens, no doubt. ;)

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let's not forget the awful slang.

but you also have to remember, the American English language is one of the most transient languages in the world.

Definitions seem to morph, new words are created, and old ones die.

No wonder it's one of the most difficult languages to learn.

Ricco

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No. Spanish is spoke in Spain. What they speak in Mexicoa is not true Spanish. So all I can call it is Mexican until I know a proper name.

Where's Mexicoa? And PLEASE learn to speak English properly yourself before complaining about immigrants not speaking it at all. Everyone I know that speaks English as a second language speaks it properly, unlike many native speakers.

Spanish is spoken in Spain.

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let's not forget the awful slang.

but you also have to remember, the American English language is one of the most transient languages in the world. 

Definitions seem to morph, new words are created, and old ones die.

No wonder it's one of the most difficult languages to learn.

Ricco

I heard something about this not too long ago on the radio. NPR maybe? Anyway, they were talking about all the new "MBA euphemisms" that have been created. Words like "proactive, assertive, etc" that people never used before. You're right, English is constantly changing. Though I suspect that most languages are, now that we live in a global society. Some countries are even adopting English names for new words. There was a bruhaha in France about the usage of the word "e-mail". They tried to give it a French name--courriel--but I think people still call it e-mail.

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I might have to agree with you on MOST languages changing as frequently as English.

Russian, French (ha!), italian, and other countries who join the global market WILL change their language to suit the technology. The countries that are less developed don't really HAVE a reason to adopt new words. It just isn't as necessary.

An interesting read if the english language fascinates you is George Carlin's ""When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops" is an interesting study (believe it or not) in the English language.

Ricco

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I might have to agree with you on MOST languages changing as frequently as English.

Russian, French (ha!), italian, and other countries who join the global market WILL change their language to suit the technology.  The countries that are less developed don't really HAVE a reason to adopt new words.  It just isn't as necessary.

An interesting read if the english language fascinates you is George Carlin's ""When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops" is an interesting study (believe it or not) in the English language.

Ricco

In contrast to that, I would say German has done a fine job of *not* altering there language to fit modern needs. Although they have made new words over the years (only a handful) there language hasn't changed since mid-evil times. If German was, say, switched with english... We would talk like "Thou art shal not..." etc.

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That's quite true.

To this day, Someone from certain parts of Poland can speak to a German and be understood, if they speak slowly and pay attention.

Dangerous Liasons is still able to be read in French by any high school level student in france with little problem. Many texts in Chinese can still be read relatively easily as well as Turkish and whatnot by everyday people.

Yet it takes a degree to fully understand Shakespeare or any works made previous to 1800.

Ricco

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I can understand why countries like France and Germany have gone to great lengths to maintain their languages, since they view the languages as integral to their culture. In a sense, however, the price they pay is that English's ongoing evolution and flexibility have helped make it the lingua franca of much of the EU and of business throughout the world.

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That's quite true.

To this day, Someone from certain parts of Poland can speak to a German and be understood, if they speak slowly and pay attention.

Dangerous Liasons is still able to be read in French by any high school level student in france with little problem.  Many texts in Chinese can still be read relatively easily as well as Turkish and whatnot by everyday people.

Yet it takes a degree to fully understand Shakespeare or any works made previous to 1800.

Ricco

But it makes it "proper" or "Formal" to speak the "straight forward" language...

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In contrast to that, I would say German has done a fine job of *not* altering there language to fit modern needs. Although they have made new words over the years (only a handful) there language hasn't changed since mid-evil times. If German was, say, switched with english... We would talk like "Thou art shal not..." etc.

Did they recently discontinue use of the "

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Another thing that drives me crazy is when people take up two parking spots.  It makes me even more crazy when parking is scarce.  I mean, how greedy are these people?

No kidding. I don't care if you can afford a $60,000 car. That doesn't give you the right to take up extra space so nobody accidentally touches your baby. But some people are just snobs like that. I once dated one of them who was so paranoid about someone dinging his new Jaguar that he'd only park it way out in a parking lot away from the store, hoping nobody would park near him. And then he'd take two spaces. And then bitch about the long walk to the building. We only went out a couple of times and I couldn't take his attitude anymore. But then I was quite pleased to hear a few weeks later that he had wrecked his precious car trying to cut line around a line of stopped cars at the West Loop/Southwest Freeway interchange. :)

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First off, you're correct in a certain sense in regards to spaniard and Mexican languages.

A spaniard CAN talk to a Mexican.

A Mexican CAN talk to a Guatamalen.

A Mexican can talk to a Columbian.

A Honduran can speak to a Brazilian.

They ALL speak spanish. Spain IS the origin of the SPANISH LANGUAGE. But it simply has "evolved" into different dialects; much as How the ENGLISH LANGUAGE, which was originally from ENGLAND, evolved to.

Now as far as how the Vienamese has different signs put up is because they can't read the english lettering but have their own form of alphabet which is totally different from us.

In case you haven't noticed, alot of the City names and street names have the same type of lettering as Spanish or english, and some or even german, but we don't change THOSE street signs do we?

sorry, hunter, but you need to put in more thought to your arguments in your statements.

BTW: Generally, Mexicans and Spaniards do NOT get along. Some still hold a grudge.

See if you can figure out THAT statement. (No help from the studio audience please, hunter needs to check his facts on his own)

Ricco

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First off, you're correct in a certain sense in regards to spaniard and Mexican languages.

A spaniard CAN talk to a Mexican.

A Mexican CAN talk to a Guatamalen.

A Mexican can talk to a Columbian.

A Honduran can speak to a Brazilian.

They ALL speak spanish.  Spain IS the origin of the SPANISH LANGUAGE.  But it simply has "evolved" into different dialects; much as How the ENGLISH LANGUAGE, which was originally from ENGLAND, evolved to.

Now as far as how the Vienamese has different signs put up is because they can't read the english lettering but have their own form of alphabet which is totally different from us. 

In case you haven't noticed, alot of the City names and street names have the same type of lettering as Spanish or english, and some or even german, but we don't change THOSE street signs do we?

sorry, hunter, but you need to put in more thought to your arguments in your statements.

BTW:  Generally, Mexicans and Spaniards do NOT get along.  Some still hold a grudge.

See if you can figure out THAT statement. (No help from the studio audience please, hunter needs to check his facts on his own)

Ricco

:mellow:

Brazil does not speak spanish, they speak Portugese...

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Well until they put those on the Key Board, people will just be lazy...

If you want to type them yourself, you just need to buy an international keyboard. I picked up one for my Windows XP box when I was in Vienna last. It was really good quality, and really cheap, too at one of the stores on Mariahilferstra

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