this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
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[–] SleafordMod@feddit.uk 12 points 7 hours ago
[–] iknowitwheniseeit@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The Chinese language has different articles depending on what noun it is for. So 一杯可乐 versus 一双筷子.

In German there are three genders of articles that are basically randomly assigned to each noun.

Sometimes these make sense, but not always, and with languages you have to learn arbitrary information.

It feels like the original post is disparaging American English for not using arbitrary nouns for collections of things. As with most differences between American and British English, the American version is simpler and loses very little. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

English (traditional) versus English (simplified)

[–] Randelung@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Bunch of coconuts. A lovely one at that.

[–] beliquititious@lemmy.blahaj.zone 50 points 20 hours ago

We have fun collective names. A group of white men is called a podcast, for example.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 65 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

My favorite is a complaint of Karens.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

They are called "Americans" in Europe

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

An Americans of Karens?

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 29 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I'm partial to "fuckton."

A fuckton of geese. A fuckton of sheep. A fuckton of ice cream.

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 16 points 20 hours ago (6 children)

The only time Americans will use metric /s

[–] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Fun fact, in America, a ton is 2000 pounds, which is slightly less than a metric ton. In America if you order a ton of bricks, you'd get less bricks than you would if you ordered it in France.

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 2 points 1 hour ago

Damn shrinkflation

[–] dankm@lemmy.ca 11 points 13 hours ago

A fuckton is 2000 fucking pounds. A fucktonne (note the spelling.. metric) is 1000 fucking kilograms.

[–] ilost7489@lemmy.ca 9 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

English fuckton, not metric

[–] Klear@lemmy.world 5 points 7 hours ago

Metric fuckton has more punch though.

[–] JizzmasterD@lemmy.ca 12 points 20 hours ago

Nah, that’s a « fuck-tonne »

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 8 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

Nah, Americans use metric for selling drugs at the very least.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

You can't buy a cup of crack in the US?

[–] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Volumetric measurements aren't really good for drugs, the density of the drug may vary depending on quality, origin or manufacturer, in the case of crack and meth. Weight is always better, but then you measure with half, quarter, eighth and sixteenths of ounces. See, we do have to use fractions after all.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

I guess I have a lot to learn before launching my drug cartel.

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 2 points 9 hours ago

Drugs, not even ounce

[–] rockerface@lemm.ee 4 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Also for gun calibers (is that the right word?)

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago

Too true! ( Yep, that's the right word)

[–] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 13 points 21 hours ago

A "fuck that" of humans

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 18 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

It's even easier than that with most people I know

They just describe multiples of individual animals, objects, places or things collectively as just ..... stuff

Flock of geese? .... stuff

A stack of books? ... stuff

group of cars? .... stuff

A planet? .... stuff

A solar system? ... stuff

A galaxy? ... stuff

A galactic neighbourhood? ... stuff

The universe? .... stuff

[–] taladar@sh.itjust.works 10 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

The universe? … stuff

I think George Carlin would say that the universe is a place for your stuff.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

No, it's my stuff, your shit. Whenever it's mine, it's stuff. Whenever it's yours, it's shit. ie. "Get your shit off the counter so I can put my stuff down."

Source: ol Gorgie Boy

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 2 points 22 hours ago

Where else would I put my stuff?

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 1 points 22 hours ago

I never disagree with ol' Georgie

[–] weker01@sh.itjust.works 4 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Sounds like German

plane - flying stuff

Lighter - fire stuff

Vehicle - driving stuff

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 8 points 22 hours ago

lol ... I'm Indigenous Canadian and I speak my language Ojibway/Cree

This made me realize that the modern things we named with our old language sounds like what you describe

Aircraft -> kah-mee-nah-mee-kook .... 'the thing that flies'

Helicopter -> kah-kee-noo-kah-wah-nas-kee-pee-nik ... 'the thing that turns fast'

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 4 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

When the stuff hits your stuff like a very stuff stuff, that's stuff.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 1 points 22 hours ago

Yeah I know ... like stuff ... I dunno ... shrugs shoulders and walks away

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I once knew a person that ended almost every sentence they could with, “and stuff”. I don’t think I’ve ever used the phrase since.

[–] superkret@feddit.org 4 points 21 hours ago

Thus "phenomenology" means αποφαινεσθαι τα φαινομενα – to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself. And stuff”

― Martin Heidegger

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 8 points 23 hours ago

Buncha time.

[–] superkret@feddit.org 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Fun fact: The English collective noun for multiple Americans is a "volume".

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 2 points 23 hours ago

Wicked cools