Hey you english speaking doods

[Liar]

I have a question.

Does the phrase "a squid eating crab" mean a crab that eats squid or a quid that eats crab?

And how can you tell?

TIA

 

[Tryharder62]

I think you have to look at the illustrations.

 

[CHNOPS]

I have a question.

Does the phrase "a squid eating crab" mean a crab that eats squid or a quid that eats crab?

And how can you tell?

TIA

As written, it means there is a squid eating some crab. With a hyphen, 'squid-eating' would be a compound modifier describing the crab.

 

[koalabear]

I have a question.

Does the phrase "a squid eating crab" mean a crab that eats squid or a quid that eats crab?

And how can you tell?

TIA

It depends if sean has fallen in the gutter yet.

 

[butters]

I have a question.

Does the phrase "a squid eating crab" mean a crab that eats squid or a quid that eats crab?

And how can you tell?

TIA

hyphens

for it to mean a crab that eats squid, you need the hyphen. however, if the person who wrote it (or said it) didn't hyphenate, it's either because they meant a squid that's eating a crab or they don't know how to avoid ambiguity.

 

[islandman]

As written, it means there is a squid eating some crab. With a hyphen, 'squid-eating' would be a compound modifier describing the crab.

hyphens

for it to mean a crab that eats squid, you need the hyphen. however, if the person who wrote it (or said it) didn't hyphenate, it's either because they meant a squid that's eating a crab or they don't know how to avoid ambiguity.

And how do you explain koalabear's post?

Mother drank whilst pregnant?

 

[jmace1000]

I agree with the hyphen explanation, but others got there before me

 

[CHNOPS]

And how do you explain koalabear's post?

Mother drank whilst pregnant?

He's a boring clod.

 

[butters]

And how do you explain koalabear's post?

Mother drank whilst pregnant?

i wouldn't begin to try. i don't read his posts.

 

[Disgustipated]

He's a boring clod.

I'm almost convinced it's a bot. No way any upright human could or would want to be here as much as it.

 

[kbate]

And how do you explain koalabear's post?

Mother drank whilst pregnant?

A spacial warp tying Koalabear to the brain of Mike Yates at the instant he hit 'reply' and then a freak connection to Cade when he typed the resulting answer and hit 'submit'.

Nothing else is possible.

 

[evesdream]

A spacial warp tying Koalabear to the brain of Mike Yates at the instant he hit 'reply' and then a freak connection to Cade when he typed the resulting answer and hit 'submit'.

Nothing else is possible.

 

[bronzeage]

And how do you explain koalabear's post?

Mother drank whilst pregnant?

Low batteries in the CO monitor.

 

[kotori]

I have a question.

Does the phrase "a squid eating crab" mean a crab that eats squid or a quid that eats crab?

And how can you tell?

TIA

Just be glad it wasn't a quid-eating crab. That could get expensive.

 

[Liar]

hyphens

Looks to me those thingys are neglected to the point it's almost become the norm.

however, if the person who wrote it (or said it) didn't hyphenate

How do you say a hyphen?

 

[Liar]

And how do you explain koalabear's post?

Eucalyptus rots the brain.

 

[koalabear]

Eucalyptus rots the brain.

or one well placed post wrecks your squirrely thread.

 

[butters]

Looks to me those thingys are neglected to the point it's almost become the norm.

How do you say a hyphen?

indeed

the pause between words is that incy bit shorter, and, in most cases, there's an enhanced emphasis on the first of the two words denoting the second is related to it as a hyphenated whole. fuck, you know anyway.

 

[phrodeau]

Looks to me those thingys are neglected to the point it's almost become the norm.

How do you say a hyphen?

The speaker needs to avoid ambiguity by rephrasing the statement. Saying, "A squid eating a crab" or "a squid eating some crab" would clearly distinguish from "a squid-eating crab". Likewise, saying "a crab that eats squid" would make the meaning clear.

There are definitely different rules for spoken English and written English.

 

[CHNOPS]

Looks to me those thingys are neglected to the point it's almost become the norm.

How do you say a hyphen?

I don't think they're used any more or less now than they ever have been. I think we just see more people's writing now than we used to. Same with "your" for "you're."

Presumably a speaker would not walk into a room and say "a squid eating crab" and then leave, although I wish someone would. There are almost always context and inflectional cues for spoken communication. Even barring any other clues, the prosody of the speaker's native language would contain a host of information that would sort one meaning from the other. In English, for example, a crab-that-eats-squid would likely be pronounced triplet-whole (a squid-eat-ing CRAB). A squid that is eating crab would be something closer to FOUR-[one two] three four ONE (a SQUID [pause-two]-eat-ing CRAB.

Etc.

 

[Saint Peter]

You ain't got no beat.

 

[Saint Peter]

You got less rhythm than killswitch.

 

[CHNOPS]

Maybe someday, with enough perseverance, I'll get it down.

 

[Saint Peter]

Start slow.

Boom Fap
Boom Boom Fap

You know, work up from there.

 

[CHNOPS]

I see your problem now.

You fap too much.