xkcd #3126: Disclaimer

Title text:

You say no human would reply to a forum thread about Tom Bombadil by writing and editing hundreds of words of text, complete with formatting, fancy punctuation, and two separate uses of the word ‘delve’. Unfortunately for both of us, you are wrong.

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3126/

explainxkcd for #3126

  • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    382·
    3 days ago

    Same. I am one of the rare people who know the difference between i.e. and e.g. I know when to use a semicolon vs an em dash.

    I no longer feel special; it feels wrong.

    • Morlark@feddit.ukEnglish
      135·
      3 days ago

      the rare people who know the difference between i.e. and e.g.

      This honestly isn’t rare at all, and people who try to flaunt it as some kind of mark of erudition tend to come across as… well, not quite what you intended.

      • chunes@lemmy.worldEnglish
        19·
        3 days ago

        Rare in certain corners of the internet? No.

        Rare in the general public? Yes, absolutely.

      • schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        141·
        3 days ago

        it’s stupid that English uses Latin abbreviations for these things; my first language is German and so:

        • “z.B.” = “zum Beispiel” = “for example” = “e.g.”
        • “d.h.” = “das heißt” = “that means” = “i.e.”

        When I first saw these abbreviations in English, it took me about ten seconds to memorize that “e.g.” means “z.B.” and “i.e.” means “d.h.”. If English just did it the way German does and abbreviated its native expressions (“f.e.” and “t.m.”), it would be obvious to everyone which is which.