I drink enough, I can write just like that

Mad Bomber wrote:

ozy...your kind words(?) have caught me five and one half acorns under the tree

idiolect sounds pretty insulting to me :) If only google could translate this metaphor...

Are we off topic yet?

Hugh wrote:

Mad Bomber wrote:

ozy...your kind words(?) have caught me five and one half acorns under the tree

idiolect sounds pretty insulting to me :) If only google could translate this metaphor...

Are we off topic yet?

Not at all meant to be insulting.  Originally I had patois there, but when I checked the definition of that it can sometimes be used in a condescending way, so I changed to idiolect which (by strict definition) is more neutral and actually was more accurate:

In linguistics, an idiolect is an individual's distinctive and unique use of language, including speech. This unique usage encompasses vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Idiolect is the variety of language unique to an individual...

MB actually reminds me a lot of a very smart friend of mine from high school/college.  Someone I don't talk to much anymore, but still think fondly of.  I know it's (probably) not my friend, but that's how I always picture him when we chat.  Same thing with how CK66 is really Louie CK.  (Louie CK was born in 66 you know (ok 67, but I tell myself that's a lie by his publicist to shave a year off his age)).

Awesome...

When I first read Ozy's post I thought "Idiolect" was a mash-up word he created combining "idiot" + "dialect".  I love made-up words, but I thought indirectly calling MB an idiot was a little harsh and certainly uncharacteristic of Ozy.  Since I was at work I just moved on.

Now I see "idiolect" is a real word.  Thanks for the definition Ozy.  And it's usage certainly fits here.  I love words in general.

If you find this interesting - the etymology of "idiolect" is from the greek word "idios" meaning "one's own" as in "idiom" and "idiosyncratic".  "idiot" developed from this also,  but it's connotation has progressively turned harsher over time from "idiota" meaning "ordinary person" in early Latin to it's usage today.

Also awesome in MB's post is "I catch 37 lb. halibut in my local sloughs".  That's an example of why 37 is my personal number.  It is frequently used by people when they are just grabbing for a "random" medium-large number.

Amidon37 wrote:

Also awesome in MB's post is "I catch 37 lb. halibut in my local sloughs".  That's an example of why 37 is my personal number.  It is frequently used by people when they are just grabbing for a "random" medium-large number.

When looking for a random number I usually go for a prime. Yeah I know it's not random, but it doesn't have all that 'factor' baggage ..and if I really want to emphasis the randomness, I append a fraction - and though I would prefer an irrational expression, I usually settle on one that converts to a repeating decimal in our base ten world.  17 2/3 is one of my common go-to 'random' numbers.

Are we off-topic?  ..or does this count as an "interesting thought?"

Even better!

That a BIG fish, but a small halibut.

Big Fish - that was a good movie. I especially like that scene at the start when the newborn literally popped out of the womb and slid down the hospital floor through everyone's legs...definitely a LOL moment.

Thingol wrote: Big Fish - that was a good movie. I especially like that scene at the start when the newborn literally popped out of the womb and slid down the hospital floor through everyone's legs...definitely a LOL moment.

+1 - This movie started the man crush I had for Ewan McGreggor

  That's an example of why 37 is my personal number.  It is frequently used by people when they are just grabbing for a "random" medium-large number.

Or, for a bar trick if asked to guess a number between 1 & 4 people will overwhelmingly guess 3, and then 1 out of 10 they'll overwhelmingly guess 7.  Get them both and you look like a mind reader.