The Improve Your English Thread v3

[kala_way]

2.
"of which" is a rather wordy phrase and doesn't work in a lot of contexts. It tends to sound awkward or formal. You could use it like this though:

The ABC Company had many new services, the most popular of which was free delivery.

[Pox Voldius]

Originally Posted by kala_way

2.
"of which" is a rather wordy phrase and doesn't work in a lot of contexts. It tends to sound awkward or formal. You could use it like this though:

The ABC Company had many new services the most popular of which was free delivery.

Though, I think there ought to be a comma after "services" in that sentence.

[ominous]

Currently I have been translating a powerpoint presentation into Korean. The presenter is a video game developer and I have little knowledge in that field. To make matter worse, because it is a presentation material, almost all contents are not complete sentences.
I hope there are someone here who has knowledge in the video game industry and game developing and help me out.

Here are the parts which are bugging me.

The below is a part of his brief personal history.

1971-80: Writing games on mainframes: Baseball (1971-80), Star Trek (1972-74), Dungeon (1975-80)

What are mainframes? large computers? or some tools that were used in game developing?

The below is the whole contents of one slide.

Patterns of History
Early years of "Next Gen" Cycles
1. Small installed base, hard to make profit,even from cross-platform titles
2. Exclusives get extra resources
3. Prior Gen still has legs
4. Team learning new machines
5. Hard-core early adopter audience
6. Press, Retail target hard-core
7. Demand for "The Completely Different"
8. Great time for new IP's

2, 4, 6, 8 - What do they mean? "New machines" means "new video game platforms"?
IP means "Intellectual Properties"?

Patterns of History
Middle years of "Next Gen" Cycles
1. Installed base grows, more predictable profit
2. Prior Gen becoming hand-me-down
3. Teams mastering new machines
4. Hard-core audience broadening
5. Press, Retail fighting for eyeball-share: the supermarket magazine rack
6. Good for new IP's, Licenses becoming more feasible

Patterns of History
Later years of "Next Gen" Cycles
1. Installed base enables major hits
2. Prior Gen fades
3. New machines played like Stradivarius
4. Hard-core a significant force...but distinctly a minority
5. Press, Retail fighting for eyeball-share: game releases as events
6. "Oreo" strategy most valuable
7. Licenses help reach "Non Gamer Gamers"

And this is the last one.

Console Game Hardware Transitions
"The hardware with the most raw power to present visusal sizzle and game play responsiveness usually wins."

Does that mean "the hardware has been very important power to make games' visual very real and vivid and made games more easy to play which has led to success"?

[Pox Voldius]

Yes, mainframes are large computers (or at least were at the time). --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainframe_computer


Not entirely sure about all of the phrases you have questions on...but...let's see...

"6. Press, Retail target hard-core" -- seems to be referring back to #5 above it. Press = news media, journalists, reporters, etc. Retail = stores. "Hard-core" means that someone is very into something, often to the point of being obsessed with whatever it is they're into (in this case, video games).

In this context, "Intellectual Properties" does sound likely for the meaning of "IP".

A "Stradivarius" is a master violin or other stringed instrument built by the Stradivari family in Italy -- so they're making a comparison of the way the new machines are played to a musician playing a Stradivarius, which means that they're playing them excellently.

I'm guessing that "eyeball-share" is referring to how visible the new gaming products are to either the target audience or the general public -- how the press & the retailers are advertising the new games.

"Oreo" is a kind of layered sandwich cookie -->


A "Non Gamer Gamer" is probably someone who likes to play video games, but only does so casually -- not a hardcore gamer.


"The hardware with the most raw power to present visual sizzle and game play responsiveness usually wins."

"raw power" = unrefined power, brute force, lots of power
"visual sizzle" = doesn't have to be realistic, but could be vivid -- I think they're referring more to how eye-catching and stunning the graphics are
"game play responsiveness" = yes, easy to play -- a game that's fun to play, that you can figure out how to play it, but it's not so easy that it's boring, a game that presents the player with a challenge without being frustrating

Basically, they're saying that the coolest looking & most fun-to-play games are usually the ones that sell best.

[Murzim]

What does 'mind your P's and Q's' mean, and how common is the expression?

[BublGumPnkHar]

Originally Posted by Murzim

What does 'mind your P's and Q's' mean, and how common is the expression?

It used to be real common, though you hardly hear it anymore. I think it came from the two letters being similar but different (in the lower case) p - q and also next to each other in the alphabet.

But the actually meaning of the phrase (as I understood it) meant just pay attention and/also mind your manners. Maybe some linguist here has a more complete and correct interpretation. I always had more trouble with my g's and q's when spelling or writing.

I am from the US and this may also affect the translation/interpretation.

Hope this helps (somewhat).

[Tiberius]

There are two theories on the origin of the phrase "to mind your Ps and Qs."

The first theory stems from the days when the printing press was first invented. The printers would have collections of small metal blocks, each block had a letter on it, like a stamp. This stamp would be coated with ink, which would stick to the raised letter, and when the rows of these stamps were pressed onto the paper, they would form the letters. However, as they were stamps, each letter had to be a mirror image so that it would come out the right way when it was printed. The lower case "p" and the lower case "q" both looked similar, and of course, the lower case q looked like a p, and vice versa. hence, they were easily confused, which could lead to books being printed with mistakes. "Mind your Ps and Qs" was a phrase to remind people to take care when selecting the letters to avoid mistakes.

The other theory is from pubs. When they were adding up how much beer they had sold at the end of the day, they had to add up the pints and they had to add up the quarts. they had two different prices, so they had to take care to keep the pints separate from the quarts. The phrase in this case means much the same thing as the printer's version.

Incidently, the reason we say uppercase and lowercase letters stems from the days of the printing press. They had two cases, one of which was used for capital letters and the other for the little letters. The capital letters were kept in the upper case, and the little letters were kept in the lower case.

Man, I'm full of useless information, aren't I?

[Melaszka]

I've always known it to mean "be on your best behaviour" or "make sure you are polite", but I think it is quite an old-fashioned phrase now.

Tiberius, I read a book about language myths (Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends David Wilton, New York: OUP 2004) just a couple of weeks ago that mentioned the possible origins of the phrase (first recorded in 1779). Of the printing explanation, Wilton says "while this is a plausible explanation, there is no lexicographical evidence linking printers or printing to the phrase" and the tally of drinks explanation he says is "unsupported by evidence" (the theory that this is how the phrase originated is first mentioned in a Harper's Magazine article of 1852, but there are no recorded usages of the phrase in a drinks context).

He mentions several more popular theories for which there is no evidence whatsoever and about which he is extremely dubious (e.g. that it originated with 18th century sailors, who had to make sure that their greasy pigtails ["queues"] did not stain their pea-coats ["peas"] or is a corruption of "mind your pleases and thank yous").

The two explanations which he thinks most plausible are, however

(a) the phrase derives from the phrase "P and Q" meaning "prime quality", which is in recorded use since 1612, long before "mind your Ps and Qs"

(b) the derivation is similar to the printing one, but refers to children learning to write. "To learn one's Ps and Qs" with this meaning first appears in print in 1820 - later than "mind your Ps and Qs", but close enough to make it plausible.

However, he says "the exact origin is unknown"

[Vladimir_Lupin]

My English is more than fine and though it's not my native language I love to play around with it, and on a lot of topics I can put my thoughts to words in a more elegant, comprehensible manner than in Dutch. But I have a question, if this is the place to ask.

There are two ways to write a word ending on -ise (or -ize). Like Organise/Organize. Same with the noun derived from these verbs (-sation/-zation).
Is there a rule as to when to use an -s- or a -z- in such occasions? Which is more correct, more professional, more eloquent? Somehow, the -s- version to me sounds more professional, yet less natural.

Your advice, please. Thanks in advance!

[kittling]

Originally Posted by Vladimir_Lupin

There are two ways to write a word ending on -ise (or -ize). Like Organise/Organize. Same with the noun derived from these verbs (-sation/-zation).
Is there a rule as to when to use an -s- or a -z- in such occasions? Which is more correct, more professional, more eloquent? Somehow, the -s- version to me sounds more professional, yet less natural.

Your advice, please. Thanks in advance!

I think you'll find tht its simply down to the differance between English and American English.

Organise = English
Organize = American English (I assume!)

[Pox Voldius]

Originally Posted by Vladimir_Lupin

My English is more than fine and though it's not my native language I love to play around with it, and on a lot of topics I can put my thoughts to words in a more elegant, comprehensible manner than in Dutch. But I have a question, if this is the place to ask.

There are two ways to write a word ending on -ise (or -ize). Like Organise/Organize. Same with the noun derived from these verbs (-sation/-zation).
Is there a rule as to when to use an -s- or a -z- in such occasions? Which is more correct, more professional, more eloquent? Somehow, the -s- version to me sounds more professional, yet less natural.

Your advice, please. Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by kittling

I think you'll find tht its simply down to the differance between English and American English.

Organise = English
Organize = American English (I assume!)

You assume correctly

The Z spellings are (U.S.) American English (goes back to Noah Webster and the American Revolutionary War), and the S spellings are British English / Commonwealth English.

So the Z spelling would be considered correct & professional if you're in the United States, and the S spelling would be correct & professional if you're...well...pretty much anywhere else!

I'm American, but personally, I think the S looks nicer a lot of times (and it's easier to type!). I dunno, I read enough things written by people from outside the U.S. that I find myself drifting back and forth between the Z and S spellings.

[Melaszka]

I tend to use S myself, but I think both S and Z are now fine in British English, as long as you're consistent. "Organize" does not strike me as being as distinctly American (i.e. looking odd in British English) as, say, "theater" or "flavor".

[Vladimir_Lupin]

Aha, thank you very much!Seems so logical now that you mention it. Strange I didn't know that, I'm usually rather consistent in using British English. Then again like Melaszka, I don't think it looks all that specifically American with a -z-.

I did always use the -s- but I think mass media got the better of me at some point. I'll make up for my leaving the True Path by fossilising an organisation right this moment!

[Murzim]

Thanks a lot for all the information on Ps and Qs. I didn't even think of the lower case letters , and while I got the meaning from the context the phrase didn't make sense to me.
Thanks

[canismajoris]

Originally Posted by Melaszka

I tend to use S myself, but I think both S and Z are now fine in British English, as long as you're consistent. "Organize" does not strike me as being as distinctly American (i.e. looking odd in British English) as, say, "theater" or "flavor".

And if it was Webster who messed with the spellings in the first place, I'd love to know why--what is the supposed advantage of Z over S+vowel. Whoever determined that Z made more sense evidently thought we were done borrowing Greek, Latin, French, et al. words. The implication being I suppose that [z] sounds should always be represented by the letter Z and that the letter S would always represent the [s] sound. But this is certainly not the case... off the top of my head, "Asia" [ʒ], "phase" [z], "meson" [z], "desert" [z], "laser" [z], "vision" [ʒ], "cause" [z], etc..

Oh well.

[lemon_cherry]

Hey. I have a question. I'm having a really hard time using 'on' and 'in'. Could you please help with this? Thank you.

[Pox Voldius]

Originally Posted by lemon_cherry

Hey. I have a question. I'm having a really hard time using 'on' and 'in'. Could you please help with this? Thank you.

This cat is in the box:


This cat is on the box:


And this bag of cat food has a picture of a cat on it:


This book has pictures in it:


This book has pictures on the cover:

[kittling]

Awww - what a lovely way to demonstrate word usage

[Melaszka]

What a cute kitty!

Rather arbitrary usages (which often confuse my non-native speaker riends) include:

1. on a bicycle, motorbike, train, bus, boat, plane

but

in a car, van, lorry

2. on the television/radio

[ominous]

Any person who issues or causes to be issued an advertisement the issue
of which is prohibited by a direction under this Article or which does not
comply with any requirements imposed by such a direction shall be guilty
of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years
or a fine, or both.

The above is one article of an insurance law. Can you tell me what the bold part especially means?