Ice Pellets
This
is my favorite.
Every time there's a forecast for Ice Pellets I
practically pee myself.
Why am I so excited about Ice Pellets? Simply because the description is
above and beyond the call. There's no need for it, but there it stands,
proudly describing the weather in NYC tomorrow on wunderground.
Sara: Ice pellets? Why don't they just say Ice Rockets.
Or Ice Daggers.
"Cloudy with a chance of Ice Daggers tomorrow." You know some
stiff corporate guys were like "Oh, no, you can't say Ice Rockets." I'd
be fighting for Ice Rockets if I worked there. The guy's like "Fine, ok,
can we at least put Ice Pellets? (muttered) and if I slip and put Ice
Bullets..."
Why don't they just say hail?
Eric: I don't know, but that's the beauty of it.
Tomorrow, Thirty-two
degrees and Ice Pellets. Awesome.
11:58 pm | permalink |
/technology/web |
0 writebacks |
Wordplay For Graduates
So Sara's recently found a new job, and the guy runs a small business
and wants to do his background checking on his own.
That's fine and actually kind of admirable (it's more work than you
might think) but it means that Sara has to call Wagner and ask them to
send an official transcript.
Here's the problem - when you call the college, how do you introduce
yourself?
Hi, My name is Sara, I'm an Alumn... **Screeeeeech**
And this is where the conversation comes to an abrupt halt.
Somewhere, in the back of your mind, you know that the word Alumni is
incorrect in this context. The question is, there are a slew of other
words that might be right. Alumnus, that's singular, but isn't that just
for men? So is it Alumna? Who's ever heard anyone actually say the word alumna in conversation?
Lets ask google.
We used to have “alumnus” (male singular), “alumni” (male plural),
“alumna” (female singular) and “alumnae” (female plural); but the latter two are now
popular only among older female graduates, with the first two terms becoming unisex. However, it is still
important to distinguish between one alumnus and a stadium full of alumni. Never say, “I am an
alumni” if you don’t want to cast discredit on your school. Many avoid the whole problem by
resorting to the informal abbreviation “alum.”
Sara: So I can say I'm an alumnus, or an alumna. Hmm. Those both sound retarded
Eric: You could say I graduated in 2001.
Sara: Oh yeah. That'd work.
11:33 pm | permalink |
/life |
1 writebacks |
