How come book libraries are free, but it costs money to borrow a DVD?
One of the many mysteries of the universe...
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
|
How come libraries are free, but it costs money to hire a DVD?
One of the many mysteries of the universe...
I think the bigger mystery is how one hires a DVD. Is this some weird Australian thing where you guys have gone and developed a new verb to use in place of "rent" or "purchase"? If so, shouldn't it have 2-3 more syllables and include multiple instances of the "oo" sound?
;-)
Edit: Too slow on the edit! Ha-ha!
How come libraries are free, but it costs money to hire a DVD?
One of the many mysteries of the universe...
I think the bigger mystery is how one hires a DVD. Is this some weird Australian thing where you guys have gone and developed a new verb to use in place of "rent" or "purchase"? If so, shouldn't it have 2-3 more syllables and include multiple instances of the "oo" sound?
;-)
Edit: Too slow on the edit! Ha-ha!
We do actually say "hire" to refer to borrowing a DVD in Australia. After I wrote it I realized it might confuse the rest of the world so I went back and edited...
Now that you mention it, it kind of makes it sound like a DVD is a living entity that we pay for it's services. I'll remember to thank Super Troopers for all his hard work when I get home.
That's dope, G. Hired.
I'm gonna put that on wax.
I'm glad you're enjoying it. We also have hire cars, which I believe you dodgy foreigners call "rent-a-cars."
So you're saying if I went into Blockbuster in the states and said "I wanna hire Ghostbusters" they'd give me a wierd look? Crikey!*
*[/i]NB: Steve irwin was the last living Australian to use the word "crikey" in a non-ironic way.[/i]
Well you MAY very well want to hire Ghostbusters!
But Blockbuster may not be the best place to look for them...
Reckon that must be an old show. We probably use "whatever" as much as you lot these days.
I just read a book where this Aussie guy went undercover in the US. He had a bunch of American friends trying to teach him how to speak like an American so he could pass as one.
One of them said: "Stop saying "reckon" it makes you sound like a hillbilly."
|
Reckon that must be an old show. We probably use "whatever" as much as you lot these days.I just read a book where this Aussie guy went undercover in the US. He had a bunch of American friends trying to teach him how to speak like an American so he could pass as one.
One of them said: "Stop saying "reckon" it makes you sound like a hillbilly."
Heh. I don't think I've ever said "reckon" in a non-ironic way.
And if you asked to "hire a car" in the US, you'd probably wind up with a taxi and a driver. "Hire" pretty much always refers to paying an individual for a service.
Like, whatever.
How come book libraries are free, but it costs money to borrow a DVD?
One of the many mysteries of the universe...
Book libraries are paid for as well, also, too. Through yer friendly neighborhood taxes. Thank you for yer support. And (at least here in MO), you can get alllllmost any movie you might want to hire.
How come libraries are free, but it costs money to hire a DVD?
I think the bigger mystery is how one hires a DVD...
We do actually say "hire" to refer to borrowing a DVD in Australia...
That's what happens to English in the wrong hands. Leave it to those of us who invented the language -- Americans :P
Another mystery: Why do Kamikazi pilots wear helmuts? They're gonna die with it or without...
From the country which gave the world "wassup?" and "doh!" ...As bad as those words are, at least our country's cities, towns, and landmarks don't sound like they were named by a group of 4th grade boys on a pixie stick high.
No, you're right. Not counting the places where the settlers went "hey, we come from York. Let's call this place... New York!" (which we also have), your place names seem to a humble outsider like someone opened the bible at a random page and pointed at a passage with their eyes shut.
"OK you varmints, we's callin' this place Judgement-of-the-Lord, Colorado."
|
From the country which gave the world "wassup?" and "doh!" ...As bad as those words are, at least our country's cities, towns, and landmarks don't sound like they were named by a group of 4th grade boys on a pixie stick high.
I like Albuquerque, Poughkeepsie, and Possum Kingdom Lake meself.
Gimme Pixie stixses!!!!!!! :o|
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
|
No, you're right. Not counting the places where the settlers went "hey, we come from York. Let's call this place... New York!" (which we also have), your place names seem to a humble outsider like someone opened the bible at a random page and pointed at a passage with their eyes shut.
"OK you varmints, we's callin' this place Judgement-of-the-Lord, Colorado."
I only say varmints in a non-ironic way, and only in reference to wabbits.
Now I'm curious though, what are the biblical names to which you are referring. I always thought that was a New Zealand thing (Christchurch anyone?) American places names are usually (a) English place names with the word New in front, (b) Indian words (go Michigan!), or (c) Spanish (San Diego).
|
|
From the country which gave the world "wassup?" and "doh!" ...As bad as those words are, at least our country's cities, towns, and landmarks don't sound like they were named by a group of 4th grade boys on a pixie stick high.
Hey, you leave Warremparragamble Pedyville alone!
Actually I’d hazard a guess that most places “settled” by the British (etc) would have quite a mixture of place name types, from references to the mother-land (“hey, this place doesn’t really look like York but we wish it did, so we’ll call it New York”), references to well known folk or expidition leaders from the mother-land (“I, Sir Jospeh Banks, name this town Bankstown”), native words (“The natives keep calling this place Parramatta, so in their honour that’s what it shall be named” (not knowing it means “put away those beads and get off our land white man”), and religious references (“this place has a church so we’ll call it Christchurch).
Now I'm curious though, what are the biblical names to which you are referring. I always thought that was a New Zealand thing (Christchurch anyone?) American places names are usually (a) English place names with the word New in front, (b) Indian words (go Michigan!), or (c) Spanish (San Diego).No, you're right. Not counting the places where the settlers went "hey, we come from York. Let's call this place... New York!" (which we also have), your place names seem to a humble outsider like someone opened the bible at a random page and pointed at a passage with their eyes shut.
"OK you varmints, we's callin' this place Judgement-of-the-Lord, Colorado."
Well, the Spanish ones are mostly religious for a start. Saint Francis, Saint Diego, The Angels. But I was thinking of little towns named after obscure people and places in the bible, like Hebron, Shiloh, Boaz, etc. Google says: http://www.britam.org/names.html
The very british people who built Canberra, our capital city, wanted to call it "Shakespeare," but the PM's wife ended up drawing from a hat and got the local Aboriginal name "Kamberra" which they changed the spelling of for some reason. I am so glad the capital of Australia is not Shakespeare. It would change the whole tone of our country...
Another mystery: Why do Kamikazi pilots wear helmuts? They're gonna die with it or without...
I don't know... maybe so they have somewhere to attach sponsorship stickers?
|
|
Another mystery: Why do Kamikazi pilots wear helmuts? They're gonna die with it or without...
It was probably to prevent them from bumping their head and possibly blacking out or something during takeoff and manouvering prior to the kamikazi run.
Or simply that a helmet was a standard issue part of the uniform and no one really thought about it much.
By Wee-jas i need to hire me a Kamakazie pilot with a helmet to take out the shat!
|
From the country which gave the world "wassup?" and "doh!" ...
As bad as those words are, at least our country's cities, towns, and landmarks don't sound like they were named by a group of 4th grade boys on a pixie stick high.
Hey, you leave Warremparragamble Pedyville alone!
Actually I’d hazard a guess that most places “settled” by the British (etc) would have quite a mixture of place name types, from references to the mother-land (“hey, this place doesn’t really look like York but we wish it did, so we’ll call it New York”), references to well known folk or expidition leaders from the mother-land (“I, Sir Jospeh Banks, name this town Bankstown”), native words (“The natives keep calling this place Parramatta, so in their honour that’s what it shall be named” (not knowing it means “put away those beads and get off our land white man”), and religious references (“this place has a church so we’ll call it Christchurch).
For reference, Christchurch is a medium sized town on the south coast of England, and I imagine the New Zealand version is named after that. The original name was probably Anglo-Saxon or something.
|
|
Book libraries are paid for as well, also, too. Through yer friendly neighborhood taxes. Thank you for yer support. And (at least here in MO), you can get alllllmost any movie you might want to hire.How come book libraries are free, but it costs money to borrow a DVD?
One of the many mysteries of the universe...
Hey, Drunken Nomad--where in MO are you?
"Shakespeare" would be a nice name for a sleepy little hamlet.
You punny guy you!
Why do we drive in aparkway, and park in a driveway?
Why do we drive in aparkway, and park in a driveway?
Your supposed to drive on a parkway? That's crazy-talk. But it might explain why I keep getting parking tickets...
How come book libraries are free, but it costs money to borrow a DVD?
One of the many mysteries of the universe...
This quarter's "2600: The Hacker Quarterly" has a good article about hacking Library self-check out machines.
Hey, Drunken Nomad--where in MO are you?
Springfield MO, home of the Simpsons! (and Brad Pitt, sheesh)
I'm from down there originally (went to high school in Bolivar) but now I live in Moberly.
Bolivar got hit reallyreally hard in this last ice storm. Feel bad for those guys. I think I saw the mayor actually crying on the news during an interview.
For reference, Christchurch is a medium sized town on the south coast of England, and I imagine the New Zealand version is named after that. The original name was probably Anglo-Saxon or something.
Actually, the settling pilgrims wanted to build a city around a cathedral and college -- the inspiration was Christ Church in Oxford.
Why do people think we have anything to do with global warming(the planet went from hot to cold and so on long before we got here)?
Why is the Polish rye at the store down the block $15 a pound( it's bread for the love of Kord)?
Why can't I sleep instead of posting like a madman at 2:02 a.m.?