What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

[WWGD]

Met this guy in his 70s. He's healthy mentally and physically. He inherited some money and now he's considering doing a PhD in either Physics or Greek Studies. He ask my advice after finding out I had a degree. No clue what to tell him.

 

[Borg]

Tell him to go for it.

 

[WWGD]

Tell him to go for it.

I did. Interestingly, he appreciated me listening to him and gave me...a bottle of Mayo, one of Mustard and an A.1 Steak Sauce. I told him " Ah, I guess you just came from shopping?". He replied: " No, why?" ?

 

[WWGD]

I did. Interestingly, he appreciated me listening to him and gave me...a bottle of Mayo, one of Mustard and an A.1 Steak Sauce. I told him " Ah, I guess you just came from shopping?". He replied: " No, why?" ?

I don't mean to imply he's insane or something, I just found it a bit unusual.

 

[Borg]

I don't mean to imply he's insane or something, I just found it a bit unusual.

I would lead with that next time.

 

[fresh_42]

I would lead with that next time.

Next time? He should bring steak and salad. In case you didn't get the hint, @WWGD .

 

[WWGD]

Next time? He should bring steak and salad.

So many times someone brings a t-shirt that reads something like " I love Chocolate"
and I fail to bring mine that reads
" So do I".

 

[malawi_glenn]

Oh, dear! I'm getting old. I have forgotten Hungary. It has ö and ü plus similar accents like French which count as extra letters: three versions of ö and three versions of ü. And of course, Turkish has lots of ü, and ö, too.

Ö is used a lot in swedish. Same with Å and Ä.
∅ empyt set, is norwegian Ö.
Swedish set theory be like Ö$\cup$Ö $=$ Ö

 

[fresh_42]

Ö is used a lot in swedish. Same with Å and Ä.
∅ empyt set, is norwegian Ö.
Swedish set theory be like Ö$\cup$Ö $=$ Ö

Geschmortes Brot says it all.

 

[Ibix]

∅ empyt set, is norwegian Ö.

A Møøse once bit my sister...

 

[malawi_glenn]

A Møøse once bit my sister...

Älg

Pretty scary creatures, "king of the forest" we call them here

 

[fresh_42]

A Møøse once bit my sister...

This isn't funny. We just learned that it is pronounced with an ö, and this is a word that would require a serious warning for profanity.

 

[Ibix]

This isn't funny. We just learned that it is pronounced with an ö, and this is a word that would require a serious warning for profanity.

It's a reference to the closing credits of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which go off on an absurdist tangent about moose. My knowledge of German profanity is quite limited - if I've hit on something rude by accident feel free to delete.

 

[fresh_42]

It's a reference to the closing credits of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which go off on an absurdist tangent about moose. My German profanity is quite limited - if I've hit on something rude by accident feel free to delete.

Nonsense. I was joking. But it is a very nasty word for a female body part.

I once was handed a shot by Hungarian-speaking relatives of my then-girlfriend in Romania. I speak neither language. So I didn't understand the "cheers" and thought I was asked to say the German word for it. I did. It turned out that it meant "idiot" in Romanian. So instead of lifting my glass with a loud "cheers" I accidentally lifted it with a loud "idiot".

 

[malawi_glenn]

Nonsense. I was joking. But it is a very nasty word for a female body part.

I once was handed a shot by Hungarian-speaking relatives of my then-girlfriend in Romania. I speak neither language. So I didn't understand the "cheers" and thought I was asked to say the German word for it. I did. It turned out that it meant "idiot" in Romanian. So instead of lifting my glass with a loud "cheers" I accidentally lifted it with a loud "idiot".

First time I was in poland, I thought everybody was so nice they kept saying "tack" all the time, which means "thanks" in swedish. But it actually meant "yes" in polish...

 

[Orodruin]

Ö is used a lot in swedish. Same with Å and Ä.
∅ empyt set, is norwegian Ö.
Swedish set theory be like Ö$\cup$Ö $=$ Ö

Fun fact. Common Swedish student expression in class is also Öööööööööö.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Fun fact. Common Swedish student expression in class is also Öööööööööö.

My students only says "Ååååååå" during my classes ;)

 

[Orodruin]

My students only says "Ååååååå" during my classes ;)

That much pain?

 

[malawi_glenn]

That much pain?

No pain no gain

 

[malawi_glenn]

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

Pain is temporary, glory is eternal

 

[fresh_42]

Languages are funny. I observed that there is a big difference between Europeans and Americans. We are so used to changing the language every few hundred kilometers, dialects often within dozens of kilometers or even less, that it is completely normal to meet people who speak something entirely ununderstandable. I even have this experience when I go to the grocery store. Americans usually simply expect English.

 

[Ibix]

I once was handed a shot by Hungarian-speaking relatives of my then-girlfriend in Romania. I speak neither language. So I didn't understand the "cheers" and thought I was asked to say the German word for it. I did. It turned out that it meant "idiot" in Romanian. So instead of lifting my glass with a loud "cheers" I accidentally lifted it with a loud "idiot".

I once was explaining in Spanish to a guest that we had goat's milk in the fridge. Unfortunately, I mixed up the word for goat with another word (almost the same except for the ending) which means either "dude" or a mild insult depending on where you're from - either way, you don't get milk from 'em. That was nearly twenty years ago, and I still occasionally get reminded of it...

 

[malawi_glenn]

I once was explaining in Spanish to a guest that we had goat's milk in the fridge. Unfortunately, I mixed up the word for goat with another word (almost the same except for the ending) which means either "dude" or a mild insult depending on where you're from - either way, you don't get milk from 'em. That was nearly twenty years ago, and I still occasionally get reminded of it...

Reminds me of that scene in "Kingpin" with Woody Harrelson

 

[Ibix]

Languages are funny. I observed that there is a big difference between Europeans and Americans. We are so used to changing the language every few hundred kilometers, dialects often within dozens of kilometers or even less, that it is completely normal to meet people who speak something entirely ununderstandable. I even have this experience when I go to the grocery store. Americans usually simply expect English.

It's interesting how much you can understand if you know bits and pieces of various languages. I know a few words in German and French, a bit more in Russian, and I'm pretty fluent in Spanish. A lot of European languages have at least something in common with one of those, and with a bit of patience and educated guesswork you can read quite a lot of simple stuff.

I found the Netherlands very frustrating, though. Every time I see Dutch written I feel like I ought to be able to understand it a lot better than I can...

 

[berkeman]

Pain is weakness leaving the body.

That's my mantra on MTB uphills...

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-progression/9-ways-to-climb-better-on-your-mountain-bike/

 

[WWGD]

Internet down in Scotland today. No access to LAN for the McLachlan Clan.

 

[strangerep]

But [Moose] is a very nasty word for a female body part.

TIL! (Even Google didn't really help me.)

But I must have led a very sheltered life. I've never met a female who looked like... that.

 

[strangerep]

Pain is temporary, glory is eternal

Pain is temporary, but lengthy. Death is eternal. (There's a reason he/she/it is called the "Angel" of Death.)

 

[WWGD]

TIL! (Even Google didn't really help me.)

But I must have led a very sheltered life. I've never met a female who looked like... that.

To find moose, you need to shower, dress up and go out. Neither PF nor Google will help you!

 

[Orodruin]

I once was explaining in Spanish to a guest that we had goat's milk in the fridge. Unfortunately, I mixed up the word for goat with another word (almost the same except for the ending) which means either "dude" or a mild insult depending on where you're from - either way, you don't get milk from 'em. That was nearly twenty years ago, and I still occasionally get reminded of it...

Leche de cabron?