Difference between revisions of "Talk:2390: Linguists"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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I fell down a hole, and while in the hole I fell.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.42|108.162.216.42]] 03:17, 26 November 2020 (UTC)
 
I fell down a hole, and while in the hole I fell.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.42|108.162.216.42]] 03:17, 26 November 2020 (UTC)
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I guess you could fall "in" a hole without falling "down" a hole if you like...tripped into a sideways hole, like a doorway... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.138|162.158.75.138]] 07:50, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

Revision as of 07:50, 26 November 2020

"Fell in a hole" sounds wrong, from a (possibly) Rightpondian perspective. If it was "...into...", then that'd be better. (Falling down a hole would probably imply total inholation, while into one might mean no more than a foot getting snagged. Though the former also separately implies starting from partial or imminent holedness, the latter indicates the hole was not previously a problem but then became a novel issue to deal with. Falling 'in' a hole could mean "I was already at the bottom of a hole, minding my own business, and then I tripped on something/lost my balance and fell over..." Edit: as it might also be for "Fell down a hole", thinking more about it. A comma after "Fell" would make that more definite.) I also have problems with "Lit on fire", for something that is set fire to, but I know that's definitely a transatlantic issue. 162.158.155.216 02:01, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

I suppose "in a hole" is probably technically wrong (except for those cases where the individual in question was in a hole and then fell), but I would probably use it in speech (though maybe not more formal writing). There is a distinction between 'in' and 'down' however. When something falls down a hole, no part of it remains outside the hole. If it falls in(/to) a hole, at least some -- possibly most -- of the object remains outside the hole. 108.162.216.191 02:26, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice that this comic seems to have significantly higher resolution than others? It’s especially noticeable on mobile browsers, but I haven’t tested it on PC. 108.162.219.154 02:36, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

I fell down a hole, and while in the hole I fell.108.162.216.42 03:17, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

I guess you could fall "in" a hole without falling "down" a hole if you like...tripped into a sideways hole, like a doorway... 162.158.75.138 07:50, 26 November 2020 (UTC)