Random Thoughts

[J N Winkler]

A caution about dictionaries:  lexicographers are descriptivists to a greater or lesser degree, and there are now dictionaries that define freeway as an access-controlled highway on which toll is not charged (implying that turnpikes with full control of access are not freeways).  I had Webster's thrown at me the last time I tried to explain the etymology of freeway on a Facebook roads group.

[JoePCool14]

Dethaw is straight up not a word. That's why it's incorrect, because it doesn't exist.

'Unthaw' is, however, and has been in use as a synonym of 'thaw' since the late 16th Century.

As a synonym? Did you mean antonym?

No he didn't. Look it up:

Verb 1. dethaw - become or cause to become soft or liquid; "The sun melted the ice"; "the ice thawed"; "the ice cream melted"; "The heat melted the wax"; "The giant iceberg dissolved over the years during the global warming phase"; "dethaw the meat"
Synonyms: thaw, unfreeze, unthaw, melt, dissolve

A little bit of searching suggests it is probably a bit of nonstandard English that arose as a cross between "defrost"  and "thaw" .

Now that just makes no sense. If unthaw means the same thing as thaw, does unvaccinated mean the same thing as vaccinated? Of course not.

[formulanone]

Dethaw is the ir-regardless of these times.

[kphoger]

Dethaw is straight up not a word. That's why it's incorrect, because it doesn't exist.

'Unthaw' is, however, and has been in use as a synonym of 'thaw' since the late 16th Century, and it has persisted as a little-used variant ever since.

As a synonym? Did you mean antonym?

No I didn't.  The first known use of "unthaw" to mean "thaw" is from 1598.

The redundant use of un- is rare, but occurs in OE. unlíesan, and ME. unloose, which has succeeded in maintaining itself. Later instances are unbare, unsolve, unstrip (16-17th cent.), and the modern dialect forms unempt(y), unrid, unthaw (also locally uneave). Another redundant or extended use (= "˜peel off') exists in unpeel v.

[J N Winkler]

(Cough cough)  Flammable versus inflammable.

[kphoger]

(Cough cough)  Flammable versus inflammable.

(Cough cough)  inflammation versus ... ?
(Cough cough)  inflamed versus ... ?

[kphoger]

To clarify...

The prefix in the word 'inflammable' doesn't mean 'opposite of', but rather 'into'.  Somebody is inflamed if he figuratively has a fire put inside him by words or actions that rouse him to passion.  Something is similarly inflammable if it can literally catch fire.  Yes, the figurative meaning came first, then the literal meaning came later.

In contrast, the prefix in the word 'unthaw' indeed means 'opposite of'.  Just as a tomato can be deseeded, (to have its seeds removed), it was once just as normal to say a potato had been unpeeled (to have its peel removed) as to say it had been peeled.  The prefix un- in that context is redundant.  Likewise, in the word 'unthaw', the prefix is redundant.

[D-Dey65]

So, it looks like 7-Eleven has taken over Sunoco gas stations in New York too.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KhtpeCtBsR0

[roadman65]

Well it's the new fad as in the nineties it was Citgo.  Although talk to an angry man I know personally, and he still probably thinks that Citgo still sells their gas at 7 Eleven.

[D-Dey65]

Well it's the new fad as in the nineties it was Citgo.  Although talk to an angry man I know personally, and he still probably thinks that Citgo still sells their gas at 7 Eleven.

I've seen them selling Sunoco gas, and I've seen them selling Mobil gas, besides Citgo, of course.

Speaking of Sunoco, for as long as I can remember, they were the only stations that sold more than three grades of gas. But when I started reading books about gas stations, I found that other companies did this kind of thing as well (Marathon, Amoco, Phillips 66, and a few others I can't think of right now.). So. which companies do/did that, and who decides which stations do this? 

[elsmere241]

Texaco used to have a bunch, with Fire Chief being regular, Sky Chief being the highest grade, and there were a couple in-between.  Unleaded was simply "Lead-Free Texaco".

[Flint1979]

I've seen 7-11 selling Sunoco gas. Around here they are Mobil's but there is one 7-11 that is it's own brand, there are some in the Detroit area like that too.

[kurumi]

In the US, we have PG-13, R, and NC-17 movie ratings, based on the idea that a movie's content could be harmful or inappropriate for viewer that have not reached that age. Similar for substances (tobacco, alcohol) and activities (renting a car, being president).

Suppose that sort of caution didn't top out at 18 or 21 for movies? If a story contained philosophical truths or ideas that could not be properly processed until you reached middle age.

Lakewood Manor - rated NC-40 for existential ideation

South of the Tropic - rated NC-55 for ennui

Incelebratory - rated PG-25; a lot of 4chan'ers will take the ironic humor unironically

[kphoger]

And too many pop culture references make for a maximum recommended viewing age.

[Halian]

There used to be a Citgo/7-11 nearby that sold five grades of gas (87, 88, 89, 91, 93)! I still kinda miss that, lol.

[JoePCool14]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

[formulanone]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

Entenmann's Bakery, due to the relationship with BIMBO?

sorry, couldn't resist

[ZLoth]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

Entenmann's Bakery, due to the relationship with BIMBO?

sorry, couldn't resist

That will be Victoria's Secret.

[JoePCool14]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

Entenmann's Bakery, due to the relationship with BIMBO?

sorry, couldn't resist

That will be Victoria's Secret.

No, no. You need to think AARoads related. I'll give you a hint: someone who loves Illinois and hates Wisconsin.

[roadman65]

Not the Diesel Troll?

[Max Rockatansky]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

Entenmann's Bakery, due to the relationship with BIMBO?

sorry, couldn't resist

That will be Victoria's Secret.

No, no. You need to think AARoads related. I'll give you a hint: someone who loves Illinois and hates Wisconsin.

Wallethubism must be crushed.

[GaryV]

I didn't see anything about flatness of the terrain on the criteria. That certainly counted against other IL cities.

Seems like a reporter found a new fun site to cite - twice in the last 2 weeks.

[JoePCool14]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

Entenmann's Bakery, due to the relationship with BIMBO?

sorry, couldn't resist

That will be Victoria's Secret.

No, no. You need to think AARoads related. I'll give you a hint: someone who loves Illinois and hates Wisconsin.

Wallethubism must be crushed.

I don't know. If WGN is citing them, they must be legit.

[jeffandnicole]

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

I like this paragraph...

They suggest singles think beyond restaurants and bars for dates – and instead – go bowling, explore a park, or meet at a pub for a trivia night

.

So, escape those bars and do something different. Try a pub instead, which is, um, a bar.

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

What does it say about trolling bars one state over for Wisconsinites?

So here I am looking at the local news, and I see this article here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/two-illinois-cities-among-2022s-best-for-singles/

Since I'm currently a lonesome loser and I love taking Internet bait, I decide to click on it. Now take a guess who's study they used on this article?

Entenmann's Bakery, due to the relationship with BIMBO?

sorry, couldn't resist

That will be Victoria's Secret.

No, no. You need to think AARoads related. I'll give you a hint: someone who loves Illinois and hates Wisconsin.

Wallethubism must be crushed.

I don't know. If WGN is citing them, they must be legit.

WGN is run by non-flat Illinois cultists.