Random Thought Thread

[kct1975]

I'd think that an unpopular confession would be admitting to liking the Bee Gees and/or Anna...

Actually I have to admit that I like the Bee Gees also [emoji39]

Another of my favorite songs...

 

[Clementine_3]

Early Bee Gees yes. Disco Bee Gees no.

 

[mikedt]

Early Bee Gees, yes. Disco Bee Gees, yes. Heebee-geebees, no. Black Eyed Pees, can't say I've heard any of their stuff.

 

[mikedt]

And a pig is a big, in Dutch

And a pig is 一头猪, in Chinese [emoji14]

 

[no one]

In English, sometimes pigs turn into zits.

 

[Bg260]

I don't know...everybody seems to loathe the peas due to the autotune stuff.

Ever since Fergie peed her pants on stage......I just can't look at her the same.

 

[mikedt]

I can tell I'm back in Shandong Province.

 

[bjacks12]

Ever since Fergie peed her pants on stage......I just can't look at her the same.

If it makes you feel better, the group reunited this year after a 3 year hiatus..... Without Fergie. No announcement has been made, but based on the way they've talked about her, it seems that she's done.

 

[no one]

I would rather have my eyes drilled out with rusty drill bits, than listen to "music" like that.

 

[bcrichster]

I don't know...everybody seems to loathe the peas due to the autotune stuff.

Look.. As an outdated musician myself (once upon a time):
If you have to "autotune" anything = the performers shouldn't even be on stage... JS. [emoji41]

 

[Dngrsone]

You can all blame Cher... I think it was that video where she molested the battleship Missouri when the autotune came to the fore.

 

[no one]

Seems cher can ruin most people's sunny disposition.

 

[Bg260]

[Insert Tasteless Skiing Joke Here]

 

[bcrichster]

[Insert Tasteless Skiing Joke Here]

[emoji23]

 

[basic 101 user]

And a pig is 一头猪, in Chinese

Seriously? A character that complicated for something so simple? (Seriously), genuinely fascinated, maybe parse one of them for us slow kids, occasionally @mikedt ? Just discovered this, more curious than ever.

 

[mikedt]

Pig is quite a complex character, many strokes. and is a combination of radicals.

There's a free app called Pleco, that I've been using for a long time to help me study.

https://www.pleco.com/products/pleco-for-android/

This is a good site as well, if you're interested.
http://zhongwen.com/

There's something like 65,000 Chinese characters, but most students will learn about 3,500 to 4,500, of the most common and useful ones. I only know a few hundred that I've learned I've mainly concentrated on learning spoken Mandarin.

Many words especially quite modern things will use a combination of two or three characters, e.g. 电脑 for computer. 电 electric, or something that is electric, 脑 which means brain, so it's literally electric brain. Another common one is 火车 for train, 火 means fire, 车 means a vehicle, or something moves on wheels. Presumably from steam trains, than ran on coal and fire.

This the one of the most simple ones, 人 pronounced "ren", which means a person. And it is a pictogram of what it's representing, kind of looks like a man.

 

[mikedt]

Here's a couple more of my favourites, anyone care to guess what they might be.
手机:
手 means hand, 机 means machine or could be a device, literally hand machine or hand device i.e. a machine or device that's held in the hand.
打火机:
打 means hit, or to hit something, 火 means fire, 机 again this means a machine or a device. so literally hit fire machine.
牛仔裤:
牛 means cattle or cow, 牛仔 together means cowboy, and 裤 means pants or trousers. so literally cowboy pants.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Is it a slot machine (A gambling device)?

 

[mikedt]

Is it a slot machine (A gambling device)?

Here's a clue for the first one..
手机 "a device or a machine that's held in the hand"

see a lot of them at a China Mobile store.

 

[Dngrsone]

The first is directly related to these forums; no clue for the second one, and I am guessing jeans for the third.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Me too! #3 they're jeans. To be specific they're Levis. Gotta be.

 

[basic 101 user]

Split decision; Should I post here, or in the "speak only in questions" thread?
Who really cares, as long as the message rings out clearly over the land?

"Hey Conan........When will you make me laugh; Even once in this lifetime?"

 

[zuben el genub]

Space Cowboy

Possible Star Trek themed including that invader language?

 

[bjacks12]

I HAVE PASSED THE CPA EXAM! IM FINALLY FREE!

 

[AZgl1500]

does that mean you are going to "Pay me" when you do my tax returns?