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The origin of “log in” (2011)

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Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#51

Post by ZoF »

rickdale wrote: post #23
philfreo wrote: post #16

Login is a noun (and adj). Log in is a verb. So the right one to use depends somewhat on the context. It's the "login page" but "you need to log in". But it's not super clear in all cases.

I always catch myself saying 'I got it offline ', but I wonder if it is incorrect to say that and instead to say I got it online. What's your take?

Could you use the expression in context?

If you're saying e.g., "I got this pdf offline", I would argue your usage is incorrect and that saying, "I downloaded this pdf","got it online", or some variant would be more accurate.

That is, unless you would consider, 'got it offline' to be an idiomatic expression for 'downloaded/retrieved-from-the-internet' in whatever region you're from. ~

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#52

Post by rowyourboat »

jeffbr13 wrote: post #5

Like the author, I frequently get hung up on which of "log in", "sign in", or any of their variants is 'more correct' every time I put together software with users. "Authenticate" might be the most correct verb, although it's not very user friendly?

As a non-native English speaker, I prefer “log in” to “sign in” as “sign in” is very similar to “sign up” which some sites use instead of “register”. The difference between “sign in” and “sign up” is subtle and requires me to consciously think.

Use "log in" and "register". Don't make me think.

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#53

Post by seanmcdirmid »

clarkm wrote: post #43
cleaver wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. Now someone please take on "set up"/"setup" and "back up"/"backup".

Or tell my why "front end" is more common than "frontend", while "backend" is more common than "back end".

Run time and runtime are quite different in usage (the former is a time, the latter is a piece of software).

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#54

Post by esquivalience »

Surprised it hasn't come up in this thread already, but an excellent and free resource for this sort of thing is EtymOnline[0]. It's volunteer-made[1], has an easy search and quick on-results-page answers.

Here's the search page for Log: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=log

[0] http://www.etymonline.com [1] at least mostly - see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2580631

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#55

Post by bildung »

brc wrote: post #48

It's quite amazing how many words (and phrases) in common usage are actually nautical terms. For example...when was the last time you said: 'Everything is above board' 'That company needs a bailout' 'A storm is coming, we better batten things down' 'Did someone just let the cat out of the bag?' 'We better clear the deck so we can start this new project' 'This project is doomed. We need to cut and run' 'My son is an e…

Interesting, I did not realize the nautical context of some of these phrases :)

Could you explain 'letting the cat out of the bag' in this context? I'm asking because I've read a different legend: Apparently on markets a few centuries ago, young pigs were frequently sold in bags. Sometimes people tried to sell captured cats as farrows in the hope the buyer would not open the bags before the deal was made and the seller far enough away. IIRC they chose cats because they sounded similar to farrows. Lacking farrows I cannot confirm that :)

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#56

Post by pbhjpbhj »

esquivalience wrote: post #54

Surprised it hasn't come up in this thread already, but an excellent and free resource for this sort of thing is EtymOnline[0]. It's volunteer-made[1], has an easy search and quick on-results-page answers. Here's the search page for Log: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=log [0] http://www.etymonline.com [1] at least mostly - see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2580631

I find http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/etymology [the talk page for that one is fun] to be pretty good as an adjunct to EtymOnline.

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#57

Post by LeChuck »

bildung wrote: post #55
brc wrote: post #48

It's quite amazing how many words (and phrases) in common usage are actually nautical terms. For example...when was the last time you said: 'Everything is above board' 'That company needs a bailout' 'A storm is coming, we better batten things down' 'Did someone just let the cat out of the bag?' 'We better clear the deck so we can start this new project' 'This project is doomed. We need to cut and run' 'My son is an e…

Interesting, I did not realize the nautical context of some of these phrases :) Could you explain 'letting the cat out of the bag' in this context? I'm asking because I've read a different legend: Apparently on markets a few centuries ago, young pigs were frequently sold in bags. Sometimes people tried to sell captured cats as farrows in the hope the buyer would not open the bags before the deal was made and the sell…

It refers to the cat o' nine tails, which was used to punish sailors in the Royal Navy and was, supposedly, kept in a special bag. It's also where "not enough room to swing a cat" is said to come from.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Cat-o%27-...

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#58

Post by LeChuck »

brc wrote: post #48

It's quite amazing how many words (and phrases) in common usage are actually nautical terms. For example...when was the last time you said: 'Everything is above board' 'That company needs a bailout' 'A storm is coming, we better batten things down' 'Did someone just let the cat out of the bag?' 'We better clear the deck so we can start this new project' 'This project is doomed. We need to cut and run' 'My son is an e…

I personally like 'aloof', coming from the Dutch word loef which means windward.

The devil to pay is another cool one. From Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey Maturin series (great books by the way):

""'Why, the devil, do you see,’ said Jack, ‘is the seam between the deck-planking and the timbers, and we call it the devil, because it is the devil for the caulkers to come at: in full we say the devil to pay and no pitch hot; and what we mean is, that there is something hell-fire difficult to be done – must be done – and nothing to do it with. It is a figure.’""

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#59

Post by pbhjpbhj »

coldcode wrote: post #7

I seem to remember some movie or TV show where it was "jack in", sort of plugging yourself into a system. Not sure about the opposite version though.

I thought you might mean Existenz but a quick check reveals them using "port in" ..

Ah, hang on "I jacked you in to my pod and you obviously panicked" (about 30 mins in when the lead male character gets a 'bioport' fitted and the lead female attempts to connect her 'pod' to it). Was that it?

Re: The origin of “log in” (2011)

#60

Post by n0nick »

bildung wrote: post #55
brc wrote: post #48

It's quite amazing how many words (and phrases) in common usage are actually nautical terms. For example...when was the last time you said: 'Everything is above board' 'That company needs a bailout' 'A storm is coming, we better batten things down' 'Did someone just let the cat out of the bag?' 'We better clear the deck so we can start this new project' 'This project is doomed. We need to cut and run' 'My son is an e…

Interesting, I did not realize the nautical context of some of these phrases :) Could you explain 'letting the cat out of the bag' in this context? I'm asking because I've read a different legend: Apparently on markets a few centuries ago, young pigs were frequently sold in bags. Sometimes people tried to sell captured cats as farrows in the hope the buyer would not open the bags before the deal was made and the sell…

This seems to correlate to a Hebrew expression "buying a cat in a sack", meaning taking something without confirming its quality. Indeed, same legend is presented as the source for this expression as well.
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