301–310 of 345 posts
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I think this usage is dying out in British English in much the same way as the word "auto" for car. People still speak of "mobile networks" and "auto dealerships", but they buy "phones" and "cars".
Maybe this is a regional thing, but I'm British and I'm not sure I've ever heard a first language British English speaker use the word "auto" for a car. I'd have said that was purely an Americanism.
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Mobile phones are called "Handys" in German. It's become such a satisfying and appropriate name for handheld computers, as distinct from traditional personal computers. In British English, they've always called cellphones "mobiles", which is also a nice short name for mobile computers.
Likewise in French, 'portable', similar to mobile.
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I think you're right. I am dual nationality US/UK so sometimes I tend to cross my metaphors. Perhaps a better, British example would be the word "motor" instead of "auto". Used in words like "motorway", but I've never heard anyone actually use it to mean "car" outside of 80s cockney rap. (Which is apparently a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'Ullo_John!_Gotta_New_Motor%3F )
I've most commonly heard motor as referring to an engine (UK english). I'd say a good example might be from french, with the formal and correct "voiture" not commonly being used, with the less formal "bagnole" being much more common.
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Skynet v. 0.1 didn't build itself. Clearly, though, once it becomes a minimum viable product, it will produce the next generations of itself. Or will it? If it's an AI intent on approximating human speech processing, why should it be any good at programming? See also https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9658524/1/Branches-on-the-Tree-... .
That's a pretty interesting interpretation of the Terminator story and rules. I hadn't seen that one before, thanks for the link! But ... ugh, rationalist fiction always makes me a little sad. I share the motivation, the annoyance at how pervasive the plot driven unrealistically stupid decision is in fiction. I want to like it, but it's always so saturated with authorial naivete, inexperience and smugness. I guess I…
Definitely. Though Banks doesn't have quite the Internet following, possibly because he was publishing before the Internet took off and compounded by the fact that I can't link to a free, online copy of his work.
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I've been joking lately that there is a new one syllable word for "personal computer": phone. At the current rate that's how the language will shift. I suppose we'll know if people start referring to things like "macOS deskphones" and think "laptop" always meant "laptop phone". :) It's like those futurist ads from the 50s (and 80s/90s) AT&T that soon there will be phones capable of amazing things everywhere in our li…
Mobile phones are called "Handys" in German. It's become such a satisfying and appropriate name for handheld computers, as distinct from traditional personal computers. In British English, they've always called cellphones "mobiles", which is also a nice short name for mobile computers.
Besides referring to the actual product (iPhone or Android etc), I'm not aware if we have a term to replace phone
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Mobile phones are called "Handys" in German. It's become such a satisfying and appropriate name for handheld computers, as distinct from traditional personal computers. In British English, they've always called cellphones "mobiles", which is also a nice short name for mobile computers.
In American slang, "Handys" are another term for an act with a partner. Besides referring to the actual product (iPhone or Android etc), I'm not aware if we have a term to replace phone
But, if so, it's like the reverse of Americans talking about their "fanny pack" while in England.
It's a real problem. Are there any voice dialing programs for Android phones which do voice recognition locally and don't require Google services? That's the way it used to work until Google broke it so they could monitor all your dialing.
Speech recognition ain't like dusting crops, boy.
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In American slang, "Handys" are another term for an act with a partner. Besides referring to the actual product (iPhone or Android etc), I'm not aware if we have a term to replace phone
That's not too well known in American slang, in my experience. I'd never heard that usage before now. Edit -- lots of people here recognize that usage, so I guess I'm just sheltered. Regardless, I hear 'handy' used in the US as an adjective meaning convenient quite often. But, if so, it's like the reverse of Americans talking about their "fanny pack" while in England.
There was a (funny) local news story in Australia when comedian Will Ferrell accidentally made an off-color "fanny" joke not knowing what the word meant abroad. Shows how slight differences in the same language can mean worlds of difference.
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In American slang, "Handys" are another term for an act with a partner. Besides referring to the actual product (iPhone or Android etc), I'm not aware if we have a term to replace phone
That's not too well known in American slang, in my experience. I'd never heard that usage before now. Edit -- lots of people here recognize that usage, so I guess I'm just sheltered. Regardless, I hear 'handy' used in the US as an adjective meaning convenient quite often. But, if so, it's like the reverse of Americans talking about their "fanny pack" while in England.
Yes, as an adjective. As a noun (which is what is being discussed here) there's only one commonly known meaning, and it's that one.