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The Horror, the horror (math and grammar in one lesson)
me
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Posted on 10/16/2014 9:57:39 AM PDT by Doctor 2Brains
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To: Doctor 2Brains; moder_ator
Sorry, peeps: when I pasted it, I though I had paragraph breaks. Can the mods fix it?
To: Doctor 2Brains
After reading that I need a drink! (preferably of home brew)
3
posted on
10/16/2014 10:01:48 AM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(Hey Obama: If Islamic State is not Islamic, then why did you give Osama Bin Laden a muslim funeral?)
To: a fool in paradise
I saw a show on home brewing once. Thught I might try it out. After watching, however, I decided I’d be more able to convert lead into gold in my basement. When Modelo can be had for 99 cents a pop at 7-11, why bother?
To: Doctor 2Brains
I interpret “X times less than Y” as division with X as the divisor.
Even though times is multiply and less is subtract when used individually, when combined it’s different.
As multiplication is continued addition, division is continued subtraction, so tacking on a “less” to “times” can make sense subjectively as division.
5
posted on
10/16/2014 10:07:35 AM PDT
by
fruser1
To: Doctor 2Brains
Not if you think of it this way:
LESS: subtraction, x-y
MORE: addition, x+y
TIMES or TIMES MORE: multiplication, x*y
TIMES LESS: division, x/y
6
posted on
10/16/2014 10:07:50 AM PDT
by
kosciusko51
(Enough of "Who is John Galt?" Who is Patrick Henry?)
To: Doctor 2Brains
“x times less” irritates me. I’ve never converted it into formula but it always sounds confusing to me and does not create a clear image.
7
posted on
10/16/2014 10:07:56 AM PDT
by
NativeSon
( Grease the floor with Crisco when I dance the Disco)
To: Doctor 2Brains
I agree. You can drink ten times more beer (I’ll try to confirm this), but cannot drink ten times less.
8
posted on
10/16/2014 10:08:26 AM PDT
by
Rio
(Proud resident of the State of Jefferson)
To: Doctor 2Brains
The prof is clearly right. But like “I could care less” instead of “I could not care less” it’s a lazy illogicality that we let slip by. In the case of “X times as many” used in a negative sense it definitively classifies the writer as a journalism school graduate.
9
posted on
10/16/2014 10:09:24 AM PDT
by
katana
(Just my opinions)
To: Doctor 2Brains
An English professor should know that less is improper when there are things than can be counted. Less is used for the abstract. There are three fewer cars, not less. Less traffic, less congestion, but fewer cars.
10
posted on
10/16/2014 10:11:29 AM PDT
by
IYAS9YAS
(Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
To: IYAS9YAS
Talk about cursed? I’m a technical writer and it’s difficult to read something without finding a mistake.
11
posted on
10/16/2014 10:12:52 AM PDT
by
bicyclerepair
(Linux rocks. TERM LIMITS ... TERM LIMITS)
To: IYAS9YAS
12
posted on
10/16/2014 10:12:57 AM PDT
by
IYAS9YAS
(Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
To: Rio
I’ll be the control group! I’ll drink 10 times more, but not less often.
To: Doctor 2Brains
I don’t make it, I just drink it.
14
posted on
10/16/2014 10:15:36 AM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(Hey Obama: If Islamic State is not Islamic, then why did you give Osama Bin Laden a muslim funeral?)
To: Doctor 2Brains
That phrase “X times less” always stops me. It is absurd and means nothing real. Oen can infer that the writer or speaker means that that there is less of something but “ten times less?” What is that? Parsing might indicate that the result of something ten times less than 100 would be -900 which doesn’t make any sense at all in any situation where that ignorant phrase is used.
15
posted on
10/16/2014 10:17:16 AM PDT
by
arthurus
To: Doctor 2Brains
And your pernt would be? ;-)
16
posted on
10/16/2014 10:23:02 AM PDT
by
spel_grammer_an_punct_polise
(Why does every totalitarian political hack think that he knows how to run my life better than I do?)
To: bicyclerepair
Talk about cursed? Im a technical writer and its difficult to read something without finding a mistake. That's very much like those of us who did proofreading for newspapers. Grammar and spelling errors just seem to jump off the page and smack us right between the eyes.
17
posted on
10/16/2014 10:26:29 AM PDT
by
Bob
To: Doctor 2Brains
Less means subtract. There were ten, now there are three less. 10-3. Duh. Incorrect. The correct answer is "There were ten. Now there are three fewer."
18
posted on
10/16/2014 10:34:11 AM PDT
by
ShadowAce
(Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
To: Doctor 2Brains
If I drink 9 times less, how much beer can I have?
To: IYAS9YAS
20
posted on
10/16/2014 10:38:36 AM PDT
by
mikrofon
(You "should of" expected that ;)
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