User Comments - Grambers

Posted on: Sobriety Check

Thanks folks

Posted on: Sobriety Check

Thanks - 'dumbass' seems as good a way as any of elucidating the problem:) I can see now that the 嘛 here does fit the 'obviousness' criteria. 'Duh, this is obvious' 的嘛 and a 'you're being a dumbass' 的嘛 are surely pretty similar - both point to something that you're stupid for not already being aware of. Yup, makes sense.

So the expansion sentence carries a certain 'customer knows best' tone of "C'mon, do your job properly you imbecile", whereas replacing the 嘛 with a 吗 turns it into a genuine question which makes the utterance almost ridiculously polite. Do I have this right?

Any other uses of ‘嘛’ that I'm missing？

Posted on: Sobriety Check

Hmmm...having done a cursory bit of research around the uses of 嘛, I'm less convinced this is a mistake - apologies to the writers. I'm familiar with 嘛 being used to signal the 'obviousness' of what preceded it. I'm not quite as clear about it's other use. Can anyone chip in here?

Posted on: Sobriety Check

Japan on the other hand....pardon the pun, but - bloody hell! Drivers are permitted to be almost as well oiled as their motors.

Posted on: Sobriety Check

I do believe there is a typo in one of the expansion sentences  -师傅，可以开快点儿嘛，我赶时间!

The 嘛 should be a 吗, right? Or is this a use of 嘛 I'm not familiar with? 

Posted on: Sobriety Check

Interesting list - seems to be a correlation between communist governments (ex- or current) and a general intolerance for drinking and driving. Just one of many theoretical benefits of living in Marxist utopia, eh? I've always found the theoretical life the best life of all. So pure, so healthy.

Posted on: You Smell Terrible!

I love the fact this lesson has the topic tag 'body parts'. What I cannot fathom is how ChinesePod's seminal 'Bloody Love Triangle' lesson (http://chinesepod.com/lessons/detective-li-6-the-bloody-love-triangle-part-2) doesn't have a similar tag. The body parts in that lesson were not only present, they were sliced, severed and hanging by fleshy tendril threads, if I remember correctly. 

Posted on: Money Laundering Operation

Sorry matey - for some reason (certainly none which has enjoyed intimacy with the concept of logic), I assumed the 'keeper' you were referring to was of the association football variety (hence my agricultural centre-half riposte). Missing a cricket reference will obviously now place question marks over my own credentials as an Englishman. For this, I am deeply sorry. That is to say, I regret deeply any misunderstanding which you may have confronted during the duration of this period of ambiguity.

It occurs to me, in light of the above, that mealy-mouthed apologies should be considered a 英格兰的国粹? We are, of course, a nation of folk who apologise to those who bump into us on the street (though not necessarily to those with whom we become entangled on web threads).

Forum-mediated conversation is, as all have correctly intimated, deeply flawed and lends itself well to misunderstanding. I, of course, disagree with Tal's assertion that a critical discourse analysis would reveal an attitude problem on my part (or evidence of unfettered arrogance and chronic immaturity). My own analysis reveals, granted, a good deal of initial over-sensitivity on my part and even larger quantity of discipline to resist the various personalised provocations that have come my way since. However, we are, of course, performing to, er, ahem, a 'niche' audience here and I'm acutely aware that the historians of 22nd Century will likely not be conducting their own critical discourse analyses of this exchange. So it goes.

Tal, my good man. Your final contribution to to this thread began brilliantly, ended brilliantly, but lacked something in the middle section, I felt. I shall say nothing more.

And by way of a final summation, I do believe that I am probably old enough to demand face-to-face interaction and an exchange of glances, potted biographies and beer (or at least a cup of tea) before I feel I have forged anything approaching a meaningful connection with another human being. I would love to know more about everyone who has contributed to this exchange. I would love to hear their stories in physically-bounded time and space. Until I am able to do that (and if anyone finds themselves in the northeast Hampshire area over coming months/years, let this constitute a warm invitation), I shall remain an uncertain and probably slightly confused member of the Cpod 'community'.

Posted on: Money Laundering Operation

Sorry Baba - my reply above probably counts as an agricultural hoof from the centre-half rather than cleverly ushering the ball through to the keeper. That said, I'm trying to take pride it the fact that I'm keeping my digs free from direct personal insults and laced with enough ambiguity to ensure avenues remain potentially open (which, surely we can ALL agree, is the essence of the Chinese way - hell, ambiguity is virtually a 国粹, right?). Indeed, if and when we ever manage to let this thread lie, it shall indeed be water under the bridge. However, right now, I don't see myself inviting Tal down the pub for a pijiu.

Posted on: Money Laundering Operation

Brit-on-Brit swordplay? Nice. But, alas, I fear Tal is only a pretend Brit. First he goes and forgets humour is spelt with a 'u', then he threatens to knock me on my 'ass' (when he should know damn well I possess only a humble arse) and then he only goes and spells Okiedoke with an 'ie' when, like duh, everyone knows it should be Okeydoke. The uses of 'bollocks' and 'sunshine' were probably learnt from Guy Ritchie movies:)

Thanks for the various attempts at mediation, folks - and for your various encouragements. However, though I respect your opinions, my own mind has been pretty much decided by Tal's unpleasantness throughout this unfortunate little episode.

Late here in Blighty so I best down swords, finish the flagon of ale and hit the hay.