it's def the kind of pretentious unnecessary change that some posh public school kids would start saying xp
― Mordy, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:09 (six years ago) link
"a nonsense" is definitely a thing that I've heard english folk saying. not necessarily limited to the posh
― khat person (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:11 (six years ago) link
Nonsense is a mass noun, not a count noun!
― The Bridge of Ban Louis J (silby), Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:11 (six years ago) link
John Giles forever
But they are different things
― remember the lmao (darraghmac), Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:11 (six years ago) link
And sometimes an adjective as in “a nonsense poem”
"Making a nonsense of something", you're more likely to hear (non-Tory MP) people say tbf.
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:12 (six years ago) link
"this is a nonsense" is self-descriptive
― jmm, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:13 (six years ago) link
they mean different things: hence, two different phrases
― mark s, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:14 (six years ago) link
"this is nonsense" means what you think it means: this is rubbish, this is ridiculous, this makes no sense
"this is a nonsense" is more judgmental about activity leading to a situation or a result (ie it means some like oliver hardy's "you've made a fine mess of this")
― mark s, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:16 (six years ago) link
the bit in brackets is a better stab at the meaning that the bit about judgment -- i'm still quite ill and my brain is swerving all over the place, i should actually go to bed
― mark s, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:18 (six years ago) link
it's the opposite of a recent development
― mark s, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:19 (six years ago) link
and it is class-flavoured, if not class-based, bcz the lowly don't get to say this much to their bosses
― mark s, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:20 (six years ago) link
That's a nonsense mark tbh
― remember the lmao (darraghmac), Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:21 (six years ago) link
the class bit? maybe evidentially and historically, but i still think it accounts for the flavour
― mark s, Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:26 (six years ago) link
Never heard of "this is a nonsense" before tonight either. Seems like a nonsense tbh.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Thursday, 18 January 2018 02:08 (six years ago) link
I winced at the last sentence as I typed it.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Thursday, 18 January 2018 02:09 (six years ago) link
how do people feel about "makes a nonsense of" vs "makes nonsense of"? this definition suggests that they are interchangeable:
make (a) nonsense of sthukC2 to make something appear stupid or wrong, or to spoil something:His repeated lack of promotion makes nonsense of the theory that if you work hard you'll be successful.
His repeated lack of promotion makes nonsense of the theory that if you work hard you'll be successful.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/make-a-nonsense-of-sth
― soref, Thursday, 18 January 2018 02:41 (six years ago) link
“a nonsense” = a farce, as far as I can tell. Maybe from “stuff and nonsense“?
― attention vampire (MatthewK), Thursday, 18 January 2018 03:15 (six years ago) link
nonsensical exists as a word, just saying
― mh, Thursday, 18 January 2018 03:56 (six years ago) link
'a nonsense' seems like an affectation people use to make themselves sound like a fusty old colonel or something
― Badgers (dog latin), Thursday, 18 January 2018 09:39 (six years ago) link
https://i2.wp.com/i1.cdnds.net/12/23/618x469/brass-eye-2.JPG
― hell is auteur people (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 18 January 2018 09:42 (six years ago) link
"this is an utter nonsense"
About 11,100 results (0.54 seconds)
― hell is auteur people (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 18 January 2018 09:50 (six years ago) link
"this is utterly nonsensical"
About 4,140 results (0.48 seconds)
― hell is auteur people (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 18 January 2018 09:51 (six years ago) link
"this is utter nonsense"
About 124,000 results (0.29 seconds)
― hell is auteur people (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 18 January 2018 09:52 (six years ago) link
"a load of old cobblers"
About 12,900 results (0.68 seconds)
"whatchu talkin bout willis"
About 36,500 results (0.65 seconds)
― hell is auteur people (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 18 January 2018 09:53 (six years ago) link
this is something i learnt the other day >
https://image.ibb.co/eVvaP6/Capture.jpg
― faust apes (NickB), Thursday, 18 January 2018 10:00 (six years ago) link
Nonce Sense lol. That ep is still one of the funniest things ever. "Paedophiles have more genes in common with crabs than they do with you and me. Now that's a scientific fact: there's no real evidence for it, but it is scientific fact."
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Thursday, 18 January 2018 15:02 (six years ago) link
Also "a nonsense" is ridiculous.
both good, this thread is some nonsense
― ogmor, Thursday, 18 January 2018 15:17 (six years ago) link
xp u mean "a ridiculous" surely
― remember the lmao (darraghmac), Thursday, 18 January 2018 15:27 (six years ago) link
I believe the correct phrasing is 'this is an nonsense'.
― the smartest persin in the room (Old Lunch), Thursday, 18 January 2018 15:39 (six years ago) link
both good, this thread is *the correct usage*
― Mordy, Thursday, 18 January 2018 15:44 (six years ago) link
'this is madness' vs. 'this is a madness'
― soref, Thursday, 18 January 2018 15:55 (six years ago) link
soref gets it
― ogmor, Thursday, 18 January 2018 16:11 (six years ago) link
i've noticed on message boards over the years that declaring something to be "a bullshit" is a clear marker of an ESL contributor
― Winter. Dickens. Yes. (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 18 January 2018 16:26 (six years ago) link
improving the language one message board post at a time
― hell is auteur people (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 18 January 2018 16:27 (six years ago) link
i am stealing a bullshit
― ogmor, Thursday, 18 January 2018 16:33 (six years ago) link
Ooooooh, this is a nonsense!
https://i.imgur.com/cXmLtgo.gif
― how's life, Thursday, 18 January 2018 16:55 (six years ago) link
― soref, Thursday, January 18, 2018 9:55 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
The first is correct when referring to the band, the second is the term of venery forrrrrrr...scorpions, I believe? 'This is a madness of deadly scorpions'? That sounds right to me.
― the smartest persin in the room (Old Lunch), Thursday, 18 January 2018 17:02 (six years ago) link
i for one appreciate the linguistic innovations of esl ppl, youths, americans and any other ppl who haven't mastered english
― ogmor, Thursday, 18 January 2018 17:04 (six years ago) link
me too!
― Winter. Dickens. Yes. (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 18 January 2018 17:10 (six years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 00:01 (six years ago) link
Leaving it this long was a nonsense tbh
― Alderweireld Horses (darraghmac), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 00:03 (six years ago) link
write-in vote for 'this is one nonsense'
― Badgers (dog latin), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 00:20 (six years ago) link
'this is a nonsense' reminds me of 'it's an open-y'
― how's life, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 00:25 (six years ago) link
Been looking for a good name for my pop ska Scorps tribute band. Thanks, Old Lunch.
― mick signals, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 00:42 (six years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Thursday, 1 February 2018 00:01 (six years ago) link
A nonsense result why do you hate what you do not recognise
― Alderweireld Horses (darraghmac), Thursday, 1 February 2018 09:55 (six years ago) link
This is outrage
― you can make fun of birthday parties all you want (ultros ultros-ghali), Thursday, 1 February 2018 14:14 (six years ago) link
^^^doesn't get it
― mark s, Thursday, 1 February 2018 14:15 (six years ago) link
It is to weep.
― lana del boy (ledge), Thursday, 1 February 2018 15:17 (six years ago) link