The No Stupid Questions Thread

[betarhoalphadelta]

I know! Don't those stupid English people know how to speak English?!

[847badgerfan]

I have Brit friends and tell them all the time how much they suck at it.

[MikeDeTiger]

When did math become maths? 

All my life, I’ve never heard it used this way until the last few years.

“I’ve never been good at Math”. “I study math”

Now it’s “I’ve never been good at maths” and “I study maths”.

At first I thought it was just slang but now it seemed to be how even educated people talk.

I've really only heard "maths" on British television.

Or, "telly," as they say.  

So I've always assumed that's how the Brits say it.

[MrNubbz]

So tell me, did you ever remember people saying “maths” in the 80’s, 90’s, or 2000’s? 

I've failed math so many times I can't count

[Brutus Buckeye]

the -t suffix has been vanishing lately. Or maybe it's just a regional thing. 

I keep hearing sweeped instead of swept, kneeled instead of knelt, pleaded instead of pled, lighted instead of lit, and so forth. 

I know both are technically correct, but it kinda bugs me for some reason. 

[OrangeAfroMan]

Maths doesn't bother me as much as brits saying 'f' for 'th' in many words.  And I suspect it's a lower-economic cultural thing....sort of like poorer people here completely giving up on there, their, and they're VERBALLY and just saying 'they' for all 3.

[MrNubbz]

the -t suffix has been vanishing lately. Or maybe it's just a regional thing.

I keep hearing sweeped instead of swept, kneeled instead of knelt, pleaded instead of pled, lighted instead of lit, and so forth.

I know both are technically correct, but it kinda bugs me for some reason.

Tell them "I was pretty well lighted doesn't isn't right"

[betarhoalphadelta]

I've failed math so many times I can't count

Would you say you failed math so many times that you failed maths?

[FearlessF]

the -t suffix has been vanishing lately. Or maybe it's just a regional thing.

I keep hearing sweeped instead of swept, kneeled instead of knelt, pleaded instead of pled, lighted instead of lit, and so forth.

I know both are technically correct, but it kinda bugs me for some reason.

"Sweeped" is a common misspelling; the correct past tense and past participle of the verb "sweep" is swept. "Swept" is an irregular verb, similar to "sleep-slept" and "keep-kept," and should be used in all contexts.

[Gigem]

I don’t get the Grateful Dead. I don’t know any of their songs, as far as I know. They’re never played on the radio, even in the 80’s or any classic rock station from today. Yet I see mentions of them in pop culture, mentions of Jerry Garcia like some kind of rock god.  How is it possible this band could stay relevant for so long?  Does anybody know their music?  Or maybe I know their music, I just don’t realize it. 

Explain. 

[FearlessF]

still getting radio play on my classic rock stations
I'm not a huge fan but I'd rather listen to the Dead than Journey 

[Cincydawg]

I often see the QB in the gun come up and call an apparent audible.  Fine, I get it, but to me, the defense usually looks to be in a very standard initial set.  Nobody is crowding the line unusually, the linemen are all set, maybe they are in Cover 2, just a very vanilla look with no movement.

On what basis is the QB changing the play?  (If he is.)  What is he seeing that I'm not?

[Gigem]

I often see the QB in the gun come up and call an apparent audible.  Fine, I get it, but to me, the defense usually looks to be in a very standard initial set.  Nobody is crowding the line unusually, the linemen are all set, maybe they are in Cover 2, just a very vanilla look with no movement.

On what basis is the QB changing the play?  (If he is.)  What is he seeing that I'm not?

I've often wondered the same thing.  

[betarhoalphadelta]

Maybe the initial physical was expecting a more aggressive look and the audible is to the play that works better against base.