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December 24

Math and Language Art Scores in Native American School

We are searching for answers to how to increase our reading and math scores with our students. Many of our students are from disfunctional families and very low income with alcohol and drug probems galore. Lack of money for social services and other agencies, makes our job even more difficult. I know it is a very broad question question without details, but where do we start??

I am not expert here, just someone who considers self very informed on spectrum of topics. My suggestions include:

These problems are not unique to Native American Schools, but any place schools are located in areas of the poorest of the poor. There must be educational associations where institutions and professionals with similar needs help each other.
my sister teaches high school college preparatory math. You might get some ideas from her web site.
Extracurricular activities can increase student skills in relevant areas. Volunteers to supervise the kids need not be 100% taken from the teaching staff, but can also call on parents and local industries.
- I am now over age 60 but still have fond memories, of when I was active in such school functions as Chess Club and Junior Achievement.
  - While School Busses are usually reserved for transportation at beginning and end of school day, and to take the sports teams to play other schools, we managed to get the use of a School Bus one time so our school could participate in a Chess Tournament Match played with other regional schools. We enthusiasts for "mind games" like to think that they help develop logical thinking.
  - In Junior Achievement, local companies provided adult sponsors who taught uas about how companies are capitalized (We sold stock to friends, family, and classmates, then a year later delivered dividends.), moving on to the basics of Capitalism and Commerce. This is not exactly what you were asking for, but I think it might be constructive exposure to help your students get a leg up in a competitive world.
There are interest groups associated with the various disciplines of education. Teachers in various areas might seek out such organizations.
- Reading for the Future is an organization to try to help educators select Science fiction novels that present Science in a non-controversial manner, and inspire the students to greater interest in learning. Their efforts include donating suitable books to school libraries, and developing tests to make sure the students adequately absorbed critical contents of the books. Even if you do not accept the latter, getting additions to your school library may be worth checking out, since any reader enthusiasm can improve language skills for book livers.

I hope you not mind me touching up the header. User:AlMac|^(talk) 06:34, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 25

"Chicago" accent

Is there a such thing as a Chicago accent? I heard a lot of people say that he/she has a "chicago accent". --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 02:13, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Accent is an ill-defined term when it's used in that context, but the simple answer is yes. Anybody who speaks in a manner that makes their Chicagoan heritage visible is using a Chicago accent. —Dave 03:10, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Would you (or anybody else) mind clarifying? I get what you mean but I can't dechiper it well. --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 04:43, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It is my understanding that there is indeed a Chicago accent. I can't really isolate any characteristics of it, but I know some people from Chicago that sound like they're from Chicago, you know? Incidentally, I had a teacher who claimed to have a "Chicago accent," but really just had a speech impediment. --ParkerHiggins ^{( talk contribs )} 04:45, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

From what I understand, the fronting of /a/ (so it sounds close to /æ/) is one of the most salient features. Dave 05:16, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's just one part of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift to which the Chicago accent is subject. Subjectively, I also have the impression that there is a distinct Chicago accent, but in the recently released Atlas of North American English by William Labov et al. there don't seem to be any characteristics of Chicago English that aren't found in southern Wisconsin and southern Michigan too. Maybe they just weren't looking for what we're hearing. --Angr (t·c) 07:33, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm no linguist, so I can't do the thing with special characters to indicate pronunciation, but there's a sterotypical pronunciation of "Chicago" as Chicaaago", as Angr indicated above. Thre's also the pronuncation of "The Bears" (as in Chicago Bears) as "Da Berss". User:Zoe|^(talk) 01:42, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Selous Scouts

Does anybody know the etymology of the word "selous", as used in Selous Scouts? Was it the name of a commander or a place? "Selous" doesn't seem to be a word in English, could it be an African word? —DO'Neil 06:51, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Could it be a misspelling of "zealous"? --Angr (t·c) 07:37, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Nope. The last link on Selous Scouts points to Selous Scout site, which tells us it is named for Frederick Courteney Selous. I imagine the article could use a link to that... --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 17:18, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Origin of the expression "fill your boots"?

I'm wondering what the origin and/or where the expression came from.

This site [1] has an interesting reference --Tachs 09:30, 27 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Variations of the word Saint as used in naming cities.

Many cities, esp. in the southwest are named San or Santa,etcetera. Examples are: SanFrancisco, Santa Ana, Saint Louis. Can you tell me what language each of these derive from? Thank you, W. S. Carter MD

San and Santa are Spanish; Saint and Sainte (as in Sault Sainte Marie) are French. Both derive from Latin sanctus (masculine)/sancta (feminine) "holy". --Angr (t·c) 23:07, 25 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The generic Spanish form of the Spanish word for "saint" is santo. That's a masculine noun, so a female saint is santa. However, before the name of a male saint, this is usually shortened to San, hence "San Francisco", "San Diego", "Santa Ana", "Santa Barbara". However, if a male saint's name begins with To or Do, the full form Santo is used. Thus, "Santo Domingo", "Santo Tomás".

Saint Louis was originally settled by the French, so the "Saint" there is also French, though it's now pronounced as the English word. User:Zoe|^(talk) 01:43, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Saint in French is also gendered; a female saint is a sainte, abbreviated Ste, thus Sault Ste. Marie. -- Jmabel | Talk 07:04, 27 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And in Portugese, the other big group of Catholic city-founders, a word meaning saint is São, as in São Paulo or São Tomé and Príncipe. I think that this is just for male saints; all of the female saint-cities I know of in Brazil are santas.ByeByeBaby 18:20, 27 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 26

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Ok, I know the language category is a longshot here, but it was my best guess. Does anybody know any story at all for the origin of the "Why did the chicken cross the road?" joke? There's a small subsection on the joke on joke, but it describes what the joke is, not where it comes from. Thanks in advance! --ParkerHiggins ( talk contribs ) 08:01, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know how to track backwards the history of a joke, and I wasn't there when it was thought of, but the best guess I've ever been able to come up with is that it was a riddler's joke. Example riddle: What has one head, one foot, and four legs? A bed! So, you ask, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" They think for a while, trying to figure out what clever thing you came up with, then say, "I give up. Why?" "To get to the other side!" This would, I'm guessing, be followed by a prolonged and extremely spastic giggle. It's funny, of course, because you're breaking the rules of riddles by giving the actual answer, and it takes the other person by surprise. Another example, from a different genre (racial jokes), goes, "What do you call a black guy flying a plane?" "What?" "A pilot, you racist!" Because the origin of the chicken crossing the road has been forgotten, and due to its nature and form, I would further suppose that it was mainly popular, in its heyday, among young children, many of whom are quite happy to repeat something another child thought was funny whether they understand it or not. This is behavior you don't usually see in adults, and even less so in teenagers, both of whom fear the embarassment of telling a joke that turns out not to be funny much more than children do. Black Carrot 20:03, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

konichiwa

what does konichiwa mean

"Good Afternoon". Babelfish didn't find it, but Google for konichiwa translation found several answers. HFuruseth 13:36, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It is, incidentally, Japanese - こんにちは。In case you didn't already know that. --George 21:22, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Why not try Wiktionary --Gerard Foley 22:21, 27 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Desire to be eaten

Is there a fancy word for the desire to be consumed by some other human or an animal? This condition made it into the news three years ago. – 22:19, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

Phagophilia? —Keenan Pepper 22:36, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Motto of the Pythagoreans

How do you say "all is number" in Ancient Greek, as Pythagoras would have said it? —Keenan Pepper 23:05, 26 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 27

(no questions today)

December 28

Female Saints

Since Santa is used in the Spanish language to denote a female Saint, eg. Santa Barbara, why is Santa Clause used to designate Chris Kringle who is clearly a man?

This is discussed in the second paragraph of our article on Santa Claus. --George 04:55, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

difference between "demonstrate" and "show"

what is the difference between "demonstrate" and "show"

They are close synonyms. I would say demonstrate is slightly more formal, and show has a stronger connotation with vision (you "show" something with a diagram but you "demonstrate" it with an argument). Besides these subtle differences, there is an important usage difference: show can take an indirect object. I showed him the picture is idiomatic English but *I demonstrated him the picture is not. —Keenan Pepper 06:09, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Doesn't "demonstrate" also imply function? i.e. not simply displaying something to be seen, as with "show" - as you note, a visual context; demonstrate implies an action, or a method, or something conceptual in addition to something that can just be seen.

Further note, as is usual in English there's a difference in context between a word of Latin/Romance and/or Norman origin (demonstrate) and its correspondent from Anglo-Saxon (show); beef/cattle, mutton/sheep, poultry/fowl etc.

When I saw this in my watchlist I couldn't help but think of the Missouri state motto, proudly displayed on its license plates, "Show Me". Story goes there was this troop of guys on a work gang who'd never seen a shovel before and asked how to use it....joke was told to me by a Missourian, so the putdown is autologous.Skookum1 07:12, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Checking Wiktionary [[[2]]] [3] will help to get more precise information. "demonstrate" is only one of the meanings "show" expresses. --Tachs 07:38, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thinking finer, "demonstrate" indicates a purpose and implies a result whereas "show" may or may not carry a purpose or end in a result. --Tachs 07:15, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Linguistics

New Trends in Syntax

This question no verb. —Keenan Pepper 15:16, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This not even question. JackofOz 15:27, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Depending on how much you already know, you might try a newer textbook on the topic - there's a new edition of this one [4] coming out next year - or drop by your local college library to read the journals in the field (search on "lingsuitics" or "syntax" in your local library's periodical catalog). -George 22:21, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Phrase Origin / Meaning - "The Full SP"

I've heard this phrase for Years, and understand that it means to Give information with ALL the Details. Where does "The Full SP" Originate? and What does the "SP" Stand for?

Richard W, Cardiff, UK

Translation to Latin

What's the best Latin translation of "all your base are belong to us?"

Well, since it's bad English grammar it should be translated as bad Latin grammar, right? I remember some T-shirts at NJCL that said "Omnes vos castris sunt nobis" or something like that. —Keenan Pepper 18:06, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

crossword help

can u guys help me with a crossword becuz im stumped with these words

WORD	PATTERN
1 midday break for meal	(5,8)
2 independant state since 1993	( 5,8)
3 capital of georgia	( 8 (*sk***))

--212.72.2.189 19:44, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

--212.72.2.189 19:42, 28 December 2005 (UTC) plz guys i need ur help badly please[reply]

It's odd, neither Atlanta (Capital of Georgia (U.S. state)) or Tbilisi (Capital of Georgia (country)). It could be Mtskheta, a former Georgian capital, if that 'k' is in the wrong place. 2. is Czech Republic. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 21:55, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Neither is it any of the previous capitals of the U.S. state: Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville. --Angr (t·c) 07:13, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

First might be lunch something or something luncheon but I'm not coming up with any good combos. Elf | Talk 22:41, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Could it just possibly be "petit dejeuner"? JackofOz 22:51, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Shouldn't be, since that's a morning meal, not a midday meal. -- Jmabel | Talk 08:59, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You're probably right. It was just an idea that happened to fit the gaps. JackofOz 09:16, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

English to Greek translation

What is the Greek word for "beautiful"?

καλος/-η/-ον should do.

ᓇᐃᑦᔅᑕᓕᐅᓐ ✉ 20:57, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Surely ομορφος/η/ον would be a closer translation.

December 29

Pronunciation of "La Marseillaise"

How do you pronounce "La Marseillaise"? Neutrality^talk 07:10, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In French, /la maʁsejɛz/. Anglicized pronunciation /lə mɑɹseɪˈjɛz/. --Angr (t·c) 07:16, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is this statement redundant?

Would defining something as a "porous mesh" sound redundant to a native speaker's ears? Thank you folks for any answers. -- Rune Welsh | ταλκ | Esperanza 11:16, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

"Porous" suggests the liquid slowly seeps through, whereas with a mesh the liquid would fall right out. Unless it was a very fine mesh, of course. Then, I suppose it would be considered "porous". But otherwise, they seem to be distinct concepts. JackofOz 12:50, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

German to English Translation Request

I am working on a biography of Christian Knorr von Rosenroth. Unfortunately most of what I've found on the web is in German. Specifically I've found two web pages that look to have the information I need, but Google's translator mangles them badly. Neither is very long and if someone could translate them for me I'd be very grateful.

[5]

[6]

Thanks --◀Puck^talk▶ 17:46, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]