Language genders

Hmm…what’s the wavelength of 1.5kHz sound in air?

Rhetorical question, Steve… without actually calculating it (which isn’t hard…) I knew it’d be a big bit for hearing aids and rather assumed we all would.

I lost a very good friend when my father died

Me too likewise, although the only time we went to the pub was for Labour Party meetings. (Coincidentally, the only time I’ve been to the pub in recent years was to Green Party meetings.)

I lost a very good friend when my mother died.

My father? Wasn’t really a part of my life because, well, he failed. Let’s just leave it at that.

I lost a very good friend when my mother died.

Different individuals, different lives! Goodness gracious me!

One of my grandmothers was a very good friend, and the grandfather on the other side – sadly he died when I was only eight years old. I still miss my mother a bit – she died eight years ago – but she was never really a friend, which my father certainly was.

Rhetorical question, Steve… without actually calculating it (which isn’t hard…)

I’m used to a work environment where people ask questions – either directly at me, or of the room¹ in general, with most people in the room turning to see what my answer is. So, I tend to provide such info as a reflex action. Not the answer, just the easy way of deriving the answer.

¹ WFH a lot these days, so the questions go into the MS Teams chat.
Plus the week is three days, and although the mobile near me is work property, with Teams on it, Teams is currently set in “Do Not Disturb” so the boss can get me – he won’t unless things seriously go A.o.T – and the others have to think for a couple of days.

I’m used to a work environment where people ask questions

Ah, yes, I remember that from teaching days. But for me, that’s a LONG time ago. Retired 17 years ago, and I wasn’t a teacher for the last 15 years before that. Perhaps a bit of it for the five and a half years I was running the pre-press operation at Physiology, but even that finished 27 years ago…

I’m used to a work environment where people ask questions

You’re lucky.

I have had two work environments.

The most common is “don’t ask questions” because insecure little managers can’t handle you asking a question that would show that their instruction handed down as if from a god, mightn’t be the best answer. You just shut up and do what you’re told.

And the other? “FOLLOW THE PROCESS” (yes, shouty). If it is written, it is to be done. If it isn’t written, it is not to be done. This gets followed to the letter (as any deviation from the process puts full liability onto the employee).
Even if the process is clearly painfully wrong, you tell your manager who may submit a change review that might happen some time before your retirement. And then you follow the process.

I’m not a manager, I’ve never been a manager, and my bullshit tolerance is too low to be a manager. So people like me aren’t paid to think, we’re paid to do, and thinking for ourselves is never ever to be done (lest insecure people decide you are a problem to them).

It’s one of the reasons I like being “the cleaner”. Cleaners pretty much don’t exist, and all that office politics crap does not concern us.
But, I swear to whatever god you believe in, it’s a miracle some companies are even able to function…

This is how I imagine ‘Rick, nettoyeur’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTWwvoxOgMA

You just shut up and do what you’re told.

I think the phrase for me is “Not in my DNA”
I’m not particularly good at conforming to other people wanting me to be something other than me.

I’ve always tended to design processes and get other people to use them, unless they can demonstrate a better one.
Anything that reduces the effort I need to expend is deemed to be good, although I do tend to put an inordinate amount of effort to engineer the process that reduces my effort.

This is how I imagine ‘Rick, nettoyeur’:

I don’t have a new enough NewPipe on this phone so it’ll have to wait until I’m home…

…but I’m going to guess: it’s Jean Reno, isn’t it?

I have been a manager, but it’s not really in my DNA…

(3 months into the project…)

Boss: This is your project, you know.

Me: I thought I was working on it with G*****.

Boss: You are, but you’re the project leader.

Me: First I’ve heard of it.

Boss: Don’t you want to be the project leader?

Me: Not really, no. Is it a promotion? What’s it worth?

Boss: Well, obviously it’ll be taken into consideration in the annual salary review.

Me: Hmm. Jam tomorrow? Ten years ago, I might have been tempted. Five years ago, I’d have wanted cash up front – and a good deal more than just a good annual salary review, at that. Today? How many wild horses have you got?

(He didn’t have enough.)

Today? How many wild horses have you got?

Those were the days…

Nowadays it’s more like “Oh, so you don’t want to do all this extra work for no extra pay nor appreciation? You’re not a team player, are you? Clearly you aren’t going to fit in around here.”

What he is saying is goodbye without saying goodbye.

My monthly might be a pittance bordering on insulting, but I’m so not sorry leaving that world far behind.

You’re not a team player, are you?

Ah, that one.
My favourite “toy” manager¹ did that. Zero score.
He also offered me that immortal feed line: “you’re making me look like an idiot”²

Yes, I did take the opportunity :) You absolutely have to give credit where it’s due.

¹ Many things could be used as a description, but “not the sharpest tool in the box” fits quite well.

Ah, now. My boss in that little tale was a thoroughly decent bloke, and I continued working with G***** as equals.

Languages / etymology are very interesting – I wish I had more time to study them!

Some things I find interesting are:
– Scottish / Northern English / North American pronunciation is closer to ‘what English used to sound like’ than ‘Queen’s English’ (the change of pronunciation was quite early when people left for the US, and it started in (the South / South East of England). The change in pronunciation also contributes to the things like bare / bear / fear, etc!

I will not
I willn’t?

Won’t was originally woll not
wo’n’t
won’t

Also, the changing meaning of words over time. An example is ‘Fast’:

‘Fast’ means ‘travelling at a high velocity’, yet
- a fastener fastens something down, stopping it moving at all;
- ‘this ROM is stuck fast in the socket’ etc!
– the German word ‘fest’ is similar to the original meaning of ‘fast’ (immoveable / stuck etc)

The same thing seems to be happening again, at least in New Zealand English;

‘Going hard out’, ‘hard out’ refers to (doing things with enthusiasm) and is definitely used to refer to running fast, driving fast etc;
– you can say ‘this ROM is stuck hard in the ROM socket, it won’t budge’n
– so – it seems that the word ‘hard’ is, similar to ‘fast’ beginning to acquire an almost opposite meaning too!

Willy Nilly? Will I Nill I? Hold fast, some Sir Gawain and the Green Knight coming up.

Hit were now gret nye to neuen
So hardy a here on hille.

= it would be difficult to name so brave an army on any hill.

I’m used to a work environment where people ask questions

The problem was that my manager was a control freak and not there most of the time. I had to interpret his strategy from the occasional detailed comments he made. I didn’t always get it right!

Once he told me just before I went on the Friday that he had arranged a meeting at 0830 on the Monday (which was our start time). I made sure I arrived for the meeting with my coat on with no preparation. I still think he missed the point.

I didn’t mind extra responsibilities as there were only 37 hours in the week and I was careful not to fall into the trap of working extra hours.

I didn’t mind extra responsibilities

I don’t mind extra responsibilities – as long as I’m not responsible for what anyone else does… at need, I’ve coped with that, but I don’t like it, not at all.

Extra responsibilities come with extra remuneration, yes?

Oh, and be wary of the “can you just do this for a while because the regular person is….” because “a while” usually translates as “it’s your problem now”.

Extra responsibilities come with extra remuneration, yes?

If they don’t, you can find someone else to take them on… but for managing people, he’d have needed those wild horses…

Given some of the things…

Let’s just say, I think herding kittens is easier than herding people.

I think herding kittens is easier than herding people

No idea, but it certainly couldn’t be any harder. But…:

https://clive.semmens.org.uk/Fiction/Birgom/Birgom13.html#Hansul