iWorth's Blog:

"Why" used as exclamation, an example from "An Inspector Calls"

2020-07-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

When "Why" is used as an exclamation, it would normally be followed by a comma instead of an exclamation mark, it's an interjection used to express surprise, disagreement, indignation, hesitation, impatience etc:

//Why, don't be silly! (Collins)

//Why, here's what I was looking for! (Merriam Webster)

In J. B Priestley's An Inspector Calls, when Arthur Birling talked about the greatest technological progress of the time such as airplanes, automobiles, and ships, he said:

And then ships. Why, a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the titanic – she sails next week – forty-six thousand eight hundred tons – new york in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.

He use "Why" to express surprise. Arthur was born into a humble background and became a prosperous manufacturer, he was pompous but rather "provincial" in his speech.

PEMDAS

2016-06-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

"PEMDAS" - parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, is the "order of operation" in a single math expression.

Some Acronym for my Mobile Phone

2016-06-25T21:28:00.001-07:00

A mobile network is also called a cellular network because the network is distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, known as a cell site or base station.

GPRS is short for General Packet Radio Service, it's a mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system, GPRS usage is typically charged based on volume of data transferred, contrasting with circuit switched data, which is usually billed per minute of connection time. So that you see on your mobile phone bill, the former is measured by Megabytes, but the later by Minutes.

GPS and GPRS

GPS is a positioning service that can determine any location on earth, hence the name Global Positioning System. On the other hand, GPRS is a data service technology that enables 2G telecommunication networks to provide services other than voice calls.

2G, 3G, 4G

2G is short for ‘2nd Generation wireless telephone technology’. 2G lets you send text and picture messages and has some internet capabilities. A letter E or G means that your phone is currently using 2G speeds.

The ‘G’ stands for GPRS, which gives you slow, dial up modem speeds when you're trying to use data or the Internet. The ‘E’ stands for 'enhanced', and your Internet will work a little faster than when it's on G.

Similarly, 3G is short for 3rd Generation, it allows video calls and provides faster internet. Either ‘3G’, ‘H’ or ‘H+’ to show that you're on 3G.

4G is short for th 4th Generation. 4G internet speeds are five times faster than 3G, but currently you need a 4G compatible phone and you need to live in an area with 4G phone signal.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication, which allows Beam sharing data between two mobile phones.

Private enmity and Public duty

2016-04-20T10:50:00.002-07:00

Zhaozi said, "Is not he your enemy?" Sheng replied, "Private enmities should not interfere with public [duty]. In your likings not to overlook faults, and in your hatreds not to disallow what is good, is the course of righteousness. I dare not act contrary to it."

--Duke Ai, Fifth Year.

Nine maxims

2016-04-14T05:09:00.002-07:00

Do not begin disorder; do not trust in riches; do not rely on favour; do not oppose a common agreement; do not carry yourself proudly in ceremonies; do not be proud of your power; do not transfer your anger; take no counsels that are contrary to virtue; do nothing against righteousness.

Does pearls reproduce by itself through time

2016-03-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

At the request of several families he and Mrs Legge gave a home for some months to a young Dutch girl, a granddaughter of the first Dutch governor of the Straits Settlements. She had several pearls of which the Dutch residents were great collectors, got from oysters found in a river of the Malay Peninsula, when she left them she gave Mrs Legge a small box containing a large pearl the size of a pea, with a blue spot on it, and two others not so large. This box was then put away and locked up. Several weeks later he took it out and on opening it discovered more than a dozen pearls, most of them very small. Astonished at the phenomenon he called his chief servant, a Portuguese, who happened to enter the room and who expressed no surprise but declared it to be a common occurrence. On enquiry he found that many of the Dutch people had jars of pearls, large and small, which had accumulated in this way. Some years later he related the incident at dinner on board ship. The captain was a cautious Highlander and said nothing, but two years after, meeting James Legge in Hong Kong he came up to him with the words, 'It's true, Doctor,' 'What is true?' 'What you told us about the pearls.' He added that he had disbelieved the story at the time, but had investigated the matter on his voyages between China and Calcutta. Nearly forty years after, a letter was published in the Times asserting the same thing, and provoked a good deal of correspondence.

-- James Legge, Missionary and Scholar, by Helen Edith Legge , Religious Tract Society (Great Britain), Page 23.

I can't find the answer to this curious claim, if anybody knew the truth, please kindly leave your comment, it will be much appreciated.

About Human Nauture

2016-02-03T06:00:00.002-08:00

性相近, 习相远 are the ipsissima verba of Confucius, and form the chief dogma in Confucian ethics. It was vigorously upheld by Mencius, and opposed by Hsün K'uang of the 3rd cent. B.C. who held that the nature of man is radically evil, and also by Yang Hsiung who taught that it is neither one nor the other but a mixture of the two.

---- Herbert Allen Giles, San Tzu Ching

Arirang

2015-09-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo，
Crossing over Arirang Pass.
My Dear, if you abandoned me,
Will not walk even ten li before you hurt feet.
Just as there are many stars in the clear sky,
There are also many dreams in my heart.

Arirang Pass is the long road you go.
Over there is the Baekdu Mountain, [Baekdu: whitehead]
Even in the middle of winter days flowers bloom.
Arirang Mount is my Tear-Falling Hill,
So seeking my love, I cannot stay still.
Wondrous time, happy time—let us delay;
Till night is over, go not away.

The brightest of stars stud the sky so blue;
Deep in my bosom burns bitterest rue.
Man’s heart is like water streaming downhill;
Woman’s heart is well water—so deep and still.
Young men’s love is like pinecones seeming sound,
But when the wind blows, they fall to the ground.

Birds in the morning sing simply to eat;
Birds in the evening sing for love sweet.
When man has attained to the age of a score,
The mind of a woman should be his love.
The trees and the flowers will bloom for aye,
But the glories of youth will soon fade away.
Look on me! Look on me! Look on me!
In midwinter, when you see a flower, please think of me!

Castor and camellia, bear no beans!
Deep mountain fair maidens would go a-flirting.
Over the Ari-Arirang Pass I’ll cross and go.
O’er Arirang Pass I long to cross today.
Moonkyung Bird Pass has too many curves–
Winding up, winding down, in tears I go.
When flowers bloom in Hanyang, carry me and go.

Though I pray, my soya field will bear no beans;
Castor and camellia, why should you bear beans?
When I broke the hedge bush stem, you said you’d come away;
At your doorway I stamp my feet, why do you delay?
Come to me! Come to me! Come and join me!
In a castor and camellia garden we’ll meet, my love!
If you leave and forsake me, my own,
Ere three miles you go, lame you’ll have grown.

--Korean Folksong

Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics

2015-09-08T09:21:00.002-07:00

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas,
Everybody's looking for something.

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused. [1]

Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on

Written by Lennox, Annie / Stewart, David Allan.

[1] "Abuse" means:

▸to be treated someone in a cruel or violent way
▸to have sex with someone who is unable to refuse
▸to use something in a bad, dishonest, or harmful way
▸to use alcohol or illegal drugs in a way that is harmful to your health
▸to speak to someone in an angry, offensive way

Why do some people want to be physically, emotionally, or verbally abused? You might feel that it's a crazy idea at first, but when you listen to this song again and again, you could see the profound truth hidden in the darkest corner of human heart, and the vivid moving images of the distorted bizarre world. But the highlight is at the last two lines of the song, which reveal the the fact that you don't just jump into the deepest suffocating abyss of masochism, instead you keep your head up, and hold it high, and endeavour to move on to your life. Just like a ball bouncing up again to another side when it's been hit onto the hard ground.

Money's Too Tight To Mention

2015-09-08T03:05:00.003-07:00

I been laid off from work
My rent is due
My kids all need
Brand new shoes

So I went to the bank
To see what they could do
They said son - looks like bad luck
Got a hold on you

Money's too tight to mention
I can't get an unemployment extension
Money's too tight to mention

I went to my brother
To see what he could do -
He said brother like to help you
But I'm unable to
So I called on my father, He said
Money's too tight to mention
I can't even qualify for my pension

We talk about Reaganomics [1],
Oh lord down in the congress
They're passing all kinds of bills
From down Capitol Hill

Money's too tight to mention (cutbac)
We're talk-in' about money money
We're talk-in' 'bout the dollar bill [2]
Now what are we all to do
When the money’s got a hold on you?

(Writers: John and William Valentine)

[1] Reaganomics is a popular term used to refer to the economic policies of Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. President (1981–1989), which called for widespread tax cuts, decreased social spending, increased military spending, and the deregulation of domestic markets.

[2] A dollar bill is a banknote (or bill) of any of the currencies that are named dollar.

[3] Capital Hill is a metonym for the United States Congress. Metonym is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is called not by its own name but rather by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept.

Hungry Like The Wolf (DURAN DURAN)

2015-09-07T08:59:00.001-07:00

Darken the city, night is a-wire [1]
Steam in the subway, earth is a afire
Woman, you want me, give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind

In touch with the ground
Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
Mouth is alive with juices like wine

Stalked in the forest, too close to hide
I'll be upon you by the moonlight side
High blood drumming on your skin, it's so tight
You feel my heat, I'm just a moment behind

In touch with the ground
A scent and a sound, I'm lost and I'm found
I howl and I whine, I'm after you
Mouth is alive, all running inside

Burning the ground, I break from the crowd
I smell like I sound, I'm lost and I'm found
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme
Mouth is alive with juices like wine

I'm on the hunt I'm after you
And I'm hungry like the wolf

[1]A-wire: crazy, insane, chaotic, also know as "haywire".

"I Need A Dollar"

2015-09-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

By Aloe Bacc

I need a dollar dollar, a dollar is what I need
And if I share with you my story would you share your dollar with me
Bad times are comin and I reap what I don't sow
Well let me tell you somthin all that glitters ain't gold
It's been a long old trouble long old troublesome road
And I'm looking for somebody come and help me carry this load

Well I need a dollar dollar, a dollar is what I need
Well I don't know if I'm walking on solid ground
Cause everything around me is falling down
And all I want - is for someone - to help me

I had a job but the boss man let me go
He said, I'm sorry but I won't be needing your help no more
I said, Please mister boss man I need this job more than you know
But he gave me my last paycheck and he sent me on out the door

And I need a dollar dollar, a dollar is what I need
And if I share with you my story would you share your dollar with me
Well I don't know if I'm walking on solid ground
Cause everything around me is crumbling down
And all I want is for someone to help me

What in the world am I gonna to do tomorrow
is there someone whose dollar that I can borrow
Who can help me take away my sorrow
Maybe its inside the bottle
I had some good old buddy his names is whiskey and wine
And for my good old buddy I spent my last dime
My wine is good to me it helps me pass the time
and my good old buddy whiskey keeps me warmer than the sunshine

Your mom of mayhem just a child has got his own
if god has plans for me I hope it ain't - written in stone
because I've been working myself down to the bone
and I swear on grandpas grave I'll be paid when I come home

Well I need a dollar dollar, a dollar is what I need
And if I share with you my story would you share your dollar with me
come on share your dollar with me
go ahead share your dollar with me
come on share your dollar give me your dollar

Appendices or Appendixes

2015-09-02T04:38:00.001-07:00

"Appendices" is a section giving extra details at the end of a book, part of a book, or document, In this sense, the plural form of appendix is appendices.

“Appendixes” is the plural form of the now functionless part of the large intestine causing people to be rushed into hospital for its removal.

British and American English Spelling

2015-09-02T04:12:00.002-07:00

The British English spellings are often related to their French and Greek spelling, while American spellings often reflect the Latin.

1. ae/e, oe/o, ou/o, iu/u

aetiology / etiology
anaemic / anemic
anaesthetic / anesthetic
caesium / cesium
faeces / feces
foetus/foetal fetus/fetal
haemo- / hemo-
oedema edema
mould mold
aluminium aluminum

2. gue/g

analogue / analog
catalogue / catalog
dialogue / dialog

3. se/ze, ce/se

analyse / analyze
catalyse / catalyze
dialyse / dialyze
electrolyse / electrolyze
hydrolyse /hydrolyze
paralyse /paralyze
defence defense

4.our/or

behaviour / behavior
colour / color
favour / favor
harbour / harbor
labour (laborious) / labor (laborious)
neighbour / neighbor
odour / odor
tumour . tumor

5. re/er

centre, centred / center, centered
fibre / fiber
litre / liter
metre (100 cm) / meter
meter (measuring device) / meter

6. l/ll

channelled, channelling / channeled, channeling
fulfil / fulfill
labelling, labelled / labeling, labeled
modelled, modelling / modeled, modeling
skilful skillful
tunnelling tunneling

7. co-/co

co-worker / coworker
co-factor / cofactor

8. ph/f

sulphur, sulphate, sulphite, sulphide, etc. sulfur, sulfate, sulfite, sulfide, etc.

9. others

grey / gray
through / thru
programme (TV, project etc.) / program
but computer program / program

Dissertation orl thesis

2015-09-02T03:34:00.002-07:00

if you’re from the UK you would write a Master’s dissertation and a Doctoral thesis. If, on the other hand, you lived in the USA, you would write a Master’s thesis and a Doctoral dissertation.

If you’re writing your doctoral thesis in British English, call it a thesis; if you’re using American English, call it a doctoral dissertation.

Spandex, Elastane, Lycra, Neolon, Dorlastan, Anlun

2015-06-01T23:18:00.001-07:00

Spandex or elastane is called Lycra in Uk, US, Canada, Holland, and Brazil, Neolon in Japan, Dorlastan in German, Anlun (氨纶) in Mainland China. Spandex is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than natural rubber. It was first discovered by Bayer Company in German, and mass-produced by DuPont in America 1959.

Panic or panick

2015-02-28T02:49:00.002-08:00

There is only one spelling for panic; the verb is inflected 'panic, panics, panicked, and panicking’. The form panick is used for progressive tense, past tense and past participle. We don't write panick today, though English speakers from a few hundred years ago might have (in the same way they might have written musick).

When the alternate spelling “panick” is used for the past participle: "I panicked last night at the disco." When it’s use for progressive tense: “Invariably, when markets are panicking, they sell the stocks quickly.”

It's the rule for root words ending in "c" is that you have to add “k”, so the spelling is related with the pronunciation. If we don't add the <k>, it looks as if the <c> has to be pronounced /s/. If the "k" was not there, “panicing” would look like the word which is supposed to be pronounced as if it is ended in "sing," while “paniced” would be pronounced like “panised”.

The same would be true for any other verb ending in '-ic'. Picnicking is the correct spelling for "going on a picnic". The words trafficking, and mosaicking are treated similarly.

Security Check

2014-08-13T14:29:00.002-07:00

Answer this question to confirm your identity:

What is the first name of the boy or girl that you first kissed?

Types of road crossings

2014-06-20T04:02:00.002-07:00

Zebra Crossing's distinguishing feature is alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface. The similarity of these markings to those of a zebra give the crossing's name. A zebra crossing typically gives extra rights of way to pedestrians.

A Pelican Crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing featuring a pair of poles each with a standard set of traffic lights facing oncoming traffic, a push button and two illuminated, coloured pictograms facing the pedestrian from across the road - a red, stationary person to indicate that it is not safe to cross, and a green, walking person to indicate that it is safe to do so. The name is derived from PELICON, a portmanteau of pedestrian light controlled.

Puffin crossings are electronically controlled. Sensor sensure that the red light shows until the pedestrianhas safely crossed the road. These crossings don’t have a fashing amber light; they have a steady amberlight, like normal traffic lights. Its name is an abreviation of pedestrian user-friendly intelligent crossing.

A toucan crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing that also allows bicycles to be ridden across. Since two-can, both pedestrians and cyclists, cross together, the name toucan was chosen. Toucan crossings are normally 4 metres (13 feet) wide, instead of the 2.8-metre (9 feet) width of a pelican crossing or puffin crossing.

Goodbye

2014-02-12T09:56:00.002-08:00

This everyday word has undergone several changes in its history. It began life in the late 1500s as god be with you (or ye), spelled variously as god be wy ye, god b'uy, and so on. The first part changed to good either on analogy with such other greetings as good day, good morning and good night, or as a euphemistic deformation to avoid the blasphemy of saying god (taboo avoidance) - or due to a combination of the two. The various independent words in god be with you were amalgamated into one, goodbye, and ultimately even this was shortened (clipped) to bye. (L. Campbell, historical linguistics.)

Chinese character with the largest numbers of strokes

2014-02-04T03:28:00.002-08:00

The Chinese characters can range in complexity from one stroke : 一 yī "one" to 36 strokes, the largest numbers of strokes in any character actually used: 齉 nàng "to speak with a blocked up nose."

Rapunzel

2014-01-30T12:32:00.000-08:00

Rapunzel is a young girl born with glowing magic hair,
Living with her false mother with an evil flare.
Trapped inside a tower fifty feet high,
She uses her hair to swing around likes she could fly.

(By Brenda Sheng)

Cinderella

2014-01-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

Cinderella is a girl with a heart of gold,
Her mean and ugly sisters make her do as she is told,
She shops and cooks and washes but they don't pay her a penny
They buy themselves all sorts of things but don't give Cinderella any.

(By Brenda Sheng)

Australian birds

2013-05-16T07:55:00.001-07:00

The most famous of Australian birds is 'Kookaburra Jackass, whose derisive call seems to mock everyone who hears it. The Kookburra's head is almost as big as his body which has a downy grey waistcoat, brown feathers, and wings speckled with pale blue. He is a brave little bird and will seize a snake in his strong beak, fly up to the treetops and drop the snake on the ground, doing this again and again until the snake is dead.

The Lyre Bird gets his name from the unusual shape of his tail. He is about the size of a chicken and is fine singer and mimic. He can imitate, not only forest sounds, but any noises that he hears, and practise new imitation for hours until he has them perfected.

The largest and stateliest of Australian birds is Emu which is about seven feet high and has brownish black plumage, small wings, and a very shot tail. The emu cannot fly, but it does swim, and it can run almost as fast as kangaroo can hop. Young emus, with their vivid black and white stripped feathers, come from dark green eggs hatched out not by their mother, but by the male emu.

There are other interesting birds -- the Bell Bird, whose silver-voiced call gives him his name, and the Whipbird which whistles and makes a noise like the crack of a whip, the Bower Bird which likes brightly-coloured things, and the Scrub Turkey. More common is the black-and-white magpie, whose song is a delight to hear.
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Jackeroo

2013-05-14T01:12:00.001-07:00

A jackeroo is an apprentice to a sheep farm in Australia.

The big estate on which sheep or cattle are reared in large numbers are always called "station," and not farms; the owner is always the "boss"; and the men who work for them are "stockmen," and never shepherds or cowmen, although you are quite in order if you speak to them as "hands".

The land over which the sheep roam is the "run". A large station will probably be divided into what should be called in Britain "fields," but which the jackeroo soon learns to call " padocks".

The life of a jackeroo of Australia, likes the rancher of Canada and the veld-rider of south Africa, if we may say.
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