Roger Upole wrote: > "Alex Martelli" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>Steven D'Aprano <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> ... >> >>>I mean, when you read "He sat on the chair" do you need >>>to look up the dictionary to discover that chairs can >>>have arm rests or not, they can be made of wood or >>>steel or uphostered springs, be on legs or coasters, >>>fixed or movable? If it mattered, a good author will >>>tell you, and if it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. >> >>But if in their dialects of English "chair" strongly implies a hard, >>straight-backed, no-arms sitting-device, they won't elaborate, even if >>it DOES matter, exactly because it's already implied in the word they >>used. Not sure if this is true of any dialect of English, today, but it >>might be in Italian (for "sedia", the exact translation of "chair"). >> >>So, you've just learned that "He" chose to sit in a chair rather than a >>sofa; depending on subtle nuances of the English dialect used (varying >>with time and space), this may have very different implications in >>defining the character and mood of this individual... >> >> >>Alex > > > Hmm, and what if your context for "chair" was that unless you were > to confess, you would be placed in a comfy one ? And furthermore, > what if you were told that while in this chair thing, you would be seeing > the sketch about the penguin on the telly ? Lets see, "sketch" means > a rough line drawing, and the only "telly" I know of is Telly Savalas, > but I'm fairly sure I know what a penguin is. > So while in this "chair" I am to be shown a crudely drawn picture > of a bald man with a fat flightless bird perched upon his overlarge head. > Torture indeed ..... > No, not the comfy chair! -- Steve Holden +44 150 684 7255 +1 800 494 3119 Holden Web LLC www.holdenweb.com PyCon TX 2006 www.python.org/pycon/
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