Admittedly I was more concerned about as-geeky/as-pedantic-as-I-am friends teasing me about it than the fact that I'd done it...
But do I get any points for describing the weather in Kelvins most of the time? (Especially useful in winter -- 261K sounds so much more comfortable than 20F or -12C, y'know? Much more pleasant to talk about. But more importantly, in case I ever have to do gas-law calculations unexpectedly, I won't have to do any conversions. (No, that hasn't happened, but it could.))
Oh, and even though I know it's formally acceptable, using pounds for mass or kilograms for force bugs me. Slugs and Newtons, thank you.
I didn't even notice it - but I consider it on a par with switching languages in the middle of a sentence because an idea can be expressed more cleanly in one language than another. (Assuming, of course, that all parties to the conversation understand all languages used, or that one sticks to common crossover phrases.)
When I took German in high school, we had to keep a vocabulary notebook with our weekly word/phrase lists, and their translations. My teacher was flabbergasted to discover three languages used in the definitions - but why would I record an English approximation for a phrase that had an exact translation in French or Hebrew?
My mentalese is a horrible smörgåsbord of languages, but in speech and writing I usually manage to stick on a single modality. I have been known to switch languages on a comma, though, when turning to address another person who was not party of the language of the first part.
(no subject)
That somebody would be concerned of such usage in an informal communication... I think I may love you. ;)
(no subject)
But do I get any points for describing the weather in Kelvins most of the time? (Especially useful in winter -- 261K sounds so much more comfortable than 20F or -12C, y'know? Much more pleasant to talk about. But more importantly, in case I ever have to do gas-law calculations unexpectedly, I won't have to do any conversions. (No, that hasn't happened, but it could.))
Oh, and even though I know it's formally acceptable, using pounds for mass or kilograms for force bugs me. Slugs and Newtons, thank you.
(no subject)
When I took German in high school, we had to keep a vocabulary notebook with our weekly word/phrase lists, and their translations. My teacher was flabbergasted to discover three languages used in the definitions - but why would I record an English approximation for a phrase that had an exact translation in French or Hebrew?
(no subject)