Things I wish I knew

[kinboshi]

How do they choose weather reporters on the telly?

Was your application rejected, then?

Well, not quite.  I guess they've all studied meteorology, but then there doesn't seem to be much consistency in what else they look for.

[Woodsey]

How do they choose weather reporters on the telly?

Was your application rejected, then?

Well, not quite.  I guess they've all studied meteorology, but then there doesn't seem to be much consistency in what else they look for.

Somebody who spouts regular bollocks? You might have a chance Dan...... 

[kinboshi]

How do they choose weather reporters on the telly?

Was your application rejected, then?

Well, not quite.  I guess they've all studied meteorology, but then there doesn't seem to be much consistency in what else they look for.

Somebody who spouts regular bollocks? You might have a chance Dan...... 

Not if you apply first

[Tal]

How is the bloke in the Kellogg's Crunchy Nut adverts who keeps giving away his location by eating cereal still alive?

[Jon MW]

What's the difference between assume and presume, please?

I know people say assume when they start on a mathematical proof, but I am struggling after that.

synonyms, just slightly different roots

I don't think that's true.

I had an embarrassing moment in a Supervision at Uni once, where I said assume and was corrected mid-sentence by a Tutor bearing the wearied expression of a man sick of having to explain the difference to oiks.

That's not always a reliable guide, a lot of academic types refuse to admit that English is actually still a living language and so definitions can change because of common usage. Also a lot of them never understood that English was not equal to Latin in the first place and some of their 'rules' were always wrong - in this case the former though.

I think the nominal difference is assume is opinion based and presume is probability based*, but common usage means they're both the same thing now. Although obviously it still makes a sentence sound better if you use them in the original context.


EDIT.* or is it the other way round? 

[MintTrav]

What's the difference between assume and presume, please?

I know people say assume when they start on a mathematical proof, but I am struggling after that.

synonyms, just slightly different roots

I don't think that's true.

I had an embarrassing moment in a Supervision at Uni once, where I said assume and was corrected mid-sentence by a Tutor bearing the wearied expression of a man sick of having to explain the difference to oiks.

That's not always a reliable guide, a lot of academic types refuse to admit that English is actually still a living language and so definitions can change because of common usage. Also a lot of them never understood that English was not equal to Latin in the first place and some of their 'rules' were always wrong - in this case the former though.

I think the nominal difference is assume is opinion based and presume is probability based*, but common usage means they're both the same thing now. Although obviously it still makes a sentence sound better if you use them in the original context.


EDIT.* or is it the other way round? 

There are uses where one of them is clearly the only option but, where they appear interchangeable, I generally use presume if it relates to the future. I don't think you can presume something about the past or present. You can use assume about the future and I think Jon's opinion-based v probability or evidence-based is correct:
"You have never gone to a BlondeBash before but I assume you'll be going to this one."
"You have always gone to BlondeBashes so I presume you'll be going to this one."

[Tal]

I think that's pretty much how I use them, but, as you say, I find it comforting to know I'm choosing the correct one with confidence.

Pedants gotta ped, and all that.

[Redsgirl]

16. Why are all yoghurts simply given the name of the fruit used to flavour them EXCEPT peach which for some reason are called "Peach Melba"?

17. Why do Americans feel the need to speak to strangers when alone in lifts? I'm English, I don't want to talk to you unless I know you.

Peach Melba is a dessert with peaches, raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream invented for an Australian opera singer called Nellie Melba.
Peach yogurts almost always have a hint of the above flavours, hence the name.

I have no idea why Americans speak to you in lifts.

[david3103]

Why is that whichever end of a box of tablets you open the leaflet always obstructs the easy removal of the strip of pills?

[theprawnidentity]

Why is that whichever end of a box of tablets you open the leaflet always obstructs the easy removal of the strip of pills?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law

[AndrewT]

Why is that whichever end of a box of tablets you open the leaflet always obstructs the easy removal of the strip of pills?

Same reason why it always takes three goes to put in an USB cable the right way round.

[theprawnidentity]

I think that's pretty much how I use them, but, as you say, I find it comforting to know I'm choosing the correct one with confidence.

Pedants gotta ped, and all that.

One of my teachers at school always told us that PREsume was based on PREvious information and that ASSume would often end with you making an ASS out of U and ME.

[kinboshi]

Why is that whichever end of a box of tablets you open the leaflet always obstructs the easy removal of the strip of pills?

Same reason why it always takes three goes to put in an USB cable the right way round.

Haha, and it was always the right way originally but still wouldn't go in...

[Tal]

I think that's pretty much how I use them, but, as you say, I find it comforting to know I'm choosing the correct one with confidence.

Pedants gotta ped, and all that.

One of my teachers at school always told us that PREsume was based on PREvious information and that ASSume would often end with you making an ASS out of U and ME.

First one sounds logical, but the second one is just being silly

[Acidmouse]

i wish i knew i was going to get tonsillitis the day before my hols...

rush to docs, meds and off we go,