And yet the Brits still claim that it's their language...

[MikeH]

Saying nothing but making it sound profound and important is most of a politician's job.

[Drake Tungsten]

If you did know about english you would realise that any insult in the word bastard is derived from the fact that it means you are illegiteamate.

The details of its historical derivation do not change the fact that "bastard" has, in modern usage, developed a pejorative connotation quite independent from it's original meaning.

How's that for making nothing sound important?

[TheStinger]

Can it include smartarse

[DaShi]

Originally posted by MikeH
We keep the monarchy to make money from gullible American tourists who like to come and look at their palaces.

Nonsense! We come to look and their noses.

[Dauphin]

Says the man from the country that gave the world Benny Hill.

We export all our crap for two reasons:

1) We get to exile the offender to the US.
2) Failing 1, misery loves company.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by MikeH
Saying nothing but making it sound profound and important is most of a politician's job.

The thread should have stopped with this statement. Rumsfield is known for hardly ever answering a question in a way the reporter wanted or making statements that will tell you very much of anything. It's not because he can't speak clearly, its because he don't want to tell anyone a damn thing.

[Bereta_Eder]

Understandably it's repulsive to say but what he said, that *restrain yourself paiktis* man at the US, was perfect clear and made perfect sense, to me atl least. There are things you know you dont know and things you dont know you dont know. perfect sense and if i dare say pretty smart, almost socratic *throws up*

I know how much fun we make out of those people who govern that country but without wanting to break up the party, in this instance it was pretty clear and wise.

[Drake Tungsten]

I love you, paiktis.

Welcome to the dark side.

[MOBIUS]

Face it, you will always be our language b*tches...

Americans speak English - however badly...

[Drake Tungsten]

Face it, you will always be our language b*tches...

It's not your language either. Bloody Welsh...

Why don't you do us all a favor and just go back to Cymgwneddeistedfoddcaderidristwythglyndwrru or whatever your ****ing consonant-rich hometown is called?

[Japher]

Cymgwneddeistedfoddcaderidristwythglyndwrru

It perplexes me how a country full of alcoholics could ever get by naming their towns the things they do..

[Dauphin]

That reminds me, when I was in Victoria I passed through a town called Bacchus Marsh. Why would you name your town that unless you're an alchie.

[Drake Tungsten]

Why would you name your town that unless you're an alchie.

They most likely are alcoholics. It is Oz, after all.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Ancyrean

Isn't that a VERY cumbersome way of stating the obvious? It's not a matter of whether you can wrestle some sense out of it or understand it, but rather this is really an ingenious way of saying nothing of note while expending some quite mouthful

No, its a way of trying to describe the vagaries and ambiguities of intelligence gathering and analysis without the use of specific examples.

[Cruddy]

I understood Rumsfeld, but I must admit his repeitition was unnecessary. How's about "There are unknowns of whose existence we are unaware?". That gives the meaning much better.

The English might have invented the language, but many other people use it.